Words from the Creator

Sat Aug 15 2020 Updates; Tribute; Lore; Adaptation; Thanks

Updates

Sat Aug 15- 8:14pm Resized, cropped, some of the cel animation photos*. Evil Lyn with Beastman and original background painting **

* ( later, when I order archival backing boards, ph nuetral tape, poly propylene , I can scan the cels ( they are flimsy, and the old acrylic, can break off, if they bend; so I photographed them, and stored them flat; stacked, separated by sheets of 14 x 17 bristol, for now)

** Often, the backgrounds included, are ‘reproductions’ ( laser copies). But the Evil Lyn Beastman cel, came with a painted background; you can imagine, all the other cels that were shot on top of that background. Understandably, the bidding was higher for this lot including the hand painted original background ( which appears to be on heavy stock, watercolor paper).

One of the most encouraging things about these, is that seeing them up close, I am familiar and experienced with these hands -on mediums ( acrylic, watercolor, and boards, canvas, plexiglass, wood, furniture, walls, sheet metal, lead miniatures, cloth). It is great to see, how remarkably beautiful, hand painted color looks, despite all the current digital coloring advances, these still have their own excellent qualities, that don’t diminish ( in my opinion) for being hand crafted, during a time with less technology.

The main aversion, or obstacle, for me, to digital coloring, is that the interface, seems to take up more of my time, and if I move at my own full speed, the software cannot keep up; so it feels like waiting in line at traffic. I don’t enjoy spending many hours on the computer; it doesn’t feel the same as looking at paper. I don’t mind scanning, uploading, and making web pages every other day. But, in my initial experience using CSP, to color an inking, I saw how I could spend 3 days, using the raster layers, to create so much depth and fine detail, that I realized, the time I spent coloring, it could leave me with little time creating drawings.

And a body of work would be more significant, if I had many drawings, describing a variety concepts, rather than 4 highly detailed colored illustrations each month. I’m not completely averse to digital coloring – but, I am prioritizing the idea development, and line work, studies; and I want to start coloring with hands on media ( color pencils) and work my way up through watercolors, and acrylics; then when I have a sense of the time it takes, and the process of coloring. I can use CSP to improve already painted pieces, or digitally color, using palettes, to save time, and raster layer backgrounds ( like animation cels); but with a sense, how long digital vs by hand takes, so I know how much time to spend on each, use them efficiently.

There are things digital coloring can do much faster than by hand ( filling blank areas with color, making variations), and some things that might be faster using physical media ( at first); shading, detailing lines, forms, drawing, coloring tones, blending, ect, (versus software emulations of brushes, nibs,pencils).

I am looking forward to developing digital coloring – but before I invest, what expect to be a solid week of refreshing the knowledge of how to use the software commands, and practicing techniques on inked pictures; I want to have some new inked pictures that are, in my opinion, worthy of it. Alot of my drawing, is to merely get ideas down, as quickly as possible; when I go back and detail, redraw , for craftsman ship; then I have the option, to draw in the style of studies, or original art. I intend to publish new finished work, ( if it is high quality, and represents a brand).

I would like to create pages, ( pencilled, inked, colored; scripted) worthy of hire by a studio.

I arranged an outdoor room, and made a desk to sit over my laptop, so I can study images from it, while seated on the ground outdoors ( had to move furniture, that had been set there anticipating last weeks tropical storm). Glad to have the cel animation separated, realized on of the pieces was an original background painting. Very encouraging, to see the original, with the layers, to see exactly how they created the backgrounds. It makes it very clear how I can make backgrounds – and how I can use it in combination with many foreground images ( variations). A relative recently celebrated a birthday; every year, I make an effort, to do creative things specifically for them, on that day. Tomorrow ( Sun) I have a weekly family event that lasts about 4 hours; so I am looking forward to doing studio art, M – Sat*.

Plan to draw original characters, using templates of increasing skill level; logos, backgrounds. To get concept art, illustrated, at increasing levels of skill. Make an illus story for this website. Then for other brands. Then a game for the website. Then for other brands. Then animations for the website; then for other brands.

Honoring Legends

Thinking about animating with cels and acrylic ( there are animation equipment stores, that sell everything needed to make hand painted cel animations; cels, starter kits, ect,.. Some comicbook artists who have remarkable facial expression panels, were animators ( Dave Hoover was first an animator, then did comics; mainstream and adult; Todd Macfarlane started as a comicbook artist, and then made an animated series based on his characters.)

*With most of the golden age comics in mylar, and the cel animations separated, and most of the original art scanned; I have a lot of references, I am eager to study; works in progress, to detail. Really anticipating the inkings and coloring. New brands ( campaigns); new voice overs; and putting together- games, and animations.

Story Telling

What I am doing, as an artist – personally- is like ‘capturing’ the Boogey man. Capturing, a) drawing stills from every media source relevant. b) taking what catches me off guard, terrifies, or other wise gets my attention in a way where I feel overwhelmed by reaction. To then understand it, put it in a form that is my own, so I know what it is. Am not scared by it, or caught off guard, and can disregard it.

Essentially a therapeutic purpose.

Example, my own drawings seem as harmless to me, and non-hostile, as my favorite pets, or yearbook photos or papers from grade school; artifacts I have in some way a relation to , that express or have my signature, for whatever assignment,purpose or topic they were on.

Adaptations

Manga:

A big style differentiator is ‘ink. The way ink is used to shade, outline, ect ( cross hatching, or parallel; or even width line, or crow quill, variable width). In addition to form; which I have studied with pencil studies, and redrawings. The aforementioned aspects also apply to Manga.

I purchased a sampling of original Manga art.

A significant Clandestine contributor that earned a commission, with uninterrupted subscriptions, that were very encouraging, and appreciated, included gifts – It is definitely on my to do list.

My drawing style is essentially naturalistic, informed by western references. I found some manga references over the year, specifically for the commission of an anime/manga style character. Because I wanted to do my best, I am planning to set aside time to work on developing an iformed, manga style.

Some benefits, are that I can make a Manga style comic using some of my original characters, and publish the text in mandarin – as it’s own brand; and see what the response is on pivix, ect.

An idea I had, was to present “Witchfynder” as a Manga, that has Mandarin through out. The product and gallery could appear to be from a Manga artist. And a western spin-off, advertised, and promoted from it; using another pseudonym. Then I could have two versions of “witchfynder”; Manga, and western. This might benefit the interpretation of the ‘title’; since alot of manga and anime, seem to have large, uncommon, vocabulary words, with unique spelling, as titles. ( ie, Neon Genesis Evangelion).

Example, if Neon Genesis Evangelion began as a western title, it might seem pretentious, and wordy. But, taking into account the phenomena of ‘orientalism’*, the title looks cool, and not scrutinized for it’s literal English meaning**; because of the great graphics.

**Even though it is very similar to Robotech, Power rangers, Pacific rim, in many ways ( basically giant robots, piloted by young people, to fight adversaries -aliens; in an academy/school mate type relationship ).

*where things that come from another culture, are viewed as magical, and bearing mystery, and assumed to have deeper knowledge.

Gratitude

My home studio, has as many comics as the typical comicbook stores I used to frequent; with the rare, golden age books , original comicbook art, cel animation and 6th scale models, it’s like a museum. Really is a special experience,. Thanks for sharing it with me, and helping make it possible.