Between Stars

Chapter 6

We had two consecutive Computer Science periods that day, and Mrudula miss wasn't planning on teaching us anything on the first day, so we were allowed to do whatever we wanted. I struck up a conversation with Darin about drawing an anime character, Levi, from Attack on Titan. He had been asking me to collaborate on an artwork since 10th grade, and now seemed like the perfect time to finally start.

Excited about the project, I brought up the idea of collaborating. "Hey, Darin, remember how you've been wanting to do that Levi drawing together? I think we should finally make it happen."

Darin's eyes lit up. "Absolutely! I've been thinking about it a lot lately. How about we do something really dramatic? Like Levi in mid-fall, surrounded by titans?"

I grinned. "That sounds amazing! We could use a forest backdrop to add to the intensity. It'll really make Levi stand out against the titans and the trees."

We hopped onto the internet and began searching for pictures that matched our drawing styles. The thrill of collaborating on something we both loved made the time fly, and soon, we were deep in discussion about which pose and expression would best capture Levi's essence.

"I think we should go with a pose where Levi looks like he's just about to hit the ground, surrounded by titans," Darin suggested, scrolling through images. "We need him to look fierce and determined, like he's ready to face whatever comes next."

"I like that idea," I replied, pulling up a reference image of Levi with a grim expression. "And we'll need to figure out the titans' bodies. The images we have only show their faces, so we'll have to use our imagination for the rest."

Darin nodded enthusiastically. "It'll be a challenge, but that's part of what makes it exciting. We'll have to be creative and think outside the box."

I took on the sketching and inking process, carefully bringing the characters to life on paper. Darin, on the other hand, took up the coloring process, ready to add depth and emotion to the drawing. The division of labor played to our strengths, making the collaboration even more exciting as we worked together to create something we were both passionate about.

When we presented our idea to others in the class who had watched the show, they all liked it, offering their support and encouragement. Everyone was eager to see the final artwork and urged us to start working on it as soon as possible. Afsal was the most supportive, being a huge fan of the show himself. His favorite character was Levi, so he was especially excited to see how we would bring our vision to life. His enthusiasm added an extra layer of motivation for us to make the artwork truly stand out.

I could clearly see Darin's excitement on his face, his eyes sparkling with anticipation as he eagerly discussed the details of our project. But while his excitement was infectious, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of nervousness. Drawing Levi and the titans on chart paper meant we were committing to a large-scale piece, and the thought of working on something so big was a bit intimidating.

"This is supposed to be a large-scale drawing," I said, "We're talking about a piece that's going to be huge—bigger than anything we've worked on before. It's going to require a lot of precision and detail, and I'm a bit concerned about how we're going to handle the scale."

Darin's excitement seemed undeterred by my apprehension. "I know it's going to be a big task," he said with a confident smile, "but think about how impressive it'll look once it's done! The scale will only make the artwork more dramatic and impactful. Plus, we've got this—we just need to tackle it step by step. Trust me, we're more than capable. I've seen your potential, and I believe in you. We're going to create something amazing."

We had about ten minutes before the bell rang, and I decided to quickly sketch out a rough idea of what the art piece should look like in my notebook. Diya joined us, her curiosity piqued by our project. As I sketched, she leaned in to offer her opinions, suggesting some tweaks. I glanced over at Darin, who seemed disinterested, and I felt the same way.

I appreciated Diya's input, but the urgency of finalizing the plan before class made it hard to focus on her suggestions. We needed to get things done quickly, and I was eager to move forward. Diya noticed our lack of enthusiasm and fell silent, giving us space to finish our work.