Message from The Creator:
What to expect: This past month, the LuridMax Website became the new home for subscribers. No need for Deviant Art stash links , or Patreon. Unlike other wordpress sites, hosted by wordpress, they can’t shut down Lurid Max for anything included in the Privacy Policy – because LuridMax is hosted by Dreamhost. The Privacy Policy was the longest, most tedious thing I have ever written ( since lawsuit liability is the penalty for omissions or mistake).
Now that the basic site structure is in place, there are some unique benefits to having a website: Open World. That’s the main thing I envisioned doing with a website. I’ve been developing the most lurid images I can; upgrading tools, learning new tools. I’ve seen the quality of current digital artists, color wise. That is a goal.
Meanwhile, I have mapped out the Open World. That is the first step. The next is to create the best lurid art I can. Part of that process is the templates. And redrawing compositions, improving certain elements. I daily practice inking with my Rotring Rapidographs ( .5 , .35 and .25) – it’s the first time I ever used them; and now I understand how the detail was possible, in some admirable works in comicbooks and illustrations, I have seen over the years.
I have a 2 issue 8 x 11 ” comicbook, that I want to ink ( it’s already pencilled; been sitting in a folder for 20 years) I posted the cover last week, and the first page this week.
There is a 14 x 17 inch Bristol board comicbook sequence that is at mainstream professional quality, multiple pages, in the styles of Aaron Lopresti ( Mystic) and Ed Benes ( Birds of Prey); which has been pencilled and sitting on the shelf, for 14 years. ( you’ve seen the first two pages). I look forward to inking these. Then redrawing some of the best panels, using new characters.
I have alot more concept art. It takes the same amount of time to resize, crop and edit a fast freehand rough-draft drawing, as it does for a fully inked piece. Time is the factor which I am daily learning to manage, so that I can be productive in the studio, life, and on the computer.
I will eventually migrate my hard drive to an SSD with a new Windows 10 license key, so that my computer work isn’t more time -consuming than it has to be.
5 pages a week, gives me adequate time in the studio.
The flowchart of processes is: script, character concept art, comicbook layouts, detailed character/concept templates, layout templates, comicbook pencils, inks, color.
Using touch tablet for digital color. Using canvas and paint for covers. Using scanner, and multiple scans ( requiring connecting) for pieces larger than 11 x 17 “.
Resizing, cropping, editing 5 images for the weekly pack, updates, previews, ( which, as simple, and mundane as it sounds, takes about 80% as long as it does to create a page) – writing captions, believe it or not, takes up 3 – 6 hours.
I am getting more efficient at doing these tasks, though. When I have inked, grey toned the comicbook I am working on in the studio, those skills, I can flex, for the Lurid Max projects. Look forward to sharing the upcoming work next month with interested viewers. See you in March.
Also: There are commissions coming up for certain subscribers – I will make sure to get a variety of templates ( physiques, poses, faces, expressions ) available for quick and precise selection. [ rather than relying on general sentence description or artist preference. I want to give the option for a specific perspective, angle, physique type, facial appearance, and expression].
I want to personally Thank all Commissioner and Curator level subscribers, who make this endeavor a rich/ rewarding exercise in putting forth the best effort with all the tools available to artists today.
This genre is getting a fresh entry with your contributions. I sincerely appreciate your interest, and kind patronage.