What I really wanted to work on here was my use of pens. Not something I’ve spent enough time with recently or ever. So to get round this, the exercise here was simply get experience in (fibre tip) pen work.
Materials and tools:
Pens – Various pens from fat markers to .05 graphic pens.
Standard A4 printer paper
Lightbox
Found images
Scanner and Computer
This opening part is like a historical re-cap of what as happened prior to our story. I wanted the images and tone to be, therefore, almost news like, or like a film describing a part of history. To achieve the desired feel, I worked very closely with found photographs to try and get a realistic feel. This encourages the reader accept the (somewhat preposterous) parameters of the story as being viable and real. I also wanted to see how I could describe the shading and tonal qualities of a photo in a different way through the density and shape of pen lines. So monochromatically and graphical rather than photo exact and shaded. Also, to add drama, new emphasis was created by moving lines in different ways. For example, see the ladies eyes in panel 3 on page 1.
The earth, and it’s black scarring are a composite of found images.
The colouring and texture details are a mixture of various layers of ink splats and ink paintings that I did (the ink comes back into it in a few pages time). These were scanned in and composited and coloured. While I worked hard to make the images exact and related to photo, I wanted the colour and backgrounds to be chaotic and full of fire, as an expression of the story, and also to complete the images in a fairly logical way.
Monday, 19 October 2009
Cover 1
The cover for “issue 1” (as it were) started off as a simple, quick pencil sketch. After several thumbnails, I decided on one particular design that covered everything I wanted it to whilst also being a strong image in its composition, and remaining suitably ambiguous so as to leave the future story unspoiled.
Fixed Planet
My desired techniques to try here were:
1: Inking digitally: this can be seen around the form of the central character/ figure, and in part on the floating orb just under his out reaching hand.
2: Creating a glowing effect on objects: I wanted to create a glow around the planet and over other key parts of the image. Using a linking colour to unify the various areas of the image.
3: Constructing a well working compostion: From the title working down, the eye is lead over the various parts of the image, telling a story.
There are some other little bits in here for the discerning reader. The stars in the background of space for example - for any londonfgsser’s you may notice one is worth £600 ;) – in fact that may be a good competition question to run at some point…
The cover was actually done after the first x3 pages.
Fixed Planet
My desired techniques to try here were:
1: Inking digitally: this can be seen around the form of the central character/ figure, and in part on the floating orb just under his out reaching hand.
2: Creating a glowing effect on objects: I wanted to create a glow around the planet and over other key parts of the image. Using a linking colour to unify the various areas of the image.
3: Constructing a well working compostion: From the title working down, the eye is lead over the various parts of the image, telling a story.
There are some other little bits in here for the discerning reader. The stars in the background of space for example - for any londonfgsser’s you may notice one is worth £600 ;) – in fact that may be a good competition question to run at some point…
The cover was actually done after the first x3 pages.
Welcome to the making of Fixed Planet
Hello, and welcome.
The Fixed Planet comic/ blog started as a space for me to test out techniques and ideas that I wanted to try. It's tough to sit in front of a blank page/ canvas/ screen and think of what to actually draw/ paint/ create. To get past this initial blocking phase, I decided to write a story. The theory being, that every time I want to try out a new technique, or practice something in particular, I can just start on the next page of the comic.
For this reason, you will notice the style of Fixed Planet changing often and perhaps largely. I know where the story is heading, but not the art. So hopefully, throughout my experimentation, you, the reader will be presented by some nice pictures and ideas to view along the way. So if you're thinking all of a sudden, why does it look like this? It may be that I've drawn it out by running syrup out of my nostrils on to a sheet of perspex and then taken a photo of it. Not that that's a technique I'm particularly interested in trying out...
So, keep checking back here for a little "how and why" on each page section.
Best and thanks.
The Fixed Planet comic/ blog started as a space for me to test out techniques and ideas that I wanted to try. It's tough to sit in front of a blank page/ canvas/ screen and think of what to actually draw/ paint/ create. To get past this initial blocking phase, I decided to write a story. The theory being, that every time I want to try out a new technique, or practice something in particular, I can just start on the next page of the comic.
For this reason, you will notice the style of Fixed Planet changing often and perhaps largely. I know where the story is heading, but not the art. So hopefully, throughout my experimentation, you, the reader will be presented by some nice pictures and ideas to view along the way. So if you're thinking all of a sudden, why does it look like this? It may be that I've drawn it out by running syrup out of my nostrils on to a sheet of perspex and then taken a photo of it. Not that that's a technique I'm particularly interested in trying out...
So, keep checking back here for a little "how and why" on each page section.
Best and thanks.
Thursday, 15 October 2009
Grammar errors.... FIXED
Errors (almost)corrected (just a couple more bits...). Images redefined at slightly better resolutions also.
Thursday, 8 October 2009
Grammar errors....
Dear readers,
Thanks to my new proofreader... whom came aboard after publication, we can now be aware of the following grammatical profanities at Fixed Planet
P1: worlds = world's; wide spread = widespread; noticable = noticeable; attackes = attacks
P2: humanities = humanity's
P3: barron = barren.
These will be Fixed in due course. But until then.... there's your clarification!
(I'm sure they'll be some further discussion to be had over this post also.)
Thanks to my new proofreader... whom came aboard after publication, we can now be aware of the following grammatical profanities at Fixed Planet
P1: worlds = world's; wide spread = widespread; noticable = noticeable; attackes = attacks
P2: humanities = humanity's
P3: barron = barren.
These will be Fixed in due course. But until then.... there's your clarification!
(I'm sure they'll be some further discussion to be had over this post also.)
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