April 11, 2019
The Sequence in the style of Aaron Lopresti and Ed Benes, contains several more images. I want to develop it: whether that is to redraw the entire series, and use characters relevant to my current comicbook world ( since they are really non-descript, for the most part, throughout the Apocrypha – aside from fan-art) or to ink the existing pencils, to be digitally colored.
I plan to grey tone the inked pages of the mainstream comic – beginning with some recent concept art. Once that is a familiar task, I may grey tone pieces from the apocrypha, or move on to color.
There is a technique I am interested in trying – as I noticed Bud root’s work on the Cavewoman covers. After studying one, ( reproduction style drawing) I saw the watercolors, and inks. I am considering trying to use the tracing light, on my original drawing, to create an outline of the main shapes, on watercolor paper, of an inked original; and using raster layers to combine the two.
Red Dragon 3, and 5 arrived in the mail the other day – they are scarce pre-code comics, that I saw in a search, and found on auction. One features a Scheherezade story mentioned on the cover. I was unable to find any database with a scan of the interior. Usually I don’t scan the interior page by page – to preserve the condition ( since there is almost always a readily available digital version); but after checking repeatedly, I found none. At the very least, I may photo the pages ( not flattening them); depending on the condition.
The mainstream comic team is pleased with my concept art, and I am nearly ready to apply it to the layouts, and ‘finish’ the 6 pages; inking; then grey toning. With the many character designs I made, I had in mind my own pre-code horror GGA comicbook characters; so any characters designs that don’t get used ( I made 4 for each, and more for the Hunter Seeker) for ‘Dsytopia’, is fair game for any of my stories here.
As far as the story. I have in mind a plot that is meaningful to me, in a nostalgic way. To feature a famous explorer and a several famous tv show actors for an eclectic cast, to react – with interpretations ( maybe even satire) of their popular personas – to the tribes and adventures in the jungle. The sub plot be a mostly wordless, pre-code horror scene, with explicit graphic detail, and extended sequences.
The mainstream comic layouts, and concept art of male characters for Dystopia (this past month) are the first specific, comprehensive studies of male characters, I’ve done. I created two different looking guys, and panels with them arguing, gesturing during dramatic dialogue, from various perspectives; as well as women arguing, gesturing, and making subtle expression variations. [ I studied muscle anatomy of a large variety of female figures, faces, and poses applicable to pre-code horror sequences].