HOME | DD

Description
So I'm working on a new project. A book actually, but I like drawing the characters and some of their situations because it helps me to visualize and understand them. The art series itself is going to be called "How to Be Orc" or some variation thereof, as it will depict the characters interacting in some way that further explains orcs, who they are, and their culture.

This story is basically a romantic comedy between an intimidating Orc king (Vargan,) and a geeky human girl from the modern world (Ghorza -her real name is Jenny, but Vargan didn't like that so he gave her an Orc name.) On the surface it seems like a Beauty and the Beast story, and ostensibly it is, but not in the way one might think. I think of them less like the Beast and Belle, and more like Shrek and Fiona. The story isn't really about Ghorza accepting Vargan's looks, it's about her accepting her own. There aren't a lot of interesting stories about nerd girls out there, and even less about ones in their late 20's and early 30's. And of the ones that do exist, they typically follow the same formula: geek girl with self-confidence issues, meets someone important, they give her a make-over and suddenly she becomes confident because she'd hot. (I'm looking at YOU, Princess Diaries...) These stories all send a similar message: being a nerd is undesirable, and men won't want to date you unless you're pretty, so get with it! *Vomits violently.* No. Just no. I want a story where the nerd girl stays a nerd girl, but becomes comfortable with it and gains confidence by learning to love who she is. From there she realizes she was beautiful all along- whether she fits in with society's standards of beauty or not.
But more about the plot...
Ghorza, a 29-year-old nerd girl who dreams of magic and romantic adventures, has been struggling with strange, seemingly delirious episodes for several months, that not even her therapist can explain. She worries she's having a nervous break down and takes some time off from work to get herself together. But after one particularly bad attack, she finds herself actually transported to the fantasy world of elves, halflings, and, of course, orcs that she's been seeing in her dreams. Having been captured by human mercenaries, intending to sell her into slavery, she is "rescued" by an army of orcs, namely the orc king (Vargan) as they raid the mercenaries' camp in search of his kidnapped brother. In exchange for her rescue, Ghorza consents to becoming Vargan's human pet. Typical fantasy trope: orcs and humans don't typically get along in this world. But unlike a lot of other fantasy stories the humans are NOT the good guys, here. Quite the opposite, actually, and have been fighting with the orcs over land and resource disputes for over a hundred years. But Vargan gives Ghorza a chance because she was nice to his brother while both of them were captured by the human mercenaries.
There's more to the story, and I'll reveal bits of it along with future concept art, but there's the basic overview.

Line art - traditional media. Coloring/shading - Photoshop CC

For more about my orcs check out: How To Speak Orc

How To Eat Like an Orc

Description
So I'm working on a new project. A book actually, but I like drawing the characters and some of their situations because it helps me to visualize and understand them. The art series itself is going to be called "How to Be Orc" or some variation thereof, as it will depict the characters interacting in some way that further explains orcs, who they are, and their culture.

This story is basically a romantic comedy between an intimidating Orc king (Vargan,) and a geeky human girl from the modern world (Ghorza -her real name is Jenny, but Vargan didn't like that so he gave her an Orc name.) On the surface it seems like a Beauty and the Beast story, and ostensibly it is, but not in the way one might think. I think of them less like the Beast and Belle, and more like Shrek and Fiona. The story isn't really about Ghorza accepting Vargan's looks, it's about her accepting her own. There aren't a lot of interesting stories about nerd girls out there, and even less about ones in their late 20's and early 30's. And of the ones that do exist, they typically follow the same formula: geek girl with self-confidence issues, meets someone important, they give her a make-over and suddenly she becomes confident because she'd hot. (I'm looking at YOU, Princess Diaries...) These stories all send a similar message: being a nerd is undesirable, and men won't want to date you unless you're pretty, so get with it! *Vomits violently.* No. Just no. I want a story where the nerd girl stays a nerd girl, but becomes comfortable with it and gains confidence by learning to love who she is. From there she realizes she was beautiful all along- whether she fits in with society's standards of beauty or not.
But more about the plot...
Ghorza, a 29-year-old nerd girl who dreams of magic and romantic adventures, has been struggling with strange, seemingly delirious episodes for several months, that not even her therapist can explain. She worries she's having a nervous break down and takes some time off from work to get herself together. But after one particularly bad attack, she finds herself actually transported to the fantasy world of elves, halflings, and, of course, orcs that she's been seeing in her dreams. Having been captured by human mercenaries, intending to sell her into slavery, she is "rescued" by an army of orcs, namely the orc king (Vargan) as they raid the mercenaries' camp in search of his kidnapped brother. In exchange for her rescue, Ghorza consents to becoming Vargan's human pet. Typical fantasy trope: orcs and humans don't typically get along in this world. But unlike a lot of other fantasy stories the humans are NOT the good guys, here. Quite the opposite, actually, and have been fighting with the orcs over land and resource disputes for over a hundred years. But Vargan gives Ghorza a chance because she was nice to his brother while both of them were captured by the human mercenaries.
There's more to the story, and I'll reveal bits of it along with future concept art, but there's the basic overview.

Line art - traditional media. Coloring/shading - Photoshop CC

For more about my orcs check out: How To Speak Orc

How To Eat Like an Orc