Author: Jeff

Progress… Part 2

Comics

Hello! I’m back… sort of. Things have been pretty busy, so I wanted to post the next part of this before another three weeks got away from me.

Last time I posted some preliminary work for drawing/inking a comic page. To briefly review, I started with my thumbnails/layouts and then scanned those in at a high resolution to place in PhotoShop at actual working size. Next, I set about cleaning up the rough sketches and doing some actual digital pencil work. That brings me to today’s post!

The example below is the (nearly) finished, inked page. I may yet go in and make some adjustments/tweaks as I move on to color.

I was working on a color rough for a different page the other day and noticed that I had missed a few details at the inking stage. No problem! One of the things I like about working digitally is that those kinds of mistakes are easily remedied. But, beware, the computer is just one more tool in the creative arsenal and is no substitute for a keen eye to detail.

Next: Color Work!

Progress…

Comics

Having survived the holidays, I realized that it was high-time I got back to the business of finishing up the first issue of this book we call “Reformation.”

I spent what little free time I had last week devising new layouts for the remaining seven pages of the book, or pages 10 – 16. Those layouts are shown in thumbnail form below.

Once those were approved by the writer in what can only be described as a hammer-and-tongs battle royal (or, as we like to call it, “calm discussion”), I set about the business of enlarging the layouts to full-size, laying in the panel borders and dialogue and cleaning up the “pencil” work as shown in the next image.

You may have noticed that the word pencil is in quotation marks. This is because I work digitally most of the time now. I still do a lot of things on paper, though. I keep a sketchbook, for instance, where I work out a lot of my ideas first. But, from there I generally jump right into PhotoShop and, using a Cintique, Get right to work.

Working this way has its advantages and disadvantages. On the upside, there is ‘command-z’ (undo) if I make a mistake. My bristol board can’t do that! I also really enjoy working directly on-screen using the Cintique.

The downside is also ‘command-z’ (undo) which allows me to spend an inordinate amount of time obsessing over a mistake. Although, with the help of Chris Marrinan and Mick Grey, I have begun to break myself of this ugly habit.

But, I digress…

Once the “pencils” are cleaned up, I’ll move on to the “inking” stage and final clean-up. Yes, I “ink” digitally, too, but I am getting pretty good at the traditional ink-on-paper method when I have the chance to practice.

That’s all for now!

“Just This Once…”

Design

We’ve all said it at one time or another. “Just this once (fill in the blank).” My wife said it once after returning home from work to a *ahem* less than tidy house (in my defense, our two-year-old helped in the untidying…).

Anyway, her comment gave me an idea: The “Just This Once” Cleaning Company. Their motto? “Because, just this once, you’d like to come home to a clean house!” This, of course, lead to the formation of no fewer than four separate corporate entities all falling under the umbrella of the Just This Once Jack of All Trades Concern whose corporate mantra is, “because, just this once, you’d like someone else to do it for you!”

In short, this most useful packet of coupons became a Christmas gift to my wife and a fun design exercise for me. I was inspired by Depression-era ad slogans and Monopoly money (as the color pallet suggests). My father, upon hearing of my idea, thinks I should sell these…


Comic Update

Comics

I just added four new pages of comic art on the “Comic” page. These pages are from the first issue of a web comic I am working on with Tim Andrick, over at timandrick.net, as part of my graduate thesis project.

The story is called “Reformation” and focuses on Rebecca Claussen’s escape in the days and weeks following a horrific viral outbreak. While Rebecca contends with the virally infected, would-be bounty hunters, and the frightened denizens of a post outbreak world, she must piece together how it happened, while coming to terms with the realization that she, herself, may have been responsible. Rebecca’s only clues lie in a mysterious letter, and her grandfather’s own research notes. Will Rebecca unravel the secret of the outbreak, or will the truth be swept away by a shadowy corporate conglomerate?

Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to February . In the meantime, please enjoy the sample pages.

The “Old Alma Mater”

Design

I recently donated some time to help out the choir department at my old high school. It seems, they had a trailer that needed prettying-up. So, I did what I do and designed some vinyl graphics for it. I based the design around their existing choir logo and the musical theme. The vinyl application, itself, was expertly provided by Kris at DE-Signs with the promise that I never again design something so complicated to carry out in that medium. I must say after seeing the amount of work that went into carrying out my design, I must agree. Sometimes, the hardest thing to keep in mind while designing something on-screen is how it will physically be made manifest. Oy! Sorry, Kris!