I thought I'd scan and toss up some of the pencils from the past month of Sunday strips or so to feed the process junkies out there. I pencil tight where I want to nail the drawing but in general I find myself wanting to do more drawing when inking to keep it more spontaneous and fresh. my biggest regret on the strip is not being able to draw it bigger as I feel I could do an even better job, same with hiring models or shooting ref, but I just don't have the budget or time. My hats off to all the great of the past who did, I can see where it did help.
Mike, I really like seeing this behind the scenes process. I think your work on Judge Parker has been getting better and better with every strip. The characters look great and have a sense of realism, which is needed. I think you have gotten a feel for how the characters should look and act.
ReplyDeleteI recently bought the big Library of Comics collection of Al Williamson/Archie Goodwin's Secret Agent Corrigan/X-9. Williamson's work is just simply outstanding. The drawing has depth, realism and they look great. I know Al was someone you knew pretty well. Al worked with a lot of references (sometimes it was him or his wife). I see A LOT of similiarities with your work in Judge Parker and how Al did the Secret Agent X-9/Corrigan strip in the late 60s and 70s. I wish Al was still alive, it would've been great to see him ink your JP pencils.
I too wish you could draw it bigger, but the strips get shrunk so much in the paper, you have to strike a balance. I think some of your close ups are some of your best work. Thanks for sharing the pencil process on JP.
Thanks J, I evnvy those classic guys for the time and the size they had to work with. its true, the strips are shrunk down so small in the papers, but they get decent size on-line. I think that on-line is the wave of the future, well an old wave at that.
ReplyDeleteAl used lots of swipe, tons of it, some he shot some he used Photoromance magazines, he had stacks of them. Economically it wouldn't work for me to do the model thing as the strips pay good, but not like the heyday and models run 12$ an hour and up. Al also used friends and family, even his dentist once, like Norman Rockwell. So it's drawing chops for me. The Sunday strip fits on a 12 x 18 sheet which makes it 11 x 17, far, far smaller that Al worked on Star Wars. The other difference is that this isn't my full time gig with being in school, teaching and such. But thanks for the insights and kind words
Happy belated 50th Birthday, Mike! Great stuff, love to see ur pencils before ink. Like when u pencil it tight. Now that u have done it for a while, do u like drawing Judge Parker?
ReplyDeleteThanks JB, I like drawing JP. Civilian stuff is a bigger challenge in a way since you can't go extreme or stylize it too much, so you have to keep your drawing chops up/ I get better at womens hair and drawing jackets and folds every week ;-)
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ReplyDeleteThese are awesome Mike! I need to come take a class from you--I still have a lot to learn!!!
ReplyDeleteJess, thanks, you are welcome any time.
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