This is how I feel every single day….
So that means either like a multi-brush palette, The Thing, or a rotting wannabe Picasso-perspective canine.
Decided to scrap David’s pose and re-do it, and now much more pleased with the poses. Except for the fixing of the calves and hand on Von, and the addition of David’s computer-prop thing that shall occur toward the end, I think I’m all set with this part of the piece.
The daily evolving process of this composition is getting almost comical.
Next: background time
Aw, jeez, I gave Von munchkin calves. And what the hell is up with David’s pants? Von’s pants are supposed to be Confederate uniform inspired, but…yeah, I just suck at drawing pants
2 steps forward, one step back. Haven’t even started the background.
But I finally got those goddam suspenders right, dammit!
And this is why I typically don’t draw the current state of Von’s tattoos. I suck at keeping things uncluttered, and coloring all that will possibly be hellish.
Damn those suspenders still!
About 80% done with this picture in general. I think I’ll speedpaint the background, because it has the potential to get epically out of hand, and I’m better at keeping things abstract.
When I’m having a bad art day, I think to myself: well, least I ain’t drawing quite this bad anymore.
Deacon Silvey from Caitlyn R. Kiernan’s novels, 2003
Banging these out like a factory on a frenzy tonight.
crazy WIP 5th year sketch. Want to do something fairly different for this piece, and still working out the details
Breaking my new Wacom in. I definitely need some practice, and I’m not feeling the most inspired right now, but not bad.
The Haunted Desert or Spirit of the Yunn (never did decide on one) is a defunct Busboy side story idea that was supposed to be, for a change of pace, metaphorical. In regards to the established Busboy universe, it took place in an AU future pocket where Von had retired to some backwoods planet, started a family, and established himself as a sheriff. Some crazy shit like that. Riding out to investigate a crash site, he discovers the impossible: that the downed vessel with its clearly dead pilot is actually a shuttle he proudly owned, the Ming Yunn, that was destroyed in an explosion decades ago.
The comic was almost entirely silent, but I couldn’t get past the 2nd page. The theme of running from the past, possible futures, and finding comfort in what was once objectionable just wouldn’t gel together. It wasn’t for the likes of my amateur, limited abilities. I’m not sure I could even pull it off now with the step up to intermediate. It would require immense skill with facial expressions and body language, and illustrative qualities to the art and composition. I’m still working on honing those.
I can say that, as ugly as people might find it, I’m pleased with the art, especially the sloppy, grittty haggard Von lighting up the cigarette on the second page. It was done with mechanical pencil, which always adds a crisp and stark detail to the linework. I also was reading tons of Jeff Lemire’s Sweet Tooth at the time, and the influence shows through for me, especially in the design of what’s supposed to be Von’s son.
This was supposed to be a mini comic that I was going to put in Busboy issue #2 or 3 as bonus content. I ended up disliking it, though, because it borders on a crAk comic and is too blatant in terms of David’s normally reserved nature. It doesn’t fit in with the tone of the rest of the story for the character. There’s also an older side story about David’s failed relationships called Intermission (one that I really need to finish) that covers the same ground in a much more natural way, so this has become pointless.
But the real reason is I can’t be bothered to fix the wonky art, re-scan it, or fix the dialog, or finish the hardline when I’m not crazy about it to begin with. The only bonus is that I think, IMHO, it has some of my stronger artwork in some panels.
some dialog is illegible, but it’s not really worth reading cos it’s in rough draft, note-style short hand that doesn’t make much sense regardless.
