Characters can vary wildly from one culture to another. The wicked character in one culture may look like an average Joe in another and what is considered a hero for a North American may have entirely different connotations in another culture. My editor wanted a tantric magician...not quite the skulls hanging around the neck look but maybe a mala of human teeth or teeth of some kind. But I still wanted it to be kid-friendly. I still remember promising to take my neighbours 7 year old out for Halloween when I was a teenager. I showed up with my friends, dressed as goblins for the occasion and poor little Scottie would not, under any circumstances, leave the house with us. No way! Since then I've thought to always have a little bit of a twinkle, even in my evil characters so as not to scare the jeebies out of my readers. Here's what I came up with for Ojha the wicked. This guy is definitely a tantric and that's what the editor ordered.

The Creative Process

Well, the editor thought that my first attempts at Ojha made him look like a rich Rajasthani landlord so I had to go back to the drawing board on this. Working to cultural sensibilities that are not native to you requires sensitivity and "listening". I went in search of a black tantric magician. My first attempts are posted with this message.
Steve

Probably one of the most difficult things about my creative process over the years has been getting started. I've come to see that essentially my brain works visually. My sketches lead me into the characters in my world, my eyes see details in the world around me. This blog will contain lots of sketches, thumbnails, doodles ... any visual cues that keep the creative process moving along. I'm currently working on a book for an Indian publisher KATHA , called Pokiri Parrot and the Magic Pearl. One of the main characters is the terrible Ojha. Editorial specs describe him as a "tantric magician, larger than life". Unfortunately, the first few sketches were before this message arrived, but it allows you to see the transitions that took place as the character developed to his final flying fearsomeness.