While this isn't from "The Unspeakable", I thought I'd post it anyway.
As you look at it, from top left down to bottom right is the order in which I drew it. I enjoyed the "animated" quality, the playing out as the guy moves deeper into the cavern. As I was drawing it, I was wondering "What's he going to see, what'll he find?" I hope you get that it is one person, not a bunch of people walking in single file, but let me know if you do, and how I can make sure it's not "read" that way.
Maybe I've said this before, but I've got a little problem... ok, BIG problem with most brushes in Photoshop. They are so definite. I do most of my roughs in blue pencil, and I don't press hard. In Photoshop, most of the brushes say "I'M INK!!!" unlike the one used above. It's got that great charcoal or crayon texture, and it somehow suits my drawing style. I'd like to do all my inking with this brush as I am most comfortable with it. I wish there were a way to ink something with one brush and then select all the strokes, hit a button and change them all from one brush style to another. Alas...
EXTRA EXTRA!!! This just in!
Based on the feedback from the post as it was after the "Alas...", I've done a little change. Check it out.
As you can see, I've intersected one figure with another to help suggest they are the same guy (medium sized figure's left hand intersecting close up figure's forehead). I think that helps but I'd need to do more of this on the other smaller figures to hit the idea home.
There was also the question about why the bottom most figure was so small. Good question. Practically, I was running out of page space and wanted to get the figure and what he was seeing on the same page! I think it's better to do a closer over-the-shoulder sort of view, which again communicates that we're watching one person's movement and action throughout, not a line of figures and increases the drama a bit.
Thanks again for your comments, Mr. Ghost, Illust.!! You're making my work (and this blog) better!
Take a deep breath. You are witnessing a moment, a very important moment, and you, as my witness, can help me keep with it.
What the heck am I talking about? Let's call it "The Unspeakable". It's the (working) title of a graphic novel story that I've been working on in fits, starts and stops, but mostly stops. But again, you as my witness, can help me keep with it, to resume and with a great amount of luck and effort on my part, finish the thing. Breath. Take deep breaths and small steps!
I'm not going to tell you what the story is about just yet. That will be revealed in future postings. But let's talk about this drawing.
It's the loading dock in the old theatre. Even though I drew this by hand I've decided that I'm going to try to build the theatre with my 3d animation software so that I can keep the background "sets" looking right throughout, but also to help me draw the story a little faster and easier. I must be honest, I'm rather uncomfortable doing it this way because I feel it is a cop-out. But if it means aiming for some unachievable perfection or impossible ideal of artistic purity and not getting the thing done or taking some short cuts, using whatever tools and tricks I can and finishing the project, well, I'm going to take the second option. Wish me luck!
Oh gawd!
And don't worry, it won't be The Unspeakable all the time. I'll post unrelated things now and then.
Sorry for the lack of new posts for so long... that's what vacation will do to you! But let's talk about this drawing already!
I spent some time on the rough, trying to get the structure and perspective of the car right, which resulted in making it a pretty generic 1970's boxy sedan. Of course that had to change! A curve here and there and some more interesting tail lights helped make it more interesting. The luggage was a late addition and helps the viewer get into the drawing, the scenario, the story.
The reflections were a bit of a challenge and I'm not 100% sure I got them right. If you notice, the water level is highest off the car's right tail light and lowest at the car's front left bumper. A reflection only reflects what is perpendicular to the reflective surface, so that means I've probably shown too much right side tail light and now that I look at it, I forgot to put the door mirror in the reflection! Don't tell ANYBODY!
And while you're "keeping mum" on that one, I'll tell you that the fish man started out as a regular human man in a fedora. It was ok, but the whole drawing was just kind of boring. I wondered how to make it more interesting. Add fish in the water? Add some other element? Change the man's face somehow? How about making him have a totem pole for a head? And then I thought "FISH HEAD!" I think it works and creates a unity of message or meaning there. What that meaning or message is, well...
I feel like I'm reinventing the wheel each time I do a drawing using the Cintiq because I don't feel entirely comfortable with it (it's very smooth, so the stylus slips very quickly on the surface) and so each time I need to think and plan and consider how I'm going to "ink" the rough - what style, what sort of line to use, what colour palatte - you can see I'm still working on that part... at least it's not just black and white, it's... it's blue and white! Having said that, I'm rather pleased with this installment's results. The lines and line quality is very similar to my natural drawing on paper style which to my mind and eye is a great step forward.
One major challenge in this one was to suggest a lot more destruction (and more city) than we actually see. I realized early on that I only really needed to clearly draw the area under Kong's right elbow and the foreground and the rest could be suggested.
I like how really regretful he looks (poor monkey) and the metaphor for destruction (messed up relationships, insensitive comments, thoughtless actions) is an interesting one, and of course, very subtle!
Disclaimer : I DID NOT STEAL A SCRIBBLE DRAWING FROM A KID. HE WAS DONE WITH IT!!!
At least I think we was done with it. He walked away. That counts as "S'all yours. Do your worst" doesn't it?!
Anyway, after he left, and as I kept working on the green scribble, adding leaves and shading with green and blue crayons at some point I saw a monster in there and couldn't resist adding the mouth - Your Honour, I did hesitate as I didn't want to do something too scary lest it would upset aforementioned child. Putting the eyes below the mouth was an interesting decision, but the execution wasn't quite right - they look a bit disconnected and bulbous. I like the Tyrannosaurus Rex stick-like arms and the many legs that look like trunks from shrubs or small trees. I think the monster would move like a caterpillar on these many legs. It's also interesting how messy the whole thing is. I think the messy, imperfect quality adds more than if it were cleaner or more polished.
Such a drawing often inspires me to ask questions like who is this guy? What's his story or does he fit into another story? I sense another project coming on!
