Reducing the overall size of an inked comic will result in detailed sections becoming too dark or blotchy, and the fine-line work may all but disappear. When drawing an inked comic at a larger-than-print size, you actually use thicker pen lines to compensate for the reduction effect. I can get away with using a larger original size for the Caterwaul pages because those comics are drawn in a different fashion (color sections are laid down, then detailed over with pencil, which is almost the reverse of the typical method). Since there are no bold lines to worry about in the Caterwaul comics, there's less possibility of them getting reduced to a black smudge!
There's also the fact that drawing an inked page at 11 X 14 would take MUCH longer than 8 X 11. The typical Caterwaul page takes me three days to draw; by comparison, the typical inked comic page (smaller size) can be done in a day.
--JMH
--- In SkunkworksAMA_at_yahoogroups.com, "erikon07" <erikon07@...> wrote:
>
> I'm curious, if drawing in the smaller format is difficult, why not just draw it at 11x14 and shrink it when yer done? Would too much detail be lost? Fantastic job on the page in any case!
>
> Erikon
>
> --- In SkunkworksAMA_at_yahoogroups.com, "jmhcustomart2004" <a_change_of_plans@> wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In SkunkworksAMA_at_yahoogroups.com, "Inkwell" <inkwell_01@> wrote:
> > >
> > > There's good detail work here.
> > >
> > > Look at the clock in panel 2 and 6. The minute-hand
> > > shows motion of time as Manila moves through the house.
> > > [Clock minute-hand in last panel needed to be advanced
> > > a bit though; dovetailing clock time passing with Manila's
> > > reflecting on her own amount of time that has passed by.]
> >
> > Yeah, this comic is drawn in the older style and size format as the old Skunkworks comics. Unfortunately, the ol' eyes aren't what they used to be, and drawing at that size is actually rather tricky now. Things are bound to not line up properly from time to time. That's why I'm actually drawing Caterwaul on 11 X 14 paper. The smaller paper size makes it impossible for me to get accurate details.
> >
> > >
> > > Nice house in Panel One. [Short ruler and pencil?
> > > ...and am I seeing blue pencil line work?]
> >
> > Thanks. I used a regular ruler only on the lower roof line and to make sure the window heights remained similar. The actual panel is only 4 X 3.5 inches; I normally draw houses on 11 X 14 or larger paper!
> >
> > If you see any blue pencil, you must've eaten some bad mushrooms, man. I don't use blue pencils on account that I can't see them very clearly. The picture is just pen and ink, though lighter strokes may appear blue, I guess...
> >
> > >
> > > I see Jim's been allowed to restyle the characters.
> > > How far can you go with the restyling? [I notice
> > > Manila doesn't have any earrings; in the model sheet
> > > or comic page.]
> >
> > I'm not restyling them too much. In fact, the style I'm using in the comic is one I haven't used in many years! I haven't drawn any inked comics since 2001 or 2002, I believe! If I were to draw the characters in my "current" style, I doubt most folks would even recognize them, haha!
> >
> > As for the earrings, how many women do you know that wear earrings when doing the laundry early in the morning? She'll probably have some on when they go out later.
> >
> > >
> > > Congrats on the first page. Over all good work.
> > >
> > > [...Well...there's that door frame in the last panel.]
> > >
> >
> > Yeah, the ink on the left door frame came out so dark it looks like it's not there, thus skewing the perspective. Oh well... :-/
> >
> > --JMH
> >
>
Received on Sun Aug 29 2010 - 22:09:31 CDT