Anatomical Anomalies

So I was looking at this sketch and I realized that I gave the angel an extra set of abdominal muscles.  The odd thing is that, looking back at issue three, apparently I did this about half of the times that I drew him, and the other half I guess I remembered enough human anatomy to not add extras.

Also, here's a panel from another new page.

She is rapidly becoming one of my favorite characters.

When I was initially coming up with things to run in the first issue of Delirium, I had this concept for a series of one page gags called Sex and Violence (alternative titles included Naked Death and Death Slut), with the basic premise being a sexy woman and a monster inciting murder and mayhem in their wake.  The blood witch is essentially who the female lead would have been in that strip.

I think I might revisit that idea at a later point.

Compelling and Sexy

Well, issue three has been sent off to the printers and should be available sometime next week.

In the meantime, here's a sneak peek at the cover:

Tiny Dots are Trance-Inducing

It is really hard to force yourself to make hundreds of tiny dots on a page using a technical pen when you're going off of only a few hours of sleep.

The tiny dots aside, this page felt like it took forever to finish.  The problem was trying to make the pose look right, which I still didn't really do, but at least I like how it looks.  I probably should have roughed it out a lot more thoroughly in the storyboard first.

A Million Tiny Dots...

So I kind of went nuts with the stippling on this last page, but I think it worked out really well because it gives the room this kind of unnatural looking lighting.

You know I've been drawing these weird little T.V. things for awhile now.  Not sure what it means to be honest with you.  But they usually are pretty sinister.

I do think my art has improved quite a bit since I started this and while I don't necessarily like how everything on every page turns out, at least now I usually have at least one thing that I like, which is good because I'm the one who spends the most time looking at the stuff I've drawn.

Funny thing, but I've been winging it on this last strip, storyboarding things on the fly without a script.  I think that's actually worked to my benefit in terms of allowing me to basically draw whatever I want to do, which is mostly naked women with wings and guys with chainsaw hands.  Although I have no idea how I am going to wrap up what's been going on for the last few pages.

Ah well, I'll think of something.

Closing In On the End

Well, another page is done and I am feeling pretty good about things.

I am amazed that the perspective (though not correct) came off as well as it did.  Also some dry brush technique on display there which I think ended up being quite effective.

 I think I am going to have to invest in some more technical pens at some point as I am finding that I really like using my Rapido Sketch for smaller details and shading and it definitely allows me to achieve a level of detail that wouldn't be possible with the artist markers alone.

I am slowly sort of figuring out how and where I want to add shading on human figures.  I still screw it up sometimes but I think with all of the other lines going all over the place it makes the figures have a bit more weight.

We're at 25 pages now and barring something going horribly wrong I don't think there should be anything stopping this being ready for printing by September.

Ink Splatter

I am not that great at drawing gore, but I think this came out okay.

BAMSUKKA!  This probably could have used a sound effect.  Probably that one.

Also I was playing around with the contrast and I realized that I should probably make the pages a bit darker before they get printed.  They definitely look better darker.

Anyway, 24 pages done now so we are definitely closing in on the end here.

Drawing Doors

I found myself having to draw a lot of doors on the last two pages that I finished.

A door.

My answer to the question of how to make doors look interesting tends to be: draw some faces on them.

Above: a mohawk.  Also pictured: a door which is in no way consistent with the door on the other side which I drew on the previous page.

Also, I got to draw a mohawk!

I am liking how things look using the Rapido Sketch to do the details and shading on things, so I will probably continue doing that.  We're up to 22 pages now so things are moving along just fine.  I also figured out a way to convert images to CMYK mode using GimpShop so I think I may take the time to do a color cover as well once the interior art is done.

Another New Page and More Thoughts on the Rapido Sketch

        So I finished another page and this was inked almost entirely with the Rapido Sketch.  I have to say, I do like the results; I feel like all of the little details that I was trying to add in there really came through a lot better with the Rapido Sketch as opposed to the artist pens I've been using.

There are one or two outlines which were inked with an artist pen, along with the large black areas.  Everything else was inked using the Rapido Sketch with the .25 nib and I think it came out pretty well.

        I don't know that I would rely on the Rapido Sketch as my primary inking tool, but I think it may be a little more versatile than I had previously thought.  I am seriously considering buying one of the larger nib sizes to test out.

        That being said, I also got to experience the finicky nature of the pen tonight while I was inking.  The pen started to clog a little bit as I was working on the final panel on the page and then it ran out of ink.  After refilling the ink (which I got all over my hands) it took a bit of coaxing to get ink flowing again.

        So, yeah, sometimes the pen is a bit temperamental and it can make a mess if you have to refill it in the middle of a page.  But, if you've worked with crow quills or any kind of dip pen, I don't think this would be that big of an ordeal.  Certainly it's not something that would keep me from using the pen.

        So we're back up to 20 pages now and I am having fun with the stuff I'm drawing at the moment so that's usually a good sign.  Hopefully I will have more to post later in the week.

Some Thoughts on the Koh-I-Noor Rapido Sketch

        So I’ve had a couple of days to play around with my new Koh-I-Noor Rapido Sketch pen and I thought I’d take a moment to discuss first impressions of the pen and what it’s been like using it for inking.

Also here's a new page.  The pose is sadly pretty uninspired but I like it overall since I got to draw lots of weird little details.

Background

        The Rapido Sketch is a technical pen similar to the Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph.  There are a few characteristics that distinguish the Rapido Sketch from the Rapidograph:

·         Price – this is a big one, as the Rapido Sketch tends to be cheaper than the Rapidograph (although this is relative as both are expensive pens)

-          Rapidograph: retail price on these pens is around $35 each, although shopping around online you can find them offered for as low as $25; there are also 7 pen sets which can sell for anywhere between $75 to around $150 online.

-          Rapido Sketch: retail price is $21.40, but looking around online you should be able to find one for between $10 and $15.

·         Drawing Angle – this is probably the most important difference because, as the name implies, the Rapido Sketch actually allows you to hold the pen in your hand naturally while you draw with it, while the Rapidograph requires more of a unique form.

-          Rapidograph –   I’ve never actually used a Rapidograph, but the consensus online seems to be that when using it you have to hold the pen at almost a 90 degree angle (straight up and down) from the page in order to make the ink come out.  This is because it’s primarily a drafting tool rather than a drawing tool.

-          Rapido Sketch – this pen seems designed with artists in mind because you can hold it at a natural angle for drawing and ink will come out.

·         Nib Sizes

-          Rapidograph – there are 13 different nib sizes ranging from very fine to very broad.

-          Rapido Sketch – there are a whopping 3 different nib sizes to choose from: .25 mm, .35mm, and .5 mm. 

·         Packaging

-          Rapidograph – sold individually in blister packs, or sometimes sold in a plastic case which contains the pen and a nib key (used for removing the part of the pen that contains the nib for cleaning purposes).  In the 7 pen sets you get a bottle of Koh-I-Noor’s Rapidraw black India ink as well as a nib key.

-          Rapido Sketch – sold in a plastic case which comes with a bottle of Koh-I-Noor’s Rapidraw black India ink

·         Appearance

-          Rapidograph – the pens have a white plastic case with color coded caps to denote nib sizes.  From an aesthetic standpoint, I personally like the looks of the Rapidograph better than the Rapido Sketch.

-          Rapido Sketch – the pens have a dark brown (or possibly oxblood) colored case with the nib size written in white on the top of the cap. 

Out of the Box

        There’s not a whole lot to be said about the pen right out of the packaging.  Holding it in my hand, it felt solidly constructed, if a bit plain to look at.  Basically it looked like a typical fountain pen.

        For a lot of people this is where their experience with technical pens starts and ends.  The reason is because there’s a bit of preparation involved before you can actually use the pen.

        First you have to fill the thing with ink, which involves taking apart the pen and filling the ink well.  This isn’t necessarily hard, but it’s a little confusing if you’ve never done it before and the packaging does not include any instructions to help you with the process.

A Rapido Sketch broken down into its component parts.

        Now that you’ve got ink in the pen, you’ve got to get the ink flowing, and this is where things get tricky.  Basically, what you want to do is hold the pen with the tip facing downwards and gently shake it up and down.  You should hear something that sounds like a ball bearing moving back and forth inside of the pen while you do this.  If you’re not making any progress with the shaking, you can put the cap on the pen and then gently tap the pen against a tabletop.  Eventually (maybe after a few minutes) you’ll get some ink flowing when you press the pen to paper, and then you’re ready to start using it.

Inking with the Rapido Sketch

        One of the first things I noticed while using the pen is that it feels very scratchy compared to a marker-like artist pen.  In fact the experience is very similar to using a crow quill for inking, but without the fear that you’re going to leave a big black spot of ink if you press too hard.

        The next thing I noticed is that the Rapido Sketch performs much better on certain types of paper.  On sketch paper for example, it’s a real struggle to move the pen across the paper with any kind of fluidity as it seems as if it’s catching on the fibers of the paper.  On Bristol board with a vellum finish the pen handles a lot more smoothly.

        Browsing different message boards, the consensus seems to be that both the Rapidograph and the Rapido Sketch are intended to be used on paperboard, preferably something with a slick finish (such as a smooth finish on Bristol board).  Using the pen on other types of paper also carries with it the risk that paper fibers will get caught up in the pen’s tip, eventually clogging it and rendering it useless.

        In terms of how the Rapido Sketch handles versus the Pitt Artist pens that I’ve been using…honestly, there’s not a huge world of difference in terms of the final product.  Based on my limited experience so far, I would say the artist pens are better suited to inking figures and larger shapes, while the Rapido Sketch is more suited to inking finer details, such as details of the face, certain types of textures, stippling (pointillist style), and obviously machinery and other man-made structures (makes sense given that it’s still a drafting tool at the end of the day).

Side by side comparison of performance between a Pitt Artist Pen with a .01 mm nib and the Koh-I-Noor Rapido Sketch with a .25 nib.  As you can see, the two are not vastly different, although the Rapido Sketch does produce consistent line width whereas the Pitt pen can vary line width based on pressure. 

        The other thing is that, when I am inking with artist pens, I tend to trace a line first, then go back and trace them a second time, thickening them in certain places to try and add more line variety.  With the Rapido Sketch, it’s difficult to ink that way because 1) the lines are really thin and 2) you can get a bit of build up of ink in areas you’re retracing which can get smeared or otherwise make a mess.

An example of where I think the Rapido Sketch is most useful.  All of the texturing was done with the Rapido Sketch and I like the uniformity of line width for that purpose.  The outlining of the figures was done with the .01 mm artist pen.

        One thing to keep in mind about that assessment is that I am using the .25 Rapido Sketch, which is the smallest size available, limiting its usefulness as a general purpose pen.  The .35 and the .50 nibs on the Rapido Sketch would probably have a bit more utility in terms of general inking duties.

More textures done with the Rapido Sketch.  Here I think the uniform lines don't work quite as well because the objects are supposed to be more organic and flowing.  That being said, I may also have just rendered it poorly.

        All that being said, I really like the Rapido Sketch and I find it really useful as a fine detail pen.   I really like how it performs when I have to ink small details on faces like eyes, noses and mouths.  I also really like how textures come out when I am using the Rapido Sketch to fill in details.

Cleaning

         Cleaning the pen isn't really that bad and at some point you're going to have to clean it.  If you're using it every day and it has ink in it then the pen can sit for a week or two between cleanings, but if you're using it more sporadically then the pen needs to be cleaned after each use.

        The process involved isn't too bad really.  Just take apart the pen, run the pieces under warm water then dump the pieces into a mixture of warm water and soap and let them sit for about 15 minutes.

        The only thing that proves a bit of a challenge is getting the nib clean.  In the photo of the disassembled pen above you'll notice that there's a little casing which fits around the nib.  Well, normally with a Rapidograph you get a little tool called a nib key which lets you unscrew the nib from that casing so you can clean it.  With the Rapido Sketch, the nib key isn't included, so you have to find a different way to take it apart.  I've been using the pliers on a multi-tool I have lying around to do it.

Closing Thoughts

        If you’re on the fence about using technical pens, the Rapido Sketch probably isn’t a bad way to get your feet wet.  Compared to a Rapidograph or other technical pen, the initial investment is relatively low and you’re getting a pen with a little more versatility.  However, unless you are only going to use the pen for doing very fine detail work, you might consider getting either the .35 or .5 size as the .25 is really limited in how it can be used.

      In other news, I’ve scrapped the Ruins storyline from the book because I hated how it was turning out.  Current page count is 19.

Reflections and a New Pen

Well, two more pages are done, bringing the page count up to 22 now.  Here's a panel:

I should have done something to make the reflection look more....reflectiony.

Also I got a new pen to try out today: a Koh-I-Noor Rapido Sketch.  Never used a technical pen like this before and I am not sure whether or not I like it yet.  I might type up a short review of it once I've had some time to get used to it.

Fun with Textures

Here's a panel from another short strip I'm working on at the moment, tentatively titled "Ruins."

It probably doesn't look like it, but that shading too damn near forever.

We're up to 18 pages now, so we're past the halfway point for issue 1.  I have also reached the point where I am looking back on the first pages I drew and hating them.  But, that's a normal part of the creative process; everything looks terrible when it's only half finished.

Drawing Delirium Comix: The Process

        Initially I thought that Delirium Comix was going to be mostly stream of consciousness art that was more concerned with images and emotions than plot.  Mostly, this is because I’m lazy and I didn’t want to bother with a lot of planning and agonizing over details.  After wasting a couple of pages of Bristol board though, I realized that I was going to have to break down and adhere to some kind of structure to actually make some progress with this project.

        Luckily, I had a script that I’d started writing a few months back for something I was calling “Kingdom of Monsters” that was going to be my take on the type of illustrated fantasy stories that run in publications like Heavy Metal (one of my favorite comic book publications by the way).  I didn’t necessarily think I was ready to do this, largely because in the past year and a half I’ve only produced a handful of sketches and none of it was what I would consider to be my best work.  But, ready or not, I decided that “Kingdom of Monsters” was going to be the lead story for the first issue of Delirium Comix.

        So, there’s a bit of diversity in how people write scripts for comic books.  Some people use a format that is basically a modified version of what a movie script would look like (if you look at the script for the graphic novel Batman: Arkham Asylum, you’ll see that this is the format that Grant Morrison was using).  A more standard format involves a panel by panel breakdown of what’s happening in the story.  Since I wanted to keep myself aware of how I was using sequential art to tell a story, I decided to stick with the panel by panel descriptions.

        Here’s what page 10 of “Kingdom of Monsters” looked like as a script:

PAGE 10

PANEL

1.  The mech hurtles through the air as it tries to grab onto the  man’s leg.

2.  The mech’s hand snaps shut, narrowly missing the man’s leg.

3.  The mech falls out of view to the street below.

4.  The man flies with TEHRA in his arms.

MAN

We have to go back.

5.  TEHRA responds.

TEHRA

So…it’s not a dream?

MAN

No.

        From there, I started storyboarding, sketching out a rough idea of the type of layout I wanted and what the contents of each panel would look like.  The level of detail contained in a storyboard seems to be a matter of individual discretion; I usually go for a moderate amount of detail just to give myself a good idea of what the finished panel I going to look like before I start.  Storyboarding for this page took, maybe, fifteen minutes.

        With storyboarding out of the way, it’s time to start work on the pencils.  Currently I am doing my work on vellum surface Bristol board, measuring 9 inches by 12 inches and producing a two page layout meant to be used for a digest-sized book.  The other materials in use are pretty bare bones; mechanical pencil; a Mars plastic eraser; a kneaded eraser; a ruler; a t-square; and an Ames lettering guide (for making sure that lines of dialogue are uniformly spaced).

        Penciling for me is still the most intimidating part of the process.  Staring at a blank page and knowing that I have to fill it with art that tells a story and is visually pleasing can be quite daunting.  At the same time, I have always been very proud of the fact that I can look at a blank page, have a vision of what could be there, and then make that vision come to life.  It’s a simple act, but it’s not something that everybody can do.

         Pencils typically take one or two hours to complete, depending on the complexity of the scenes I’m trying to illustrate.  Often I will deviate from the storyboard while I am penciling, usually changing the perspective or presentation of  a panel to make it more interesting.

        With penciling done, all that’s left to do is the inking.  Inking, even though I’ve done it with so many things over the years, still scares me because I am terrified that if my hand isn’t steady enough that I’m going to ruin a perfectly good drawing (it’s happened on occasion).  So, while penciling is probably the hardest part for me, the inking is remains the most nerve wracking. 

        I usually start by inking the things that I think will require the most delicacy or give me the most trouble.  With “Kingdom of Monsters” this is typically the female lead, Tehra, because her figure has less detail and so the lines that are there need to be very clean and deliberate.  Inking actually has a tendency to take longer than penciling, generally between 2 and 3 hours per page.

      In terms of inking supplies, I use a set of Pitt Artist Pens with various nib sizes.  I used to ink everything using a 102 crowquill and a bottle of India ink, but I’ve found that I like the look of the artist’s pens better (in terms of line style) and with crow quills there’s always the danger of too much ink running out of the nib and leaving a big glob of black ink to ruin and otherwise good drawing.

        I suppose I could actually be doing most or all of this on a computer.  I actually do have a Bamboo tablet (a pretty great little device by the way, particularly for people like me who are hobbyists rather than professionals) and GIMP is a piece of software more than capable of handling penciling and inking duties.  But, I enjoy producing physical pieces of art and to me, there’s something too slick looking about computer assisted artwork, even if you’re going through roughly the same process to produce it.

        So that’s a bit of insight into the creative process here at Calavera Studios as we press forward with issue 1 of Delirium Comix. 

        Thanks for reading and I’ll see you all later this week.