Hello. Here’s a little bit about me. I am a mixed media digital artist that enjoys working with a variety of mediums including pencil/graphite, India ink, brush pens, marker pens, water colour wash and acrylic paint. I use a fusion of traditional and digital methods to create my illustrative textural style. When not making art, I am either freelance designing, working on my comic ‘The Lost Story’, taking photographs, making music, riding my bike or playing with designer toys. This is my third collection of art work. Best wishes, Damian K. Sheiles
Where to find me Check out my website
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design@dks.net.au
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All artwork & photos © Damian K. Sheiles. All characters © their respective owners/companies. All rights reserved. 2020
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SE STO Page 34 | D K S 2 0 2 0 R E T R O S P E C T I V E
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the book one
the
sto ry
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discovery damian k. sheiles
This is how the world ends. Devastation on all sides.
The organic life form’s missiles were airborne before the Intelligent Androids had a chance to deploy their EMP countermeasures.
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The missiles faulted midair, plummeting to the surface. The exponential inertia caused the missiles to explode upon impact with the ground.
This caused the planet’s core to crack and disintegrate. All life, both organic and artificial was annihilated by this singular extinction event.
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Many years pass.
An unlikely creation event occurs. Radiated rusted metal fuses with organic matter and new life on this earth is born.
Welcome to TRUNKER where organic matter thrives, new life forms grow and become self aware. Elsewhere, ancient energy stirs from its deep slumber.
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WHAT IS THIS?
I’D BETTER TAKE THIS TO THE ELDER TWINS
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TERRA ICOGNITA
A Retro, Sci-fi, Horror, Mystery with a dash of Whimsy and a sprinkle of humour. ORIGINS: Terra Icognita is my first long form story told in sequential art form. The story had been gestating for quite a few years in my brain and only started to really take form in the last couple of years while on my many bike rides around Lake Joondalup. It’s a timeless story, set amongst nature, with a cast of characters that are informed by their curiosity, to explore outside of their usual habitat and search for answers long since forgotten. The whole adventure has been plotted out as a 96 page graphic novel but they make expand or shrink as I get into the thick of it.
Cast Oakey (Oak Lastbourne) - is part of the main cast and most of the story is told via his point of view. Oakey is the last born life-form to inhabit Trunker. No one knows where he came from. One day, he was simply just there. He’s curious, brave, wants to know everything and sets off on a grand adventure to unravel secrets, origins and legends. Elder Kane - he’s 1/2 half of the elders. He plays a paternal role to Oakey but he’s not his father. Kane’s mobility is limited to the Trunker area. He is ‘grounded’ tree-like in nature by a basic ‘root’ system. The roots allow him to move around the habitat area within Trunker but only to a limited radius. Gold in colour, bark like skin texture, solid build, spindly arms/hands/fingers. Pleasant but strong in nature and slightly whimsical. Elder Quay - is the other 1/2 of the elders. She plays a maternal role to Oakey and all the residents of Trunker but she’s not their birth mother. She is slender, tall and able to move freely and can move very quickly if needed. Quay (pronounced ‘key’) has long spindly arms/ hands/fingers that can expand and contract like an elemental controlling tree limbs. She is gold in colour, radiant, beautiful with a pinch of melancholy. Does she know more than she lets on? Probably. The Infinity Lizard - has been around for a long, long time. He remembers events from times past but has trouble keeping things in sequence. He has a friendly somewhat flippant temperament and has the personality of a silly puppy (at times) and a geriatric ancient thing (at other times). The Infinity Lizard goes by the name “Larry” but prefers to be called “Laz”. He knows things, lots of things. He knows the way of the world as it is now and the world before the ‘event’, but like a senile savant, Laz often requires a visual or tactile experience to help
recall the wealth of information stored in is his infinite brain. He becomes Oakey’s guide in the first part of the story, his companion in the second part of the story and his friend later on. Godfrey - is the deity in this story. He’s referred to as Godfrey as the reader is never told that he is this world’s version of ‘God’. It is revealed much later in the story, that Godfrey is a large frog that speaks sharp and clear and uses only the minimum amount of words required to convey his message. We meet Godfrey in the third part of the story. Godfrey plays a bigger part in all of my work as he is a crossover character and turns up in the most unexpected way in my magnum opus, Substance.
Environment and locations Environment and locations play a major role in the story of TERRA ICOGNITA (TI) and to some extent, the locations are characters in their own right. TERRA ICOGNITA is an amalgam of words and visuals, therefore when the art shows the viewer what’s going on/where they are, less or no words are required. Trunker (location) is where Oakey and the elders reside. It is a natural village set amongst trees, roots and swamp lands. There are other creatures inhabiting the area; • Dragonfyres - these are miniature dragons with dragonfly-type-wings that glow and hum in the night • Baarlbs (techno-glow-flies) • Styks (stick insects) • Flutterwhys (moths) • Wugan Undertakers (Crows) Trunker is very lush, lots of trees, plants and native flora. The most common are the Ghost Trees. Ghost Trees are barkless and appear to ‘glow’ at night. In Trunker, the sky is Orange/ Red during the day and an intense Blue/CYAN at night the sky is always clear, no clouds are visible during the day but lots of stars can be seen at night. The Ghost Trees limbs and trunk appear black/charcoal in tone during the day and have a translucent white appearance at night. The Woods - Ghostlands (location) is the dense woodlands that surround Trunker on all sides. The nickname, Ghostlands, was derived by the ‘locals’ because the woods are mostly populated with Ghost Trees. At night after a sunny and All work © Damian K. Sheiles | Page 41
warm day, The Woods take on an ethereal glow that lulls travellers into a sense of peace and calm. This causes a trance to fall upon anyone passing through the Ghostlands with catastrophic results - lost days, months or years wandering through the Woods, always arriving at the same point, never leaving. The Woods cover a large area surrounding Trunker, 12 - 40 km deep depending on direction. The Field of Whispers (location). It is rumoured that spirits of the dead may carry you across the field of whispers if they deem the traveller worthy and true. However, they may change their mind midway through the crossing of their fields. They’re a contrary bunch of spirits. Northern Plain - the Flatlands (location). Located North of the Woods that surround Trunker. The flatlands are long, flat, desolate, dry, windy and unforgiving. Legend says that if you travel far enough, you fall off the edge of the world into an endless ocean of stars. Desert West (location). Located West of the Woods that surround Trunker. The Desert West is a wasteland filled with crystallised salt lakes surrounded by sand dunes that whip about in a fluid motion. Nothing can survive here. There is no water and no rain. Only salt, sand, wind and death. Legend says that deep within the Salt Lakes, the fossilised bones of ancestors can be clearly seen and that at various times, when the wind is favourable, the Husk Tombs can be spotted. No one has seen the Husk Tombs and returned to talk about it so no one knows what the Husk Tombs actually look like. Further West of the Desert is the mysterious Field of Whispers. It is unknown what lies beyond the Field of Whispers because as of this writing that area remains unexplored and uncharted. Boas Bog - The Southlands (location). Located South of the Woods that surround Trunker. These lush, wet, dark swamps are home to creatures unknown. There is a sense of the supernatural in the air. It is safe to travel through if you pass quietly and do not cause a fuss. It is home to the Infinity Lizard (Laz) and is crowned by the magnificent towering waterfall known as Memory Falls. Located in the deep South at the edge of the Southlands is what is known to the ‘locals’ as Darklands. It is uncharted and unfamiliar terrain to any travellers. Legend says that it is home-place of the Dragon Pyres Memory Falls (location). This majestic natural phenomenon is located to the East of the Woods that surround Trunker. It sustains life in the valley. It provides water to Trunker as it fills the lake that surrounds it every year. Legend Page 42 | D K S 2 0 2 0 R E T R O S P E C T I V E
says that if you travel to Memory Falls and bathe under the pounding water fall for as long as you can hold your breath, an important memory will be revealed to you. The memory may be your own or it may belong to any other being that has bathed in it’s wake. NOTES: • Painting blue/white = orange/black when reversed. • New life forms evolve, organic beings that absorb light through their heads convert to energy, use water as coolant. • Their brains are inside their chests next to their hearts, resulting in a harmonious mind set, culture and way of life.
Breakdown A story told in 12 chapters. Each chapter will be 8 pages long. Each page will work to a 9 panel grid, a combination of 1, 3, 6 - 9 panels to move the story along. Each PART will feature a title page but not necessarily the first page in that sequence. Chapter 1 will have a DPS Title Page (pages 6-7) to introduce the world of TERRA ICOGNITA and show the lush beauty of Trunker. Part One (chapters 1 - 3, 24 pages) Exposition, introduce characters, mystery, the journey starts, unexpected pursuers • Chapter 1 - Oakey’s Discovery, Discovering Oakey, The Safe, Trunker. • Chapter 2 - Trunker, Meet the Elders, Ponder the discovery, The Viewing Machine, Quay can move fast, Something, somewhere lurking, The Safe Won’t Open. • Chapter 3 - A course is set, Meet the Infinity Lizard; Laz tells a story, Unexpected Pursuers, Off to Memory Falls. Part Two (chapters 4 - 6, 24 pages) The journey continues, Quay holds the key, saves the day and joins Oakey and Laz on their journey towards the end of part two. • Chapter 4 - Memory Falls, Oakey gets a glimpse of things to come, Whispers and answers, Laz sees something too, Shadow Stalkers • Chapter 5 - Takes a Wrong Turn, Dark Lands, Oakey Powers Down, Laz Goes for help. • Chapter 6 - Quay to the Rescue, Collisions - Quay bumps into Laz, We learn more about Oakey, Their journey heads West, Quay returns to the Safe. Part Three (chapters 7 - 9, 24 pages) Life and Death and Life happens; there is a character death and resurrection.
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Chapter 7 - Salt Lakes, sea of bones, Husk Tombs; petrified life forms, onwards to the Field of Whispers. Chapter 8 - The Field of Whispers; clouds above - nothing below, Shadow Stalker makes their move, Crossing The Field of Whispers, Grabbing hands let go! Chapter 9 - Wugan (Crow Birds) Circle In, The High Ground Has It, An Arrival, An Empty Old Castle in Ruins.
Part Four (chapters 10 - 12, 24 pages) In which we meet Godfrey and Oakey gets some answers though he doesn’t understand one of them, doesn’t like another and has his whole world turned upside down by the last answer. This answer comes as a revelation and ends the story on a cosmic “What The” moment... • Chapter 10 - A wishing well and a lily pad, Godfrey tells a story (flashback) • Chapter 11 - Rust; a fusion of organic and steel compounds, radioactive transmutated microchips and solar cells create sentient life, Oakey doesn’t quite understand, Laz gets it! • Chapter 12 - Laz remembers how big the universe is, The Paradox, Pan out and show the big picture, The Reveal; What’s in the Safe. End. Once completed, TERRA ICOGNITA , may be collected into a single volume 112pp TPB. Including World Map, complete 96 page story plus behind the scenes sketches, script etc. At this juncture, any page or panel fix-ups can occur.
SCRIPT PART ONE Chapter 1 8 pages Page 1. (Full page with 2 widescreen panels inset at bottom) Caption Panel 1 This is how the world ends. Devastation on all sides. Caption Panel 2 The organic life form’s missiles were airborne before the Intelligent Androids had a chance to deploy their EMP countermeasures. The missiles faulted mid-air, plummeting to the surface. The exponential inertia caused the missiles to explode upon impact with the ground. Caption Panel 3 This caused the planet’s core to crack and disintegrate. All life, both organic and artificial was
annihilated by this singular extinction event. Page 2. (full page with 3 widescreen panels inset at top) Caption Panel 1 Many years pass. Caption Panel 2 An unlikely creation event occurs. Radiated rusted metal fuses with organic matter and new life on this earth is born. Caption Panel 3 Welcome to TRUNKER where organic matter thrives, new life forms grow and become self aware. Elsewhere, ancient energy stirs from its deep slumber. Page 3. (5 panels 1, 3, 1) P1. Widescreen panel shows Oakey reaching for a unique stand alone leaf/plane. Green and bronze in colour. P2. Shows the leaf close up (no detail) in Oakey’s open palm. P3. Zooms in on leaf to show mechanical features in the lower right of the leaf. P4. Zoom in further on leaf to show intricate detail of cogs and machinery at work. Dialogue Panel 4. “What is this?” P5. Widescreen panel, we see a humanoid with ochre skin, humanoid boy face, looking puzzled by his discovery. Holding the leaf up to his eye line. Dialogue Panel 5. “I’d better take this to the Elder Twins.” Page 4 (3 panels 1, 1, 1) P1. Widescreen panel of Oakey running through the woods Dialogue “Time to head home to Trunker” P2. Widescreen panel of Oakey tripping and falling forwards, leaf/cog flying forwards, right side of panel. P3. Widescreen panel of Oakey sitting up bedazzled, stars spinning around his head, one hand scratching chin, looking at a strange object on the ground (we can see that it’s an old rusted out safe from the 1900’s that is closed and locked?). Dialogue - Huh, now what’s this? Another unknown object. That’s twice in one cycle. This had better be a good find and not like the silly rock from three cycles ago Page 5 (8 panels 2,3,1(1,1)) P1. Square Panel of Oakey peering over the top of the object (safe) Dialogue - What IS it?
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P2. Square Panel of Oakey pulling at the object’s handle struggling to open it. SFX - HNNN P3. Square Panel of Oakey about to smash over the top of the object with a large stick/log. P4 (inset). Small Panel - log crashes down on top of object with a load “CLANG!” P5. Square Panel of Oakey - log ricochets into his face with a THUD! P6 (inset) Close-up of Oakey’s face (angry with steam coming out the top of his head) Dialogue - Ow! That hurt. This stupid thing is really heavy, it won’t budge or open and looks strange too. I’d better tell the Elder Twins about this as well. P7 (small inset) Close-up of Oakey’s hand picking up the leaf he dropped on the previous page. P8. Widescreen panel (bleed) holds panels 6 and 7 on the LHS. Shows Oakey running off towards Trunker (again) - similar to p1, pg4) Pages 6 & 7 DPS Our first big reveal. Trunker from a birds eye view above (refer thumbnail). It’s a big screen moment that shows a panoramic view of the island based homestead. Caption 1 (top left corner) Welcome to Trunker Caption 2 TITLE (bottom right corner) OCHRE: A Retro, Sci-fi, Horror, Mystery with a dash of Whimsy. Chapter 1. In which we meet Oakey, discover a strange leaf and a frustrating object, pass the guardians of the gate and cross the bridge that leads to Trunker. Page 8. (4 panels 1, 2, 1) P1. Widescreen panel shows the bridge leading into Trunker. P2. Long Vertical panel shows a tall masked figure standing over Oakey. The mask has a natural wood grain finish with an angry face carved into it. The mouth frowning/angry. This is to have a tribal feel to it but not distinct to any existing tribe. Dialogue Gatekeeper - Who Goes There? Dialogue Oakey - Come on guys! You know who it is. P3. Landscape panel shows Oakey (waist up) holding the leaf up to display. Dialogue Oakey - Look what I found? I have to take it to the Elder Twins. Please let me in? P4a. Landscape panel shows close up of masked figure where we can see two small eyes on long snail like tendrils peering from behind. Note the mask is now smiling. The visual gag here is that there’s a small creature behind the intimidating mask. Dialogue Gatekeeper - Ha! Hello Oakey. You may pass.
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P4b. Same panel - shows Oakey waving back to the gatekeepers as he heads into Trunker. Dialogue Oakey - Thanks guys. Chapter 2 8 pages Entering Trunker, Meet the Elders, Ponder the discovery, The Viewing Machine, Quay can move fast, Something, somewhere lurking, The Safe won’t Open. Page 9 (6 panels 1, 3, 1, 1) P1. Widescreen panel shows Oakey heading to the Elder Twins hutch. He’s shuffling down a path that separates small hutch type housing, natural foliage, trees, Baarlbs (techno flies) lighting the way in organic style street lights, there’s also a Dragon Fire insect flying in front of Oakey. Caption 1. Trunker Village P2a. The background art for the next three panels will stay exactly the same. The figure art for Oakey in P2a and P2c will be the same art, the only difference will be Oakey’s arm by his side in P2b. Oakey ‘knocks’ loudly twice on the large double front door to the outer hutch of the elders. Caption 1. Oakey arrives at the Elder Twins hutch P2b. Oakey stands still arms by his side at the door to the outer hutch of the elders. No Caption or Dialogue P2c. Oakey ‘knocks’ loudly three times on the large double front door to the outer hutch of the elders. No Caption or Dialogue P3. Quay opens the outer gate. It’s only a minor reveal as we only see part of Quay as she peers out the open door. Dialogue Quay - Hello Oakey! What brings you to our home on this cool evening. Dialogue Oakey - I must show you both what I found in the woods. Dialogue Quay - Come on then, let’s show Kane what you’ve got there P4. Widescreen panel shows Oakey and Quay entering the Elder Twins courtyard. We can see a large dome covered replica of Trunker and surrounding areas (inset artwork from DPS pages 6-7). We see Kane on the right side of panel, left arm up in greeting Oakey and Quay. Dialogue Kane - Well hello there Oakey! Please show me what treasures you have to show me. Page 10 (8 panels 2, 2, 4) P1. 2/3 Widescreen Panel shows Quay, Oakey and Kane standing around the viewing machine, a device that allows Kane to view all of Trunker and the surrounding area. This was developed by old alchemy by Kane so that he could by proxy see all of Trunker in lieu of his inability to move around. Dialogue Quay - Oakey, please show Kane what you
discovered in the woods Dialogue Oakey (holding leaf up to Kane) - I found this growing in the woods. I’d never seen anything like it before and when I saw the moving parts inside, I just knew I had it show you both.
P4. Long Panel shows Kane and the illuminated map of Trunker above his head, rays of light are emitted from the viewing piece. Dialogue Kane - Hmmm, Oakey, which way do we need to look?
P2. Conjoined Panel with P1. Dialogue Kane (taking leaf from Oakey) - Hmmm, I looks vaguely familiar. I search through the archive scrolls and see if I can find out anything.
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P3. Square panel shows Oakey and Kane continuing their conversation. Dialogue Oakey - There was something else. It was too heavy to bring back with me. Dialogue Kane - Hmmm, describe what it looked like to me and do you recall where it is in the woods? P4. Square panel shows Oakey and Kane continuing their conversation. Oakey is motioning with his hands/arms the size of the object (safe) he discovered. Dialogue Oakey - It was about this big, heavy, half buried in the dirt. It felt cold to the touch and bounced back the stick I hit it with... Dialogue Kane - Anything else? P5. Narrow panel shows Oakey still describing the strange object. Gesturing up with his left arm/hand gripping. Dialogue Oakey - Oh yeah, there was a weird dial on one of the sides plus a handle, like a door. I think it may be hollow. P6. Small panel shows Kane reaching into a satchel under arm. No Dialogue P7. Small panel shows Kane pulling out the viewing eye piece. (this looks like an ornate viewing piece of a microscope, it has an open section on the side and a convexed glass sphere on the top end. No Dialogue P8. Square panel shows Kane grabbing a Bulb (techno fly) with his right hand from the air while placing the viewer on the viewing machine in front of him. Dialogue Kane - Hmmm, let’s see if we can locate this mystery box of yours using the Viewing Machine. Page 11 (4 panels 2, 1, 1) P1. Long Panel with panel inset at bottom. This panel shows Kane placing the Bulb into the viewing piece which is sitting upon the glass surface. Dialogue Kane - The light from the Bulb insect will illuminate the viewer piece and project all of Trunker and the woods for us to see. This should help us locate your box, Oakey. P1. Inset Panel shows Kane leaning in and gently blowing on the viewer piece and Bulb. No Dialogue P3. Inset Panel shows Oakey’s astounded facial expression. Dialogue Oakey - Wow!
P1. Long vertical panel showing all of Trunker and the southern woods. Quay, Oakey and Kane’s faces are visible in the illuminated light. Top inset panel shows Oakey’s face Dialogue Oakey - I returned to Trunker from the south so the box thingy must be somewhere in the Southern Woods. Dialogue Quay - Oakey, was there any landmarks or anything unusual about the location of the box? Dialogue Oakey - Yeah, now that you mention it, the air felt dry and warm nearby and there was some bright goo on the trees surrounding the box. Dialogue Kane - Hmmm, I’ll just move the viewing piece over here then - where it’s glowing. P2. Top right panel shows within the illuminated beams, the Southern Woods with box in the distance, slight orange glow. No Dialogue P3a. Middle right panel shows a zoomed in view of the box, slight orange glow. No Dialogue P3b. Inset right panel shows a close-up of Oakey’s excited face. Dialogue Oakey - That’s it! P4. Bottom right panel shows Quay, Oakey and Kane. Dialogue Quay - That’s not too far away. Dialogue Kane - Can you go there now and make it back before second nightfall? Dialogue Quay - You know me Kane, I move swift and quiet like the wind above the clouds. Page 13 (5 panels 2, 2, 1) P1. Top left panel, we see Quay leave off panel to the left. Oakey and Kane continue talking. Dialogue Oakey - Will Quay be okay? Dialogue Kane - Hmmm, oh yes, she’s very swift and it’s quite safe in the Southern Woods. Nothing has stirred there for as long as I can remember. P2. Top right panel, we see Oakey and Kane heading towards the Archive Atrium situated behind the Viewing Machine. Dialogue Kane - Now. Let’s see what we can find out about your eldritch little discovery in the archive atrium. Dialogue Oakey - Neato! I have never been inside the Archive room before. Dialogue Kane - Hmmm, you ARE in for a treat then Oakey, but please be mindful of the Dragonfyres and Styks that are inside. Dialogue Oakey - Dragonfyres! Styks! Are they dangerous? Dialogue Kane - No need to panic, Oakey. They are quite harmless. Hmmm, mmm.
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P3 - P5 Centre and bottom two panels share the same background - the inside of the Archive Atrium. There is an opening at the top centre of the ceiling, we can see a slither of sky outside (stars and a dull blood orange sun dipping). In the centre of the enclosure, there is a large tree growing. It’s branches resemble that of a weeping willow, though bare of foliage. Instead of leaves on the branches there are small lights similar in design to those found on trail top panel, page 9. Caption The Archive Atrium; a room filled with Baarlb powered memories, Dragonfyre information retrieval and Styk facts. P5. Bottom Left Panel Section Dialogue Kane - By sifting through the archive, we can research your discovery to see if we can identify what it is or how it came to be. Dialogue Oakey - That one there! I think that may be the one we need to look at. - Oakey is pointing towards a glowing Baarlb lit data device. P6. Bottom Right Panel Section Dialogue Kane - Hmm, let me retrieve it from the branch. ACTION - Kane gently blows on the Baarlb and places it above Oakey’s head. The Baarlb glows brighter. Dialogue Kane - It will synchronise with you momentarily to pass its knowledge to you. Tell me what you see. Hmmm. Dialogue Oakey - Okay. Pages 14-15 DPS (10 panels 4, 4, 2) P1 - P3. In this sequence of panels we see Quay zoom in from the clouds above, soar towards the woods and hovers above the trees. Caption Southern Woods. Quay arrives at the location of the mysterious box. P4. We see Quay land on the ground amongst the woods and hidden within the tree trunks, we see the skull like face of a stranger. Dialogue Quay - This looks like the right spot. P5. We see Quay close by the box (safe) and is rubbing her hands along the surface. Dialogue Quay - Oakey was right, it IS cold to the touch. Looks heavy too. I wonder what this dial is for and what these strange markings mean (numbers). P6. We see Quay spin the dial around. Her face turned slightly away from the safe so that her ear is closer to the box, better able to observe any sounds. SFX - TK TK TK P7. We see Quay sit up a little and rap her spindly knuckles against the hard top surface. SFX - THUNK, THUNK. P8. From above POV, we see Quay attempt to open the box by pulling (very hard) by gripping the handle with both hands, arms fully extended, back arched and head tilted back. P9. We see Quay from the front slightly side on. Page 46 | D K S 2 0 2 0 R E T R O S P E C T I V E
Dialogue Quay - SIGH Dialogue Quay - This is no good. It won’t budge or open. I’d better get back home before second nightfall. P10. This sequence of panels extends across the entire bottom of the page. From left to right we see Quay in various stances moving in preparation to return to Trunker. In a few sections, amongst the tree trunks, we see the skull-like face of the mysterious stranger observing Quay from the shadows. In the last panel, Quay has ‘flown’ off panel (only her legs remain visible) and we more of the mysterious stranger floating in ethereal pursuit. Page 16 (4 panels 1, 2, 1) In which Quay returns to Trunker. Oakey shares what he found out in the archive. He sees a machines churning, lights blinking, a bright white light, a waterfall. Quay shares her discovery with Oakey and Kane. A plan of action is devised. A journey to Memory Falls is required. P1a. (same background as page 9, bottom panel 6), We see Quay fly in from the left side and land in the middle (panel) in front of Oakey and Kane. P1b. Dialogue Quay - I found your strange object, Oakey. I don’t know what it could be either. It was cold, heavy, immoveable and it had these foreign markings surrounding the dial near the handle of one of the sides. Dialogue Quay - The air was different around the object. It was dank and heavy, the ground felt sticky, making it harder to move as well. I don’t know what any of it means. P1c. Dialogue Oakey - I’m glad you’re back Elder Quay. I may have some more information for you to ponder. Dialogue Kane - Hmmm, yes. Oakey synced with a Memory Baarlb, he’s been shown some events of a very cryptic nature. Dialogue Kane - Come inside, Quay. We’d like to share with you all that we’ve discovered. P2. Square Panel. We’re back inside the Archive room. Oakey and Kane are standing on the right side of the archive tree, with Quay to the left near the entrance. The background can be cropped art from page 13’s main panel. Dialogue Quay - Tell me all about it, Oakey. What did you learn while I was away. Dialogue Oakey - Well, umm. It felt weird at first, syncing with the Memory Baarlb, it felt like my head had tingling numbness. Dialogue Oakey - Then there was a sharp clarity with in my mind and being and I could see all these images inside my head. Some of the images I didn’t recognise at all and some of them felt vaguely familiar. Dialogue Quay - Describe it to me, please? Dialogue Oakey - At first I saw dark smoke and strange noisy machinery chugging and churning, whirring and grinding. Then there was blurry lights flickering on and off. After that there was the brightest white light that seemed to last forever until, it slowly became a roaring noise of falling water and white mist. Dialogue Kane - Hmmm, does any of that sound
familiar to you Quay? P3. Square Panel directly below P2. Same background as above panel, zoom in all 3 character faces for more detailed facial expressions. Dialogue Quay - Only the bit at the end. The way Oakey describes it, it could be a waterfall. Dialogue Oakey - Yes, I think it was a waterfall. Dialogue Kane - Hmmm. It could be an omen that points to the future. I think Oakey should travel East to Memory Falls. There he may discover more clues to help solve this mystery. Dialogue Oakey - Neato, I’ve been to Memory Falls before when I was littler. When are we going? Can we go in the water when we arrive? P4. Vertical Panel. Same background as previous panels, the Archive tree works as a framing device/ archway behind Oakey, Kane and Quay. Quay and Kane stand tall behind Oakey. All three characters are looking, except Oakey is looking down slightly worried. Dialogue Quay - Kane and I will stay here and look further into your discovery. You’ll have to go alone. Dialogue Kane - Hmmm, You are old enough to travel there by yourself, Oakey. I’ll watch over you through the viewing machine to make sure you are okay. Dialogue Oakey - Okay, it’ll be my first big real adventure. I can do it. Dialogue Oakey - I’ll leave at first light. Caption: As Oakey’s adventure is about to begin, he will discover that the world he lives in is bigger, more wonderful and terrifying than he ever imagined. Chapter 3 8 pages A course is set (2), Meet the Infinity Lizard; Laz tells a story (3), Arrive at Memory Falls (DPS 2pp), Unexpected Pursuer (1) In which Oakey embarks on his adventure. Oakey bumps into Laz, the Infinity Lizard. Laz likes to talk, a lot, and tells Oakey a story from times past. Laz has been around for a long time so he knows (and forgets) a lot. Oakey and Laz arrive at majestic Memory Falls. Who is that skull-faced pursuer. Page 17 (4 panels 1, 2, 1)
PART TWO (chapters 4 - 6, 24 pages) The journey continues, Quay holds the key, saves the day and joins Oakey and Laz on their journey towards the end of part two.
A Wrong Turn, Dark Lands, Oakey Powers Down, Laz Goes for help. Chapter 6 8 pages Quay to the Rescue, Collisions - Quay bumps into Laz, We learn more about Oakey, Their journey heads West, Quay returns to the Safe. Part Three (chapters 7 - 9, 24 pages) Life and Death and Life happens; there is a character death and resurrection. Chapter 7 8 pages Salt Lakes, sea of bones, Husk Tombs; petrified life forms, onwards to the Field of Whispers Chapter 8 8 pages The Field of Whispers; clouds above - nothing below, Shadow Stalker makes their move, Crossing The Field of Whispers, Grabbing hands let go! Chapter 9 8 pages Chapter 9 - Wugan (Crow Birds) Circle In, The High Ground Has It, An Arrival, An Empty Old Castle in Ruins. Part Four (chapters 10 - 12, 24 pages) In which we meet Godfrey and Oakey gets some answers though he doesn’t understand one of them, doesn’t like another and has his whole world turned upside down by the last answer. This answer comes as a revelation and ends the story on a cosmic “What The” moment... Chapter 10 8 pages A wishing well and a lily pad, Godfrey tells a story (flashback) Chapter 11 8 pages Rust; a fusion of organic and steel compounds, radioactive trans-mutated microchips and solar cells create sentient life, Oakey doesn’t quite understand, Laz gets it! Chapter 12 8 pages Laz remembers how big the universe is, The Paradox, Pan out and show the big picture, The Reveal; What’s in the Safe. End.
Chapter 4 8 pages Memory Falls, Oakey gets a glimpse of things to come, Whispers and answers, Laz sees something too, Shadow Stalkers Chapter 5 8 pages
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ILLUSTRATION
RETAIL PRODUCTS
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PRODUCT
Ceramic Mugs
AGENCY
DKS art & design
YEAR
2016
ILLUSTRATION
RETAIL PRODUCTS
PRODUCT
38mm Pin Back Badges
AGENCY
DKS art & design
YEAR
2015 - 2018
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ILLUSTRATION
RETAIL PRODUCTS
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PRODUCT
Digital Art Prints
AGENCY
DKS art & design
YEAR
2015 - 2018
ILLUSTRATION
RETAIL PRODUCTS
PRODUCT
Fabric Scrolls
AGENCY
DKS art & design
YEAR
2015 - 2018
900mm 400mm
PRODUCT
Greeting Cards All work © Damian K. Sheiles | Page 81
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DIORAMA
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MODEL MAKING
MODERN INTERIOR
Modern Interior. A diorama built to capture light shining externally through horizontal blinds, into a modern interior. Four separate panels join to make this diorama come to Page 84 | D K S 2 0 2 0 R E T R O S P E C T I V E
life: square carpet floor, window right wall, three-panel feature back wall, and plain white ceiling. I also have a couple of interchangeable brick and textured walls which can be used for
PROJECT
1:6 SCALE DIORAMA
AGENCY
DKS art & design
HARDWARE CANON
EOS 1200d
the left side wall. All are hand-made from scratch using MDF, paint, dowel, glue, fabric, glass, wood filler and cardboard.
MODEL MAKING
ALIEN ENVIRONMENT
Alien Environment. This base and backdrop was created to display 1/12 scale action figures from the Alien and Prometheus film franchises, and purpose-built to fit inside an IKEA
Detolf glass cabinet. The floor and back wall are joined as one piece and were finished with moulded clay, paint, glue, sand and wires. Additional details were acquired by repurposing some
PROJECT
1:12 SCALE DIORAMA
AGENCY
DKS art & design
HARDWARE CANON
EOS 1200d
components from other action figure sets, such as the floral arch monolith and skulls motif. Photographing this diorama in low light creates a really nice silver effect. All work Š Damian K. Sheiles | Page 85
MODEL MAKING
STEAMPUNK CLOCKWORKS
Steampunk Clockworks. The Steampunk-inspired diorama was built using the discarded parts (cogs and belts) of an old commercial digital production printer, and was Page 86 | D K S 2 0 2 0 R E T R O S P E C T I V E
hand-painted and assembled using MDF, dowel, paint, glue and card. It makes for an ideal backdrop for photography 1/12 or 1/6 scale figures.
PROJECT
1:12 SCALE DIORAMA
AGENCY
DKS art & design
HARDWARE CANON
EOS 1200d
MODEL MAKING
MAUSOLEUM
Graveyard Mausoleum. A diorama pair created to display 1/6 scale designer figures inside an IKEA Detolf cabinet, all hand made from
PROJECT
1:6 SCALE DIORAMA
AGENCY
DKS art & design
HARDWARE CANON
MDF panels, glue, paint, rocks, sand, faux grass and foliage, and fallen tree branches. It is enhanced with some bought accessories such as
EOS 1200d
bucket and printed door panels. The background moon and night sky image is hand-painted using acrylic paint. All work Š Damian K. Sheiles | Page 87
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PROCESS As a mixed media digital artist, I enjoy working with a variety of mediums including pencil, graphite, India ink, brush pens, marker pens, water colour inks, acrylic paint, oil-based paints, MDF, construction board, timber, fabric, cardboard and paper. I use a Canon EOS 1200D DSLR camera to digitally capture the work, and I finish and/or colour on a PC, using the latest Adobe CC suite.
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ARTWORK PROCESS
ZODIAC CITY: WHO KILLED MISS TYPEFACE? Story synopsis: All signs point to Zodiak City and when unknown forces converge from Arcadia and the Underzone, it is time to send out the Agents to investigate. Will Agents Orange and Olive be able to unravel the mystery in time to save Zodiak City? And what happened to Miss Typeface? Is she really dead? Detective Domino, P.I. is on the case! This preliminary drawing for Zodiac City sets the tone for story and world building, and introduces two characters -Miss Typeface and Detective Domino. Looking through photo reference of Victorian-era London helped to inform the mysterious gaslight-illuminated smoggy noir atmosphere that permeates through Zodiac City. The thumbnail images below show the development of background line art, grey tone value, flat art and figure drawings, to colour rendering, typography and final artwork.
MAST HEAD | INKED ART
INKED ART SCAN
PENCIL SKETCHED ART
INKED ART SCAN
COLOUR ART IN PROGRESS
FINAL 2016 VERSION
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The buildings were referenced from real-life buildings found both online and in West Perth. The inked line art is scanned at 600dpi in Bitmap format, with colour and texture added in Photoshop. The masthead and typeset icon are created as vector art in Illustrator and then placed into the Photoshop layered file. The figures are drawn separately, then coloured and placed into another layer in Photoshop for final layout adjustments, including further shading and light and tonal values enhancements, and positioning. The entire process from start to finish on a piece as complex as this can take between 40 - 60 hours to complete. The original finished piece was exhibited at as part of the RahCon Pop Culture Festival, 2016, at the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. The artwork featured here to the right has been re-worked this year and the results showcase the differences and developments in my style from 2016 to 2019.
GREY VALUES
COMPOSITE FLAT ART
PHOTOSHOP LAYERS PALETTE
TITLE
Zodiac City Cover Art
YEAR
2019 Version
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ARTWORK PROCESS
BATMAN 75th ANNIVERSARY Batman is a universally loved character and I would draw him everyday, if time permitted. Illustrating this new piece to coincide with Batman’s 75th anniversary in 2014 was a lot of fun and a great way to experiment with various illustration techniques. My digital colouring sensibilities turned a corner with this piece and I started to feel like I was getting a handle on digital mixed media artwork processes. I sketched a couple of ideas in my sketchbook and scanned my preferred option so it could be edited on the computer. I then printed a blue-line version at A3 size, so that the art could be inked in black and scanned back into the computer at 600dpi, as a mono bitmap. (This art would be used to hold the colour.) I then placed the inked artwork on a lightbox so I could lightly trace the figure in pencil onto 210gsm illustration board which is thick enough to hold water colour inks without too much warping. The water colour version of the illustration was then scanned and imported into Photoshop as a separate layer behind the inked line work. I then applied colour to sections as required, using separate layers and masks.
INKED LINE ART
The background is made of two components: the first part, a black inked grunge city scape, worked over with ink, using masking fluid in various areas and then reworked with whiteout; and the second part, a swiftly painted red watercolour to create a spiral light effect. The foreground text, “I am the night and sometimes the very, very, very late afternoon”, was hand-drawn using marker pens and ink on photocopy paper. This was scanned as a black and white bitmap at 600dpi. Finally, I made adjustments to the colour value, contrast and temperature until I felt the right balance had been achieved. I later reworked this artwork by adding the pencil sketched face ‘patch’ to the final art, as the flat version didn’t quite work for me when printed.
SKETCH IDEA ONE
This Batman piece remains one of my personal favourites and the humour is a hit with pop culture convention attendees. I’ve used the art to make prints, badges, wall scroll, mugs, stickers and even a t-shirt.
SKETCH IDEA TWO
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WATERCOLOUR INKED ART 210GSM ARTBOARD
CITY SCAPE GRUNGE INKED ART
BACKGROUND PAINTING
PROJECT
Batman 75th Anniversary
BLOG POST
Art Process
AGENCY
DKS art & design
FINAL ART
DIGITAL COLOUR PROGRESSION SEQUENCE
FACE PATCH ART
NEW BAT SYMBOL
TITLE
I Am The Night
YEAR
Final Art > 2015
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