Saying Goodbye
I just recently updated my website and whenever I upload new works to my portfolio, I feel the need to purge it of older works that are no longer at the same artistic level as my new projects. I've always been advised that you don't want to overload potential clients with a butt-ton (yes that's an official measurement) of artwork, rather just present the best of the best. So I feel like taking pieces off my site everytime I add a new thing makes sense.
However, I can't help but be nostalgic about certain projects that I've taken off my website. The one that was the hardest for me to say goodbye to was a comic I did during my second year of college. It was the first "free-for-all" project assignment I had in my Principles of Cartooning class that we were to complete over winter break. The teacher I was studying under was particularly tough and I had not been getting the marks that I wanted in that class so I was determined to give this project my all.
It was sort of a pivotal moment in my artistic career for a few reasons. Everyone in the class seemed to have excelled with this particular project, perhaps also motivated by the urge to please the teacher. But everyone was especially impressed with my comic. I had successfully taken all of the lessons I learned over the semester and successfully executed them in a comic and it felt good to know that my growth as an artist was being noticed. What meant the most to me, however, was that I finally received the approval of my teacher. I received my first "A" in that class with this project.
I think this comic also meant a lot to me because it allowed me to create my own story, finding inspiration in the things that fascinated at the time (and still do). Up until that point we were creating homework assignments based on provided scripts so this was our first chance to flex our creative muscles.
It wasn't perfect by any means but at the time I felt it was the best comic, if not art piece, that I had ever created. I used to joke that I had peaked with this comic and would never produce anything better.
Even though I've long taken this comic off my website, it will always have a special place in my heart. I hope to redo it one day in the future.
If you'd like to keep up with more of my work you can check me out at the following:
Instagram: @la.fumettista
Tumblr: http://la-fumettista.tumblr.com/tagged/art
Twitter: @TheresaChiechi
Website: https://www.theresachiechi.com/
I LOVE this! I'm glad you 'archived' it here so we can enjoy it :)
Your site also helps spur me on to finish up my own. I'm trying something different and having mine be more mercantile than portfolio, not sure if it is the right thing to do, but it feels more like where we are moving as artists.
I love that you went to school for comics, I can imagine that it must be an amazing journey. It's good that we look for the acceptance of our teacher and class mates, surely helps to make us better at what we do.
I think that mind set of wanting to please can be used as a tool to help hone our skills but we have to keep a balance with it, as with all things I suppose.
I need to get your book soon.
This actual comic flows so well and I love it when a character 'breaks the 4th wall' (not sure what they call it in comic arts) but when her hand comes out of the square like that, it feels so intimate.
Awww, thank you! I had wanted to share this comic for a while, I just wasn't sure what I wanted to say about it.
Yeah, I'm always thinking about how I should present my art. I feel I should cut some of the stuff I have on there even more, make things simpler...but I'm stubborn.
Art school was such a great experience for me. College isn't for everyone, but I don't think I would've pursued an artistic career had I not gone. Plus I was able to learn under professionals in the industry.
But thanks for reading and for the feedback :)
Congratulations! Your work has been featured on our last Day of Week 6 as we highlight deserving artists on this community.
Week 6, Day 7 ~ @la-fumettista.
Oh, wow thank you!
It is interesting short comic, it will let the imagination of the reader flay to find their own version, no worry at all @la-fumettista, this is good read, keep doing the best of yours. wish you best days
It's a great comic. I love the story and the illustration. I understand why you still feel nostalgic about taking off this one.
Thank you :)
It's really nice. Thankfully, she made it out of the mushroom barrier XD
It is very sweet. I really like the frame where he takes his head out of the cauldron - with hearts and horns.
Thanks! He is supposed to be the devil (or maybe just a demon) but I was inspired by Vodou/Haitian Creole spirits for the design of his monster-form.
Maybe because of the snowman and the mushrooms I associated Russia, but I can see the Baron Samedi there too :)
It's definitely a mish-mash of things. I pulled the mushrooms from European folklore in general and the girl's garb is inspired by Italian folk costumes.
Nothing wrong with mish-mash :)
What a great comic, and you actually think this is bad enough to delete from your website? Are you mad? XD
I can totally understand why you felt proud for making this little story because I would feel.... ACCOMPLISHED if I make this. All the details are very lovely and you manage to tell the story in a few pages, which is great because I like effective and efficient story telling and you have it on display here.
Crazy woman you are... hahaha, crazy talented :).
I mean I'm still proud as all heck of it but it's just not representative of the work I'm producing now. It was time to let go :')
One of the other reasons I want to redo it in the future is that one of the assignment restrictions was that it had to be told in 5 pages. So I feel there are some moments I'd like to slow down a bit. It could probably benefit from being an 8 page story.
But thank you :))))
I love this, Theresa ! The flow is so nice and you conveyed that feeling of unsafeness so well from the get go to the finish <3 Beautifully made !
No wonder it got an A!!! :D Very well done <3
Memories of old arts are very strange and very dear to me too...
So happy to hear that! Even though the style is quite cutesy and nothing "bad" happens until the very end, I definitley was trying to play up the creep factor.
This post was shared in the Curation Collective Discord community for curators, and upvoted and resteemed by the @c-squared community account after manual review.
I love this comic, but more so, the story behind it. I had a creative writing teacher like that once, and I too still remember how I felt when I finally got his approval. And that was many years ago :) Nice job!!