Original Art Sundays No. 374: Sharp Invitations: Esther's Hands, Interlude conclusion

 Back from Autoptic! That was quite a success in my book. I talked to many old friends, made some new ones and had decent sales. I'm already deep into prep for the new semester, but I still had time to work on some pages from the book.

I posted the concluding page of the Cemetery Interlude before, but I have a better scan of it, so am re-posting it, along with another single page interlude.

I've previously posted thoughts on the graveyard to college page. 

Thoughts on the new page: deliberately light to no backgrounds. This is a moment between Mother and me. In that moment, everything else slipped away. 

Tools used on this page:

• Papers: tracing paper, various sketchbooks, Canson Bristol board
  
• Pencils: Lyra 2B graphite stick, 4B lead and holder, 2B Ticonderoga classic, tech pencil and 4B lead
  
• Erasers: kneadable, vinyl eraser, Click eraser
• Hand Tools: 6" and 14" straightedge, triangle, T-square
• Inking tools: Tight Spot correction brush, Holbein white gouache
  
• Markers: Copic 0.25, 0.3, 0.8, 1.0, Faber Castell brush, LePen brush, Copic Brush and Micron small brush
  
• And of course, Photoshop

 

The next three or four pages will conclude this chapter. I need to confer with family on a couple points as we approach the end.

Original Art Sundays (Wednesday) no. 373: new Surrealist Cowgirls cover!

 In preparing a fresh edition of Surrealist Cowgirls for print for Autoptic, I found a preliminary for a different cover. I forgot I did this one, and I love it!

 

Nice. Just clean simple line art. I decided to use this one as a B  & W cover. It's very striking!

There will be four different Cowgirls covers available at Autoptic. I've posted the original and the Kevyn Lenagh version here before. This is the third. The fourth will be a sketch cover option. You can draw your own, or put me to work! While the Cowgirls have been in print before, this is a different compilation and the first time the work is available to the general public.

Autoptic is very close and I'm very excited. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Original Art Sundays (Tuesday) no. 372: Final Tranny Towers collection cover

 Another piece related to Autoptic '24.

As I've mentioned here in the past, I had some reservations about collecting my old Tranny Towers strips, largely because I thought the title might give offense. My Comic History students last semester encouraged me to give it a go.

I have collected all the strips, with a few extras, and am offering them publicly for the first time this coming Saturday. This is not the "Omnibus" collection. For that, I need to collect related works from other publications and create some new work to finalize the storyline. But it is all the strips, plus a few cool extras.

In reviewing the material, I was reminded of those times, and of how much I really had to say. While my craft was still maturing, my creativity was ablaze in these strips! My awareness of trans issues of the time was evident in these strips. It was a great time, and I hope that comes across in the work.

Some time ago, I did a new cover, based on the concept of "getting the band back together." I finished adding color to it, and here we go!

I hope this wraparound cover makes you as happy as it does me. Hope to see you Saturday!

Original Art Sundays (Monday) No. 371: Last Sharp Invitation covers

 Been a few weeks, yes? I've been obsessively preparing for tabling at Autoptic this coming weekend. I have tabled numerous cons, but this is the first time I've tabled my own work. It's exciting and a bit intimidating.

To that end, I've been printing books like a madwoman. Formatting, reformatting, conferring with my printer. Where did that file go? Oh yeah, here it is. All done!

Since the 64 page chapter on Curt in Sharp Invitations is complete, I have decided to print it as a stand-alone book. In case you don't recall, this is the chapter on domestic abuse and survival. It is titled The Last Sharp Invitation, and it will still be included in the larger book.

I did two covers for it. Here was the first thought.

This was inspired by a Coles Phillips painting. It's a combination of ink, walnut ink, colored pencil and marker. There was a lot I liked about it, but it didn't have a direct connection to the story, so I decided to go in a different direction.

This is more intimate. Possibly it's too quiet for a cover image, but it does relate to a scene in the book. I used the first image as an annotated back cover. Typography and trade dress were added in InDesign.

The book has been printed and will be available at Autoptic on Saturday, August 17 at Coffman Union. I'm proud of it and eager to share it with you. Come on by!