Aura Gaia - Aurora Rise 2015 (pt 4)

This is an explanation of Aura Gaia.

Here is a look at the thought process which took my design from start to finish.

I truly feel that the final product character which Krista Kirkpatrick and myself created was a strong blend of uniqueness, originality, and out-of-the-box thinking.  It was very important to avoid falling into conventional genre tropes, and this should demonstrate that ideal fully.

- J.

Aura Gaia part one - http://friendlybelligerent.blogspot.com/2015/11/aura-gaia-aurora-rise-2015-pt-1.html

Aura Gaia part two - http://friendlybelligerent.blogspot.com/2015/11/aura-gaia-aurora-rise-2015-pt-2.html

Aura Gaia part three - http://friendlybelligerent.blogspot.com/2015/11/aura-gaia-aurora-rise-2015-pt-3.html

Aura Gaia part four - http://friendlybelligerent.blogspot.com/2015/11/aura-gaia-aurora-rise-2015-pt-4.html

Aura Gaia part five - http://friendlybelligerent.blogspot.com/2015/11/aura-gaia-aurora-rise-2015-pt-5.html

Aura Gaia - Aurora Rise 2015 (pt 3)

This is an explanation of Aura Gaia.

One of the stipulations of the Aurora Rise 2015 Cos/Art Competition was the creation of a "3 paragraph backstory" for the original character.

Never one to back down from a challenge, in addition to the formal 3 paragraphs, I also made a 3 page comic for inclusion in our character presentation booklet.

Largely tongue-in-cheek, it was important to have some reverence for the character, trapped in an absurd world.

In this way, I could illustrate out the understandings of this future world, the characters and villains within it, demonstrate the importance of the social understandings of the people, and Aura Gaia's place within it.

- J.

Aura Gaia part one - http://friendlybelligerent.blogspot.com/2015/11/aura-gaia-aurora-rise-2015-pt-1.html

Aura Gaia part two - http://friendlybelligerent.blogspot.com/2015/11/aura-gaia-aurora-rise-2015-pt-2.html

Aura Gaia part three - http://friendlybelligerent.blogspot.com/2015/11/aura-gaia-aurora-rise-2015-pt-3.html

Aura Gaia part four - http://friendlybelligerent.blogspot.com/2015/11/aura-gaia-aurora-rise-2015-pt-4.html

Aura Gaia part five - http://friendlybelligerent.blogspot.com/2015/11/aura-gaia-aurora-rise-2015-pt-5.html

Aura Gaia - Aurora Rise 2015 (pt 2)

This is an explanation of Aura Gaia.

When Krista Kirkpatrick and I began brainstorming, I immediately set the pace by making sure that we were brainstorming together.  However, I wanted it to be largely based on her own character interests, and so I was pushing the collaboration "back and forth" in a manner to develop the character along her own preferences.

The character was eventually settled upon as a plant-based, nature powered woman... of the future!

Before we had any designs started, we had the basic understanding of the character.  As she developed, I would set about designing the backstory and the world around her, as well as her partners and the antagonist.

- J.

Aura Gaia part one - http://friendlybelligerent.blogspot.com/2015/11/aura-gaia-aurora-rise-2015-pt-1.html

Aura Gaia part two - http://friendlybelligerent.blogspot.com/2015/11/aura-gaia-aurora-rise-2015-pt-2.html

Aura Gaia part three - http://friendlybelligerent.blogspot.com/2015/11/aura-gaia-aurora-rise-2015-pt-3.html

Aura Gaia part four - http://friendlybelligerent.blogspot.com/2015/11/aura-gaia-aurora-rise-2015-pt-4.html

Aura Gaia part five - http://friendlybelligerent.blogspot.com/2015/11/aura-gaia-aurora-rise-2015-pt-5.html

Aura Gaia - Aurora Rise 2015 (pt 1)

This is an explanation of Aura Gaia.

This is a fictional, future- based character which I co-created with a well-known Denver based cosplayer named Krista Kirkpatrick (and you can find her online under the name Cosplay Rocket).

November 7th and 8th 2015, the Aurora Rise event occurred.  This was the fourth annual charity fundraiser for the families of the victims of the 2012 Dark Knight Century Theater shooting.  This year, we did something new.

Krista and I were hand-chosen from the community to put together a new character, and to present it as a series of illustrations, prints, a spoken-word origin, and a full-concept cosplay.

Our character was Aura Gaia.

I will spend a few posts discussing the character and process.  This was the final print of the collaboration, and also the final costume of Krista as Aura Gaia.

- J.

Aura Gaia part one - http://friendlybelligerent.blogspot.com/2015/11/aura-gaia-aurora-rise-2015-pt-1.html

Aura Gaia part two - http://friendlybelligerent.blogspot.com/2015/11/aura-gaia-aurora-rise-2015-pt-2.html

Aura Gaia part three - http://friendlybelligerent.blogspot.com/2015/11/aura-gaia-aurora-rise-2015-pt-3.html

Aura Gaia part four - http://friendlybelligerent.blogspot.com/2015/11/aura-gaia-aurora-rise-2015-pt-4.html

Aura Gaia part five - http://friendlybelligerent.blogspot.com/2015/11/aura-gaia-aurora-rise-2015-pt-5.html

Faces

Here are faces.

I love your faces.

- J.

Work Process - Rose City Con Portfolio Book

This is the level of preparation which goes into most of my work.

Countless print samples, color tests, and quality checks.

This is about half of the material I have left from the preparation for the 2015 Rose City Comic Con Print Portfolios which I handed out.

It's this level of processing which gives me pride.

- J.

 

Work Today

This piece is a landmark piece for the day I began work in my new studio space.

I awoke with a severe sense of knowledge that it was time to get to work, but I was paralyzed with physical and emotional fatigue... and an irrational fear of motivation to work.  This is not normal for me, and it was not okay.

So, with clarity that it was time to "get moving" I promptly jumped to my drawing table and captured the moment of that fear.

I felt it was powerful and true enough to turn it into my fall and winter business card, use it as the cover for my 2015 Rose City Portfolio cover, and as web banners.

All good things which are true can be used as powerful motivation.

- J.