Alex - A Concept Art Book

A CONCEPT ART BOOK BY ISYEANNE LARASATI PUTRI

Table of Contents INTRODUCTION

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ALEX

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THE TOWN

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BAD IDEAS

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Introduction

Hello, my name is Isyeanne and I’ve made a character named Alex.

She was conceptualized due to my own memories and experiences growing up far from home and my own mother and going through very confusing times in my life, figuring out who I was and how to shave. I was inspired to create something that gives a glimpse of what it was like being a young girl growing up playing with boys and yet hitting puberty but not really knowing where I belonged now what to do with my new thoughts, priorities, body and the way I presented and percieved myself.

I created Alex as a character that could tell the stories and experiences of kids growing up extremely confused and unsure who to ask for most of our questions because we were too embarrassed to ask our parents.

This is really an exploration of my childhood and the experiences me and my friends went through. It has truly been an experience to look back and chuckle at how far we’ve come from the past, I really do appreciate the preteen years, it’s one of the few moments where you’re in a confusing transistioning age yet so easily under appreciated at the time we lived through it.

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ALEX

ALEX

This is Alex, she is a character that if i were to be honest with a character I have always played around with or thought of because she is largely based on my own upbringing that was very confusing. There were multiple places I grew up in that nothing quite feels like home so I imagined what it would be like to grow up in one certain place but also tackle the issues and problems that I had faced at the time.

MY FIRST DAY OF MIDDLE SCHOOL WHAT

Creating this character was also identifying, analyzing and reminiscing of my personal childhood. I wanted to create a character and a world she and everyone in her life could live in that I understood. I wanted to be able to tell stories and process stories of my own using the world I have built for Alex especially, certain traits or characteristics that Alex had because she is a combination of all my summers, winters, falls and friendships combined. She is my childhood lonliness, curiousity and need to reach personified.

Working on Alex and building her world has been a carthatic experience in and of itself and working on this had made me remember the pleasure of feeling of reading mail from a friend or learning to skate for the first time by conquering a large hill. It was and occasionally still feels wobbly but it will always be a learning curb I cherish.

Alex is ultimately a preteen experience, figuring out the ups and downs of big hills within our own lives and eventually learning that we are capable to skate down these hills too. Whether you're using inline skates, a bicycle, or maybe a scooter. We all made it down the hill.

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STUDENT NOTES OF MRS. FITZ OF GRADE 7 Full Name : ALEXANDRA LEONE Birthdate : NOVEMBER 25, 1997 Birthplace : ROEWICH, NEW HAMPSHIRE Age : 13 Height : 4’2 ft Weight : 79 lbs Note : ALEX IS A WONDERFULLY CREATIVE AND CLEVER CHILD SHE MAY GET SNAPPY IN TONE AND A LITTLE TOO SARCASTIC FOR HER AGE. MUST TALK TO HER PARENTS ABOUT THE WORM IN NOSE INCIDENT.

Alex, her full name is Alexandra Leone, although she prefers to go by her nick name Alex. She is a 13 year old kid who is born in the small town of Roewich in New Hampshire. She is of mixed descent, her father being a New Jersey native and her mother an Indonesian immigrant in the United States of America. Alex's mother raised her incorporating as much of her culture and heritage into Alex's life.

Alex is a mostly independent child especially with both parents that work in the medical industry she had to learn to take care of herself fairly quickly.

She is quite accustomed to reheating food that was left in the fridge or making sure she can get from one place to another.

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Expressions of Alex

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

Alex’s Past She was not too happy but he was well off. Her parents were often busy at work but they always made sure that Alex knew that she was loved by them. When Alex’s parent’s were too busy working Alex was put into daycare where she could play with other children but Alex herself was a very shy child even though she did love playtime because this is when she got to explore, Alex never did like sitting in the classroom because she would feel bored and she just always wanted to move around.

One of the happiest moments in Alex’s life is the day she went to the pet store and brought Alfred her pet turtle home. The moment she saw tiny Alfred, Alex just immediately fell for Alfred and vice versa. They were unstopable together!

Slow but unstopable nonetheless.

-Noted by School Counselor Mr. Arnold Evans

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explorative sketches of alexx

Here are some of the exploratory sketches of Alex and her reactions or everyday actions like eating bread at midnight o'clock.

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Alex's proportions in comparison to her surroundings

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ALEX'S HOME LIFE

Alex has a fairly quiet home life, her father Brian Leone is an EMT and her mother Mercy Pelawi a nurse are both busy people that are not quite home a lot giving Alex a lot of free time to herself where she occupies her days. When Alex is not doing her soy deliveries she's usually found in her bedroom or her tree house which is in her backyard. She spends her time there reading and writing notes or what she notices in her town. She usually spends these alone times with her best friend since kindergarten - Biira, who is her neighboor.

Biira and Alex hangout almost every single day and whenever Alex isn't up to having dinner, lunch or even breakfast home alone she just walks across the culdesac to the Bwambale's house (Biira's family). She spends most afternoons there playing and researching different things for the stories Biira writes.

Mom doesn’t know but I hid some chocolate pudding in the back of the fridge for you.

Ple ase cle an your room pumpkin and be home on time for dinner today

Alex please clean your room before I get home or you’ll be grounded young lady!

- Love Mom P.S There’s pudding in the fridge for you do not eat more than three cups before supper and share with Biira!

- Papa

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the daily grind of alex

Since she has been quite independent and used to being alone, Alex learned to keep herself busy at a young age. She has always been curious and she sought to find many answers on her own, even though that may lead to wrong answers she always loved the process of discovering things. This is the reason why her scooter has been one of the most important belongings that she has.

Alex travels around and explores using her scooter as her dominant means of transportation.

When Alex is not too busy exploring her town or the world through her books and research, she's earning her allowance money by being a Soy Boy delivery girl, she delivers soy products usually after she finishes with school and her homework. Alex's parents encourage Alex to get a job so she can save up for the things, trips or camps she would like to go to.

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H O M E

L I K E S

D I S L I K E

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Alex was made into a diorama that portrays her in movement. Here she is shown trying to pick up her turtle Alfred who is stuck in a tree.

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THE TOWN

Roewich town

Roewich town is based off the small towns I grew up in New Hampshire, since I wanted Roewich to be located in New Hampshire I named the town using the Anglo Saxon system. For instance, the suffix 'wich' means producing or farming and roe meaning fish eggs. Roewhich town is a town that is known for its production of fish eggs at some point.

This town is quite small and close knit though it is easily connected to smaller cities that are close by. Roewich is known for its greenery, streams and rivers and it's quite popular to visit during the summer as it has some of the best small town camping grounds though not much really happens around this town, but Alex finds new interesting things about Roewich by looking up and reading through the town's history and rediscovering new old places that many have not come to visit again.

BIIRA AND I FIRST LEARNED TO SKATE BY PUSHING EACH OTHER FROM THIS BRIDGE 25

This is one of the streets that is filled with shops where the whole town eventually goes to because this particular street has a coin laundry and dry cleaning service named Joe's Laundery (Alex believes it's because the owner Joe launders money here but when confronted he assures her that it's just a 26

typo, but Alex doesn't buy it) a diner, and the town essential- the Soy Boy shop where Alex works as a delivery person for soy goods. There's a YMCA building where Alex used to go to and other shops she usually hangs out to either meet people or the most likely scenario is running a couple errands for her parents.

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THIS IS THE SOY BOY TRUCK THAT WE RECENTLY GOT. IT'S LIKE AN ICE CREAM TRUCK BUT WITH SOY STUFF?

When making this town I wanted the town to be large enough that they are not living in the villages or have no immediate access or understanding of news but small and large enough that it is safe for a child to explore and not immediately be bored. The town I wanted to make is small enough that people do know each other but not too small where there is no room for strangers.

The streets of this town are quite nice and large enough that most of the children eventually learn to ride a bicycle or skate in order to get from one place to another as busses do not really come by that often into the culdesac neighborhoods that most of the people live in. Though the occasional busses run through Roewich from different cities.

Roewich is meant to be a small town old town that people have come and settled in. A town full of history of its own though many may not think that it is the important kind of history, but for most of the town folk here it is their lives, Roewich is where they call home and where they come home to.

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+1 603-772-2921

KNICKER KNACKS 10/10/08 SOUR CREAM CHEPS X3 DZN EGG CARTON X2 1L ALP PERCIPITATION X1 FRUICTOSE ROLLUP X5 SQUIRREL GIRL COMIC X1

2.00 2.50 1.50 0.75 7.00

GRANOLA BAR X5 TRAIL MIX X3 TURTLE SUPPLEMENT X3

0.50 1.50 6.00

TOTAL 43.73

MISSING CAT :(

HAVE A GOOD DAY

Alex could you please do me a favour and drop off some pumpkin seeds to Biira’s parents please thanks honey! I promised Mr. Bwambale some pumpkin seeds to grow just in time for halloween this year.

Also can you pick up the dry clean stuff at Joe’s Laundery later at 3 today. Me and dad won’t be able to get there before it closes. Dinner is already in the fridge just heat it up. Sorry we can’t be home early today.

- Love Mom 29

MOM WILL NOT BE HAPPY

Here are a couple of notes and papers Alex collects that happen throughout her day.

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THIS IS MY CULDESAC THE HOUSE WITH THE HEART ON IT IS MINE 31

Home sweet home Alex's house is the house at the end of the culdesac. It's a small two floor and three bedroom house with two bathrooms. Alex has quite the adequate space in her backyard that she and her family built a tree house that connects to a mini basking piil area where her pet turtle Albert can swim and enjoy the sun while Alex is in her treehouse either reading or doing homework.

Alex's bedroom is usually a mess but that's because she lives a quite busy lifestyle, she's always rushing to move from one place to another and she just forgets that she has closests and shelves where she can store things.

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Sorr y I couldn’t come with to the book fair pumpkin, but what abou t this weekend we f ix up and add stuf f to the t ree house in the back yard ok ay? Love you -Papa

alfred leone

Alfred the pet turtle resides in Alex’s bedroom where he has a comfortable heat lamp and a little house but he just likes plopping in the middle of the chaos that is Alex’s room to bask in the sun.

When Alex saw Alred the turtle at the pet store it was love at first sight for the two of them, Alex came in everyday to see Alfred and she even got her first job at Soy Boy because she wanted to be able to purchase Alfred herself and show her parents that she is responsible and committed enough to be taking care of another animal, To Alex this all paid off because to her Alfred was the most fascinating turtle, to her Alfred was his own person and he had his own personality.

Alex would occasionally walk Alfred and take her wherever she was off to.

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Barbara biira

Barbra Biira though would rather be called Biira, she has been Alex's friend since they were in kindergarten. The two are practically inseparable! Biira's family comes from Uganda. Biira and her family love sharing their culture to Alex.

Biira is a bookworm, she enjoys learning about different cultures and writing her own stories and enjoys spending her time skating with Alex around Roewich.

STUDENT NOTES OF MRS. FITZ OF GRADE 7 Full Name : BARBARA BIIRA Birthdate : OCTOBER 10, 1996 Birthplace : ROEWICH, NEW HAMPSHIRE Age : 14 Height : 5â&#x20AC;&#x2122;4 ft Weight : 102 lbs Note : A WONDERFULLY CURIOUS CHILD AND A VERY ADVANCED READER. MUST REMIND THE LIBRARIAN TO NOT BORROW THE GRADE 10 BOOKS OUT TO THE YOUNGER CHILDREN.

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Though Biira is more introverted than Alex she does enjoy going on adventures and discovering their town with Alex. The two like to communicate with walkietalkies and though it can be unconventional they both like the idea of using them rather than just calling on the telephone.

The two together are a weird but great. Like a french fry dipped in ice cream.

HALL PASS THIS PASS IS FOR THE STUDENTS BARBRA BIIRA AND ALEXANDRA LEONE. AVAILABLE FOR USE IN MRS. FITZ MATH PERIOD CLASS FROM 1.00 PM - 1.40 PM THEY ARE EXCUSED TO VISIT THE NURSEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S OFFICE.

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BAD IDEAS

Here lies the failed and bad ideas in the making of ALex

The character concept of Alex had been something I had toyed around with for quite a while, especially the very things that make Alex well... Alex. I always knew I wanted her to be a curious and adventure seeking type and a little bit of a daredevil but a wildly unprepared and a last minute anxious one. It is here that Itd like to show the different Alex prototypes. From an older Alex, to a younger version of Alex to an Alex that did not live in a small town and maybe she was built from Peter Pan archetyped characters.

These are the different ideas I had of Alex, where she could have been drawn in different styles and different goals. The next page will even show that there was a time i contemplated on a humanoid-sausage head Alex.

There are even ideas of Alex had I decided to tell her story from the eyes of a little boy but ultimately I thought that was stupid. I know nothing of puberty as a boy. This is my eulogy for all my bad ideas, may one day I revisit them and maybe I can see them as not so bad ideas but reworkable ideas.

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Acknowledgments I'd like to thank all my childhood friends growing up and their families who took me in and took care of me. You all showed me a lot of kindness and humility. The world wasn't such a scary place we had to navigate on our own because we had each other and we got to explore what it meant to be friends and family. Biira I will never forget learning and writing with you and our afternoons spent at yours and the rollercoasters of crushes we had.

To Sendelle, Sendie, Mom and Dad I wouldn't be where I am without all that you guys have shown me. Thank you Mom and Dad for getting mad at me and teaching me like I was one of your own and always including me. I am so grateful but I will never play another game of monopoly with Mom. I won.

No rematches. To Sendie and Sendelle do I even know what I would be doing without sisters like you? Thanks for letting me be an Edmond without having to marry a cousin of yours.

Honestly to anyone that has made me think twice about something, thank you for challenging and rechallenging my views and stances.

about the author

Isyeanne Larasati Putri was born on September 10, 1997. She enjoys long walks on the beach and fruitful harvest seasons. According to her everything good comes in the fall but everything fun comes in the summer.

She is a fangirl first and a Lilo look-a-like second.