comic & process: cool stick

On a winter bog hike with my sister in 2024, we stumbled upon an impossibly cool stick in the middle of the trail. Covered on every inch in lichens and fungi, we couldn't help but stop for several minutes to admire it. I hope that you too find a cool stick soon that interrupts the mundanity or chaos of your daily life. Read on for the sketch and to see photos of the original stick!

getting started

This was one of the first comics that I ever sketched out. This was such a precious memory of mine, and I love how the little things we find in nature can still capture our attention in an attention-starved world.

I didn't progress this comic past the sketch stage for several months because I had no idea how to capture the complexity and beauty of this stick. I'd never seen anything quite like it, so I hadn't decided if I wanted to do something more painterly to convey the sense of wonder that we got from finding it.

Should it be painted or lineart? How detailed should it be? I have been learning lately that when I get caught up in creative decision paralysis, the solution is to just try it! If I don't like the results, I can go back and take a different route. Ultimately, I was happy with the complexity of matching the stick stylistically to the rest of the comic. Thanks for checking it out!