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I understand – honestly I think I myself am stuck in a similar track. For the last two week I’ve found myself doing almost nothing but drawing, despite having plenty of stuff to work on – a stout outline to extend and a story begging to have its beginning written (and also that contest thing…. :{ ), but whenever I’ve tried to draw my own stuff lately, I seem to just produce nothing but trashy practice gestures and dead-end heads. (and I still have Beth20 and Purpleturtle to draw… AAAAAH (I’m not that good with drawing children)).

I would love to read it! I have a passion for the medieval and I’m more than happy to lend my modicum of medical expertise, and if your fiction writing is as thoughtful as your conversation, I think I should find it an engrossing read on its own.

Alright, Story Embers is refusing to let me post in the Art Exchange, here we go
@deeprun 😀

She’s so…. imperious. I love it! Even though it’s, well, less picturesque, I love the aquiline nose (and the coin-like side profile you did). I CAN’T OVERSTATE HOW COOL IT IS TO SEE MY CHARACTERS IN SHADOW AND COLOR. And if there was just one character on whom a stoic expression would fit, Kyreleis is her.

Honestly, I really like your paintings! The lack of delineation between character and background is very immersive and naturalistic, and yet you still have very fine details like the little tufts of hair running free at the nape of her neck and along her fringe. Truly, the way you’ve done her, she looks like she could actually be beautiful (in a very Roman Emperor kind of way) if she lost the armor and the terrifying death stare (but her armor is very very good and really helps sell her austerity and ‘warrior queen’ image).

I am of the high quality English this morning.

@claire-h, @arindown, @deeprun

Thank you! I guess I’ve sorta kinda finally found my style. It’s neither painterly nor anime nor realistic either – I guess it’s a sort of half-breed of comic book art and my severe allergy to technology. 😛 With this one I tried to go for more stylized, simplified and angular forms, but it kinda ended up looking like my stuff usually does ( in my opinion).

The expressions took  f o r e v e r. Part of the reason I draw so dark and heavy – is to hide the aftermarks of many, many, many previous failed attempts (there is no better eraser than more layers). But I’m really exceedingly indescribably happy that the expressions turned out well and didn’t end up looking derp.

Anyways, I’m glad they were identifiable! I kind of imagined this conversation as I was drawing it:

Jean: Nan, we’re just sweeping away cobwebs, not the armies of darkness. You look ridiculous.

Nan: Danger might call at any time, ‘specially at dark attics – notorious spots for adventure they are.

Jean: Nan, put that thing down, there’s nothing there –

Nan: What’s that then?!

Around the start of the lockdowns, I started watching a lot of art videos on YouTube – specifically by Sycra and Robert Marzullo – on figure, gesture, heads (Marzullo’s is the best in my opinion) and foreshortening (it changed my LIFE. Sort of. Not really. But it’s super cool and helpful!)

Regarding expressions, Sycra has a video specifically on open mouths that I’ve found helpful in watching and re-watching it when struggling with open-mouthed expressions. One of the best ways I’ve found is to take pictures of yourself making faces (and try not to laugh mid-take) and then draw from reference – find the major forms in the expression (lines, shadows, shapes) and copy those and learn those.

I require breakfast first, but I’ll try to summon up some pinterest references. In advance of that, I’ve found myself comparing Erhard to Prince Caspian recently, and Fritz to… uh… well he’s not exactly movie star material…

No worries about typos! Who knows how many litter my works and posts.
At least you have some caffeine that works. Oddly enough, coffee just puts me to sleep – the only caffeine that does anything from me comes from those energy drinks, and, well, there’s certain downsides… I’d send you a shipment of joe if I could.

I’ll get on the doc this evening (probably sooner), or at the very least tomorrow morning. I won’t sugar coat my critique, but I’d like to think I’m relatively well trained in delivering it in a constructive, diplomatic fashion. Any particular areas (i.e., authenticity, technology, culture, style, dialogue, characterization, themes, etc.) that you’d like me to focus on?

[And don’t be ashamed about coming to writing later than others. I may have started early but I’ve been going at this a while and I’m still learning. Maturity in writing is at least partially a function of age and time – there are certain things that I simply could not have effectively written about when I was younger no matter how skilled I might have been relative to my peers. AND I’M STILL NOT PUBLISHED.]

I really am genuinely amazed at the work you’ve done. I can make quips about figure and proportion, but the reality is that you are over the horizon in terms of your command of color, shadow, tone and saturation.
And I understand getting sidetracked on Kyreleis and Myrrha. Though recently I’ve put a lot more love and attention into Erhard and Fritz, Myrrha and Kyreleis were the original MCs, and Myrrha is probably the best contender for primary main character. She is my favorite to write (if also the scariest to get into the mind of). Visually, Erhard and Fritz are just not quite as interesting to me as Myrrha and Kyreleis (I imagine some small part of that comes from being a guy as well… 😛 )

So, commentary on the Abyss – well – at the depths that you’re using a submersible, would be crushed like an egg. No smear against 80’s / early 90’s – some of those are absolute indisputable literary classics (looking at you Conan the Barbarian of 82′).

Buuuut, at close to surface depths (e.g., below the ice of a lake), pressure isn’t an issue, and there are documented cases of individuals all across the lifespan surviving prolonged periods (from between 5 to 20 minutes) in freezing temperatures trapped under ice, even deprived of oxygen, and being later revived
the ocean pressure at would crush her like a melon.
So it’s actually absolutely plausible that a character could fall through the ice and get stuck in a frozen lake for 5-10 minutes, be pulled ashore unconscious, and be later revived. Modern technology (e.g., defibrillators and CPR technique) are pretty important, but basic things that can be done include clearing the lungs of water (the heimlich is honestly probably a pretty ancient maneuver) and warming the person back up (which would be obvious to even the most backwards peasant).
The odds of survival are always chancy and never certain, but fortunately for authors, the laws of chance are on our side (at least in our stories).

Oh and to make things easier for you, here’s the link to Hearts and Minds again:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aVKViV2lesGGNSYi5S5UQkjBg4Naxha-3f80Y0zP5z0/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/document/d/13ke0x7SfNEh2y7W2aNVhcGO-AJhhWiuFx6bmGPmnLjM/edit?usp=sharing

My general critique to your story, as it would have been far too difficult to read were it compressed into a comment box. We can get more specific if you like, but I thought you might be most efficiently served by a general initial overview.
Hope to hear from you soon!

@deeprun
I’ve seen your results and I’m impressed! I never knew the Lee Van Cleef look would be so good for Fritz!
And I’ve been doing my best to keep apace of your updates / comments on Hearts and Minds – it’s really, really, super duper encouraging to see you engage so deeply with it. You and Eowyn have been super inspiring there, just in the comments alone.
I’ve been making progress on Scullion Squire, and started outlining the ‘intermission’ story between that and Hearts and Minds which actually deals with Myrrha’s flight from Prague – but from Erhard and Fritz’s perspective.

Alas, I cannot open your comments – Google hast forbidden me access to thy wisdom and feedback.