Just a few odds and ends today... not taking today off, just enjoying the quiet as others do their fourth thing-ys.
The drawing (above) is a Junko... least i think it's a junko. Some sorta puffed-up kinda bird. There's probably about sixty or so little animal illustrations i've done for my wife over the years... most fans haven't seen 'em yet. Figure they can be spread through-out the three 'Worlds of Sam Kieth' art books, just to add some variety.
This one isn't me, i wish it was. Jon's in fire lately and kicking my ass, in a good way.
Dunno if any of you have been keeping up with the last 5 or 6 pages he's done on Chickens ... but he's pumped NEW LIFE back into it,
Jon's latest has re-inspired me to do another batch of nine pages in a row, following his Worth checking out if your into his/and/my stuff. They way i plan to deal with Jon's fantastic hot streak is to pull against it. Where do worse art... but ... when his gets furious and detailed, i'll tried to go soft and muted. Course we're BOTH so all over the map by now and changing styles in nearly every page, that any modulating to each other... is out the window.
But that's a good thing actually. It seems to have a momentum all it's own now, after the 6 month of flaking (mostly my fault).
Meanwhile, this little guy is something i threw into the hollows book. Chris Ryall asked to add a 'sam creature' into the story, so this is what came up with. It's a low rez scan, but i kinda like how hand drawn and soft leaded it looks..
While this book had some digital stuff, (mostly blackened panel borders... a few hand done washes i drop into backgrounds), but MOST of it is possibly the most 'organic' looking book I've done at IDW so far.
Here's a couple panels i'm finishing today, it's got this quirky scientist dude (who flies around with weird mechanical wings, (he's body's not finished yet, obviously).. and another city tree above too. The whole thing just sorta grew naturally from things i liked to draw, even though it's Chris plot.
I need to get a cover for the first issue done this week.
This Fox above is also drawing done for my wife. I did it on recycled paper ages ago.. butI decided to to lose the brown texture in photoshop, but the white version has lost much of the subtly.
Can't decide which one should go in the art book though, any preferences?
Dana & Nola Update: YAY - I've also found a way to pump up the PRESSURE on myself to finish Nola: each week i'll do one page strip of it. They're deliberately drawn 'simple' for the most part ( panel on the left) .. but sometimes i'll go a little more detailed on some faces ( right panel)... it just depends. Nola is comedic telling Dana off she she's cartoony there, and Dana sighs in a more quasi-realistic panel. ( as realistic as i get)
Part of the hold up on finish this book was, some pages are wild off the wall painted and stylized, and others more nine grid less flashy 'story focused' pages. I couldn't decide which goes where, graphic as over 150 painted, stray-toaster style painted ones are DONE. Those were easiest to do. All i need to do left is the sedate traditional strip type pages, but i couldn't seem to finish any.
I realized a page each week, MOTIVATES me to pile up pages. It helps them come alive for me as characters too. I don't want you to have to wait a year to see who they are. Also it gets them lettered by Oni, so you can get to READ these two sisters story. And i'll throw the finished page up either on this blog, or a new one.
So it's on a (more or less) REGULAR schedule now. Better than nothing huh? Give me a couple of weeks after San Diego to get them lettered and THEN thrown up to read, okay?
What else? Chickens, up again. Dana-Nola? Back on track. Hollows, first issue is 98% done. Just fill in a few empty panels. Also, wrapping the last chapter of aliens this week too, so THAT will be done too.
This is off topic... but does anybody else really into Junko Mizuno's Chibi drawings? I know she's been around a while, (i saw one of her books ages ago).. but i've rediscovered her lately. Just love her stuff.
Go watch things 'Explode in the Sky' for me, because I'll be fast asleep by then.
