Rio's Newsletter!

Updates on Rio Burton's Creative Projects.

NEW: FOIL FANTASY BOOKMARKS

Hello! I’ve been working on these metallic foiled bookmarks between projects, and I’m happy to say they’re ready for launch next week. I’m using Kickstarter since the costs for foil embellishments have increased, and I want to do all four designs. Each design celebrates different fantasy genres that I think readers will resonate with. Of course, I had to sneak a wolf in there!

Every bookmark will have a metallic copper foil embellishment.

Click the “notify me on launch” button on Kickstarter so you don’t miss out!

I will also have some of my comics available as add-ons during this campaign. The perfect way to ship a bookmark is within a book. ;)

BOOKMARK PROCESS

Here is my process in creating “The Warrior” bookmark.

I already had a clear idea of what I wanted for this design. I knew I wanted the foil elements to arch toward the top. I sketched the sword referencing photos I took at a museum years ago. They had a wonderful sword display that I have used a few times for reference material.

On to inks! I love inking on Procreate. I can plop down anywhere comfortable and ink away while getting lost in thought. I find it very therapeutic. Usually, I ink with a textured brush. It sort of gives a pencil feel to my inks. For foil elements, however, I have to make sure they are bold and crisp!

When I inked traditionally for my oracle deck, The Wolves Within, the pressure was much higher without having that undo button, lol.

Now that the inks are done, it’s time to paint everything! I keep the foil elements on a separate layer for my printer (in the files I send to them, I keep the design black). While I’m working on the sword, I will temporarily color the border as close to the metallic foil color as I can estimate so that I can get a feel for how the colors will look in the end.

A little tweaking to the colors for print (I want to brighten it a smidge), and there you have it!

INSPIRATION CORNER

Karen Maitland writes dark medieval fiction, and I devour it. This one has a witch, tragic love, and a good ol’ plague thrown in. If you like it dark and you enjoy medieval history, then I recommend. Reading stories like this inspires me to create something from my own historical interests.

So many ideas but so little time.

I’m currently working on a 200-page graphic novel, so any new ideas will have to wait their turn!

As always, thank you for your ongoing support. <3

~ RIO