OH MY GOD.

So I'm absolutely certain that ink brushes with cartridges are the best thing since sliceable cookie dough. We'll get to that in a bit, though. First, here's some more character design for the wizard in my tentative HATCH 2 comic.

As you can see, I still love the long arms and peg leg. The long arms do now have an explanation. He is an elf. Since it's fantasy and I can do whatever I want with my own little universe, I've went ahead and did a little sketch of what more fortunate members of his race look like (meaning, not burnt the fuck up).

I think they might be a race comparable to Buddhist monks, living peacefully in self-contained villages in forests. Wow, going out on a limb there. Elves that live in seclusion. Oh Max, you're so original. I do mean they might be monk-ish. Since they have a pretty long reach, martial arts are probably the best bet for their on-foot defenses. I probably won't need to get into this stuff too much, but since a flashback involving the wizard's past might be in order, I felt that not-so-crispy elves needed a design.

I also did a sketch of what could end up being Itch's tavern-ownin' foster pop.

As I've conveniently noted within the image, I did fuck up his face. This was my first experiment in using an ink brush on pre-drawn pencil lines. From that experience, I learned not to trust myself with a brush when dealing with intricacies like faces. It's okay, we all have to learn somehow. He has a look that I strongly associate with dwarves, even though he is quite large and definitely not a dwarf. I really like the rough, pierced look of the Warhammer Fantasy dragon slayer Dwarfs, and I couldn't help but rip that off a tiny bit when I drew him. I'm not 100% certain that I'm happy with the design. That's probably gonna change a bit before he's finished. Who knows.

Now for the bestest bit of the bunch.

These brush pens are so great. Seriously, I highly recommend going and picking one up if you're going to even entertain the idea of inking with a brush. They're easy to use, self-contained, not too messy, and not too pricey. They're also just so fun. I'm almost positive that I'm going to use a brush to ink most of my comic. I feel like I've been missing out. Obviously, this is Itch and the wizard having a stroll. Bonus speech bubble for charm.

The story is still being fleshed out little by little in my head. If I get any sudden bursts of inspiration, I'll probably post it here, and nobody will read it.

I probably won't cry, though.

- Maxburg out.