Since I can't post my comic work and haven't had time to work on much else, here are some drawing tips by a couple of great artists.
Dan Panosian and Chris Samnee
29 April 2010
25 April 2010
Yet Another Link in the Chain of Creativity
I have redefined my game plan. Again! I think it is a good thing to be able to continually reshape your principles, your world view and your goals in life. It's even better when you come across a revelation that helps hone your game plan instead of redirecting, changing everything.
I went to the Stumtown Comic Fest this weekend here in Portland. There were so many people selling their self-published comics. I went to the Self-Publish Like a Rockstar panel with Erika Moen, Meredith Gran, Lucy Knisley and Shaenon Garrity. I have wanted to self publish since I was a wee teenager and studied how to go about self-publishing way back in the early 90's. This panel got me all fired up and wanting to create my own comics, which is what I have always wanted to do. They had a lot of good information on how to go about publishing your own comic from good printing companies to use, what programs are useful for design and marketing strategies. They also said that most of their sales come from attending conventions. I love conventions and can't wait till I am setting up booths all across the world and meeting so many people. That sounds like the life!!
I have a new perspective and respect for web comics now. I always wondered how a webcomic could ever support the artist. Why would people buy a hard copy if they can get the online version for free?? But apparently, people still love having a hard copy! And this made me very very happy. Not that I jumped on the "Everything is Going to be Digital in the Future!!!" bandwagon, but it was refreshing to know that not only do people still like a real paper book, but these creators were making a living doing what they love, making comics.
So I came home with fire in the veins and ready to work on my various projects when I had to stop for a minute and remember what my original game plan was. I had decided to get work penciling comics first, improving my skills, so when I had my stories completed I would have a more solid style, have practice working on a schedule and will have hopefully gathered some peeps who were interested in my work and would create a base of people who would buy my comic.
I spent the entire day today reorganizing my studio, getting rid of distracting projects laying about, condensing down my shit ton of art supplies to those that I use most and working out how to go about making my own comics.
First off, I am still constantly working on my first comic project, "The Anti-War Museum of Tuscaloosa, Alabama" written by Neal Bailey and published by Creator's Edge Press. Here is the press release. I got really lucky for getting a story that I can stand behind right off the bat. It fits right in there with most of my political art I did back in college. Thanks, Neal, for writing such a good story!!
And I have received my second script as well, which is another story that should prove a ton of fun to draw. I owe CEP mucho thanks for letting me draw for them. Represent!!
I'm also ready to start developing a different, more personalized style. I'm not a big fan of overly realistic art. I think working in a realistic manner on these first few books is going to help create a solid foundation to build my own style on. Not to mention all the practice I am getting drawing so many different poses and characters. Right now, my style of drawing takes me so much time, about 15 hours a page. I am getting slightly faster I think. I'm sure after working in the industry for a year or more I will get faster at the entire process.
I am also going to try to make my submissions to Stumptown Underground into a serialized comic. I'm working on the first set now for the latest issue about Family. I think this will be a great way to introduce some recurring characters that I can then use throughout the life of the anthology. Each month has a different theme. I think it will be an interesting practice to make the comics flow from one month to the next, not knowing what the next theme will be. When I have enough pages I can gather them together and publish them in a book.
So, that's the plan. Keep working and developing my penciling and inking, develop my own stories and use Stumptown Underground to get some comics out there. Oh, and draw a gazzilion pictures from Doctor Who. I have a stack of sketches and a list of episodes and characters I want to get to eventually. Love it!!
So much to do. I better get at it!!
~barry
I went to the Stumtown Comic Fest this weekend here in Portland. There were so many people selling their self-published comics. I went to the Self-Publish Like a Rockstar panel with Erika Moen, Meredith Gran, Lucy Knisley and Shaenon Garrity. I have wanted to self publish since I was a wee teenager and studied how to go about self-publishing way back in the early 90's. This panel got me all fired up and wanting to create my own comics, which is what I have always wanted to do. They had a lot of good information on how to go about publishing your own comic from good printing companies to use, what programs are useful for design and marketing strategies. They also said that most of their sales come from attending conventions. I love conventions and can't wait till I am setting up booths all across the world and meeting so many people. That sounds like the life!!
I have a new perspective and respect for web comics now. I always wondered how a webcomic could ever support the artist. Why would people buy a hard copy if they can get the online version for free?? But apparently, people still love having a hard copy! And this made me very very happy. Not that I jumped on the "Everything is Going to be Digital in the Future!!!" bandwagon, but it was refreshing to know that not only do people still like a real paper book, but these creators were making a living doing what they love, making comics.
So I came home with fire in the veins and ready to work on my various projects when I had to stop for a minute and remember what my original game plan was. I had decided to get work penciling comics first, improving my skills, so when I had my stories completed I would have a more solid style, have practice working on a schedule and will have hopefully gathered some peeps who were interested in my work and would create a base of people who would buy my comic.
I spent the entire day today reorganizing my studio, getting rid of distracting projects laying about, condensing down my shit ton of art supplies to those that I use most and working out how to go about making my own comics.
First off, I am still constantly working on my first comic project, "The Anti-War Museum of Tuscaloosa, Alabama" written by Neal Bailey and published by Creator's Edge Press. Here is the press release. I got really lucky for getting a story that I can stand behind right off the bat. It fits right in there with most of my political art I did back in college. Thanks, Neal, for writing such a good story!!
And I have received my second script as well, which is another story that should prove a ton of fun to draw. I owe CEP mucho thanks for letting me draw for them. Represent!!
I'm also ready to start developing a different, more personalized style. I'm not a big fan of overly realistic art. I think working in a realistic manner on these first few books is going to help create a solid foundation to build my own style on. Not to mention all the practice I am getting drawing so many different poses and characters. Right now, my style of drawing takes me so much time, about 15 hours a page. I am getting slightly faster I think. I'm sure after working in the industry for a year or more I will get faster at the entire process.
I am also going to try to make my submissions to Stumptown Underground into a serialized comic. I'm working on the first set now for the latest issue about Family. I think this will be a great way to introduce some recurring characters that I can then use throughout the life of the anthology. Each month has a different theme. I think it will be an interesting practice to make the comics flow from one month to the next, not knowing what the next theme will be. When I have enough pages I can gather them together and publish them in a book.
So, that's the plan. Keep working and developing my penciling and inking, develop my own stories and use Stumptown Underground to get some comics out there. Oh, and draw a gazzilion pictures from Doctor Who. I have a stack of sketches and a list of episodes and characters I want to get to eventually. Love it!!
So much to do. I better get at it!!
~barry
16 April 2010
Those Gassy Slitheen
Here is my first drawing from Doctor Who. I plan on posting quite a few of these in the coming weeks. I am in love with the new show and all the crazy critters running around in that 'verse.
These fine looking fellows are the Slitheen, which is the family name of this race of aliens that tried to destroy the Earth and sell off the salvage. They wear a compression field generator around their neck to shrink themselves down to human size so they can fit into human skin sacks. They have problems with the gas conversions and tend to fart quite a lot when hiding in human skin. Dirty lil buggers.
Coming up next will be the Daleks and The Face Of Bo. And maybe more Slitheen...
These fine looking fellows are the Slitheen, which is the family name of this race of aliens that tried to destroy the Earth and sell off the salvage. They wear a compression field generator around their neck to shrink themselves down to human size so they can fit into human skin sacks. They have problems with the gas conversions and tend to fart quite a lot when hiding in human skin. Dirty lil buggers.
Coming up next will be the Daleks and The Face Of Bo. And maybe more Slitheen...
12 April 2010
What I Have Been Learning
I've been super busy. It takes me about 13 to 15 hours to pencil and ink a page. I've been doing about 3 pages a week. That's about 40 to 45 hours on top of my day job. Whew!! I would like to get to the point that I can pencil and ink a page a day. That is about what is necessary to do a monthly comic. I don't know how some professionals do it. Todd McFarlane, John Romita JR and Scottie Young have all done multiple pages of pencils and inks a day. Amazing.
I think I will get faster over time as I learn what kind of shortcuts to take. I've been outlining figures and going back and inking in the shadows when I need to just draw the shadow, creating the outline as I shade. I expect to also get faster the more I draw. I saw Jim Lee once whip out an entire scene with multiple figures in no time. Someone asked him how he could draw so quickly and he replied that he has drawn hundreds of poses hundreds of times. His visual library must be huge!!
I am really liking inking with a brush. The lines are so much more organic and lively. I have even been doing the straight lines with a brush. You can make straight lines with a ruler by holding the ruler at an angle. Like this.
I still need more practice on maintaining a solid thickness instead of the wobbly lines I have been making. I also need to work on fades, as in a light fading out on a wall or a shadow fading into the light. I know this can be achieved with color, but this comic is going to be black and white. That means I have to do a bit more shading to help differentiate layers and objects. This also takes more time.
I've also been using some white acrylic on top of the finished blacks to clean up and add some depth. I want to start using more experimental techniques such as using different brushes or sponges or spray paint. I would like to experiment before using these techniques on these pages, but I don't really have much time.
Well, I am doing what I have wanted to do my entire life. I am drawing comics. And that is way rad and worth it!! I have to remind myself occasionally that this is reality. It doesn't seem real yet. What will be even more rad is when I can quit the day job and focus on art alone. These 80 hour work weeks are wearing me down. 8)
I think I will get faster over time as I learn what kind of shortcuts to take. I've been outlining figures and going back and inking in the shadows when I need to just draw the shadow, creating the outline as I shade. I expect to also get faster the more I draw. I saw Jim Lee once whip out an entire scene with multiple figures in no time. Someone asked him how he could draw so quickly and he replied that he has drawn hundreds of poses hundreds of times. His visual library must be huge!!
I am really liking inking with a brush. The lines are so much more organic and lively. I have even been doing the straight lines with a brush. You can make straight lines with a ruler by holding the ruler at an angle. Like this.
I still need more practice on maintaining a solid thickness instead of the wobbly lines I have been making. I also need to work on fades, as in a light fading out on a wall or a shadow fading into the light. I know this can be achieved with color, but this comic is going to be black and white. That means I have to do a bit more shading to help differentiate layers and objects. This also takes more time.
I've also been using some white acrylic on top of the finished blacks to clean up and add some depth. I want to start using more experimental techniques such as using different brushes or sponges or spray paint. I would like to experiment before using these techniques on these pages, but I don't really have much time.
Well, I am doing what I have wanted to do my entire life. I am drawing comics. And that is way rad and worth it!! I have to remind myself occasionally that this is reality. It doesn't seem real yet. What will be even more rad is when I can quit the day job and focus on art alone. These 80 hour work weeks are wearing me down. 8)
02 April 2010
What I've Been Doing Lately
I've mostly been working on my new comic project. It's been a lot of fun and a learning experience. Unfortunately I can't show anything here, but I'll let you know when the comic comes out. I am so stoked about it! The story is great and I get to draw some interesting scenes. Not to mention every once in awhile the realization hits me that I am a comic book artist. Rad!
In the meantime, I still draw all the time in my sketchbook when I am traveling on the bus or streetcar. I made my own sketchbook. Moleskines are great, but so expensive. I bought a ream of printer paper which I use to draw on most of the time anyway, and a sheet of colored paper and made my own sketchbook. I used black thread and sewed the seam. Cost me about 40 cents and has some originality. It is cut all askew. 8)
As I have said before, I love sketching people on the transit system. Best way to capture little details which you add to your visual library and can bring into your drawings.
I also like to do a bunch of various poses. You can do an entire page in just a few minutes and when you do so many it makes you think of new poses and expands your artistic mind to think of new ones. It does so much to help you grow as an artist.
I also bought a brush pen which I have been experimenting with. These were done with straight brush without any underdrawing. Trying to get a feel for it.
I have set a schedule for myself for 3 to 4 pages a week. This is my first priority. If I get them done in time I can work on my other projects. The foremost being my painting of the Fear Agent. Not only do I love the character and have been given the go ahead on getting it published in the comic itself, but it is going to be a movie soon. That is something I cannot wait for. Going to be so much fun!!
Speaking of painting, here is a video of Mark Ryden working on a painting. I have loved Mark Ryden since I first saw him in Juxtapose years back. I always love getting to see other artists and how they work. Really makes me want to get back to painting. 8)
Oh, and robots...
In the meantime, I still draw all the time in my sketchbook when I am traveling on the bus or streetcar. I made my own sketchbook. Moleskines are great, but so expensive. I bought a ream of printer paper which I use to draw on most of the time anyway, and a sheet of colored paper and made my own sketchbook. I used black thread and sewed the seam. Cost me about 40 cents and has some originality. It is cut all askew. 8)
As I have said before, I love sketching people on the transit system. Best way to capture little details which you add to your visual library and can bring into your drawings.
I also like to do a bunch of various poses. You can do an entire page in just a few minutes and when you do so many it makes you think of new poses and expands your artistic mind to think of new ones. It does so much to help you grow as an artist.
I also bought a brush pen which I have been experimenting with. These were done with straight brush without any underdrawing. Trying to get a feel for it.
I have set a schedule for myself for 3 to 4 pages a week. This is my first priority. If I get them done in time I can work on my other projects. The foremost being my painting of the Fear Agent. Not only do I love the character and have been given the go ahead on getting it published in the comic itself, but it is going to be a movie soon. That is something I cannot wait for. Going to be so much fun!!
Speaking of painting, here is a video of Mark Ryden working on a painting. I have loved Mark Ryden since I first saw him in Juxtapose years back. I always love getting to see other artists and how they work. Really makes me want to get back to painting. 8)
Oh, and robots...
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