Captain's Rant #4 - Kodi the Starfish Art & Story Update!

Kodi the Starfish

Ahoy ...Everybody!!! I am sorry I am running a week late on this post. I am still getting used to all of the set up and planning needed to run a great blog. Still, thank you so very much for stopping by to look in and get caught up!

This post is specifically for the Kodi the Starfish short children's story I have been developing for the new space themed anthology through Illopond.com. I have been having a blast and learning a ton (!!!!) about being a better artist and using better processes. This is just getting stacked on what I have learned with a separate comic submission I have worked on also and man, have I grown!

Ok my sea-faring adventurers, here is the general synopsis of this Kodi short story.



In the world of Kodi and his best friend, a little girl named Kadi, many things are fantastic and beautiful. Even Kodi himself is an amazing site because he is actually a star. In their world, all of the stars in the sky are really schools of fish and other life-forms. The galaxy is literally teeming with life and every-now-and-then, Earth gets to visit and learn from these magnificent creatures.

Our short story focuses on a special event for Kodi and Kadi. The time has come to release Kodi back into the wild for he is now old enough to join back with his family. Kodi, a rare white dwarf starfish, has been friend with Kadi's family a long time and this is a very special day for them. In these 8 pages we will follow them as they load into the family spaceship and take flight. Then, after the beautiful release from his tank, they have time to "swim" and play before Kodi's family, a small school of giant starfish, arrives to take him on the rest of his trip back home.

It is meant to be a very sweet tale about the love of two friend and how that holds them together, even when faced with important events in their lives. Pleasae know that I have many ideas for further stories with them so, all going well on my side, this will hopefully not be the only story I get to tell of them.

Alright, below are the pages thus far and I show both the rough planning art and the more finished lifework. Each page has a short list of corrections so I am not calling them fully finished yet, but they are about 90% good to go.

Page 1 Rough

Page 1 Mostly Finished

Page 2 Rough

Page 2 Mostly Finished

Page 3 Rough

Page 3 Color Roughs

Page 4 Rough

Page 4 Mostly Finished

Page 5 Rough

Page 5 Mostly Finished

Page 6 Roughs

Page 6 Full Size Roughs

This is where I am now. I tightened it up some last night and will hopefully finish today.

Soon to Come!! The last spread!

Pages 7-8

Then This would finish the 8 page illustration side of the entry and I would finish the digital coloring. This will hopefully go quicker than the lifework side.

 Ok, shipmates and visitors! I think this will end this post for the time being. My next post will be "Captain's Orders #2 - Waist-ed!"

This will be a tutorial about drawing figures from the waist up. A general overview of my approach.

Please feel free to comment on this post or leave questions. I will keep you informed as I finish more pages and get into the digital coloring.

 Until then, May the winds be at your backs and friends be at your sides. Blessed be your journeys.

Captain Dutz