Words from the Creator
Sat July 25 2020 Updates; Tribute; Lore; Adaptation; Thanks
Updates
Mon July 27 – 11:19 pm – 11:52pm
Original Cel Animation Pages:
Sun and Mon: I perused original cel animation, for 19 hours*.
* and have some pending orders – which I can list later in the week.
I spent the better part of the day picking out key cels, with useful expression, foreshortening, form, style, figure perspective and fan-art.
The Cel animations are very encouraging, and give me ideas on how to put together cartoons. From cartoons I have seen, and can benefit from studying hands on.
I tried to be as thorough as possible, to get any useful cels from MOTU* first. Prioritizing difficult to conceptualize poses, expressions, and fan-art characters: Evil Lyn, Teela, She-ra, Skeletor, Man at Arms, Beastman.
*Masters of the Universe; including She-ra; ( being the oldest and more sought after than the rest I was looking through); and picking out a dozen others; including Blackstar, Space Sentinels, Ghostbusters, and others.
I got some good studio work done the day before, and a concept drawing today.
Subscribe Star
I checked Subscribe star*, was pleased to see the subscribers. Thanks so much – it means alot. I try my best to provide content that I would want to see, if I were subscribing at that level. For anyone that has returned – ?I am genuinely grateful.
*Since usernames come and go, I don’t assume everyone with access to the subscribe star page, also has website access; so I took some time to make some posts; putting image content, and info on how to get website access.
2 Original Art pages Delivered today!:
Avengers Academy #25 pg 15: ( Tom Grummett)
Archie Double Digest #203 pg 104 ( Norm Breyfogle)
I ordered 2 more original art pages:
The Spectre #18 pg 6 ( Norm Breyfogle); ETA Aug 3-4.
Invisible Girl Black Tide #7 pg 1 (Norm Breyfogle*). ETA: Aug 3
*Norm Breyfogle was one of the first comic book artist’s I read regularly, and was inspired by (the other was Todd Macfarlane).
This is all the original comic book I had chosen to study.
I only have 3 orders of Cel animations I may consider next week, or later.
Currently, I plan to do studio art as much as possible tomorrow – then possibly open, scan, and store the 2 pieces, later in the week; after I get some uninterrupted studio work.
( I have alot of ideas I want to get drafted; then resume detailing, and preparing compositions for embellishing). in about 3 days, I plan to peruse a freelance artist’s gallery ( for reference material repertoire).
Below posted July 25th –
Stocked up:
Art supplies:
I ordered more paper* : and got 3 different sizes of canvas board**.
* surprised – in a good way: at the time, I didn’t know if I could fill that many pages- this is the most Bristol board I have ever used in a year: I had used up the 8 pads of Bristol smooth, and 8 non repro-blue sequential. ( I have enough sheets to last till they are delivered)
**( Blick, archival linen)
Honoring Legends
Original Comicbook Art:
I set up another website, for my professional mainstream comicbook portfolio submissions to editors ( ie, Marvel, Dc, ect). So when I make a mainstream set of 20 pages, I can submit them, the way they require, which is a website link*
* ( since they won’t open email attachments: for concern of virus).
I perused original comicbook art yesterday*
*( staying up till 2:27am: to complete auction purchases – )
I try to be thorough, and check every listing, for every artist, that I am interested in studying**
** or grew up with collecting comics; to compare all the images, and pick a sampling of major mainstream artists, whose work is quality; and useful for reference studies for poses, expressions and style.
Original Comicbook Page Art:
I found: Jose Garcia Lopez, Dick Giordano, Kyle Hotz, Norm Breyfogle, Mark Bagley, Joe Staton, Ron Lim, Tom Grummett, Kieron Dwyer, Scot Eaton, Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner, Greg Land, Scot Hanna, Tom Derenick, Cory Hamscher, Rick Leonardi
Original art Delivery ETA*:
Jul 30 (thurs). X-Men Exiles #2. Tom Grummett, ( Chris Claremont) *. One page.*
* a great page for reference for Zaydimar related scenes; within a palace harem, throne chamber and attendants ( varied expressions and costumes)
Jul 30 (thurs). Avengers Academy #25 page 15; Cory Hamscher; Tom Grummett; Archie Double Digest #203, page #104; Norm Breyfogle. Two pages.
Jul 30 (thurs). Thirteen pages.
Jose Garcia Lopez; Robin Annual 1993; page 23. Kieron Dwyer. * 1 page.
*great expressions, and perspective. Both artist whose covers I’ve studied, and have very informed art.
Mark Bagley; Scott Hanna; Venom 2017. 1 page. *
*I really like Bagley’s facial expressions and crisp line work.
Joe Staton ( Soulsearchers and Co – 2006) , pages 19, 12, 22. Soulsearchers #76, page 21; #7 page 10; #77 page 4; 6 pages. *
*I have studied from Staton’s cover of the first appearance of the Huntress (their are 2 first app on record – because of publication timing, controversy; I got the cover featuring a full view of the character). He seems like John Romita, and draws really good looking women.
Greg Land. Avengers ( 2013). 1 page. *
*I really appreciate Land’s inking precision, and realism.
Wonder Woman ( 2019) Tom Derenick, Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti.*1 page.
*15 watchers – most Wonder woman original interior page art goes for 2 to 8 times the price. This one I chose, because it had useful poses, for redrawing** ( an expression , I can use for a 19 x 24″ lurid pre code illus; and a seated throne, perspective; and another pose; beautiful ink work, and form).
**I can use software, to practice coloring, by using the colored page to use the eye dropper tool, to use the same colors, to color my scan; and make variations. And redraw, and make ink variations ( some which I can post for mainstream – others exclusive pre-code ) ; and costume ( and nude) variations – as well as in the style of.
Kyle Hotz; Scott Hanna: The Hood. 2009 1 page. *
*some useful expressions, and great inking ( contrast).
Dick Giordano; How to Draw 2005; The Colony 2009, page 116. 2 pages. *
*Giordano is a legend, respected in the industry; I grew up with his work, on Batman, and DC; studying his work from a cover of JLA featuring Zatanna.
Jul 31 ( Fri). Xena ATFO 2, pg 19, pg 21: Ron Lim, Steven Montano; two pages.
Aug 1. Rick Leonardi, Supergirl #27. page 6. *
*Useful foreshortening, pose.
Aug 1- Aug 3 ( Sat – Mon) Leonard Nimoy’s Primortals:#13 page 14; #7 page 14; Scot Eaton. Vanguard #4, page 14; Image 1996; Scot Eaton; Anderson; Roxanne; Three pages.
Aug 4 ( Tues) – Greg Land – Iron man (2013) #6 page 8. One page.
( Return of Death’s head: from: Godkiller Armor part 1 – Death’s head last appearance 2009 – brought in 2013, in issue. Famous popular comic ( lots of youtube discussion about god killer armor). Two female face perspective, inking worth study.
Aug 5 – Aug 20 : Manga: (from Japan) Seven pages:*White Devil Catherine Horror; Junko Legend of the Ginza Empress (2 pages); Haitoku no kageri (2 pages)( Crime Story); Teppen; Ai to Fukushuu no Banka .
* I chose them from among over 800 item listings – key panels worth studying for expression, scene and perspective/foreshortening.
*This is when they might arrive – it may take more time to unpackage and scan, depending on what I am busy working on at the time.
Now I have lots of ideas which I want to get onto paper.
Story Telling
Workflow:
Method:
I try to arrange my work flow, such that I include lurid pre code horror, whilst working toward the greater goal, of building the stories, and comic book cast/worlds.
I want to reach people, with meaningful stories, and capture beauty, express rage, wonder, awe, atrocity, survival, persistence, joy, union, and desolation.
The human experience – is naturally the purview of any artist/storyteller.
To never draw anything above rated PG-13, is restrictive. To only create one scene of lurid pre-code horror is as well.
I like the title of the company that produces “Belladonna” comics – featuring fully nudity, ( like Conan Exiles) and gore ( like Skyrim): ‘ Boundless‘.
To me, that is the spirit of this project.
Adaptations
Inking:
The original art is particularly useful because, it is larger than the comicbook, ( original art is reduced for publication). Seeing the original art, gives me a clear example how to ink , and layout** my own pages for the medium.***
**A chief difference between comic panels and illustration, is that panels crop: figures, faces ect – but for designing characters, a full page and complete image, best inform, subsequent paintings and illustrations. I want to do both; designing characters ( ect. ) precedes, featuring them in panels. The style for panels, can utilize dynamic gesture; but for character design, basic, informed anatomy and forms. Within this website, are examples of both.
***Todd Macfarlane, and Liefeld, and others, did the same thing; buying vintage comics, and original art at auctions, and studying them. Since the comicbook industry has less room for hire, and more artists than ever; as you may know; it is more difficult to get into a mainstream studio.
Fortunately, with self-publishing, I can still produce and share work to others, without a mainstream studio. I have been working toward, having completed, work, that is competitive enough, to be hired by a studio, as a penciller/ inker..
It’s not for the money, ( though it can be made; and is necessary to drive the art) it’s a dream, and something I am particularly proficient at. So, purchasing the original art*, is working toward that.
*vintage, and studying them,
Gratitude
Thanks for supporting this work, and keeping it so rewarding.
Have a great Week!