Tonight I've been plugging away at this image of Sarah helping to haul a bloodied and dazed Dave away from the field of battle. Poor Dave. At the outset of "I Thought It Would Be Zombies..." he's quite the punching bag. But don't worry, he'll get his day! Despite a rough start the artwork is finally going pretty well I think. But zoom tool, oh zoom tool... are you my friend or foe? You were alluring enough when I had to click you. Now that I can just pinch and flick my screen you're downright irresistible.
Why am I loving and lamenting the zoom tool you ask? Well, let's take a broader view at the page I'm currently working on.
Yep. That initial image is no glorious painting or comic book cover. I'm laboring away at a little chunk of panel #4, making sure I've got Sarah's earrings properly placed in what will eventually become just a 1/4" section of printed material. I've tried to loosen up, get a little more artistic, simplified, "cartoony"... But I'm just drawn to detail, draftsmanship, and linework. Oh, let's face it... that's just a dignified way of saying I'm obsessive and anal.
It bothers me a bit. I know I'd get a lot more done if I could just "loosen up." But on the other hand I always think of all those "You had one job to do" memes. And my job is to bring it, and do the best job I can in every panel of every page. Hopefully that strategy pays off in the end. It bothers me when I see artists "phoning it in" and giving performances on the page that I know are not their best. However there's often a reality behind it, a rush job, a need to hit a deadline, needing to turn out so many pages to pay the mortgage bill this month. I'm fortunate in the moment that this is a passion project and I can lavish attention on "I Thought It Would Be Zombies..." but unfortunate in that it isn't a full time job for me and my hours and energy are limited.
No matter the level of detail, the all too common truth of creating comics is that most artists or teams of artists will labor for 20+ hours constructing a page that will be read over in 30 seconds. That ratio is almost a strange badge of honor worn by comics creators. At the end of the day you can always take pride in hard work.
I'd best get back to work. I've got a lot more pages to get done before Dave finally gets his chance to kick some ass instead of getting his ass kicked! If you want to see that happen or learn more about my independent comic in the making, "I Thought It Would Be Zombies..." be sure to check out all the news at the official Fundition campaign..
Thanks for zooming in with me to take a close look at my personal pride and frustration! See you soon with more art previews and campaign updates!
-Bryan "the Imp" Imhoff
This is an official Fundition campaign update post to help fund the publication of the independent comic "I Thought It Would Be Zombies..." meaning your votes alone can help you earn rewards like a free copy of the comic and more! For more information check out https://fundition.io/ and the prior update articles for "I Thought It Would Be Zombies..."!
lol, I completely get what you mean with spending hours [ sometimes even days! ] on pages or just single panels that in the end will serve as 3 second eye candy to the reader.
That being said, when I started getting more into comics, I started appreciating how much care went into some of the artwork. Now, when I read a really beautiful comic, I'll purposely just stare at each drawing on the page, really soaking it all in.
Sometimes, if the story is good & I just wanna keep reading, I'll read at my normal pace but then, when I've gotten to the end of the book, I'll go back through and only look at the art. Just admiring it.
So, as someone who appreciates great comic art, thank you for putting your care into these pages! [ that being said, no doubt there can be certain charm in a more cartoony style, depends on the context. ]
:^)
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I do the same thing with comics. In a sense it’s a good thing if the reader flows effortlessly through the pages as that’s just good storytelling. But if you can draw them back to savor the art that’s great!
I think cartooning is harder than realistic drawing. Knowing just how to simplify things, exaggerate them, and edit them for maximum effect is much more difficult than copying a photo. It’s something I’m working on and want to push further as I go, especially since I want to employ lots of comedy and action in this tale!
Awesome! Well, good luck buddy, I wish you all the success :^)
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Sup Dork!?! Enjoy the Upvote!
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Wow it's terrible to know that.
So much work and effort placed in each drawing to only be admired for a few seconds, it is terrible and depressing, they do not value what the artist does.
but I know that there are many who are like you, that when they see a comic they do not only see the drawing but they imagine the artist who did it and live what he does, that s to value what you read.
and not just turn the page and say, next.
PS: I got the zoom.Wow it's terrible to know that.
So much work and effort placed in each drawing to only be admired for a few seconds, it is terrible and depressing, they do not value what the artist does.
but I know that there are many who are like you, that when they see a comic they do not only see the drawing but they imagine the artist who did it and live what he does, that s to value what you read.
and not just turn the page and say, next.
PS: I got the zoom. :)