2 Comments on Ink Clouds, last added: 3/9/2013
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By: Eric Orchard,
on 3/6/2013
Blog: Eric Orchard (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: clouds, cartooning, pen and ink, comic books, maddy kettle, Add a tag
Two pages left to ink in Maddy, the last pages are pretty tough but I've learned how to ink a tough page in two or three days instead of five.
By: Eric Orchard,
on 3/4/2013
Blog: Eric Orchard (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: comics, drawing, pen and ink, ink, pen, comic books, maddy kettle, Add a tag
Inking the last three pages of Maddy Kettle, and I should be all done the inks by this weekend.
By: Eric Orchard,
on 2/12/2013
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JacketFlap tags: illustration, photoshop, pen and ink, comic books, cintiq, raccoons, maddy kettle, silvio raccoon, Add a tag
I just found myself with a bit more work on a contract, so I'm putting my head down and working through to the weekend to get stuff done. I'm thinking I'll be mostly offline until I catch up so I probably won't be posting again until Saturday or Sunday.
In the meantime here's a little experiment in colour I did this morning. Still working on how to approach colouring Maddy, though I think I'm nearly there. Only about eight pages left to ink now.
By: Eric Orchard,
on 2/4/2013
Blog: Eric Orchard (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: comics, drawing, pen and ink, mouse, publishers, ink, comic books, maddy kettle, tiny owl workshop, illustration, Add a tag
I managed to wrap up a huge chunk of Maddy Kettle over the last few weeks by really pushing ahead with it. There is just 10 pages left to ink, so I'm almost there.
But, for the next few days I'm switching gears to work on a small contract for a wonderful new publisher in Australia called Tiny Owl Workshop, contributing some drawings to their first book (like the one above!) and I'll be completing some private commissions and doing some writing.
If you go Inkybook 1 you'll sort of know the story I'm writing as I had bits of it in Inkybook, I called it The Witch Detective there but am now calling it The witches of Bogg Lane and am doing it as a prose story. More on that later.
By: Eric Orchard,
on 2/1/2013
Blog: Eric Orchard (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: fantasy, drawing, pen and ink, comic books, maddy kettle, Add a tag
After several weeks working full tilt on Maddy Kettle I'm switching gears for a few days to complete some commissions and work on pitches a little bit for when Maddy is complete. Really wish I had finished the pitches months ago because it takes months for publishers to return your correspondence regarding pitches. There wasn't much I could do about it, though. I'm really looking forward to doing some illustration for a while. My portfolio is feeling very neglected.
By: Eric Orchard,
on 10/11/2012
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JacketFlap tags: kangaroo rats, pen and ink, comic books, maddy kettle, Add a tag
This is actually an older panel from Maddy Kettle which I haven't shared yet. I've still got my head down to the drawing board and am working away to complete the book, although as soon as I decided to stop taking on other work we ran into all sorts of financial issues. But my wife feels I should just push through regardless, so I am. As things are going I may have to slow down my my comic work and get a part time job in the new year. Depressing, but that's how it is. I also have 2 pitches going out but a pitch can take 6 months to get a response. So, in the meantime I'm just concentrating on the book. 
By: Eric Orchard,
on 10/5/2012
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JacketFlap tags: pen and ink, comic books, maddy kettle, Add a tag
As the inked pages pile up and the pages get heavier with all that ink I'm getting closer to being able to hold all of Maddy Kettle in my hands. Pretty cool! 
By: Eric Orchard,
on 10/4/2012
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JacketFlap tags: pen and ink, maddy kettle, Add a tag
Another peek at Maddy Kettle book 1, and as I was drawing this book 2 started to fall into place. I had all these disperate elements that weren't tying together properly but it's finally making sense. I'm pushing through to the end now. It's interesting, I can see that there are 3 basic types of pages, those I can do in half a day, those I can do in one day and those that take a few days....
By: Eric Orchard,
on 10/2/2012
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JacketFlap tags: pen and ink, comic books, scarecrow, maddy kettle, comics, Add a tag
An inked panel from Maddy. I'm working long hours to get this all done soon. In a way I'l be sorry to be done, this book is so much fun to draw, if a lot of work. I'm pushing through and will probably have it all done in two months. After which I have a new book to start and I'll have sent out a couple of pitches. 
By: Eric Orchard,
on 9/24/2012
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First page of a short Maddy Kettle story I did a while back where I experimented with adhesive tone combined with hatching. 
By: Eric Orchard,
on 9/19/2012
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JacketFlap tags: maddy kettle, memphis finch, pen and ink, watercolor, gouache, Add a tag
Here's a sketch of a Maddy Kettle character I haven't figured out how he fits in yet. I've done stories with him and I think Finch is great but so far he hasn't found his way into the story. I want him to be in book two, which hasn't been fully written yet. 
By: Eric Orchard,
on 9/17/2012
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JacketFlap tags: pen and ink, comic books, maddy kettle, Add a tag
Maddy is coming along really well. Almost out of paper, though, so I need another trip to the store this weekend. Above is a page from a Maddy minicomic. There's probably about 2 more weeks of penciling left in the first Maddy graphic novel. And then I have to ink the rest of it.
I'm finally reading A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens which is full of excitement and wonderful writing. Enjoying it more than any book I've read recently.
By: Eric Orchard,
on 9/12/2012
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JacketFlap tags: pen and ink, arizona, book covers, harry and silvio, maddy kettle, Add a tag
Working like mad, really enjoying every moment. Finally settling into the new routine with Henry at school. In fact it's proving to be a lot easier than over the Summer where I could get interrupted any moment. I think the pencils will all be done within 3 weeks, hoping less! 
By: Eric Orchard,
on 11/9/2011
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JacketFlap tags: pencil, comic books, maddy kettle, inky the bat, Add a tag
A scene from Maddy Kettle showing some of the mysterious things you'll find in caves. Especially in the desert. Julie and I are both fighting some sort of cold thatHenry probably brought home from daycare. It seems to be a particularly lazy virus, as the symptoms are pretty mild. I'll just throw a blanket over myself and work all day. I'm working on a book cover today, which is going really well. 
By: Eric Orchard,
on 10/28/2011
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JacketFlap tags: pencil, maddy kettle, inky the bat, Add a tag
A scene in pencils from Maddy Kettle. I think there's about eighty bats here. It should take forever to ink but it'll be worth it. I've been looking forward to drawing this scene.
Working on a book cover today, I have about a week of non Maddy related work ahead of me. Which is fine, I like to be able to switch between projects.
By: Eric Orchard,
on 10/26/2011
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JacketFlap tags: pencil, comic books, maddy kettle, silvio raccoon, harry the bear, Add a tag
Well, after a very long sleep last night my eye is a bit better but still not perfect. There's not much I can do about it right now, but I think I'll take it easy today. I just got a list of revisions back on a book cover so I need to get to that as soon as possible. I have an appointment with the ophthalmologist tomorrow.
Above are some pencils for a Maddy Kettle page. There's quite a bit of story that happens before you meet Harry and Silvio but I'm finally there and am loving drawing them again. It's actually been a while since I drew them in a comic! My initial strategy was to pencil five pages and then ink them but I find I'm losing the thread that way, so I'm penciling twenty pages and then inking them. So far it seems to be working really well. It also is giving me a greater sense of progress and that kind of thing can be really important.
By: Eric Orchard,
on 10/11/2011
Blog: Eric Orchard (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: pen and ink, arizona, comic books, desert, maddy kettle, Add a tag
Part of a panel from Maddy Kettle. A lot of Maddy Kettle takes place in the desert, which is odd because I've never been to the desert. There is a tradition in writing and cartooning of using the sparse and lonely vistas of the desert as part of the story. My desert is drawn from Krazy Kat and Moebius comics, rather than any real experience. There's something about it that makes it a good place to start, it is full of meaning and resonance. It's alive but it's life is hidden. And it's beautiful. Maddy's journey starts in the desert and explores outward, more and more of the world reveals itself to her and she overcomes her fears. In starting in the desert I think there's also an influence by my favorite stories that grow out of desert myth and folklore, Charles DeLint and Midori Snyder have written books about magic and the desert that had a profound impact on me. In a sense it bothers me that I'm telling a story about a place so removed from my own experience. I also want to tell stories about the north, about snow and ocean and other things I know about. And I will, eventually. But this is the story tat wanted to be told first. 
By: Eric Orchard,
on 9/6/2011
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JacketFlap tags: sketches, comic books, maddy kettle, Adventures Of The Flying Boat, Add a tag
Some (older) sketches of Maddy's flying boat. Which is a sort of sentient steam powered thing of mysterious origin. With Henry finally in daycare and Julie back at work I'm having normal working days. I'm able to plan ahead now and set deadlines for myself, which I found hard to do with Henry at home and with so many odd projects going on. I'm also cutting back on stuff: less reading, games, TV, internet time etc. But more audiobooks and music.
It's all of the sudden Fall! Which is my favorite time of year. Best food, more energy, Halloween, sweaters. I look better in a sweater.
By: Eric Orchard,
on 7/3/2011
Blog: Eric Orchard (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: pen and ink, maddy kettle, harry the bear, Add a tag
As my trip out east gets closer I'm rushing and pushing to get a contract done and gets lots done on Maddy Kettle. I pulled an almost all nighter last night and found myself really enjoying it. There was a thunderstorm keeping me company. Above is Harry doing some cloud cartography. Unlike Silvio I see Harry as being more obsessive, like me. Silvio and I have goofing off in common.
I'm playing around with Google+ and really enjoying it. If you're there you can find me here.
By: Eric Orchard,
on 6/30/2011
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JacketFlap tags: sketchbook, maddy kettle, brushpen, Add a tag
Sketchbook sketch. Rushing right now to get as much work done as possible before we leave for Halifax in about 3 weeks! Plus dealing with stress brought about about by no checks or contracts because of the postal strike. Freelancing is tough!
I've been writing some more Maddy Kettle as well. I think I have about 5 books figured out. My drawing is going faster but I keep pausing to make sure the quality doesn't lag. It's a constant balancing act.
Also checking out Google+, Google's new social networking site. Interesting.... It'd be nice if there was no games.
By: Eric Orchard,
on 6/17/2011
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JacketFlap tags: pen and ink, pencil, comic books, seagull, harry and silvio, maddy kettle, Add a tag
Above is another early panel from the Harry & Silvio minicomics. I'm deep into penciling Maddy Kettle right now and I'll post some soon. My process right now is to pencil 10 pages and then ink 10 pages. I find this keeps me engaged and stops my pencils from getting too unfinished.
Putting together reading lists and playlists for the summer. Looking at the books I'm reading made me wonder what kind of story Maddy Kettle is. Is it a fantasy story? An adventure story? I think it's both. For the last few years I've probably read more adventure stuff than fantasy. I love fantasy, especially world building but it seems it's a great adventure that makes a story meaningful to me.
By: Eric Orchard,
on 6/11/2011
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JacketFlap tags: pen and ink, comic books, harry and silvio, maddy kettle, silvio raccoon, Add a tag
Hello! Having a bit of a mini vacation today. Reading mostly. I'm all sore from a long stretch of long days coupled with a heavy low pressure system that is making me bow over like a reed in the wind. No idea if that's scientific or not. Who cares? Right? So far today I've walked the dog, taken Henry out for an ice cream and read Mickey Mouse comics.
Above is a very early Silvio drawing, from the first mini, maybe 5 or 6 years ago.
By: Eric Orchard,
on 5/27/2011
Blog: Eric Orchard (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: process, pencil, comic books, maddy kettle, Add a tag
Since university I've used Staedler Mars Lumograph pencils, either B or 2B. I simply haven't found anything better. They have a great richness of line while maintaining a hard edge, it's what you might call a classic pencil. Many cartoonists who work traditionally use a non repro blue pencil. These pencils have a line that is invisible to most graphic arts cameras. This is so that there is no need to erase pencil marks before making scans. But I've never been comfortable drawing in blue.....
By: Eric Orchard,
on 5/26/2011
Blog: Eric Orchard (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: process, pen and ink, materials, comic books, maddy kettle, the situation, Add a tag
There are 2 things I need from a paper I'm doing pen and ink drawings on : it needs to be smooth and at least 2 ply. And I really like cheap.
If it's not smooth the sharp pen tips will catch and skip across the paper. I've used rougher papers for pen by drawing gently and slowly and I've managed just fine. However I don't want to do a whole book that way. I think it's best to use the material most well suited to a given project within your budget. The Situation, unlike Maddy Kettle, was drawn on higher quality watercolour paper. I did this for a few reasons. The big one is I just wasn't sure what materials were best yet and second, I had made the decision to hand colour The Situation so it needed to be a paper that could handle ink as well as watercolour and gouache without warping and going all pulpy.
And the paper should be 2 ply or greater because I'm really rough on my paper. I apply layers and layers of black and white ink (and often other materials) and sometimes need to scratch the paper with an exacto knife to get the right effect. A single ply paper will tear quickly under this punishment. So for me the quality of a paper is indicated by it's surface and thickness.
I tend to use a bristol paper or something similar. There are a number of brands like this. Strathmore is the most famous and it is also very reliable. This is what I'm using for Maddy Kettle. I'll switch if I can get the same quality for less money.
There are papers that might actually be better suited to this kind if pen and ink work such as Arches or Fabriano hot pressed watercolor papers. However, these papers are high quality papers made from cotton rag rather than wood pulp and are much costlier.
So, the truth is, the paper just needs to be OK and fairly cheap.
By: Eric Orchard,
on 5/25/2011
Blog: Eric Orchard (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: process, ink drawing, comic books, maddy kettle, Add a tag
Above are two panels from Maddy Kettle from pages self rejected.
I actually had a false start with Maddy Kettle. I got five pages in using just a Rapidograph for inking (and a brush for spotting blacks) but this took forever and the result was really disappointing. The single width line lacked life. Many artists produce phenomenal work using that kind of line but I realize now that that's a certain type of aesthetic and you really need to plan for it. And practice that type of work. I found I had no immediate facility for it and would have to spend time working on it. And I wasn't at all interested in doing this. The idea of using a Rapidograph had more to do with being efficient rather than trying to attain a certain look.
I also made an attempt at inking entirely digitally, using a Cintiq. I didn't try this with Maddy Kettle but with an illustration assignment and the Shadow Talker comic. The final results were surprisingly good. There was no real dip in quality. However, inking a complex image digitally is no faster than than inking traditionally. In fact, because much of my work is so detailed I found myself zooming in and working in an overly finicky manner. And I found this wasn't improving the final image, it only slowed things down. On top of this digital inking looks more precise than I felt the Maddy Kettle comic should. The best comic work I've done always contains many traces of my mark making. After comparing digital and traditional work I discovered that hand made marks are an essential part of my drawing. I will use digital drawing techniques on this book but it needs to be an addition to the traditional work, not a replacement. I can see the benefit of using purely digital in another project but it didn't suit this.
Another thing that wasn't working for me was the paper size. I did these first pages 11 by 15 inches, so a drawing are of about 10 by 14. I thought this would be fine but I found it totally constricting. Maddy Kettle is pretty sweeping in parts so it needs the space to be that way. I ended up working on pages quite a bit larger.
So now I needed to find what would work. I had eliminated the option of using a single tool and Top Shelf had given me the go ahead on the book (the story and dialog being finalized) so I had no time for leisurely exploration and had to jump right into the project. So I looked through my work to see what had worked and if I could improve on that.
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By: Eric Orchard,
on 3/6/2013
Blog: Eric Orchard (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: clouds, cartooning, pen and ink, comic books, maddy kettle, Add a tag
By: Eric Orchard,
on 3/4/2013
Blog: Eric Orchard (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: comics, drawing, pen and ink, ink, pen, comic books, maddy kettle, Add a tag
2 Comments on Last Few Pages, last added: 3/6/2013
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By: Eric Orchard,
on 2/12/2013
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JacketFlap tags: illustration, photoshop, pen and ink, comic books, cintiq, raccoons, maddy kettle, silvio raccoon, Add a tag
In the meantime here's a little experiment in colour I did this morning. Still working on how to approach colouring Maddy, though I think I'm nearly there. Only about eight pages left to ink now.
0 Comments on Maddy And Silvio as of 2/12/2013 12:42:00 PM
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By: Eric Orchard,
on 2/4/2013
Blog: Eric Orchard (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: comics, drawing, pen and ink, mouse, publishers, ink, comic books, maddy kettle, tiny owl workshop, illustration, Add a tag
But, for the next few days I'm switching gears to work on a small contract for a wonderful new publisher in Australia called Tiny Owl Workshop, contributing some drawings to their first book (like the one above!) and I'll be completing some private commissions and doing some writing.
If you go Inkybook 1 you'll sort of know the story I'm writing as I had bits of it in Inkybook, I called it The Witch Detective there but am now calling it The witches of Bogg Lane and am doing it as a prose story. More on that later.
0 Comments on A Break For Owls as of 2/4/2013 10:34:00 AM
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By: Eric Orchard,
on 2/1/2013
Blog: Eric Orchard (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: fantasy, drawing, pen and ink, comic books, maddy kettle, Add a tag
0 Comments on King Of The Spider-Goblins as of 2/1/2013 6:04:00 PM
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By: Eric Orchard,
on 10/11/2012
Blog: Eric Orchard (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: kangaroo rats, pen and ink, comic books, maddy kettle, Add a tag
0 Comments on Meanwhile, In The Pantry.... as of 10/11/2012 10:34:00 AM
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By: Eric Orchard,
on 10/5/2012
Blog: Eric Orchard (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: pen and ink, comic books, maddy kettle, Add a tag
0 Comments on Pile Of Pages as of 10/5/2012 11:36:00 AM
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By: Eric Orchard,
on 10/4/2012
Blog: Eric Orchard (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: pen and ink, maddy kettle, Add a tag
0 Comments on In The Thimble Witch's Castle as of 10/4/2012 12:18:00 PM
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By: Eric Orchard,
on 10/2/2012
Blog: Eric Orchard (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: pen and ink, comic books, scarecrow, maddy kettle, comics, Add a tag
0 Comments on Armed Scarecrow as of 10/2/2012 9:54:00 AM
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By: Eric Orchard,
on 9/24/2012
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0 Comments on Old Experiment as of 9/24/2012 11:43:00 PM
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By: Eric Orchard,
on 9/19/2012
Blog: Eric Orchard (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: maddy kettle, memphis finch, pen and ink, watercolor, gouache, Add a tag
0 Comments on Finch as of 9/19/2012 10:28:00 AM
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By: Eric Orchard,
on 9/17/2012
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JacketFlap tags: pen and ink, comic books, maddy kettle, Add a tag
I'm finally reading A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens which is full of excitement and wonderful writing. Enjoying it more than any book I've read recently.
6 Comments on Something In The Clouds, last added: 9/19/2012
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By: Eric Orchard,
on 9/12/2012
Blog: Eric Orchard (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: pen and ink, arizona, book covers, harry and silvio, maddy kettle, Add a tag
0 Comments on Flying Boat Of Arizona as of 9/12/2012 1:40:00 PM
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By: Eric Orchard,
on 11/9/2011
Blog: Eric Orchard (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: pencil, comic books, maddy kettle, inky the bat, Add a tag
0 Comments on Hall Of Bat Monuments as of 1/1/1900
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By: Eric Orchard,
on 10/28/2011
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JacketFlap tags: pencil, maddy kettle, inky the bat, Add a tag
Working on a book cover today, I have about a week of non Maddy related work ahead of me. Which is fine, I like to be able to switch between projects.
4 Comments on Vampire Bats!, last added: 10/31/2011
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By: Eric Orchard,
on 10/26/2011
Blog: Eric Orchard (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: pencil, comic books, maddy kettle, silvio raccoon, harry the bear, Add a tag
Above are some pencils for a Maddy Kettle page. There's quite a bit of story that happens before you meet Harry and Silvio but I'm finally there and am loving drawing them again. It's actually been a while since I drew them in a comic! My initial strategy was to pencil five pages and then ink them but I find I'm losing the thread that way, so I'm penciling twenty pages and then inking them. So far it seems to be working really well. It also is giving me a greater sense of progress and that kind of thing can be really important.
3 Comments on Don't Let The Bear Drive The Balloon!, last added: 10/27/2011
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By: Eric Orchard,
on 10/11/2011
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JacketFlap tags: pen and ink, arizona, comic books, desert, maddy kettle, Add a tag
2 Comments on My Arizona, last added: 10/11/2011
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By: Eric Orchard,
on 9/6/2011
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JacketFlap tags: sketches, comic books, maddy kettle, Adventures Of The Flying Boat, Add a tag
It's all of the sudden Fall! Which is my favorite time of year. Best food, more energy, Halloween, sweaters. I look better in a sweater.
0 Comments on Some Flying Boat Sketches as of 1/1/1900
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By: Eric Orchard,
on 7/3/2011
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JacketFlap tags: pen and ink, maddy kettle, harry the bear, Add a tag
I'm playing around with Google+ and really enjoying it. If you're there you can find me here.
3 Comments on Midnight Oil, last added: 7/4/2011
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By: Eric Orchard,
on 6/30/2011
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JacketFlap tags: sketchbook, maddy kettle, brushpen, Add a tag
I've been writing some more Maddy Kettle as well. I think I have about 5 books figured out. My drawing is going faster but I keep pausing to make sure the quality doesn't lag. It's a constant balancing act.
Also checking out Google+, Google's new social networking site. Interesting.... It'd be nice if there was no games.
3 Comments on Ted Happle, last added: 6/30/2011
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By: Eric Orchard,
on 6/17/2011
Blog: Eric Orchard (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: pen and ink, pencil, comic books, seagull, harry and silvio, maddy kettle, Add a tag
Putting together reading lists and playlists for the summer. Looking at the books I'm reading made me wonder what kind of story Maddy Kettle is. Is it a fantasy story? An adventure story? I think it's both. For the last few years I've probably read more adventure stuff than fantasy. I love fantasy, especially world building but it seems it's a great adventure that makes a story meaningful to me.
2 Comments on Meanwhile In Pencil Land...., last added: 6/17/2011
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By: Eric Orchard,
on 6/11/2011
Blog: Eric Orchard (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: pen and ink, comic books, harry and silvio, maddy kettle, silvio raccoon, Add a tag
Above is a very early Silvio drawing, from the first mini, maybe 5 or 6 years ago.
1 Comments on Gone Fishun', last added: 6/12/2011
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By: Eric Orchard,
on 5/27/2011
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JacketFlap tags: process, pencil, comic books, maddy kettle, Add a tag
3 Comments on Comic Book Tools And Materials Part Three: The Right Pencil, last added: 5/27/2011
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By: Eric Orchard,
on 5/26/2011
Blog: Eric Orchard (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: process, pen and ink, materials, comic books, maddy kettle, the situation, Add a tag
If it's not smooth the sharp pen tips will catch and skip across the paper. I've used rougher papers for pen by drawing gently and slowly and I've managed just fine. However I don't want to do a whole book that way. I think it's best to use the material most well suited to a given project within your budget. The Situation, unlike Maddy Kettle, was drawn on higher quality watercolour paper. I did this for a few reasons. The big one is I just wasn't sure what materials were best yet and second, I had made the decision to hand colour The Situation so it needed to be a paper that could handle ink as well as watercolour and gouache without warping and going all pulpy.
And the paper should be 2 ply or greater because I'm really rough on my paper. I apply layers and layers of black and white ink (and often other materials) and sometimes need to scratch the paper with an exacto knife to get the right effect. A single ply paper will tear quickly under this punishment. So for me the quality of a paper is indicated by it's surface and thickness.
I tend to use a bristol paper or something similar. There are a number of brands like this. Strathmore is the most famous and it is also very reliable. This is what I'm using for Maddy Kettle. I'll switch if I can get the same quality for less money.
There are papers that might actually be better suited to this kind if pen and ink work such as Arches or Fabriano hot pressed watercolor papers. However, these papers are high quality papers made from cotton rag rather than wood pulp and are much costlier.
So, the truth is, the paper just needs to be OK and fairly cheap.
0 Comments on Comic Book Tools And Materials Part Two: The Disappointing Truth About Paper as of 1/1/1900
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By: Eric Orchard,
on 5/25/2011
Blog: Eric Orchard (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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I actually had a false start with Maddy Kettle. I got five pages in using just a Rapidograph for inking (and a brush for spotting blacks) but this took forever and the result was really disappointing. The single width line lacked life. Many artists produce phenomenal work using that kind of line but I realize now that that's a certain type of aesthetic and you really need to plan for it. And practice that type of work. I found I had no immediate facility for it and would have to spend time working on it. And I wasn't at all interested in doing this. The idea of using a Rapidograph had more to do with being efficient rather than trying to attain a certain look.
I also made an attempt at inking entirely digitally, using a Cintiq. I didn't try this with Maddy Kettle but with an illustration assignment and the Shadow Talker comic. The final results were surprisingly good. There was no real dip in quality. However, inking a complex image digitally is no faster than than inking traditionally. In fact, because much of my work is so detailed I found myself zooming in and working in an overly finicky manner. And I found this wasn't improving the final image, it only slowed things down. On top of this digital inking looks more precise than I felt the Maddy Kettle comic should. The best comic work I've done always contains many traces of my mark making. After comparing digital and traditional work I discovered that hand made marks are an essential part of my drawing. I will use digital drawing techniques on this book but it needs to be an addition to the traditional work, not a replacement. I can see the benefit of using purely digital in another project but it didn't suit this.
Another thing that wasn't working for me was the paper size. I did these first pages 11 by 15 inches, so a drawing are of about 10 by 14. I thought this would be fine but I found it totally constricting. Maddy Kettle is pretty sweeping in parts so it needs the space to be that way. I ended up working on pages quite a bit larger.
So now I needed to find what would work. I had eliminated the option of using a single tool and Top Shelf had given me the go ahead on the book (the story and dialog being finalized) so I had no time for leisurely exploration and had to jump right into the project. So I looked through my work to see what had worked and if I could improve on that.
6 Comments on Comic Book Tools And Materials Part One: Some Abandoned Tools And Methods, last added: 5/25/2011
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So far this is looking fabulous. Good luck!
Thanks so much!