Hey, my Squids!
Dropping in with some WIP for page 7 of Chapter 3 Part 2! Now that I’ve separated the chapter into two parts, I thought it best to post the WIPs as they show in the comic! On page 7, we get a little bit of an explanation of the cypher and Leira laments that Saul hasn’t contacted her. At this point, she fears the worst and we all know that heartbreak is right around the corner for her.
I used a few Sims screenshots to structure the scene. Originally, I was going to do a wide shot of her apartment but I decided to keep it tight and intimate while she’s talking to Sudesh. Not only does it better set the scene for the two but… it’s also just a lot easier and faster to draw. As a comic artist, one of the trade offs you need to make for each panel is whether it’ll be faster to draw or not and if it will be able to tell the story you’re trying to tell. I find myself fighting with that thought every time I pick up the pen.
One of the other things I want to make apparent in this scene is that Sudesh and Leira have been friends for going on 15 or 16 years at this point. They’re both 28, they were in a band together and toured rigorously for about four years, so they saw each other every day, they work for the same branch of the government and have lunch almost every day, and they spend time outside of work hanging out; Leira’s even babysat Sudesh’s two kids. They are friends through and through, maybe even sisters. The closeness they have means that Leira’s worry about Saul affects Sudesh as well. She also knows him closely since he and Leira have been “together” for almost seven years at this point. This scene and the trajectory of this part of the chapter is not just felt by Leira. It has repercussions that affect multiple people as the story unfolds. But it all starts here.
Enjoy.