Project Update Log

01/10/09 - Page Twelve Illustration Session #2
Recorded myself inking and coloring the entire final page, breaking up the recording into segments so that a potential error in the software wouldn't result in the loss of the entire recording process as it did last time I attempted to record. The only major problem which resulted during this session was Flash crashing repeatedly due to a vector glitch in the illustration. Since vector programs run on a mathematical system what appeared to be a very fuzzy portion of the inks actually caused to program to recalculate a very difficult vector each time I drew a new line. Once I found the source and simply erased it the program continued to function normally. (Approximate time 5.00 hours)

01/07/09 - Page Twelve Illustration Session #1
During this session I moved the words from the script onto the page and set up the panel borders. After that I sketched all the panels and set up my screen capturing software to record my next session. (Approximate time 2.00 hours)

01/02/09 - Page Eleven Illustration Session #2
Finished sketching all the panels and went on to ink them, once again exerting extra effort to keep my lines light. Colored all the panels by using the fill in function as opposed to manually coloring them in so as to save time. (Approximate time 6.00 hours)

01/01/09 - Page Eleven Illustration Session #1
Sketched seven of the nine panels, taking extra effort to keep the line-width smaller and in general making my sketches somewhat cleaner and more consistent. (Approximate time 2.00 hours)

12/27/08 - Page Ten Illustration Session #2
Inked and colored the remainder of the panels, using the same method I described in the previous update. For the second panel I decided to split it up into two separate layers, one which includes just the first row of marching soldiers and the other which includes everything else sitting in the background. Otherwise this session had little else of note in it. (Approximate time 8.00 hours)

12/26/08 - Page Ten Illustration Session #1
Sketched all the panels, then inked and colored the first panel, using colors from the Museum and Pharos page again for the Museum. In an attempt to speed up the drawing process I now color and ink in one sitting, filling in the colors instead of manually coloring them in. So far, however, the time it takes to do a panel has not been significantly reduced. (Approximate time 3.00 hours)

12/21/08 - Page Nine Illustration Session #2
Colored and inked the page, at this point giving up on recording the drawing process. A fair amount of this page referenced back to previous drawings or scenes such as the map of Alexandria's regions and the Museum's interior and so I went back and picked out the colors from those sessions so as to provide a sense of continuity between the various pages. (Approximate time 6.50 hours)

12/20/08 - Page Nine Illustration Session #1
Sketched the page. Little of importance or even interest happened during the drawing of this page except that I attempted to record this entire process using a program called CamStudio. Unfortunately, after recording for 3+ hours and stopping the recording I found the entire file corrupted and unusable. (Approximate time 2.50 hours)

12/14/08 - Page Eight Illustration Session #2
Inked and colored all the panels and saved and exported the illustrations onto the site. I also went and midly updated the archives page since I have, in the script, rearranged the order in which I will present the information. After printing out page seven I found several errors on the page such as small areas which were the wrong color so I went back and fixed those today as well so that the final printing would have no major mistakes. (Approximate time 7.00 hours)

12/12/08 - Page Eight Illustration Session #1
Divided up the page using the text as reference to find the best set-up to use that will fit all the text. For this page I decided to combine different text sizes, using a bigger font for spoken words and a smaller font for narraration, simply to add a level od distinction. Sketched all the panels, following the basic outline present in the script. (Approximate time 3.00 hours)

12/06/08 - Page Seven Illustration Session #3
Colored all of the panels, using a couple of images of amphoras to color the ones of the shelf in the second panel. Also used a reference picture for the agora (or Greek marketplace) for the last panel. This page was completely and uploaded without many problems, although the text had to be constrained once again. (Approximate time 4.00 hours)

12/04/08 - Page Seven Illustration Session #2
Sketched all the panels, adding filler background characters to the outdoors scenes since I feel that previously drawn pages were a tad bit empty. (Approximate time 2.00 hours)

12/03/08 - Page Seven Illustration Session #1
Set up the panels for the seventh page, splitting up several panels I previously assumed would be singular due to text constraints. In the end however the layout of the page adjusted quite nicely and should read with relative ease. (Approximate time 1.00 hours)

11/28/08 - Page Six Illustration Session #2
Finished sketching the remaining panels, using reference pictures for the eighth panel from the "Pneumatics of Hero of Alexandria" website which has a variety of reconstructed diagrams of Hero's original devices. I also colored and inked all the panels during this session as well, taking extra time to add little details to the walls which were otherwise quite plain. (Approximate time 6.00 hours)

11/27/08 - Page Six Illustration Session #1
First of two illustration sessions during which I set up the panel borders of the page and also sketched the first four panels. During this session I also added in all the words and word balloons and reworked them for brevity's sake. (Approximate time 2.00 hours)

11/26/08 - Character Page Update
Took some time to complete the last unfinished part of the website, the characters page. Drew a quick picture of Amicus and took several images of the various featured people and trimmed them down to fit on the website. Also updated all the links to work from the new subdomain alexandria.anachronists.com (Approximate time 0.50 hours)

11/25/08 - Page Five Illustration Session #2
Second catch up session to finish page five. At this point I finished sketching all the panels, using the Cosmos series by Carl Sagan as reference for the Library of Alexandria as no real records of what the library looks like remain. As for the Pharos I took some artistic liberty with its surroundings setting up a couple of commercial booths as there would undoubtedly be certain individuals trying to profit from this World Wonder. Completely inked and colored all the panels in this session. (Approximate time 5.25 hours)

11/24/08 - Page Five Illustration Session #1
First of two excruciating catch-up sessions to turn out this page on time. Due to various other obligations I was busy for most of the week with little time to work on the project. So, thanks to the current break, I decided to sit down for two days and do the six hours work that I usually do, except this page became so involved it turned out to be more like ten hours. During this first session I set up the panels and proceeded to trim the text considerably as it was far too excessive, sometimes covering half of a panel or more. I eventually managed to trim it down to a more acceptable amount without significantly sacrificing content. Began sketching and managed to fully lay out the first three panels. (Approximate time 4.25 hours)

11/16/08 - Page Four Illustration Session #3
Sketched, inked and colored the first two panels, then saved the image in the usual three formats. Had to use a reference picture for the second panel to get a rough idea of how the various major streets in NYC were layed out. (Approximate time 1.75 hours)

11/13/08 - Page Four Illustration Session #3
Sketched, inked and colored the last two panels. A reference picture was used for the fifth panel of the "Sarcophagus of Alexander" which is currently housed in the Istanbul Archaeology Museum even though it was not actually Alexander's. However I'm sure it can be assumed that Alexander's sarcophagus was similar although covered in gold. (Approximate time 3.00 hours)

11/12/08 - Page Four Illustration Session #2
Inked and colored the third and fourth panels, using a map of Alexandria as reference for the city grid and the various quarters. To liven up the fairly bare panels I added buildings onto the city grid to make it look more like a bustling metropolis. (Approximate time 2.50 hours)

11/11/08 - Page Four Illustration Session #1
Set up the panel borders of the page, separating the page into six panels, the middle two will work together as a larger image divided into two portions. I also found the city map of Alexandria I planned on using as reference for the middle to panels and saved it into the illustration file to use later. (Approximate time 0.50 hours)

11/09/08 - About Page Update
Created the About page which gives a very rudimentary outline of the project for new readers. I also added two images which transition between sketch and fully colored versions to vary what would be just a solid block of text and to show the contrast between the first and final step of each comic page. (Approximate time 1.75 hours)

11/08/08 - Page Three Illustration Session #3
Finished coloring the page, the only thing worth mentioning being that I experimented with some highlighting techniques when coloring Alexander's armor. It was made of gold so I really wanted to accent his opulence and so added various highlights to my usually flat colors. I also added a sea serpent to the lower left-hand corner of the page just to fill the dead area. (Approximate time 2.50 hours)

11/07/08 - Page Three Illustration Session #2
Colored three of the five panels on the page, using Google maps to imitate the terrain colors of the earth in the first panel. The colors and their positions in panel three (which shows Rhakotis and the pre-city Alexandria area) were chosen for more aesthetic reasons as no real record of the location remains. I also inked the last two panels, also free-hand as they were fairly straight forward. (Approximate time 2.50 hours)

11/05/08 - Page Three Illustration Session #1
Used several online maps to outline the aerial scenes I was planning to use in two panels of the strip. Free-hand inked the first, second, and third panels on this page, choosing to skip sketching as there were few elements that required detailed planning and positioning on this page. I also tried recording myself draw and set up the page but chose to stop midway as it interrupted my work and yielded few interesting results this time around. (Approximate time 1.50 hours)

11/01/08 - Page Two Illustration Session #4
Colored the entire page, tweaking previously set up colors so as to create a fair visual balance between cool and warm shades. Eventually decided to apply a light blue color layer over the entire first panel at an opacity of 25% so that the scene will be cooler. Added lighting effects to the windows in panel two to give it a more "divine" feeling. Otherwise the process went fairly smoothly and the archives were updated without any problems. (Approximate time 3.00 hours)

10/31/08 - Page Two Illustration Session #3
Completed inking the drawing in its entirety. During the inking process I added even more details to the panorama panel to decrease the amount of "blank" space in the page such as wood-grain lines and more detail on the seagull and horse. It is worth mentioning that I hand-drew all the legionaries on this page instead of simply copy and pasting them as I did on the sketch to add a more authentic traditional feel to the digital work. (Approximate time 2.50 hours)

10/30/08 - Page Two Illustration Session #2
Finished sketching the page and added various small details to it such as brickwork in the surrounding buildings, grain to the statue of Ptolemy Soter, etc. Also, seagulls are hard to draw. (Approximate time 0.75 hours)

10/29/08 - Page Two Illustration Session #1
Set up and began sketching the second page which is a large panorama of a small city corner in Alexandria with several more humorous representations of the city. This page also is used to foreshadow on the Roman presence in the city by showing a patrolling legion in the lower right hand corner. (Approximate time 1.00 hours)

10/26/08 - Page One Illustration Session #4, Archive Update
Completed coloring and "shading" the first page, saved it in the three usual formats (web, print, and sketch) and posted it on the website. At this point I also updated the archive page and set up the archive template which I will update every time a new page is posted. Essentially each update entails four seperate page updates. First I update the archive page, changing the unlinked page into an active link. Second I update the front page, changing the image and the back button. Third, a new page is created as part of the archive system which will contain the new comic. Finally, I updated the previous page by changing the forward button so that it links to the newly created page. I know this is probably old news to any webcomics reader but just for the point of maintaining these updates I decided to include it. (Approximate time 2.00 hours)

10/26/08 - Page One Illustration Session #3
Completed coloring the top half of the page and added the word balloons around all of the text. Inked the bottom half of the page, a more "friendly" and busy looking scene of an Alexandrian harbor in the early morning. Used reference images for the various types of ships in the harbor which are modeled after Roman-Era trade and battle ships. (Approximate time 2.00 hours)

10/25/08 - Page One Illustration Session #2
Inked and colored half of the whole page and added solid borders between the panels. Experimented with texture effects on the door and the walls to spruce up the large blocks of solid color. I also added radial shades of black and yellow to the panels to simulate candle light. (Approximate time 3.00 hours)

10/21/08 - Page One Illustration Session #1
Set up the overall page layout by adding an outside border and sketching in the various panel borders. Copied all of the pre-written text from the script into Flash and restructured it to fit into word balloons. Sketched every panel of the comic; inking is the next step. (Approximate time 2.00 hours)

10/17/08 - Cover Illustration Session #4
Completed the comic cover and exported it from Flash in three versions; an online version sized to fit the website, a print version at a higher resolution so the print will be optimum quality, and a sketch version with just the sketched art for reference between the final product and sketch. (This will be done for each page.) Published the cover on the website with plans to set up the archive system over the weekend. (Approximate time 1.00 hours)

10/16/08 - Cover Illustration Session #3
Worked on coloring the cover page, completed two buildings and the sky. Played around with various color choices to get the best and most authentic digital result although the actual colors are quite unpredictable since printers are not able to pick up the wide range of colors present on a digital pallet. Here's hoping for the best. (Approximate time 2.25 hours)

10/15/08 - Cover Illustration Session #2
Completed sketch of cover and proceeded to ink a fair amount of it. The cover is an abstraction of the Alexandrian city scape with several multi-religious temples grouped together with the Pharos appearing in the distant background. (Approximate time 2.00 hours)

10/14/08 - Cover Illustration Session #1
Worked on layout of the comic cover, tested printing the pages to see if it would print on the full page, which it didn't. Plan to address this problem later on, but for now simply continuing work on files. (Approximate time 0.75 hours)

10/12/08 - Letters Requesting Interviews, Scripting Page Seven
Wrote letters requesting online interviews with two potential sources; Kate Beaton, a cartoonist who specializes in history-based strips and the Franck Goddio Society which has spent extensive time excavating in the Alexandrian harbor. Also wrote the first series of questions I plan to ask each of them. Then took some time to write page seven of the script. I plan to interrupt script writing at this point and start actual work on the comic pages, I will continue writing the script once I hopefully get more information from my interviews. (Approximate time 0.75 hours)

10/07/08 - Scripting Pages Four - Six
More scripting as well as some restructuring of the outline of the final product as a whole. I had realized that too much of the project was dedicated to the history of Alexandria while I should be focusing on the diversity aspect of the city much more. Also, the section intended to focus on "the running of the city" has become absorbed into the diversity portion as the two are quite interconnected. (Approximate time 1.50 hours)

09/30/08 - Scripting Pages One - Three
Essentially spent a while scripting out the first three pages of the final product including specific panel by panel directions of what I want to draw. This session included a large amount of research as I had to find information on all the things I plan to include in each panel such as ships, surveyor tools, buildings, etc. (Approximate time 2.00 hours)

09/28/08 - Preliminary Sketches
Spent some time hashing out a couple of sketches to get a feel for the style I will be using in this project. Among these sketches I worked out all the "main characters" I have written on the cast page including my first real sketch of Amicus Imaginarius. (Approximate time 0.75 hours)
Link - Sketches

09/24/08 - Cast Page and Archive Page
Did some further work on the website, creating the cast and archive pages so that they are no longer simply blank page-holders. The archive page now has all the hypothetical pages I am going to include in the final product and the cast page gives a rough outline of the "main characters" I want to include in the piece. All these pages are of course currently lacking images as these will be a natural by-product of the work I do on each page. I decided to hold off on creating the About page until I have at least some illustrations done in order to have something to buffet the pure text that will go there. (Approximate time 1.25 hours)

09/17/08 - Rough Project Outline
Constructed a very rudimentary outline of every page I want to include in the final product. This was done primarily so I could see what areas I needed to focus my research in, where I needed more information, where I already had enough, etc. (Approximate time 0.50 hours)

09/15/08 - Further Research
Took some time to find further graphical references to work off of when reconstructing Alexandria in my illustrations. Since little to nothing remains of the once great city I am basing my designs on Greco-Roman architecture still remaining throughout the Mediterranean such as the Agora in Thessaloniki. Also found a book which directly addresses the problem of social unrest in Alexandria at the late end of the Roman Era. (Approximate time 1.25 hours.)

09/13/08 - Website Design
Spent a fair amount of time designing the graphics and other navigation for the website to give it a more polished and complete look. Changed the subtitle of the overall comic to "Anachronism Incarnate" from "Metropolis of the Mind" after finding several other publications which had used the first one in various ways. (Approximate time 2.5 hours although it should have taken about 1 hour, this was due to various technological problems.)

09/11/08 - Bulk Research
Took some time to find as many first hand accounts of what life was like in Alexandria as I could. I focused my research on the period of history when Alexandria was under Roman rule, as this is where the final project will take place. Found a variety of translated pieces dating back to the first century BCE written by Flavius Josephus, Philo of Alexandria, and Strabo. Also searched for photographs of archeological digs being done in or around Alexandria in order to base my drawings off of real physical elements which had existed back then. (Approximate time 1.25 hours.)

09/09/08 - Website Update
Created rudamentary website layout to map out how the whole thing will work. This included setting up a front page
and an update page (to maintain these updates from the very start) as well as placeholders for the About, Characters,
and Archives pages. Also did limited amount of researching today mainly looking for maps to aid in reconstructing Alexandria in my upcoming illustrations. (Approximate time 2.5 hours.)