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Mama Draga
A Sicilian Folktale Reimagined
Angelina & Mama Draga Character Development
I work through questions that I ask myself about the characters to determine their color and shape language.
Rosetta's Mom Character Development
I wanted our main character's mom to have a typically Sicilian style to her persona. She needed to be warm and caring but also stern.
Rosetta Character Development
I wanted to give myself a few different options for how to visualize Rosetta, our main character. The set in the middle of the page is what I decided on.
Dropping the Bucket Thumbnails
Here I wanted to explore different ways of visualizing how Rosetta could drop the bucket down the well. How could I show her and the ogress, Mama Draga who would be waiting at the bottom of the well for that bucket to hit her on the head. I wanted the piece to have motion and tension.
Opening Spread Sketch
Here is the final line work after drafting for the opening spread of the story.
Opening Spread
There once was a girl named Rosetta and her mother. Then, there was Angelina and her mum.
Opening Color Studies
Here I tried to work out how best to depict the mood of a warm home on the left side with Rosetta and her mother versus a cold and volatile environment with Angelina and her mom.
Spot Rough Sketch
This is the original rough of this triple spot. Here I'm just trying to quickly nail down the idea of this concept - moving the characters through time and space and capturing their feeling about the dialog that they are happening.
Spot Final Lines
Here I've changed some things from the rough idea sketches and have finalized the line work.
Page 2 Spot 1
“Tesoro, Rosetta, come here please.”
“Yes, mama,”
“Yes, mama,”
Page 2 Spot 2
“Darling, take this bucket of ash to the well and get rid of it. Grazie, Rosetta.”
“Throw it down the well?”
“Yes, yes.”
“Oh mama, do I have to? What if she should get angry?”
“Rosa, Rosa don’t be silly, there is no one down there.”
“Throw it down the well?”
“Yes, yes.”
“Oh mama, do I have to? What if she should get angry?”
“Rosa, Rosa don’t be silly, there is no one down there.”
Page 2 Spot 3
“And Rosetta, don’t misplace my bucket!”
Giving Rosetta the Bucket Spots
“Tesoro, Rosetta, come here please.”
“Yes, mama,”
“Darling, take this bucket of ash to the well and get rid of it. Grazie, Rosetta.”
“Throw it down the well?”
“Yes, yes.”
“Oh mama, do I have to? What if she should get angry?”
“Rosa, Rosa don’t be silly, there is no one down there.”
“And Rosetta, don’t misplace my bucket!”
“Yes, mama,”
“Darling, take this bucket of ash to the well and get rid of it. Grazie, Rosetta.”
“Throw it down the well?”
“Yes, yes.”
“Oh mama, do I have to? What if she should get angry?”
“Rosa, Rosa don’t be silly, there is no one down there.”
“And Rosetta, don’t misplace my bucket!”
Triple Spot Color Studies
First I work out the value studies and then I play around with color to see how I might like the final to feel. For this one I ultimately decided to go with a mix of all three of these options to make the scene colorful.
Oops
Shake Shake Shakey Shakety Shhhooops!
Mama Draga Color Study
I tried to find the right colors that would exhibit the depth of being down in the well while looking up at Rosetta. The colors should illicit an ominous and slightly creepy feeling making kids just a bit afraid of Mama Draga.
Bonk!
Bonk!
“Ouuuuch!”
“Ouuuuch!”
One Step at a Time
“Oh my who is there? Mama Draga?”
“Whose filthy bucket is this?
“That would be mine, Mama Draga. May I have it back please?”
Fetch it yourself girl!”
“Nooo no no, I simply cannot, they tell me you shall chomp me to bits!”
“Chomp you to bits? Who has ever heard such a thing?! I’m a pescatarian!”
“B-b-bbbut how can I go down the well without falling?”
“Come child, slowly and steadily,”
“Whose filthy bucket is this?
“That would be mine, Mama Draga. May I have it back please?”
Fetch it yourself girl!”
“Nooo no no, I simply cannot, they tell me you shall chomp me to bits!”
“Chomp you to bits? Who has ever heard such a thing?! I’m a pescatarian!”
“B-b-bbbut how can I go down the well without falling?”
“Come child, slowly and steadily,”
Now Sweep Up!
“Shhh, hush my child.”
“NOW. SWEEP UP!”
“NOW. SWEEP UP!”
Comparison & Analysis
After completing these spread in the project I realized that there was a bit of a disconnect with some of the spreads I have finished earlier on versus those that I completed a month or two later. This has helped me to better understand my personal approach to visual storytelling with the goal of being as consistent as I possibly can be.
Story Visual Development
This was made before I decided that Rosetta would be much younger than the girl depicted here. While I didn't stick with this character some of the other things on the page made it into more final spreads.
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