INTRODUCTION
This is a work-in-progress page of a long-term personal project.
The story began forming in my mind after a short trip to France in August 2019 and it is partly based on certain historical events of early XX century. In May 2020, during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, I started to research the historic part of the emerging plot, structuring it and making some rough sketches.
At some point I felt stuck developing the plot, failing to introduce a proper antagonist, natural for the story and historically acceptable. Now, in 2026, I am planning to return to this comic book as I hope the new AI tools could be of great help.
2020
NINA'S ROOM
Nina is the main character of the graphic novel, she is a young woman about 30 years old, not satisfied with her life. She is currently unemployed, and trying to find out what job and what life she really wants. Her companion for most of the time is her dog.
Nina's room is likely to be light, with a workplace and pieces giving an idea she has a curious mind, loves books, art and travel.
I had read that using a 3D design applications or services like SketchUp had been a common pipeline for creating backgrounds in comic books. It was 2020 and after a quick research I chose Floorplanner as the simplest tool to visualise my thoughts of what Nina's room might look like and take look at that space from various angles.
CHARACTER SKETCHING
Studying simple shapes forming a corgi's body (Procreate App):
2020
Pencil sketching the dog:
2020
Sketching characters (Procreate App). Nina's look in the beginning is expected to reflect her inner condition of dissatisfaction and uncertainty, I think her look might be a bit dull to give room for her visual development into the woman she will be in the end – strong, beautiful, self-assured, inspired. The clothes should be comfortable, and basic and should be a nice match with orange, the color of her fluffy friend.
On my first sketch the character wears a not really basic one-piece in a rather-not-dull color, but that was the way I felt when drawing, so much work is still ahead, this stage if far from being done.
On my first sketch the character wears a not really basic one-piece in a rather-not-dull color, but that was the way I felt when drawing, so much work is still ahead, this stage if far from being done.
2020
THUMBNAIL STORYBOARDING, AND FRAMES SKETCHING
Rough thumbnail storyboarding (Procreate App):
2020
2020
The index cards for the draft script:
2020
The beginning of my draft script and a rough sketch of the first page, made in Plasq ComicDraw for iPad. It was a test which led me back to sketching in Procreate as I used to before.
2020
Pencil sketches:
Rough sketching of another option for the first page (Procreate App):
2020
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2020
BOOK COVER: FIRST SKETCHES
2020
RESEARCH
A significant part of the story bases on a historical event, namely an attempt of a transatlantic flight, and I needed to calculate a possible route and put a number of the characters' mini adventures along the route.
TO BE CONTINUED
