Luca Malisan

With the book “La Conjuration de Cluny” I defined somehow “a method” of work. I can’t say that I lacked method before, but it wasn’t so precise (I had many files and sheets everywhere!).

Here there are three images of the workflow on one page of “Le Crepuscule de Tellure”, my next book.

First of all I have to define the correct amount of cases, and build the “grid”, but I don’t have an image for that (just some sketches on paper). The other three phases are here:

1) Storyboard. After gathering all the photos and the documentation, I put the texts inside the cases and I make quick sketches of characters, positions… This phase is completely digital.

2) Pencil. The main backgrounds are inked directly (digitally), then I print the page and I draw characters and secondary backgrounds with pencil. I acquire the result with the scanner and I draw (digitally) balloons outside text.

3) Ink. Very little to say, just… inking (digitally). And putting away the texts on another file, just to make life easier for the colorist.

The book “La Croisade des Enfants”, written by Fabrice David and drawn by me, has won a prize! It won the 1st prix in the “Jeunesse” section at the festival of Sainte Enimie, in France! All my thanks to the organization of the festival for their kindness, Sainte Enimie is really great: a medieval village in the mountains of the National Park of Cévennes.

Moreover, the gran prix of the festival has gone to the beautiful book “Les Voies du Seigneur”, written again by Fabrice David, together with Grégory Lassablière, and drawn by Jaime Calderòn (website), great spanish artist and travel mate!

This is the medal that I received for “La Croisade des Enfants”:

Prix Jeunesse Sainte Enimie 2009 à "La Croisade des Enfants" (David/Malisan)

I’m working on the character design for a new project (not confirmed yet). I did a first version with a realistic style, and then a more “cartoonish” one. These are two versions of the same character.