Dance Academy by Tara Reed

By popular demand: Baz in jeans. :)

“I’m trying to imagine what you’re doing at my door… Did you roll down a very steep hill and land here?”

“Baz…,” he says again. And I wait for him to get it out. “You’re–you’re wearing jeans.”

I tilt my head. “I am. And you’re wearing half the country-side.”

I was going to wait to post this tomorrow and work on commissions today instead, but my whole house is sick with a mystery fever, and I need a pick-me-up. 

I’ve never done a prom scene, but this was a lot of fun for all the lighting and depth of field effects. Someone mentioned in a reblog that they like seeing the process, so at some point, I’ll put up the various layers of this so folks can see how it came together. 

“It was brave. It was brave and selfless and clever. That’s who you are, Simon. And I’m not going to get bored with you." 

Sorry this is so enormous and likely clogging up your feed this morning. Before I forget, ”No one’s seducing a vampire” is still in production. It’s definitely a difficult adaptation (hello 12 panels of victorian bedroom), so it’ll be a while yet before I’m finished with that one. But anyhoo…

About the art: Chapter 62 was the second most requested portion of Carry On for adaptation into a graphic novel format. However, rather than pull swaths of text from the chapter, I decided to zero in on one little snippet:

(His cross is on the other side of the room now.; Snow took care of it himself this time.) 

- Baz, Chapter 62, Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Given how Simon had used the cross earlier in the novel to drive separation between him and Baz, I like to think that taking it off himself was, in part, a romantic gesture - a symbolic dismantling of that last wall between them. 

That said, artistically, I tried to evoke the sensation of falling in love. For this reason, I largely left words out of it and tried to render the format in a way that makes it feel like you’re… descending. The colors deepen. The panels get smaller. And the last page shows Simon and Baz falling into each other’s arms out of frame, with flames dominating the end shot. (*wink* See what I did there?)

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I loved drawing it. <3

Dang it, I forgot who requested this one. Hopefully, whoever asked for this image will see it. lol

But yeah, I decided Baz needed a walk-in closet for this one. Pitch Manor can certainly fit one, and where else would Baz keep his likely massive and stylish wardrobe? 

Simon looks stunning in a grey suit.

At long last, “Nobody’s Seducing a Vampire” is complete! Seems like a fitting way to celebrate the news that Wayward Son is going to be hitting shelves a year sooner! (WOO!) 

When it came to getting requests for doing another comic format scene from @rainbowrowell‘s Carry On, this was far and away the most requested scene, and I tried really hard to do it justice. I feel like I spent the better part of a month and a half making faces in the mirror for this one. Now that it’s done, I can say it was a fun break from my norm to draw Baz in his snarky element. :) 

Anyway, thanks so much to everyone who requested this one. I hope it hits the mark. <3 

A Thanksgiving gift from me to you. Of the many things I’m thankful for, I’m so grateful to have discovered @rainbowrowell’s Carry On and this amazing community. I hope you enjoy this series. It feels a bit personal for me, as there’s a bit of me in every expression on the page. So consider yourself seduced. ;)

Title: “Cross Every Line”

Description: The final scene of Chapter 64 from Carry On, in which Baz resists Simon - to no avail.

About the Art: I tried to use the sentence “I’d cross every line for him” as inspiration for this series. Throughout the comic, you’ll notice Baz’s inner monologue slicing through the panels as a means to demonstrate the power of Baz’s feelings for Simon against Baz’s facade. Hence, his thoughts cross lines all over the place. The panels themselves eventually succumb to this motif, with his memories of the night before cutting in so dramatically, they take up the bulk of the spread. The final spread pushes this theme to a resolution as Simon and Baz’s embrace is splayed across two panels, ending with both of them sharing the final panel together - and unlike all the other monologue boxes, which cut into the panels, Baz’s declaration of love is smack in the panel beside them.

I made sure to chronicle this process, so I hope to have that to share with you guys next week. Also, I know there are asks waiting in my inbox - I promise to get to them soon. :)

This is the fixed version. (Simon’s collar was slightly “under-done” in the 4th spread and missing the green stripe. But not anymore!)

“Yeah… I guess so. Yes. Let’s do that, okay?” - Simon Snow. (Chapter 67, Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

If Baz said it, it must’ve happened, right? Just your friendly reminder that these two were thirsty way before Simon daydreamed of Baz with his shirt unbuttoned to his navel.

(You’re not seeing things, by the way. That is the same foyer as appeared in my “Baz In Jeans” image. I wasn’t about to draw a Victorian foyer twice. 😉)

(Close-ups under the cut!)

It is a day for anniversaries, it seems! A year ago September, I drew my first picture of Simon and Baz, and nothing’s ever been the same after that. I thought long and hard about how I wanted to commemorate this event, especially in the wake of wonderful things to come, and decided to make a companion strip to go with “Two Kisses” as a prequel to what happens to Simon’s cross in that particular strip. I especially always wanted to imagine the moment when Baz finally acts on his love for Simon, his “attack” expression included. It took nearly three weeks to create.

To @rainbowrowell I will be forever thankful for the spark her work has lit in me to create, not just Fanart, but my original work as well. To all of you who have made such a warm home for me in Carry On fandom, I am so very grateful for your friendship and inspiration. This year has been a wild ride, and I’m so happy you were a part of it.

Posted this on Instagram but here’s the drawing I made for Baz and Rainbow Rowell’s birthday!! It was a little rushed but I hope you enjoy!!

And of course, happy birthday to our favorite vampire and the incredible @rainbowrowell !💕We hope our video does you justice.✨

Spoiler warning for the first book of the Simon Snow series, Carry On by Rainbow Rowell.

Trigger warning for fake blood‼️

The Baz Coffin scene was heavily inspired by an fanart of the wonderful @vkelleyart 💕

We really hope you’ll enjoy it!❤️

So pleased to finally present my contribution to the @let-it-snow-zine! This time, I decided to go out on a limb and render the whole comic in natural media. So for fellow art nerds interested in what I used to draw this, this is all Pitt Pens, Copic Markers, and Prismacolor Pencils on Bristol paper (with lettering done digitally). [EDIT: AND A WHITE ACRYLIC PAINT PEN FOR THE SNOW! 😅]

Hope y’all enjoy it, and be sure to read the rest of the zine for more holiday-themed heartwarming stories and art!

Presenting “Wedding Letters,” my contribution to the @goldendayszine​! There’s actually an epilogue to this that I’ve been drawing, but it’s not quite finished yet. (Hoping to finish it in a day or so.)

Anyway, it’s INCREDIBLY fitting that the release day for all the zine content coincides with my 10th wedding anniversary (*blows kisses to Mr. VKelleyart*) because I drew a lot of the inspiration for this strip from my own wedding day and the path Mike and I took to the altar.

It’s a wilder story than you might expect, actually.

Because here’s the thing: My marriage was prophesied––twice––by my clairvoyant grandmother before she passed away. 

@vkelleyart you are amazing and so talented and wonderful and such an amazing writer. I love all of your work, but this one. This one tops it off. This is the one that puts the cherry on top of the cake. This is the one.