This, I believe, was the time I was finally "hitting my stride" where finalizing Tetsuko's character design is concerned. True, she'd become much more muscular (and bustier!) as time went on, but this is pretty much the "final" version of her face and hairstyle.

And I have to confess that there are times I wish I hadn't gone so outrageously muscular with her in the drawings I did after this time. Not that I don't like the outrageous muscle, but I am finding out that what works in a still picture (where proportion and overlapping forms and other such elements of a drawing can be manipulated to achieve a certain effect) doesn't always work in motion, even the implied motion of a series of comics panels, where an oversized bosom or hugely-developed biceps can interfere with the action. (Dunno if I'm making myself clear here; but that happens a lot, where I understand what I mean but have trouble communicating it to others.)

As for the snorkeling/"skin-diving" thing: I'm not even sure I want to imply that snorkeling is one of Tetsuko's hobbies. Since this drawing is over six years old, I don't recall exactly what the reasoning beihnd the choice of activity was; it could have been something as simple as not wanting to do yet another "at the beach wearing a bikini" shot, as I'd already done a few of those and knew that I'd be doing more in the future. I was probably looking for a reason for her to go to the beach (other than to just "hang out"); scuba diving would have beena little too equipment-intensive, even though she'd have been more than capable of lugging around a couple of compressed-air tanks. (Not to mention the boat and the other divers I'd have to draw in, since for safety reasons scuba diving isn't an activity to be performed solo.) Between snorkeling and belly-dancing, Tetsuko certainly seems to have a wide range of hobbies and interests, ne?

© 2006 David C. Matthews