Maybe you are interested, most possibly not, but hey, I'm starting work on another personal project. The first one in quite a while to be completely honest. I rarely draw as I should in my downtime (a good artist draws constantly in spare time with a sketch book etc.), because the constant demand of my day to day commercial art saps most my my creative flow. But, this time it's for comic books. I had an idea that's been rattling around in my head for a little while now, and I'm finally getting the motivation (and time) to start it. Nothing too intensive, I'm thinking a 8-10 page story after all is said and done. Its a "jail break" story an theory, but as usual with my stories, theres something extra..... I'll probably do it as a stark black and white pen and ink project. Maybe I'll do monotone work over it if I get the gumption after its drawn. We will just have to see. Its still sort of nebulous, but I'm now getting a handle on it. I finished breaking down all the plot points and the frame of the story. Now I have to go back and do revision, and give it the meat. I started thumbnail layouts for some of the pages already. I am not setting a deadline for myself for this one, as it's a personal project and one that I don't want to feel confined to a strict deadline. So dont' write me and say "hey, what happened to....." It'll be done when its done :-). Of course paying jobs have the focus, this is just something I'm doing strictly for kicks and giggles. I'll shop it around to publishers after its done. If it sees the light of day in a book fine, if not fine as well. It'll be nice to revisit the comic book industry once again after a few years away from it; especially without the hellacious deadlines inherant with comics production or the "draw more like so-and-so because hes popular and the kids love his new 'psudo-anime inspired-cutting edge regurgitation of regurgitation of just downright bad draftsmanship' drawing style" attitudes. What happened to the guys that COULD draw....Al Williamson, Alex Toth, Reed Crandall, Hal Foster and so many others? Gibberish I tell 'ya, and one I have thankfully washed myself of. Having said that though, sequential illustration is my love and always has been. I guess thats why I love storyboarding and concept so much. It is so similar to comics and yet so different in so many ways. My character animation? mmmmm........well yeah thats cool too. I like it.... but its more of a "third arm" to my work. With animation, I like the act of 'acting' and telling a story through poses and actions, and the subtleties of the animation art form. When all is said and done, and you strip down my work, it's the basics. The magic of the storytelling process, and the problemsolving it poses that keeps me driven and pushing my art. Always setting goals for myself, usually ones that are just out of reach. But that makes you a better artist. Always pushing, always learing, most importaintly always observing life.
Enough already....
Craig
