A rewarding part of the artwork for Scylla has been growing my ability to convey emotion through subtle facial expressions, something that’s an important for the more nuanced, character-driven stories that Jackwraith creates. The artwork has to carry the mood of each scenario, and on this page, that meant leaning hard into quiet tension rather than overt conflict.
Ventrik and DeBarett were a fascinating pair to illustrate because, while their outward behaviors appear similar; controlled, confident, self-assured; their motivations behind those expressions are very different.
Ventrik maintains an almost expressionless calm, the kind that comes from believing he’s the smartest person in the room and acknowledging that everyone else can’t see things as clearly as he does. DeBarett, by contrast, wears the polished confidence of corporate mid-management: someone who imagines their role as far more pivotal than it actually is (we've all met these types, right?). Neither is angry because both think they’re the one holding the power in the conversation.
The goal here was to make that tension readable without relying on the usual emotional cues - no raised voices, no scowls… just ego, posture, and carefully controlled expressions. Finding that balance is a fun exercise in storytelling through expression, and a reminder of how much a single eyebrow shift or hand gesture can shape the tone of a scene.














