Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Death Returns from Holiday

A tip I got years ago, and which I stick rigidly to, is when you are working on a number of things, all at different times, lock them away from view until their turn comes around again. Then when you take the thing out to work on it again, if it still excites you and still looks like a good, workable, idea, it's a potential winner - you'll be surprised how many "live projects" look absolutely ghastly when they come back out into the cold light of day. On the plus side, you can really recommit to the work that still looks like a good idea.



I'm really pleased that Johnny Morte passed my self-editing test, because it's a bit of a favourite and it has to be a favourite of mine because at the moment all the changes I'm making are being done with the mouse; until my new graphics tablet arrives. It's challenging, especially when it comes to making curves, although that's easy to do with something large like the skull in "Morte" which I made with the Vector tool you have to be really creative to make little things like finger tips.




I was in two minds, but I've decided to go forward with a flat cartoony look because I enjoy comics that look like comics so that makes the redrawing much faster.

I'm also putting a colour version together, and again I'm going super-flat. Once again this is a reaction to the dreadful over colouring you see today in so many comics.


I've reworked a couple of pages already and with luck, when the pen comes, things will speed up and it'll be finished before the year is out.

Go Obama!

4 comments:

Mike Lynch said...

The color (or "colour") really makes Johnny Morte look great.

I agree with you about hiding your projects away from yourself. Also: don't talk about them to other people. If you do, then by the time it comes to sitting down and going back to work on a project, you're bored about it because you've been yakking about it.

My Blogger Word Verification word: bunblect.

Rod McKie said...

Hey thanks, Mike. You back from your wondering?

Yup, as you say, even yakking about it can scunner you toward the projects.

Mine is diopheo.

alexander matthews said...

dowpun for me.

I really like this, Rod. The artwork is stunning, and for me it is the strongest style of the comics of yours that I have seen. Very dynamic, and the colour palette really adds to it.

Rod McKie said...

Hey, thanks, Alex. Making up my mind about what I look for in a comic these days has helped - I figure, even if the thing is never financially successful, at least I'll like it.