Whu?

6 Pack

Boy, I'm getting behind on posting these.

Four Frames

Catch up from the last couple of days.

Quickie

Sometimes a frame a day goes pretty quick.

Ker-Ash!

Guess What

More Green Monk:

Let's Flip the Script

Two frames to post today. I decided to make a bit of a change about how I work, and if you pay close attention you can see the change happening between these two frames. For most of Green Monk I've been sketching out each frame with a 4H graphite pencil. I started out using a mechanical pencil, and found that I couldn't get the crisp sharp lines I wanted, so I switched to a wood ensconced graphite.

The reason for the graphite was that it was very forgiving. I could try different things and erase and start over. This worked for awhile, but lately I've been dissatisfied. I still have a hard time doing a really sharp clean up with the graphite. Once I work it too much it's impossible to erase away, which always leads to me trying to clean up digitally. This in turn causes a messier finished look and a loss of a lot of the fine pen strokes.

So I decided to work with red col-erase. I've been hesitant to use col-erase in the past because it doesn't erase very easily, especially after more than two tries. But when it comes to digitizing and cleaning up my art, it leaves no trace (like a good boy scout).

And I think I like that the col-erase is less forgiving. It forces me to be much more methodical about what I'm doing. I take more time to test out thumbnails, and when I'm ready to put pencil to paper I'm much more deliberate and careful.

Take a close look. I think you can see the difference here. Frame 1, graphite pencil. Frame 2, red col-erase. Feel free to point out anything else that I didn't notice.

Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Program

After receiving more hits than I will ever receive by posting something totally unrelated to art, I will foolishly return to posting art. This little number took me a couple of days to complete.

I've had a few difficulties with the issue of doing a frame a day. These questions seem to pop up:

What if a frame is taking me a really long time? Do I work into the wee hours to finish it? Do I just get through a frame, even if I'm not happy with it, just to check it off as done for the day?

This is the conclusion I've come to. Starting with a wise suggestion from Twyla Tharp I've decided that my quota every will day will be one frame, or an hour and a half of work, whichever comes first. Second, I won't spend more than two days working on a frame.

While I want to make good quality, I also want to complete something. Two days should be enough to satisfy myself, but if I'm not totally satisfied with the frame, I reserve the option to change it in the editing phase (i.e. after the first draft is done).

So here's today's frame. It took me two days to complete, and I may change it when I get around to the editing phase.

Fatherhood

Sorry for the hiatus in posting. I've been adjusting to the new duties of fatherhood (I know, lame excuse). Anyway, here are some Green Monk panels I've managed to do over the last couple of days. Boy do I feel rusty.

I'm still here

Phew. Freelance has been keeping me busy in the evenings. Here's what I've managed to do for Green Monk lately:

Twofer

These two are actually in backwards order. I put the oldest last so it would flow together with the rest of the panels I've posted on the blog.

I'm getting close to the end of part one. In a couple of weeks I'll start working on getting all of the panels layed-out, adding lettering and sound fx and working on a cover.

Can't...Move...

Kra-Koom!

Uh oh

The Wind Up

Run!

Back to Business

I somehow totally miscalculated the framing on this one while I was drawing it, and ended up having to complete a bunch of it digitally. Ah well.

And Now Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Program

From Saturday:

Classic Pinup

Here's a freelance pinup I'm working on, that'll eventually be part of an iphone app. I'll post the color version when I finish. The linework here is a lot tighter than what I do on Green Monk, so I actually did a panel of GM beforehand to warm up. I'll probably post that panel tomorrow.

Last one...for now

Well, it's Friday, and my Playstation 3 just arrived in the mail. So, here's yesterday's frame. If I don't do any tomorrow my next post should be on Tuesday of next week.