So this is a new concept piece where I’m digitally painting my book’s characters. Sam and Tina? If you were to describe them, you’d say they’re every tough, smart girl you’ve ever met. The ones that code, compete in jiu-jitsu and joke around like regular people. It’s too easy to fall off into tropes like ‘she’ll break your legs like she breaks your heart,’ so I spent a focusing on who Tina and Sam are.
Both of them, like the other kids in my book, are three-dimensional characters with a back story and a dark side. Some of the other kids in the story crush on them, but that doesn’t stand in the way of them being two of the smartest people you’ll ever meet. They’re based on people I’ve met in my life who went out of their way to break up my assumptions about girls and tech.
Painting them digitally has taught me a lot about my own limitations – honestly, I know this painting isn’t as good as it could be – but every time I paint another part of my book it helps me figure out a little more about what this universe is. I think I’m about done, for good or bad. I hope you enjoy it!