i've always liked the idea of having shorts between chapters for the small stories of barovia that are too small to dedicate a whole chapter to. i was planning on doing one for izek after the abbot's chapter, but... well, more on that in the news post with the next update, along with some ramblings about style changes that will have to happen to be able to Actually make the comic after a year lol. i want to try to get the next update out by halloween, but my commission workload is heavy -- a blessing and a curse. this was just a convenient way of answering a request on my art blog and shake a story out of my head that had been sitting in there for a while. it will, unfortunately, have to stay only on the tumblr until we get to that point in the comic where it can be slotted in due to the way the website pulls the pages from the files, but that's alright. i love my secrets, if it isn't obvious
speaking of secrets, time to spill some:
also, the sketch from day 1 of working on this figuring out their outfits + looks. victor's face is censored because it... wasn't very good LOL:
edit: a friend pointed out something to me that i forgot to add! in victor’s daydream, the sun is very stylized, standing out against everything else and obviously kind of out of place. this is because he hasn’t seen it before, so it’s based off of the symbols of the morning lord he’s seen at the church of st andral and other places.
all orders for the button and charm are being shipped today! there are only 5 buttons left, but still plenty of charms.
also, expect a newsletter this week. I've had it in my drafts since the Aug 13 update, but I have a hard time with writing. I'll find the time to sit down and get it finalized (along with something else too, if time allows it ;] )
happy organ donor day! are you registered? here are some gifts now available to celebrate your life while you have it! (additionally, if etsy does not work for purchasing in your region, DM me and we can work something out!)
a bit like a director's cut for a film, I will be going over the first four pages of Gestalt. If I left out anything that you would like to know more about, do not be afraid of the askbox!
I wasn't sure whether to call this an artist's exploration or a peek into the writing or what, so I figured "creator" is broad enough :)
and now, some notes that aren't specific to one page:
I did a lot of things I've never done before already working on this comic. I've fully rendered linework, I drew pine trees (and got sick of drawing pine trees), and I worked in a limited color palette! Each color is taken from colors of the first page with the exception of the gold which shows up increasingly over the following pages. (There is also the exception of the faaaaaint reds underneath the fingerprints in the second page and in the well in the third.) They look very nice in the first full illustration, but quickly become dull to the senses. How very Barovian! These will not be the only colors used forever, so do not worry. The palette will change for each scene, and shift gradually for other situations.
What else to say? Every choice is intentional, so if it seems like there is a discrepancy between the module and Gestalt, know that it is on purpose. Most everything sticks very close to the module, so the differences that are there were very thought out and done for a reason that will become apparent later in the exploration of the abbot's story.
The only choice that was made without a deep reason is the removal of the abbot's hat. I just didn't like it.
as a fun extra, here is what I would say the theme of the prologue is: How Long by Julia Holter
though I do like how the live version droops and drags. it feels even more like someone not fitting in quite right:
for those who have read this far, i have some secret extra news for you:
we are making the backend of the site compatible with gifs. i will keep quiet about specific plans, but now moving elements are a possibility within pages!
i am considering the possibility of letting people submit work to be displayed in the sidebars next to the news on the homepage. i would love to promote work by the curse of strahd community. there are so many amazing artists and writers! i need to think more on the logistics of this, but it could be fun.
i got a new monitor from my parents for the holidays, so recording my workflow is now a possibility. if i find myself with the extra time to edit videos together, i may do more commentary in those, but for the time being i will stick to just writing posts.
i have plans for other videos. keep an eye out for two treats in the future! one for me and one for you :)
that's all I can think of for now! there will be no more updates this year, so I will see you again in 2024!
I REALLY like the way you draw the Abbot!! He's so amazing in your execution! my dm informed me that you are feeling ill now, so I decided to support you and send some sketches with the Sun! I hope this will cheer you up! ☀️🕊️✨
Here are all the teasers together! The conversation is between Mother Night and one of her servants. Can you guess who?
The hidden message was in the file names. Together they said: "What happens when an angel falls and God isn't there to catch them?"
The rest of the prologue is coming very soon. For the update including this book's title page, I have something special planned. Stay tuned!
