This is the page where the Raven, being our narrator, propels us into the story. In a way, Maelstrom is nothing but a campfire story. Only here, it’s a raven that has a flashlight under its beak. Ha!
Here is the thumbnail sketch used for the final page. Note that I decided to drop the top layout later on, it was redundant.
Here are more preliminary thumbnail sketches. As you see, I tried many options before deciding on the final.
And I didn’t mind working harder on the design since I knew the final drawing would take me no time at all.
Here’s a couple of inspirational images. No masterpieces, but nice mood.
And finally, the time lapse video of the inking stage. I hope you won’t mind me using the Specimen13 track utilizing the raven sample once more. Perfect fit in my mind.
Don’t know why… 😉
[pexyoutube pex_attr_src=”https://youtu.be/8w5QX3pR3hU”][/pexyoutube]
As a last note, some of you will notice something familiar about this page. While working on this, the more doodling I did, the more it started to remind me of an iconic image of the silent cinema. What made me chose the final design was the opportunity to tip my hat to one of my favorite filmmaker: Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, a master of silent cinema active in the Weimar era (a.k.a. the Expressionist Cinema, although very few movies can truly be called thus).
An hommage if you will.
I strongly suggest you watch two of his best known masterpieces, Nosferatu and The Last Laugh.
Cheers,
Denis
