It’s fascinating to hear Berke Breathed talk about his return. I’m thankful that he’s not as private as Bill Watterson, who I’m sure would have some great opinions and advice to share. Berke just did an interview on NPR’s Fresh Air (check it out here) and two things he said jumped out at me: It’s why does it come so easy rather than why did it come so hard before, which is what it did. I never met any of my deadlines for 5,000 comic strips in the 10 years that I did “Bloom County,” not a single one, and it was … Continue reading
I loved Looney Tunes as a kid (who didn’t?) and finally watched them with the kids in the past year. They hold up incredibly well – the comedy is timeless. This video explains why.
I’ve had the next Fried Cheese Balls strip thumbnailed for well over a month. It really should have been finished by now but I’ve been in a rut for various reasons. There’s some technical stuff, like how to create reusable elements in Manga Studio (you’ll see what in the next strip). Some ‘life gets in the way stuff’. And some ‘artistic roadblock’ stuff.
One thing bugging me is I’m still not happy with my inks. I ignored my inner critic and posted the last strip anyway but my inking is bugging the hell out of me. I’m pretty much at the fuck it point and will use whatever seems ok at the moment I’m inking (using a customized analog-style Daub Brush by Paolo Limoncelli – check him out, his brushes are my favorites). And then I’ll probably redo the inks all over again :/
I’m not settled on a style of coloring either and might just go for quick fills instead of the analog textures that so pump my nads.
But the biggest hitch in the past month has been … trying to draw my mom face. From the front. Front-facing cartoon faces are a pain and are hard to get right. I somehow managed to get my own avatar right but that style isn’t working for my mom’s face.
So I decided to take a look at the style I’m most closely aiming for: Tintin (except I want a sloppier feel). And just about every single face is in 3/4 view. Every. Single. One. And thus the problem is solved.
And while checking out Herge’s art I found this interesting video of him talking about his process – and a site with scans of the pix from the video:
1. Thumbnail sketches2. Detailed pencils3. Inks4. He then redrew the page in blue pencil, painted it and redrew the inks.5. Finish with text and shading
1. Thumbnail sketches
2. Detailed pencils
3. Inks
4. He then redrew the page in blue pencil, painted it and redrew the inks.
I’ve always loved comics – except for an 18 year gap in which I forgot they existed. When I was little I read any comic I could get my hands on: those 3 pack plastic bags in pharmacy spinner racks (my only source for the longest time) Archie digests Tintin Daily & Sunday funnies The Phantom (aka Bataal) (when in India) Amar Chitra Katha (Indian history, mythology, folk tales – sold in India or sometimes Indian grocery stores in the US) In high school I discovered comic book shops and spent most of my allowance there every Wednesday. One of … Continue reading
You must be logged in to post a comment.