Time

 

 

Yes, I know, I haven’t been around much lately. I’m bummed about that and I’ve been missing you guys more than I care to admit (so how’s it been going, anyway?) but I’ve had my reasons for being an absentee blogger. I’m currently just a couple of weeks out from my last Immigration interview (the one that determines if the relationship is real and if I get to stay)*.

I’m not too worried about it as there is ample evidence that my marriage to Jersey girl is anything but a sham but I have inadvertently forgotten, in the year I’ve been here, to get the required vaccinations and now I have to get them all done in a rush. My own silly fault.

The other thing that’s been eating up my available time is working on my graphic novel project (I mentioned this in a previous post). A large part of the reason it’s taking so much of my time is that I’ve had to teach myself how to draw with a digital pad in Photoshop. This has proven a steep learning curve and there simply hasn’t been much time left over for things like the blog.

Anyway, I thought you might like to see some of what I’ve been working on (since I can’t keep mentioning something and not actually produce some kind of evidence that it’s, in fact, a real thing).

Am I one hundred percent happy with it? Er, no. All I seem to see are the flaws but I’m persevering and it’s just nice to be drawing regularly again. I haven’t done that for years and people are always on at me to get back to it. I just wish I liked the end result a little more. Ah, well, there’s always room for improvement.

 

 

This image is a mock-up of a potential cover. The figure was a line scan of hand-drawn artwork coloured in Photoshop. I was still using the mouse to paint with at this point so it’s a little basic.

 

 

This image represents a huge leap for me. This is the first one I created entirely ‘in program’ using a digital drawing pad. The background is just a placeholder from one of my photographs.

 

 

I’m relatively happy with this full-page image of a vanquished officer.

 

 

This is a panel from the first page of the book. Environments are the biggest challenge for me, I’m learning it’s all about patience.

 

So, that’s what I’ve been up to these past few weeks. It’s been quite good fun pushing myself well beyond my usual comfort zone. Hopefully, one day in the not too distant future, I’ll have a completed book to show for it.

 

*If you are new here and have no idea to what I am referring, may I direct you to the ‘Love letters’ section of this blog?

 

The artwork and characters featured in this strip are my personal IP and may not be reproduced or distributed without my express permission. ©2018

 

 

 

 

 

Ship of fools

 

I guess this is the same deal as last time. A little four-pager that will probably never see the light of day if I don’t put it up here.

This one’s a gruesome little SF tale of human exploitation on some distant, godforsaken world.

 

 

 

The story and characters in this graphic story are the exclusive IP of the creator and may not be reproduced in any form without the express permission of same.

©2018

10:15 Saturday night

 

I’m throwing this short-form piece I did years (decades) ago up here because I’ve just recently coloured it and, if I don’t put it up, I’ll probably never do anything with it. It was my attempt at a more punk graphic style and as such, I think it works quite well.

The Melbourne in which it was set is now largely gone (drowned beneath a wave of bearded hipsters and designer beers) but I think the theme is probably still universal.

Anyway, here it is.

 

 

The story and characters in this graphic story are the exclusive IP of the creator and may not be reproduced in any form without the express permission of same.

 

 

Colour me in

 

If it’s seemed like I’ve been a little absent from the blog over the past week and a bit, there’s been a reason. I’ve been colouring my old ‘Lean Years’ cartoon strips to practice for a big project I’m about to launch off on.

I’ve had it in mind to do a graphic novel for a few years now but I had to learn a few digital colouring techniques before I was ready to start. These strips have been a very handy vehicle for said practice.

Here’s an example of what I’m talking about.

I’ve tried to be a bit adventurous in my approach and, if you’re interested in seeing the rest of them with the added dimension of colour, I’ve replaced all the old BW posts with the new and (hopefully) improved versions.

https://runawayamericandreamsite.wordpress.com/category/the-lean-years/

You can let me know here if you like (or hate) what I’ve done with them.

 

 

©2017

 

 

The Lean Years 15

 

This is the end…

Sadly (for some, happily for others) this is the last remaining Lean Years strip. The rest have been lost to time. I’ve enjoyed reliving those days with Y’all – self-indulgent as it’s been – but now it’s done. Gone like the 90s.

 

The artwork and characters featured in this strip are my personal IP and may not be reproduced or distributed without my express permission. ©1990-2017

 

The Lean Years 14

 

I think that’s well understood.

The artwork and characters featured in this strip are my personal IP and may not be reproduced or distributed without my express permission. ©1990-2017

 

 

Part 15

The Lean Years 13

 

Shut! Shut your mouth…

The artwork and characters featured in this strip are my personal IP and may not be reproduced or distributed without my express permission. ©1990-2017

 

 

Part 14

The Lean Years 12

 

We’ll all take turns…

 

The artwork and characters featured in this strip are my personal IP and may not be reproduced or distributed without my express permission. ©1990-2017

 

 

Part 13

 

 

The Lean Years 11

 

Dialogue dub, now here’s the rub…

The artwork and characters featured in this strip are my personal IP and may not be reproduced or distributed without my express permission. ©1990-2017

 

 

Part 12

The Lean Years 10

 

The gold road’s sure a long road…

 

The artwork and characters featured in this strip are my personal IP and may not be reproduced or distributed without my express permission. ©1990-2017

 

 

part 11