Art Zone

Bronca was the most difficult for me to design. She is described in the least detail of all the characters, and I couldn't get a solid grasp on what I wanted her to look like. The final design I landed on took maybe 5 drafts to arrive at.

Padmini was a little more difficult than the first two. For starters, she was not described nearly as much in terms of appearance. I knew she was a short, round, South Asian woman in college, but had little else to go off of. Despite that, I think I ended up liking her design.

Brooklyn was also very easy in terms of design - she's described almost as extensively as Manny. I knew she had to have a blazer, short heels, and a pencil skirt. Her silhouette comes across as very boxy and stiff, except for her hair, which has frenetic energy that hints to her past as an emcee. In terms of inspiration, I landed on Allison from The Umbrella Academy to inspire her hair, which was described as "honey colored".

Manny was one of the easiest to nail in terms of design, and hardest in terms of attitude. He's described physically more than most other characters, so I had a good idea of what I wanted him to look like: tall, thin, and what the author described as (paraphrasing here) "All American Boy: Non-White Edition". A few details (glasses, umbrella) were mentioned directly in the books, and others (sweater vest, bag) were just extensions of his vaguely preppy, corporate look.

In terms of expressing his personality, I didn't quite get where I wanted. Manny is approachable and gets people to trust him, but he's also got shady ties to shady people and ulterior motives at all times. I succeeded in making him look trustworthy, but perhaps too well. Manny is a suspicious motherfucker. Love him tho.