Wednesday 27 May 2009

Anatomy Lessons








Well, following on from Dave's thread ("The Key"), thought I'd do a post following the creation of a page...quality aside, let's begin...
As I've just completed a Silver strip, I'll use that as an example. As I wrote this myself, I worked in an unorthodox way: I wrote down the basic beats that the plot had to hit and assigned a page to each, although I did commit the cardinal sin of switching locales on the same page (or else I'd Havw to do an extra page to facilitate the switch). Hopefully the switch is subtle enough that you'll only know there's been a switch when you read the caption. I'll use a specific page as an example for all stages, except the comparison between pre and post-black spotting (as I forgot to scan the same page before blocking in the blacks!)

I usually thumbnail a few pages on a sheet of A4 at roughly 3 inches each in scrawly scribbles that probably only I can decode as they're just placeholder to remind me of the images in my head, but quite often what I end up drawing can be quite different. I only scrawled a few lines of dialogue here and there so had to leave space for text later as I only had a basic idea of what I was going to write. The nature of the panel requirements usually preclude the necessity for multiple page layouts, although there is probably something to be said for a few different takes.
I start a page by ruling the borders and then ruling the panel borders with a Berol or Pentel: experience and my thumbnails usually guides me pretty well as to how much space I'll need per tier. If I was lettering onto the art, I'd also do all the lettering first (EC-style) and do the balloons after the pencilling but before the inking. In this instance i wasn't lettering so cracked straight on with the pencilling. I usually pencil a page a day over the weekend for me to ink through the weeknights: I usually start on a Saturday morning as Jonathan Ross starts on Radio 2 at 10.00 and usually finish around the end of his show at 1.00, sometimes earlier and sometimes later. There's been some discussion over how tight my pencils for myself are: I'd class them as layouts as really only the figures are usually properly detailed, but others tell me these are complete pencils. What I class as full pencils must be ultra tight!
I usually a start a page (both pencilling and inking) with the easier or more fun panels and get into things for a while before tackling some of the more involved work, so I never complete a page sequentially. Currently I usually try to ink about two hours a night, completing a page over two nights. Sometimes I surprise myself and ink a page in a night and other times I end up nearly doubling the time spent on inking, all depends on what I'm drawing. The fewer panels per page, generally the quicker it is to complete but it all depends on what I'm drawing.
As I'm useless with a brush, I inks with a variety of Pilot pens...I can get a consistent line and as the nibs wear down (the ink last far longer than the nibs), I switch back and forth but generally try to keep the same new pens in use for the main drawing of each strip. A set of Pilots used to see me through an issue of the Jock but generally wear out a lot quicker now. Brand new pens started to thicken out about two thirds of the way through the current 12-pager. Again, I use the Berols and Pentels for ruling lines as I find ruling lines knackers Pilots really quickly.
Many artists ink all the heavy blacks first and work out from there but I save that stage to last. Once all the details are inked, I'll erase the whole page and go in with permanent markers or Sharpies to block in the large areas of blacks, using older knackered out Pilots that I can only use at a certain angle to edge into the linework. Once this is done, I'll do any cleaning up or spotting effects using Tippex pens...I used to use the standard bottles but the brushes would frequently clunk up, resulting in lunar surface-like deposits of correction fluid that often needed to be chipped away. With the bottles now using sponges instead of brush tips, I find the pens much better all round.
And then, the page is done and it all starts again...

3 comments:

dave said...

Very interesting to see how you do your pages, Mr L. I have tried to use Pilot pens before but they get on my wick as, like you say, the nibs fucked before the ink runs out. I've even stanley-ed down the nib before to try and get a fresher, flatter nib but only end up drawing lines that look like they were drawn on torn paper. The paper from my new supplier - work - is doesn't like them as the ink sits on the paper so when I go to rub out, it takes part of the ink with it, even days after being drawn.

If you're scanning why not use the tools in Photoshop for clean up?

Nige Lowrey said...

I've heard of a few artists who cut down nibs to maintain a consistent line but don't fancy that approach myself. I read that Eisner or Wood used to singe their new brushes or something to get a sharp point...

As I reduce A3 originals down to A4 so I can scan them in (too much fuss to scan them in and match them up otherwise), I need the art as finished as possible before I get to the reduction stage. Also, I like to have the original art be as tight as possible so it can be looked at too...

Nige Lowrey said...

PS I also used to have the problem with erasing lifting the ink of Pilot-drawn stuff but find that smoother tooth paper holds it pretty well compared to heavier stock...