Original Art Sundays no. 355: Sharp Invitations: Curt, p. 55

 Back in the saddle, so to speak! Last week was just too hectic, but we're back on track.

Last week, we saw my court testimony against Curt. He was on trial for disorderly conduct (reduced charge) after his actions against me the previous December.

Read on.

Courtrooms are pretty bland places, visually. This is intentional, to a large extent. Neutral surroundings give advantage to neither side in a conflict.

This courtroom is reconstructed from memory and a few photo references. I added the painting on the wall to give the panel a little weight.

Other art considerations: Panel one is partially open. This is to slow the pace a bit. The full figure echoes the first page of the narrative. The very first panel of the story is me full figure. The kitchen setting and me drinking tea (or is it coffee?) was a whim. The open cupboards are another opportunity to give weight to a very light page, visually. I used the heavy blacks in panels 3 and 5 as counterbalances- one on reader left, one on reader right. I got sick of not being able to control my whiteout, so I got some more options, including a whiteout pen that gives great coverage and is very easy to work with. The texture behind him in panels 4 and 5 was the same thing, just to add a little weight and texture. Very light Photoshop this week. Just some Levels and Curves work, and a slight correction for distortion in the scan.This one was pretty clean.

Focus is never my long suit. I'm thinking about my classes for next semester, while I wrap up the current semester (3 weeks to go!). Along the same lines, I have sketches and notes on the next two major projects, and I'm putting together a small book of completed works. All the while, I'm planning and re-planning the completion of this book.

Here's this week's tool list.

• Canson Bristol Board
• T-squares, triangles, straightedges, Ames lettering guide, erasing guide
• Pencils: Ticonderoga 2B, Derwent 6B and 3B, 0.3 tech pencil and Ebony pencil
• Inks: Quill nib and holder, Dr. Martin's Black Magic matte ink, Copic Multiliner Brush Small, Microns .005, .02, .03, .05 and .08
• Kneadable and plastic erasers
• FW Artists' Acrylic White and Tight Spot correction brush, Whiteout pen
  
• Photoshop

 

Next: the verdict is in.

Original Art Sundays No. 313: Sharp Invitations: Curt, p. 54

 Court time!

Testifying against the abusive ex!

Narrative notes: As has been happening, this is an abridged version of my testimony. Actual court proceedings are slow and detail oriented, and don't usually make for good storytelling. He really did loudly whisper that to his attorney! I still have that Ankh necklace, and that dress. The dress no longer fits, but I've always loved it and can't bring myself to part with it. The second panel on the top tier could read as abridged testimony, which it is, or as broken phrases due to the raw emotions on the stand. While the former is the truth, both are valid readings.

Art notes: Courtrooms are really kind of boring places, at least visually. They have to be, when you think about it. It's not about the place, it's about what happens there. The backgrounds are sparse and the lighting is very even. Doesn't make for an exciting view. I moved the "camera" a bit, always just on the one axis, to give the page some visual dynamic. This page is completely pen and ink, aside from the corrections. The background completely drops from the bottom tier. This is a deliberate narrative choice. I wanted to push aside everything except the testimony at that point. This page got very messy in scanning for some reason - a ton of little artifacts! I did the usual Photoshop tricks: levels, dust and scratches, threshold. But it came down to tedium with eraser and brush tools. It's not my best page, but it works.

Next: one more page of court, possibly two if I can't resolve a layout challenge, two pages of aftermath,  and a page of goodbye. Then this chapter is done.

Original Art Sundays No. 312: Sharp Invitations: Curt, p. 53

 Hello all!

I concentrated on Inktober (and midterm grades) during the last month.  I will post my Inktober work as time permits, and I may compile a small book of the last two years of October Inks. Now that I've completed that work for now, it's back to the book.

When we left our heroines, Diana (myself) and Jennifer were en route to Madison, WI. I was going there to testify against Curt, who insisted on a jury trial on disorderly conduct charges, stemming from his attempted attack on me six months earlier. 

Read on.

Story notes: this page provides a small glimpse into Jenny's personality, in her facial expressions and curiosity. It's a necessary step in the story- we have to get there for the trial to happen, of course. I'm always struck by how much you can do with so little in comics. One small caption covers an entire trip! I might have the mileage wrong- didn't bother to double check it, since I've done that particular journey so many times over the years. Side note: 3/4 of the page is devoted to a hair style. Make of that what you will.

Layout and art notes: My photo reference for the Dane County Courthouse was limited, so I extrapolated an exterior from available information. The telescoped perspective (trompe l'oilel) is surface plausible, but hurts if you look at it too long. This page was rather sparse, so I dropped in some Photoshop textures.  It felt weird - good but weird- to be working on comics again after a month of just drawing. There's a slight distortion to the bottom edge. Most of the time, my new trick of taking a phone photo and dropping it into Photoshop on the laptop works fine, but there are idiosyncrasies. I suspect that when the book is complete, prior to a re-edit, I will need to take a couple weeks and just re-scan, re-draw, rewrite...

Lots of artifacts on this week's page! Photoshop cleanup was crucial. I wasn't paying attention to my tools, and grabbed a 6B pencil for most of the layout, making cleanup a challenge. I re-lettered Panel Two in PS, using the Scott McCloud The Sculptor typeface. I recently read that again. It's so good! It reminds me of the possibilities of the form, technical, narrative and spiritual.

During Inktober, I splurged on new brushes, nibs and inks. I've forgotten how much smoother the work is when one doesn't have to fight one's tools.

The tools this week are the usual suspects:

• Canson Bristol Board
• T-squares, triangles, straightedges, Ames lettering guide, erasing guide
• Pencils: Ticonderoga 2B, Derwent 6B and 3B, 0.3 tech pencil and Ebony pencil
• Inks: Quill nib and holder, Dr. Martin's Black Magic matte ink, Copic Multiliner Brush Small, Microns .005, .02, .03, .05, .08, and 1.0 (lots of Micron use on this page)
• Kneadable and plastic erasers
• FW Artists' Acrylic White and Tight Spot correction brush
• Photoshop

Next: We see Curt again.