I have been out of this blog for a long time due lots of work all around (which I am not complaining at all). Although I will be still very busy, I decided to start a new project called Candice (no, it is not a new baby!).

I want to use Kwik in a real project so, I decided to write and illustrate an original story for children. My idea is to transform it in an interactive book, publishing at Apple, Android, Amazon and (hopefully) Nook stores. Part of the files will also be available as a free download to Kwik users (I strong believe this is the best way to learn about new features).

For this first posting, I will share some of the characters studies and the main plot of the story. Basically it is about a young witch apprentice, called Candice. She needs to attend a witch fair but she can’t make her broom to fly. She starts a journey in search of some magical ingredients, meeting some new friends in the way.

For the little witch, I sketched a few different body shapes (tall, short, “chubby”, thin, etc):

witch1 (2)

witch2 (2)

Although the “judges” (my family) selected the tall witch…

…I opted by the short one, mostly because later in the story she will need to fit in a small space. Also, a short girl was always my vision since the beginning (as the author, illustrator, editor and publisher, final word is mine, right? Smile

Considering I needed to attend a workshop from SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), and I needed a simple animation to show off Kwik, I quickly draw it in Flash (not many details yet) and use it in the animation I showed:

witch (2)

For the horse (it is a toy, made of wood), I tried a few samples (probably will pick the second one as it matches more with Candice’s drawing style):

horse (2)

For the snail, just two samples but, the family winner is the second one, as it is a homage to an original drawing our oldest soon (he is almost 19 now) drew when he was very young (you know moms’, right? They keep everything):

snail (2)

If you want to see the first animation test, check the complementary posting, available at www.kwiksher.com/blog

Again, thanks for your friendship and interest. Ideas? Just leave a comment!

Alex