Last year I did plenty of work for Torchwood Magazine. I got the opportunity to work on both strips and fiction art. My first job of 2010 was three illustrations for a story - attached is my favourite piece from the job ( issue out now). After doing a quick pencil sketch - some pictures were shot on my new digital camera of me hefting a spade. I used this to give some reality to the piece. It's easy for an artist to get swept so far away in their own world they can forget reality. Getting something as simple as a spade right can anchor a drawing for an audience.
I've also included my very first character sketches for the magazine . They were much more stylised interpretations ( which I liked) but it was felt a slightly more realistic approach was wanted. Still that's the point of sketching. As Degas said - draw something 100 times if you have to -but get it right.
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lo, ade. really 'dig' the illo. such a strong composition and dramatic use of a limited palette. it always impresses me how much mood you conjure with so little colour, something i'm always after myself. not cus i'm a lazy arse and don't want to bother with a richer layered, more complex colouring job, but cus i think most comic art doesn't need it.
ReplyDeleteall the comics i grew up on, the early marvel and 2000ad were very simple and refined, the colours didn't wrestle with the line art.
...all about the harmony, and you have it in, ahem, 'spades'.
Bless you Shane ! I think an image can be as complex as you like - just keep it readable is my motto. I find I'm inking a bit more detailed these days , but dropping hard edged contours and letting the colour hold things. I just bought some oil paints ...
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Very cool stuff,bro- and who's this Degas bloke? draw comics does he?
ReplyDeleteThat top one is *superb*.
ReplyDeleteAh Degas - some bloke they thrust on us at college - drew decent ballerinas I recall.:)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments - it's been a duffer of a year so far - anything that lifts the spirits is welcome gents.
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