Showing posts with label comissions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comissions. Show all posts

Saturday, May 22, 2010

current project, current news

Firstly, Sweet Enemy and I are test-driving a new cat. He's a fat gray tom with notched ears and funny light gray stripes. He's very vocal and prone to growling (which means nothing, apparently. He will growl while purring and while bumping you and acting all lovey). He's the cat of SE's cousin and needs a new home as her two boys are having trouble understanding that cats aren't plushies and her husband doesn't like cats**.

He's nervous and hid under the bed most of the day, but seems to be adjusting. A bit. Updates to follow.

Currently, I'm working on Page 100 Project. I first saw this on Drawn and it is the genius idea of artist Jason Turner.

What you do is take a book, open to page 100 and make a comic page of that page. It's a challenge, especially in a dialog-heavy page, or a scene-setting page. I've got three planned. The first is from Sabriel*** an fantastic novel by the inimitable Garth Nix.

Here's the text:

"...of wide, low steps, carved with intricate patterns. Whether they meant something, Sabriel didn't know. They weren't charter marks, or symbols of any language that she knew, and she was too tired to speculate. She concentrated on one step at a time, using her hands to push down on her aching thighs, coughing and gasping, head down to avoid the flying snow.

The path grew steeper still and Sabriel could see the cliff-face ahead, a huge, black, vertical mass, a much darker backdrop to the swirling snow than the clouded sky, palely backlit by the moon. But, she didn't seem to get any closer as the path switchbacked to and fro, rising further and further up from the valley below.

Then, suddenly, Sabriel was there. The path turned again and her little will-0'-the-wisp light reflected back from the wall, a wall that stretched for miles on either side and for hundreds of yards upward. Clearly, these were the Long Cliffs, and the path had ended.

Almost sobbing with relief, Sabriel pushed herself forward to the very base of the cliff, and the little light rose above her head to disclose grey, lichen-veined rock. But even with that light, there was no sign of a door-- nothing but...


Here's the pencil:



Here's the ink. The black background hasn't been put in in real life, yet, but I plan to. I want to have these as actual pieces of art to hang. It should keep me from cutting digital corners as I've done with the previous comics.



The other two I have in the works are Small Gods by Terry Pratchett (this is pencilled, but not inked) and my favorite Keroac novel, The Dharma Bums

More to come!

Listening to while posting: Bernie flopped on the floor behind my chair purring; he's out from under the bed!

**I've never understood disliking cats. I don't own a dog, but I love 'em. I love cats, too. What's wrong with a cat. It's like a vibrating pillow you have to feed occasionally. What's there to dislike? Litter box cleaning maybe, but that could be considered less gross than big piles of poo in the yard (or a dog that pees on his own front feet like my sister's late German Shepherd)

***I'm posting no link. This is because any synopsis would ruin the book. It is so original and non-derivative that any synopsis would make it seem stupid. I will only say that it is a fantasy novel, but I'd be very, very surprised if you've read one like it. I used to sell books and every customer I recommended this book to came back to thank me. Go buy a copy today.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

DoaF update!

I'm still working on Snab's commission. I know, I know. But, it's damned hard! Why couldn't you have suggested something easy like Rambler did? What did she ask for?

"how about something involving tea, yoga, and either a carnival mask, an avocado tree, or a camp/bonfire? Extra points if you can fit in a veiled reference to LotR.


Could that be more vague? Too bad I didn't scan it before I delivered it.

I'm still working on it, Snab, don't worry. To placate you, or possibly, to bug you I've updated Death of a Friend. Getting close!

Listening to while posting: Secret Agent Radio on Soma FM

Monday, March 1, 2010

Art!

This weekend was an art weekend. Man. Turned off the computer, cranked the tunes and drew. I finished my last two commissions; one for Rambler and one for Snab. However, looking at Snab's today, I realize it's just not good enough, so I'm doing it over.

That's just how I roll, baby.

The one for King Ben is done. I'm just waiting on something else I want to send to make an appearance (so I can send both at the same time). The fourth was for a Famous Artist Whose Work I Really Like. There was, of course no pressure involved in that one.

I also finished a piece for a contest called Bearfight!. I heard of it from BT Livermore's blog. There's no money, but if I get accepted, I get into a book and get a free book. I hold very little hope of being accepted, but it would be really awesome. The deadline is March 10th, so I bumped it up to bust it out. Yo.



I'll be working on Snab's commission tonight. I promise! Then, onto Death of a Friend pages 18 and 19.

Listening to while posting: "Ronnie's Racing School" By Glitter Mini Nine