# Skal - An online fantasy graphic novel.



## JenJen

((Not entirely sure where the best place would be to post this, but I guess it's art? Otherwise maybe the Graphic Novel section, but this stuff isn't published, so I don't feel I have the right to slap this thread onto that section ))

Hi!

As I've probably mentioned before, I'm currently doing my own project as a bit of an experiment (and a challenge to myself, really). It's an online ongoing graphic novel called 'Skal' which I update every Monday.

It's full colour (don't be fooled by the beginning monochrome!) and all traditionally made with mostly watercolour, gouache and pencil. Some bits are assembled digitally, but everything's been made IRL and scanned in.

It's obviously free to read, so if you're feeling bored, have a look:
Skal - An online graphic novel by Jennie Gyllblad

I'm very happy to receive any constructive criticism you may have. Are some panels hard to follow? Is something unclear? Is there something you don't quite like? Something that pulls you in? Is the story a bit strange? The English a bit fragmented? (It's not my first language, so that's one of my main concerns)

Seeing as I want to do stories for a living, I need to start somewhere, and I'm nothing without other people.


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## FaerieMajikk

this looks really great!
I would love to start a graphic novel, my only suggestion is the images, do you think perhaps they are a bit large?
I think if you resized them to fit the screen with no need to scroll down it might be better, with an option of clicking to see full size??
Just a suggestion.
It does look fantastic and i am bookmarking your site.


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## JenJen

Thank you very much 

I've been thinking about the image sized before and struggled a lot to make up my mind. On the one hand, if I were to make the images smaller, you -do- get to see the entire page in one go, which is ideal, but! You also miss a lot of the detail and the text would be too small to read...

Maybe having a smaller version and allowing people to click would be good, but I'm wondering whether that would be annoying for some readers who don't want to have to click everytime they read a page. 

Oh I don't know !


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## Loaded

I've just had a look and the images are wonderful.  I must agree though the exercise of having to click every time was tiresome and made me lose interest somewhat.


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## JenJen

Loaded said:


> I've just had a look and the images are wonderful.  I must agree though the exercise of having to click every time was tiresome and made me lose interest somewhat.



You mean the clicking the 'next' button? or having to scroll down to read?


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## Loaded

JenJen said:


> You mean the clicking the 'next' button? or having to scroll down to read?



In most instances both, but I did like having to scroll down the cell bars as that gave the image greater perspective or is it 'camera obscura'?

May I also inquire what nationality you are, since you state that English isn't your first language?


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## JenJen

Loaded said:


> In most instances both, but I did like having to scroll down the cell bars as that gave the image greater perspective or is it 'camera obscura'?



Haha  Yes. The bars were fun to do.

I've started working with the site now again, because the layout has always been an issue. Doing anything in portrait format to be shown on a screen that is landscape format... Is well.. Hard.
Made the images smaller and removed the header on the top. Planning to have some sort of 'title' thing on the side of the page instead. Maybe even switch the navigation to the side. Just to give that more space to the page. 

Also have to sort out navigation and an RSS feed. Rarrrgh! So much coding, so little brain.

Thank you for the feedback! I need it.



> May I also inquire what nationality you are, since you state that English isn't your first language?



I'm Swedish.


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## Loaded

Let me have another look, Jen.


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## Loaded

You mention earlier, Jen, English would be a problem for you.  Perhaps others could help with the language?


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## JenJen

Loaded said:


> You mention earlier, Jen, English would be a problem for you.  Perhaps others could help with the language?



I have two writer friends who are helping me by just looking over some of the text. My issue is that I'm very shy about showing my script. Artwork I can show (after 4 years of being whipped at Uni into showing things), but written things...
Erk.
It's just terribly embarrassing really. Don't know why!


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## Loaded

You ought to adopt a sprinkling of my shame and then you wouldn't be bothered about what people thought of your writing.  I know of many people who consider Shakespeare '_****_', whilst professors study him at university.


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## JenJen

Mmrggh..
After a lot of nail biting. Here's a first test of my blurb for the story: Skal - An online graphic novel by Jennie Gyllblad

Blurb writing is so difficult. 
I had help from my writer friends who proof read it.

Still not happy, but if I sit and pick at it for months, I'm not gonna get anywhere.


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## Vertigo

That looks fine to me JenJen, obviously I don't know the whole story, but it seems to give a flavour and a hook - I want to know more - and it doesn't seem to give anything away.


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## JenJen

I hope it doesn't! Most blurbs I've read have contained huge spoilers, hence why I'm very wary of them.


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## Loaded

JenJen said:


> Mmrggh..
> After a lot of nail biting. Here's a first test of my blurb for the story: Skal - An online graphic novel by Jennie Gyllblad
> 
> Blurb writing is so difficult.
> I had help from my writer friends who proof read it.
> 
> Still not happy, but if I sit and pick at it for months, I'm not gonna get anywhere.



If I could write half as good in Swedish as you do in English, Jen, I'd consider myself accomplished.


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## JenJen

I'm starting to lose my Swedish writing. Don't tell my parents. 

Here's next week's update of Skal. One day early since I'm toddling off to London tomorrow and won't have access to the internet.

Skal - An online graphic novel by Jennie Gyllblad
Updated with two pages as I felt they sort of had to be uploaded together. 


Lots of love and see you when I come back from London-Land!


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## JenJen

I highly recommend having a project that you publish online for free that is entirely your own  It's very liberating and brings a bit of sanity back amongst the other work. And you show your work to -everyone-, which I think is a win-win situation!


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## RVM45

I discovered your Art/Blog/Online Novel yesterday.

I'm impressed by the artwork. It is more advanced than mine. The story was also engaging.....

I'm also a fan of Capoeira--though there don't seem to be any teachers around my neighborhood. 

You mentioned that you were hesitant to go on to Opaque mediums. I used to get so tired of people looking at my Watercolor/Gouches and saying, "When are you going to move on to Oil--like a _*Real Artist*_....."

{I used my Watercolors pretty thick and Opaque anyway...}

At any rate--you might want to try Caseins or Water Soluble Acrylics; ease the transition a bit.

Actually, your Watercolors remind me of some of the better examples of Marker Rendering that I've seen.

.....RVM45


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## Weasel Soup

Hehehe to RVM45 regarding the oil comment. My studio has oils and caseins. The casein suggestion is a good one if JenJen wants to expand the media she is using, It has the immediacy of guache and water color, almost the workability of oil without the paper distressing qualities of acrylic. Oil would be fine if you want to spend a month on each frame , so no oil. (This coming from someone who 95% of my catalogue is oil.)

I thought the writing and the corresponding illustration worked well together. There were paticular frames that the media choice, illustration and draftsmanship corresponded so well that it did not seem to be a project in such early stages. Also, the b/w entries to the color ones, and the varying levels of rendering seemed appropriate to the narrative, and added alot to how I interpeted each page as a narrative in itself and along the larger story arc. 

The scrolling and clicking didn't bother me, largely because I have to do that on whatever site I enter, which I think is to blame on never formatting my screen . 

The only criticism that I would have, and it is very very minor, is the handwriting has alot of personality. I am thinking maybe a more generic hand written font wouldn't compete with the illustration for the "feel" of the work.

All in all, fantastic and I will continue to visit the site!

(Oh and I have much more luck with hot press papers with casein than cold press, cold press wants to take some of lustre out of casein and it can look like clumpy guache)


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## Weasel Soup

Um just found the other thread of your work.  Feel like I walked into a party late LOL. And on that note, the sketchbook comes out as I wait for the sun to go down so I can continue the oil behind the closed studio door. Dogs and Oil do not mix.

On the opaque/transparency issue: Alla prima is the primary way oil is taught in the states, with the transparencies being considered an advanced or archaic (Booo to those teachers) technique.  Think of Oil as water color that takes 4 days to dry but can be layered endlessly, with each layer visible (when worked in glazes) to give a sense of opacity. May be worth tinkering with, but it misbehaves horribly if you are comfortable with watercolors. For the record my watercolors look like some one spilled payne's grey on the paper and made a few spots of arbitrary other colors. 

The 2 types of brush patience, can spend 1500 hours on an oil, but cant put a brush down long enough to avoid a mud puddle with watercolor.


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## C Of K

I really liked your stuff. When I come across fiction that is so naturally put together, it's difficult to spot anything wrong with it. I was enjoying it too much, I'm afraid. Of course there will forever be ways to improve on what you have, and I think given time, you will develop your style to do so. I'm not the person to give suggestions, though, because my advice would just as likely cramp your style as help it. So, I just wanted to say I hope you continue with this.


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## Weasel Soup

I have to admit I look forward to the new postings every week. I enjoy the "tune in next week" anticipation. Thought I'd give this thread a bump in case others haven't had the oppurtunity to see your work.  Keep up the excellent work.


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## JenJen

*stumbles in*
Hi!

Wow, thanks for all the compliments!
A lot has happened these past few months. I'll ramble on about it on the general art thread (If I can dig it up), but in terms of Skal, long long long story short, I've decided to redo it for print.

This means I get to take my time a bit with the pages and I can edit out some of the less.. err.. good bits. Skal has been me trying to experiment with storytelling, and lets just say I think my art is a bit stronger than my storytelling is 

But yes! So lemme show ya what this remake is about:

Here's page one and two of the original prologue:












And here's the remake (not completely finished and without lettering):






There's a lot to do, but I think this project has become my baby, so I'm gonna take my time with it  Woop!


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## Vertigo

Well hello stranger! I like the new "fly on the ceiling" view. Have you got a publisher lined up as well?


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## JenJen

Vertigo said:


> Well hello stranger! I like the new "fly on the ceiling" view. Have you got a publisher lined up as well?



Hellooo!
How you doin'!? 

I haven't got a publisher lined up, no. I'm wanting to get at least a chapter under my belt before I think about it. Only reason being that I've chatted with publishers before and they're very wary of graphic novels done just for print. There's a limited market for it and everyone's going digital these days. Apparently that's where the money's at. 

Sooo, my main plan has just been to self-publish once it's done. I'm a bit of a controlfreak anyway and want to know exactly what the printers would do ;D


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## Vertigo

Good thank you, and you seem to be the same! 

I wish you the best of luck with your project, I can well imagine it being a tough road!


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