SHOOTING FRIENDS: DRAWING BOARD 26/9/2005

CURRENT SOUNDTRACK: CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON OST, Tai Dun, 'Silk Road'

To be honest, not actually done any drawing today, even though it was a day off, so I've got things laid out ready for tommorrow to hammer away to finish the page. Interviewed Steve Yeowell (a lovely bloke) for RE5 with Leon at the Cornerhouse, then a bit of shopping before going to see LAND OF THE DEAD. Not a bad film, worth watching. Quite into zombies at the moment.

One thing I've learn these last few weeks is just how hard it is getting back in the rythem of doing drawing. Especially one that's been sitting there for months and having things dragging your attention elsewhere. I've two that are in differing states of completion that need to be done by end of next week. And they will be. Just need a few hours sleep first.

PADAWAN LEARNER: DRAWING BOARD 25/9/2005

CURRENT SOUNDTRACK: HIGHLANDER OST, Michael Kamen, 'Who Wants to Live Forever?'



And so it begins...

Again.

TALES FROM THE DRAWING BOARD... STARTS TODAY!

CURRENT SOUNDTRACK: STARGATE OST, Dave Arnold, 'Orion'



In an attempt to keep me tied to the drawing board and actually drawing something, I'm gonna start posting photos on what I'm working on, and post them here on a daily basis, with maybe some witty commentary. But more than likely just some ramblings to the tune of whatevers in my cd player.

To start us off, I'm drawing a birthday card for my nephew, who's 7 this weekend. Somewhat inevitably, its STAR WARS related. It's still debatable which one of us has more toys.

BEER AND DEAFNESS

CURRENT SOUNDTRACK: Linkin Park, Reanimation, P5hng Me A*wy



This is an example of how a REDEYE editorial type meeting starts. With beer. Some salt and pepper. And print outs of articles and interviews to proof read. And me straining with increasingly poor hearing to work out what people are saying.



It also ends with more beer. And more print outs, usually covered in red ink and my unintelligable notes all over it. Have to say that Leon and Matt, my right and indeed left hand on the RE team, have been doing sterling work in making sure we're continuing to raise the standard of writing. RE4 suffered from being very rushed, but this time round we've actually left ourselves a full month of proofreading before going to print in time for the Brighton Expo. Which means I won't be touching it. At all. For a month. So I can't mess it up. It's for the best.

In the meantime I need to get back to my drawing board tommorrow morning and finish off some outstanding strips.



But I've still got this to play with. Where's my Plo Koon figure...

CHEESECAKE

Righty then. Quick update where we are with stuff:

Release schedule for Brighton:

REDEYE 5: Four articles out of five, two interviews out of eight done, eight batches of ten reviews in (currently clocking in at 120= pages....)

THUNDERHIDE ONESHOT: Needs lettering and re-designing interior pages.

SEVEN SENTINELS #1: Needs back up strip completing and designing interior pages.

FUSION #5: Two strips completed, one needs lettering, one needs art, one TBC.

ROUGH GUIDE TO SELF PUBLISHING MK 4: I've a few articles but always need more, so if any creators, editors, retialers etc want to pass on their experiences, advice, dos and don'ts, let me know at editor@enginecomics.co.uk. If you feel the urge to do an essay on a particular area, be it marketing, printing, webcomics etc, thaz cool too. Dave (CEREBUS) Sim will be one of the contributers, updating stuff from his own Guide. Deadline for submissions would be 15th October.

On top of this I'm completing two four page strips for THE END IS NIGH #2 (nearly finished art) and a strip for ZARJAZ #1 (it looks good in my head...).

Better get drawing now then.

MOJO

CURRENT SOUNDTRACK: Jeff Buckly: Grace (Special Edition), 'Last Goodbye'

I'm playing this a bit too loud, but sod it, why not. Yesterday was pretty much a wasted day, off work again thanks to resurgance of a stomach bug this last week. Stayed in bed far too long, rapidly becoming an all too common occurance. I'd have more luck getting an audience with God than getting an appointment with the doctors at the moment. But anyway.

More annoyed by the fact I'd spent days on one panel for an upcoming strip I'm doing (not gonna mention which one yet, you'll see it on here eventually), where one character was shooting another in the head. Hours of redrawing the victims head either exploding, snapping back, etc. After checking the script for caption placement, notice it was actually one character hitting another with a HAMMER. See what happens when you draw in the middle of the night?

I generally don't like getting into too much day-to-day-detail unlike many other blogs, mostly because my life really isn't that interesting. Who wants to read about what I won off eBay last week (a green Jedi Starfighter if you're wondering) or what I'm doing next weekend (a mates wedding). I really should be posting artwork from upcoming ENGINE titles...



...or a screenshot from that particular comics opening web movie...



or a mocked up copy of REDEYE 5 out in November...



or what I've been trying to draw in perspective in the hopes of getting some pro work...



Instead, here's three squirrels with lightsabres:



Time now for something to eat then finding some reference of what happens to a head when hit by a hammer.