MAK Landing: A Mini-Comic

In June I took part in the Cartoon Studio week-long intensive at The Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, Vermont.

I can't say enough good about the experience I had there.  If you are seriously interested in learning more about how to make comics, check out their many summer workshops, for all ages.

Our assignment in this "intensive" (and it was--but such fun!) was to go from concept to completed, produced 8-page mini comic between Monday morning and Friday morning.  We had lectures in everything from webcomics to inking to story and character creation.  And we worked and worked.

What a blast to be focusing on a medium I love with other people who love it too!  And to learn so much!

Anyhow, below is my comic, a short adventure story for middle grade readers.







I will write more about creating comics in the future!

More Practice with Minimalism and People

I really am interested in this notion of practicing capturing people with fewer lines.  I don't want to go entirely to gesture, but I want fewer lines to capture more about body language and character expression.  I want to develop this for my work in comics.

I'm going to spend some time this summer studying Jules Feiffer who I know is a master at this.

These were fun.  In these I thought a lot about weight, and how people distribute their body weight when doing various things.

Car Have a Recall? Sketch in the Waiting Room

My car had a recall, which they warned me would take an hour to repair.  I figured that meant more like two hours, knowing the dealership, so I went prepared to study people with bold lines from my Pentel Pocket Brush Pen, and no additional colors.

This was all part of my preparing to take courses at The Center for Cartoon Studies in mid-summer.

One thing I really want to learn more about:  how little line information can it take to effectively render an expressive face?  Where do you get the most bang for your line's buck?  

People as Silhouette Shapes

A while ago I spent a day or two sketching people as silhouette shapes.

In comics, the readability of characters depends a lot on their overall shape and the differentiation of those shapes among characters.

Drawing real people this way helped me see a bit more about how that works.

I used the Pentel Pocket Brush Pen and a little journal which I don't like much because it doesn't take watercolor at all.  But it was perfect for this.

This was part of the "Sketch 100 people in five days" drawing challenge.

Sketching While Watching Soccer

I have a nephew who plays college soccer and during the Fall season, I like to scribble away during his games.

The women's national team was playing on TV one day--what a great way to practice sketching the sport and get more people into my 100 People in Five Days challenge.

Waiting Room Sketches Part Two

More quick scribbles from a waiting room...

Waiting Room Sketches Part One

Quick contour gestures of folks in the waiting room at the local Social Security office.  These were part of the 100 people in five days challenge from last spring.

Waiting in government offices for help really does give you lots of time to draw lots of people.

More Gestures of College Students

More quick gesture drawings.

I'm trying to catch posture, body movement....