Satin and Tat – Myfanwy Tristram

It is the new year

A woman holds a sign saying 'sorry for the inconvenience, we are trying to save the world'. Illustration by Myfanwy Tristram.

In which I look back at a year of making comics and forward to what I hope to achive next year… in a highly maudlin fashion. Sorry ’bout that.

Putting things aside, all the way down

Putting off drawing a comic to draw another comic but then putting that comic off to promote another comic. Yeah that’s what life is now apparently.

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

Stencil pants by Myfanwy Tristram; from 'Satin and Tat', a graphic memoir

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

Drawing by Myfawy tristram. Two goths sit in a bedroom. One holds up a hoodie with a skull design on it.

“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”

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.

Panel Show: exhibition report (and Leeds has a zine library)

Sunnybank Mills in Leeds, with Panel Show exhibition up

I did say I would report back from the Panel Show exhibition at Sunnybank Mills in Farsley, and here it is! Thanks so much to Beth Dawson (whose work is also in the show, and whose comic is available to buy in the gallery shop) for taking me there. It’s a beautiful place — asContinue reading “Panel Show: exhibition report (and Leeds has a zine library)”

Panel show at Sunnybank Mills in Leeds

Just a quick note to say that a page from my graphic memoir-in-progress, Satin and Tat, is on display in the Panel Show exhibition at Sunnybank Mills, Farsley, Leeds. The show runs until November 10 and also includes work from Darryl Cunningham, Joe Decie, Kate Charlesworth, Katriona Chapman, Luke Pearson, Zara Slattery and many manyContinue reading “Panel show at Sunnybank Mills in Leeds”

Satin and Tat: study sketches

Sometimes it seems like the more you learn about how to make comics, the longer it takes. While working on Satin and Tat, I’ve changed my habits a bit, placing much more emphasis on preparation. Now, before I even put the final strokes to paper (or screen, since it’s mainly digital work), I’m working onContinue reading “Satin and Tat: study sketches”

Laydeez Do Comics: award and festival

It’s the Laydeez Do Comics festival this weekend, at the Free Word centre in London. Why not come along? Laydeez Do Comics is a “women-led but not women-only” organisation with chapters in cities across the UK and beyond. For the past couple of years, they’ve run an award for a graphic work in progress byContinue reading “Laydeez Do Comics: award and festival”

Memories of a teenage goth

Satin and Tat by Myfanwy Tristram, work in progress

I’ve been pretty quiet on here of late, mainly because I’m working away on one massive comics project that will be another several months before it’s ready to share. I do sometimes post work in progress over at Instagram though, so anyone who follows me there may already know that I’m deeply immersed in myContinue reading “Memories of a teenage goth”