Thought Bubble - Sketching Panel (Saturday)

Sketching Spotlight (Saturday)

Hosted by Peter Doherty
Artists: Wes Craig, Doug Braithwaite, Isabel Greenberg, and Amy Reeder
I really enjoyed this sketching spotlight, I loved all the different illustrative styles that each artist obtained and had developed over their experiences through comics and other influences. I found it extremely inspiring and it made me think about picking up where I left off in college with my own comics, which I stopped before I came to university. I just love storytelling, it's something that I am passionate about. I want to use PPP3 for tests in this medium, even if it is just small sketches and notes on refining a story, I would like to continue and try and make something that I can connect to animation with.

Here are my notes on the sketching spotlight...

Amy - Worked for DC but mainly works for Image Comics. Drawing for Marvel as well, mainly covers and colouring. Currently drawing for Rocket Girl.
Isabel -  Written novels, The One Hundred Nights of Hero, does kids book, doing a kids history book at the moment, influence from horrible histories but more of a picture book than text.
Doug - Worked for many comic companies, Valiant and DC, first project in Valiant was for Unity.
Isabel - Gets alot of illustration work that is commercial based but for a narrative eg, for museums etc.
Doug - At the beginning did a lot of life drawing, was like a sponge, would draw all the time. Life drawing is very important at the beginning, it helps you to map out the figure, understand how to apply to different style and different character designs.
Wes - Hard to fill up a sketchbook, would draw a lot of people when on transport. Hard to find motivation to draw other than work. When he does draw in sketchbook it is much more loose.
Amy - Everything that you do must be intentional. Towards comic books, when I start sketching, I don't have an idea but I start thinking outside of the box as I draw. When you draw from life it's more of an educational purpose.

Deadly Class - Wes Craig

Wes - In the script, the writer puts in the basic dialogue and allows him to draw, sometimes the writer will change the dialogue to better suit the emotion that he's drawn.
Doug - Read the script a couple of times, plays in his head like a film, visualises the story, writes his ideas for the panels in the margin, visual keys, then layouts the pages. Makes a small thumbnail of this, figures if it works well at such a small size it will be perfect once blown up.
Amy - Goes to a public place, a cafe, to think about ideas, can only draw something right once. Has an idea on what she wants it to look like. Draws as loose as possible, doesn't have a box, draws the figure first, scans it into photoshop and frames afterwards. Prints them out then uses a lightbox. Doesn't feel like they can continue a drawing without a computer. Learned to draw digitally, can edit continuously, uses it as a learning tool. Colours digitally in which she has a cintiq. Finds using a cintiq to colour has helped her work flow.
Wes - Working digitally... can't get into it and doesn't feel the appeal. Likes the ink and the texture of the paper, finds it weird drawing on glass to the computer. It is easier making adjustments in photoshop for colour. Glyn Dillion did comics and storyboarding.
Doug -  With his colouring, he always paints in grey tones, its the closest to painting that he gets to due to time restraints and deadlines. Adjusts the greys in photoshop and then uses the computer for colour generation. People who want to break into comics, using the computer as a tool will give you an advantage. Learn to draw traditionally as it will help.

Rocket Girl - Amy Reeder

Amy - If you wanna draw digitally be aware that your lines will look really wavy, none of the lines seem to connect, they seem wispy when they connect. Give them weight. 

Wes - If given the change he would draw and draw all the time but hand would die
Isabel - Knew her career path would always be art, so went for illustration. She knew she couldn't make a living through Marvel and other publishers but making it through with her own novels and work. Got a publishing deal and gets work from that. She got into comics because she liked storytelling, the narrative, she doesn't do comics because of the hero storytelling, its a medium, its a vehicle for telling stories.
Amy - She decided to become a comic artist after college, was going to be a teacher but got into manga and noticed that Tokyopop were doing a context where Americans submit their own manga and get it published. Wanted to try this and began to learn to draw. All she wanted to do was draw. Made it into one of these books, and started to have a desire to tell stories. "Start out doing grunt work for the big wigs... don't see myself doing anything else but comics."
Wes - My fave comics are when they are done by one person. Too many people in a comic must be frustrating.
Amy - You have to make a name, let go of your work, work for the big two. Might be unhappy with your work, you'll have to do other peoples visions before your own. BUILD A REPUTATION!!!! With the structure try and make it really messy! Its a learning stage.
Doug - you need movement in your work, the flow and staging.
Peter - Think about how composition and context relate to each other. The more you resolve it, the more change you have of ruining it.
Amy - Blocks out everything first, has a triangle for the nose, then colours the lips before even thinking of the lines/details.

Hagoromo - Isabel Greenberg

Doug - Helps using a blunt pencil as stops you from going into detail.

Peter - If you are doing small layouts with a blunt pencil, you know what you want, then you can zero in to it.
Doug - What are your influences? Find out who their influences are, see the depth of the draftsmanship, it is important to look back. I look at everything, love Pre -Raphaelite, didn't understand the technique but an inspiration nevertheless, loves impressionism. You can find something in everything. Jack Kirby, started off as an animator, was a good illustrator, weird proportions. Drew three books a month? Maybe more...Try not to replicate what your influences make, you need to make your own.
Wes - Does some writing but the art takes so much longer. My fave comics are where the artists and the writer are the same person. Back in the day, would draw Marvel and DC characters in scenes to get into the industry. Does both writing and drawing at times.
Doug - STORYTELLING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. World building was great fun. Throughout his career he's been called an artist but cares more about storytelling now that he is older. It is less about the appeal of the art and more about how the storytelling is communicated to the spectator.
Amy - I want to write and draw my own stuff. Doing all the chores when working for DC. Was a top colourist there but wasn't happy.My art is more than just pencils, I just really like the synergy of it all. For Tokyopop she was doing her own stuff, better when it comes from one brain.
Wes - Play to your strengths, what you can do, when you can draw what you like to draw you do get weaker.
Amy - You have to find the right pattern. Gets a good amount of input on Rocket Girl. Writer and herself are good friends so it helps. Some writers add so much that you can't add anything to it, when really you need some room with the art work to let it speak for itself.

Wolverine Cover #33 - Doug Braithwaite