Meet Ryker

A word from our illustrator, Pavel

Meet Ryker—one of the three main characters in the graphic novel Rynado.

His name, woven together with the word tornado, became the title of the book: Ryker + tornado = Rynado.

In the opening portrait, I wanted to capture the quiet moment when Ryker begins to face the consequences of the anger that, only moments before, had been beyond his control.

When I first began working on Ryker’s story, these three portraits became the foundation of his visual identity. Looking back, I think they may also have been what earned me the role of illustrator for the entire project.
As I later discovered, Odessa had been developing the book with several artists at the same time. It was my interpretation of the characters (I’ll introduce the others over the coming days) that ultimately led her to choose me.

Now, when I look back at these first drawings, I still find something meaningful in them, despite all their simplicity and imperfections. I treasure them and keep them close by as a compass and a source of inspiration.

Thank you for sharing these thoughts, Pavel! And you are correct, it was your ability to translate Ryker’s complex emotions into these images that led me to choose you as the artist for the entire book. And (future) readers, as you will see in the book, Pavel brings that same creativity and thoughtfulness to all of the characters throughout the story.

Until next time, Odi