I am skipping a little ahead with the timeline of the process. So in October 2008 I finally got a cintiq 12", it was the final element in the tools I needed to take up the project. I used Flash CS3 for many reasons. I was drawing storyboards at Animation Collective on flash, and the interface was second nature. the usage of the time line was crucial as I could rework the sequence of the panels like editing a film. Here you see a basic sketch and final drawing. most of these did not take more than a few minutes to draw.
The whole idea of having Oda present the ears of Miyamoto came during research while reading that at some battles, there were too many heads to behead and bring as trophies back home, so the samurai troops will take off their enemies ears. This became a stronger motif in an earlier script, where Ryoan, as a sign of her domestication, cuts off her own ear at her wedding...