It is Friday and I am tired. I ran up and down the street flying a kite today at my in-laws, and being as out of shape as I am, that much exercise can lay me out for a few weeks. It's a strain for me to even type, much less think of something to type. Here goes.A while back, I asked Shawn Harwell to write a couple pages of a graphic novel idea (any idea) he had, so I could work on something that wasn't Blinky or that "Untitled Sarah Hill project" (a page of which I posted up here). Shawn obliged with a compelling opening to a graphic novel involving hitmen, ultra-violence, regret, and, I'm guessing, redemption. I don't know the end. Anyway, as a capper for the week, I'm posting up this bit of comic art I did for Shawn's graphic novel idea. This was mostly an experiment. I wanted to see how this story in particular might look drawn in white pencil on black paper. This section of the page worked out all right, but the rest of the page (not pictured) did not. Thus the omission. I think when I do get around to drawing up a finished page (I've got all 4 or 5 pages thumbnailed out), I'll just do it in standard black ink on white, though I think I'll be liberal with the ink. This style of white on black paper doesn't really allow for sketching first, and then laying the finished drawing down over the sketch, and I usually make lots o' mistakes.
Anyway, I'm through boring you people this week. I am up out of here. Er'rybody have a good weekend.
10 comments:
That actually looks pretty damn cool. I think, if you drew the white on black using very large sheets of paper (like comic sheet size before they res it down), then it may look really cool! Anyhow, good post. Can't wait to read it. Wait, Shawn wrote this right? Hmmm... well, cant you omit the whole story part and just show me the parts where shawn doesn't have some Phillip Seymore Hoffman type getting his genitals gripped by some house of a black man? Thanks. That seems to be all that Harwell can write these days. Now, he's going to have Bullock having the same thing happen to her, but with her black clone. How weird? Anyhow, like I said, good post.
James Cameron's storyboards for the opening battle sequence in The Termintor 1 were all done with pastel on black paper for night. Your stuff looks awesome and Graphic Novelishish.
The kids are in the pool...flush
Isn't it awesome???? I told Crane the very same thing when he sent me this page and I got through flipping out, killing people, wailing on my guitar, and farting on my dogs. I would LOVE for Crane to stop being a sissy and continue in this style, but what do I know about drawring? Nothing. Except that it should be pronounced and spelled drawring with that extra R.
There HAS to be a way to make it feasible to sketch out an idea without ruining an entire sheet of special (i.e. expensive) black papger. Somebody look into that, please.
And no, Heath, no P.S. Hoffman guys in this one and no genital ripping from a black man. I am indeed saving that for Bullock. Actually, the guy pictured in the drawing isn't the main character. He's just a fat guy who's done some bad things.
The story's called THE GLASS MACHETE, and I don't have it all planned out but I've got enough to keep Crane busy for awhile if everyone here will encourage him to make this graphic novle the number one priority in his life. And I mean number one, as in above eating, sleeping, pooping, hanging out with Peggy, playing Halo, looking at porn, writing, blogging, and all that other stuff you do with your cat.
Let's make it happen folks. Let him hear from you...
Nah, I say you figure out the story before ever penning it. That's just silly. Anyhow, about the paper thing... Comic Book paper is expensive, I know, but you don't have to buy the expensive Publisher versions that are made of vellum. No. All you need is 10"x15" paper. And for this, you'd need 10"x15" black paper. You can probably find all that at the local art supply store.
I like the title, though. Good title.
The Cosbys are in the pool... flush.
Thanks for the nice comments, guys. I actually wasn't thinking of the expense of paper when I said the style of white on black doesn't allow for sketching. The image I put up was all just freehand without any sketch to help guide the finished line. As soon as you put a white line down on black paper, that line will show up in the finished product. There's 0 margin for error, and I don't think that's sustainable over the course of a whole graphic novel, maybe not even a single page. The trick then, is to find a way to "erase" the white line mistakes. Black pencil or pen might be good for little screw-ups here and there, but to erase anything of size on a page, the black pen or pencil cover-ups might become too noticeable and the whole page may require scrapping. Black ink on white paper offers a lot more leeway. But I think I will try a whole page using the white pencil on black paper method, see if I can manage it. If I do, I'll post it up here.
dude don't worry about mistakes, as soon as your done you scan it anyway and can photoshop away all the fat and vericose veins before going to print
Damn right, this stuff looks good. Of course it does. It's Crane.
Hey, if you continue to have this urge to crank out comic book work in your spare time, please let me know. I gots materials.
Hey, get your own artist, Craig. This Crane's taken.
Crane's taken.
(said in the voice of the kid who refused to let little Forest Gump sit beside him on the bus)
(Cue adagio for strings)
Yo, Crane. Just so you know, I treat my ho's real nice. Not like Harwell over there. I hear he beat yo' ass if he think you holdin' out on him. Not me. My girls work they own corners on they own hours.
Sumpin' to think about, 'sall.
Why does this blog suddenly feel like My Own Private Inanities? Creepy. But you guys do know how to make a guy feel pretty.
(cue Adagio for strings)
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