back in the day

These are based on photos from the same book as was the lady from "a lady, a gentleman, and a monster,"  Victorian and Edwardian Fashion: a Photographic Survey by Alison Gernsheim.  I haven't really read the book -- mostly I've just looked at the pictures -- but I have learned some things, namely that once upon a time, there were many varieties of men's neckties, some of them bizarre and/or comical.

It's hard to believe, the getups people used to play sports in.  This lady was pictured with other "tennis club" members, and the men were in suits and big bowlers.  Huh.  The fact that they all held their rackets and everyone's outfits matched led me to believe they actually played in these clothes, but maybe I'm wrong.

it's all relative

Graphic novel characters, again.  While I was working on this at Short Run, another exhibitor at my table asked if the guy in glasses was a well-known, non-local cartoonist, whom I will refer to as "Andrew Peck."  When I answered rather testily that it was not, it was because my fellow exhibitor clearly thought I was the type of dork fangirl who would draw a picture of another cartoonist I don't know just because I'm, like, so crushed on him.  From the brief exchange that followed, I now realize that, worse yet, this guy thought I was annoyed because, like, he didn't know what my hero Andrew Peck really looks like!  Ugh, barves. 

Inspired by a recent conversation.

a lady, a gentleman, and a monster

From my bigger sketchbook, which I have recently started using again.  The lady in the lower left corner is based on a photo from a book on Victorian & Edwardian fashion.  I didn't quite capture either her sardonic charm or her amazing dress (which seemed to consist mostly of dark, lacey material).

getting in the Halloween spirit

Someday I'll have to use this design for something.  Quick sketch I did on break at work.

Also file under: Jack-o-lanterns with stuff coming out of their eye holes.  I actually drew this in August, I think.  I know, I'm terrible.

cemetery at sunset

Here is a panel from my upcoming Halloween 'zine piece, because I feel it is one of the best panels I've done so far, and (unlike most of the panels, or most of my work in general), both the penciling and inking seemed oddly effortless. I know I've been talking a lot about this comic, especially considering the fact that it's only six pages, but the thing about doing comics is that it's ridiculously time-consuming.  For much of the past few weeks, this story has been occupying my thoughts, because I've been working on it for hours nearly every day.  In the end, people are going to read the whole thing in a minute and be like, "Is that all?"

the wise walrus and pals

more than style

I recently did this drawing of Tavi G. of The Style Rookie, and I debated putting it up here (would this come off as weird?), but what the heck.  I dig her because she is intelligent and isn't afraid to have (or change) opinions about stuff, and she has dealt very gracefully with the fact that some people want to treat her like a dancing bear.  I only wish I had been so sharp when I was in high school.

Also, though this is based on a photograph, I did make up the outfit.  In the immortal words of Bobby Brown, that's my prerogative.

period pieces

I am currently working on a little (as in only six pages) period piece, an adaptation of an old folk tale.  In these sketches, I was just trying to get the appearance of the characters and their clothes.

Now in COLOR! Sort of.

I came up with the idea of adding color to this because I figured, rightly, that this would make it easier for the viewer to see the two faces separately (also:drama!).

For this one, I just thought that the bubble had to be pink, then decided to do the girl's hair as well.

These were drawn, as usual, in pencil, then I did the details in color pencil.  I still have a huge much-loved set of aquarelle pencils that I used all the time when I first bought them... in middle school.  They have been rather neglected in the intervening years, and I think I should use them more.  Also, the creamy background color is the actual color of the paper in my sketchbook.  I'm now thinking about scanning all of my sketches, even the ones in plain ol' pencil, as color files.

nothing witty to say

Roughly based on a photo by Robert Doisneau.

I had these speech bubble cutouts left over from a birthday card, so I stuck them to a page in my sketchbook and drew people for them.

Random people that I more or less made up.

graphic novel characters

While drawing this, I tried to remember what it was like to be a boy-crazy teen.  Sigh.

For those who were teenagers in the '90s/were horribly awkward in middle school.  Holla!

File under: spending way too much time/effort on a sketch of a minor character.  Also, in case it isn't obvious: on the right is our man as 20something hottie, on the left is the same guy as 30something dad.

mountains, masks, and Muggsy

the bag

wild creatures

Morgan at the computer.  I didn't finish drawing the keyboard because that type of shit bores me to tears.  Also, I should include the disclaimer that MPJ does not actually look this dumpy and schlubby most of the time (slouch + pajamas = somewhat unflattering).  Lastly, yes, it is a small chair, made to look smaller by both the angle and by Morgan.

The first two are sketches for future paintings ("Since when do you paint?"), and the third is just a sketch I worked on until my neck got too sore (I was standing in the doorway of the room the whole time).  Why yes, I was aware that I use far too many parentheses.  Live with it.

stubbies

This was based on a photo I found on the internet.  I'm not going to say where, just that the subjects are unknown Canadian college students of yesteryear.  I was drawn (yuk yuk) to the photo because all of the subjects show different, somewhat inscrutable, facial expressions.  I was trying to do the drawing fairly quickly and simply, hence the lack of a background.  If I remember correctly, there wasn't much there anyhow.

character sketches

some of the cast

the old devil-on-the-shoulder trick

brothers

These are recent sketches of characters from my current work in progress.  I'll probably regret putting this up, as the final artwork is still a long way off, and by the time I draw them for real, the characters will probably  look somewhat different.  Oh well.

how to make comics and influence people

Books -- sometimes they are big.  And red.

A little while back I bought this enormous tome about one of my biggest influences, Jaime Hernandez.  From the introduction (by Alison Bechdel): "The Locas stories may have been, in part, a masturbation fantasy -- the women are certainly beautiful, and drawn with an unmistakable sexual vitality.  But that same vitality -- voluptuous, palpable, acutely observed -- infused everything in Jaime's stories, from the telephone poles, to the exhaled plumes of cigarette smoke, to the folds in a sleeve, to the precisely calibrated tension in the ropes of a wrestling ring.  This drawn world had a pulse."  Yes.  I think this is why I sometimes get hung up on doing backgrounds; I want everything in the panels to seem like part of a living world.  I know I'm not quite there yet, but I'm trying.

In conclusion, I am aware that tons of people have said that J Hernandez inspired them to do comics, but I'm just gonna get in line with the rest of them.

recent random

This doesn't come off quite as well when you can't see the physical edge of the page, but oh well.

Baroque-esque pattern design, revisiting an old theme, and a Little Shop of Horrors vibe.

20th century men

Based on the cover of some book about doctors from 1964 (hence the date), though I did not draw his stethoscope.

Muddy Waters, from the photo inside some collection cd.

I drew the good doctor just last night.  Muddy I drew about a year ago -- how time does fly.

two sets of twins

I'm not going to try to explain this, except to say that the bats started out as being a completely separate thought from the girls, and then they ended up looking like part of the same (somewhat goth-ish) scene.

Everybody loves cave babies.

Apparently I've had a thing about twins lately.  Your guess is as good as mine.

back to haunt you

A little while back, somebody laughed out loud at this sketch (admittedly, this was after a couple of beers), but anyway, I figured that was a sign that I should post it here.

yelling dog

 

I drew this just now, while I was supposed to be working on the rough draft for my graphic novel.