A Curious Case Indeed! Tales From Nottingham #2 is Now Available!

Q: What does your creative process look like, and where do you draw inspiration from?

Anna: I’ve got ADHD so my mind is always switched on. Even when I’m lying in bed at night I make up scenes in my head about stories I’m working on, so it’s very easy for me to come up with ideas (I even get them in my dreams!). I get inspired by consuming other content. Sometimes I’ll watch or read something and take note of things that speak to me and try to figure out why it speaks to me. In the end I want to create stories that I’d want to read, not necessarily what’s popular right now. When it comes to the actual process, I come up with a rough plot idea first and then start doing research if needed, which can sometimes take hours. I think people often forget that writing is more than just putting words on paper. Those words have to be accurate as well! Finally, when I have a solid draft script I leave it be for a few days and then start making edits. That last part is my least favourite part, because then I become my own worst critic.

Gabriel: My creative process is simple, reading and rereading the script along with a quick sketch of the page. Then a deeper revision with a more detailed sketch in traditional style.
Scanning the sketches, and then digital inking, and that’s when all the magic of the digital process appears. Of course I have illustrators that I like Olivier Coipel, Stuart Immonen, among others but my main inspiration is my family; without their support it would be impossible for me to live this dream of working and doing what I like.

Josh: My process starts when I get the black and white pages. I generally prep all the pages by adding base colors to all elements of every page, panel and all objects. This is called “flatting” and it makes element selections faster later in the process. As I flat, I see everything in the page that readers probably never see in the final. This helps me figure out the mood of each scene and find consistency if scene time jumps from page to page. After initial colors are laid in, I start the fun rendering, usually backgrounds first and starting dark building up to light. Then the fun SFX comes last! I’m heavily inspired by Matt Wilson, FCO and Frank Frazetta.