Caution: Steep Learning Curve

EDIT: Thanks to my dear friend, Clinton (pictured below!) for pointing out the typo in the above image. *sigh* I’m too lazy to go into the photoshop file, change it, then turn it back into a jpeg and crop it...so enjoy it while it lasts. It’ll be changed for print. Thanks Clinton!!!

Today I thought I’d give you an update of how the comic book is coming. For new readers, I am writing and drawing a comic book for my boyfriend. It was going to be for Christmas, and then his birthday, but now he just knows it’ll come when it’s finished.

My last art history class in college I wrote a research paper on the portrayal of women in comics in the 1960’s, so looking at those horribly cheesy classics clicked something on in my brain and I can’t get away from them. So this comic was born. I’m drawing it in the cheesy style, but I’ve been finding it really hard to write that badly, so let’s just say I’m being influenced by the early comics, and not really doing this in that specific style (although it’s nice to have that excuse when the writing is bad).

I have finished page 9 and am starting on page 10 of around 22 or 23 pages. I haven’t actually finished writing it yet, as those last few pages are tripping me up a bit. It’s been nice that I’ve been able to have my computer at work recently since the last two weeks were so slow with the Holidays, and then this week I’m stationed at a practically dead building. I really can’t complain since it means I can work on my drawing between upset phone callers and the few emails I field. If you follow me on twitter you know that I love these days, and can’t stop saying how much I wish I could get paid to draw (what I want) all day. *sigh* Someday...

Anyway, my learning curve with this comic is pretty darn steep. I’m kicking myself a little that I committed to a simple black and white format, rather than using grays. I’ve been learning a lot about how to portray depth (like in the image above) using the two tones, and have been going over to Digger to see how she does things. I can’t speak enough about how great it is to have an influence that you can turn to, like a friend by your side, to “ask” questions of. Digger is definitely a visual mentor for me in this endeavor in that way. The OCD part of me wants to go back and work on things on earlier pages to make it more cohesive, but another part of me kind of likes to see the growth process. Not that there are huge issues that I can’t handle, just small layout things I would like to change, but would mean redoing the entire page...so I’ll just leave it be.

However this panel, for example, I will go back and fix the AWFUL HORRIBLE perspective. It’s just terrible. And I’m going to darken up the figure in the foreground. This page I was so incredibly excited to draw, as the last panel is an homage to my most favorite thing in the entire world (practically): Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog. I love it. It didn’t turn out as awesome as I was hoping (the panel, not Dr. Horrible) so I might go back into that one as well.

I have been trying to make myself take more time on some things that I’d just naturally breeze through, however, because I really don’t want to look back on this in 5 years (or 5 days) and go “Oh crap. I should have done ___!!! What was I thinking?!” I’d really like to avoid artistic remorse, so I’m taking a little bit more time on this than I am naturally inclined to. I haven’t had a single art professor NOT tell me, “Beth, SLOW DOWN” so this is an exercise I’m well acquainted with.

Learning how to write for comics is an interesting feat as well. I’m infinitely grateful that I’m writing it for myself and not for another artist, because then I don’t have to fully articulate what I mean (props to writers (Ben) who do have to do that!). But having to not only think about what you want to happen, but how is a really weird set of skills you have to pull from. Keeping in mind all the artistic elements such as composition (of not just the panel but the page and the entire book), you also have to consider the pacing of events so motion or action is portrayed, as well as the angle at which you draw it all to impact the mood (a sharp or odd angle will make it look like something intense or weird is going on, where a straight-on angle is boring). You have to be cinematic and artistic and literary all at the same time. It is really easy to say what you want to happen (example: Betsy finds the book and gets upset.) but when you have to show what you want to happen, that’s where it gets complicated. Do I write 4 panels of Betsy walking in, walking over to the book, touching the book, then the book in her hands - all to imply that she walked in the room and picked up a book? What a waste of space (and time).

I’d like to say I’ve figured out the above issue. I haven’t. I’m still trying to figure out a lot of things. But where is the fun in knowing everything? Enjoyment comes in conquering a problem, learning from it, and tackling the next. That being said, I am having a blast doing this. I am incredibly proud of how it is turning out, and can’t believe I’m actually making this. I can not wait to see it in print.

If you wish to contact me about comics, art or anything else - shoot me an email beth@fledglingcomics.com