Today was the last day of Inktober. In as much as it is a challenge, I guess I aced it? It was good to post something every day, plus, Instagram likes that too so I saw my follower numbers and engagement etc go up, for what it’s worth. The downside, of course, is that timeContinue reading “What’s happening this week?”
Category Archives: Cartoons
The Nib, Comics Up Close, Kendal and Inktober – whew!
Reporting back from LICAF in Kendal, as well as lots of comics news and links from elsewhere.
Running around
A real hit-and-run post this week, as I’m busy packing. Actually my suitcase was already half packed, because last week I went down to sort a few things out for my elderly parents in Devon; having come home to briefly touch base, I’m off to Somerset for a three day work retreat, and from thereContinue reading “Running around”
Comics thoughts, tweets and links
Tweet life I lived on Twitter quite a bit this week. First, while waiting at the opticians for an eye test, I happened to see playwright Molly Naylor tweeting about the new book she authored for Lizzy Stewart to illustrate. I love Lizzy’s style: she came and talked at our local comics meetup Cartoon CountyContinue reading “Comics thoughts, tweets and links”
Artquest and fashion drawing history
An exhibition of fashion illustration, and wondering whether Artquest peer mentoring is for me.
Inspirations and Comics up Close
Podcasts are a great accompaniment to drawing – you can enjoy them without having to look away from the page – and sometimes they can even inform your work. This week I listened to a long chat with Wayne Hussey, who as a member of Sisters of Mercy, The Mission and Dead or Alive wasContinue reading “Inspirations and Comics up Close”
Perfection is the enemy of progress
Just how good does your drawing have to be when you’re making a graphic novel? And at what point do you decide to screw up a drawing and start again?
Roughs to pencils to inks to colour
Thinking about the ‘proper’ way to draw comics.
Telling someone else’s story
Last week I’d started drafting page 74 of Satin and Tat, and this week I’m about four fifths of the way through finishing it. Not very fast progress, but my excuse is that we’ve got a new kitten – kitten! – and my time has been spent fishing her out of plant pots and savingContinue reading “Telling someone else’s story”
Tove Jansson, graphic medicine and some small progress
I have finished page 73 of Satin and Tat and have started drafting page 74; halle-flippin’-lujah. As per my recent posts: I’m drawing on a new platform and it’s been a slight learning curve to get to grips with the various menus and tools; plus despite my high hopes at being able to import themContinue reading “Tove Jansson, graphic medicine and some small progress”
Four comics things
Paula Rego exhibition, Graphic Medicine conference, Creating Women and a way of working.
Mostly gripes, some comics news at the end
Last week, progress on Satin and Tat was unchanged, and this week it is still the same, stalled on page 73. This is partly because of the comission I’ve been working on (which I can’t share, due to the terms of the agreement I signed), and partly down to the technical problems I blogged aboutContinue reading “Mostly gripes, some comics news at the end”
Technical woes
“You seem upset,” says the harried little bot. “Let me pass you off to a sentient being who understands emotion”.
Graphic memoir as social history
Last week I had just finished page 70. This week I’ve made a good start on page 73, so I’m making progress but am shortly going to put Satin and Tat aside for a short while as I’ve had a commission elsewhere. (Yay!) I’ve been listening to a really excellent podcast recently, as recommended byContinue reading “Graphic memoir as social history”
Pacing and jumble sales
Last week: I’d just pencilled page 68 of an estimated 170. This week: I’ve just finished page 70. Why an ‘estimated’ 170 pages? Because although I’m working from my own dummy copy of the whole book in thumbnail form, printed out and stuck together, now and again I come across a sequence where I haven’tContinue reading “Pacing and jumble sales”
Draw the Line in the USA and other comics stuff
This week’s half-hour roundup, on the editorial process of having a comic book published, planning graphic novels and surprising myself by making a pitch.
30 minutes on comics
I’ve got a big, seemingly insurmountable problem, that I keep turning over, poking at, and carrying on regardless: that problem is time.
Draw The Line: seize the means of production
This is going to be the last in the series of posts, at least for now. It’s turned into a massive epic — sorry! But I’ll try to divide it into short sections so you can skim to the parts you find useful. If I’ve missed anything, please do comment below and I’ll be happyContinue reading “Draw The Line: seize the means of production”
Draw the Line: the Unbound years
This is a series of blog posts documenting Draw The Line, a project that brought together over 100 cartoonists from around the world, each depicting a positive political action. This is part five. You can find part one, documenting the final product, here then part two, which explains how the project was born part threeContinue reading “Draw the Line: the Unbound years”
Draw the Line: online launch
This is part 4 of the Draw The Line story: you can find part one here, then part two and part three. So, at the end of the last post, we were just getting artwork in from the 100+ artists who had each illustrated whichever political action they had been allocated. My inbox was bulgingContinue reading “Draw the Line: online launch”