PAGE TWO

I'm planning on adding text to the newspaper in the first panel. I know it looks empty right now.

-ryan

PAGE ONE--finally...

Alright, finally, here is page one, inked. Really debating the best way to show these pages off, i.e. Wordpress blog vs. actual hand styled HTML. But for now, I couldn't wait to show you guys, since I've been talking about it for so long. And now you can see it. I will probably put up the next few pages intermittently, with no set schedule for now. I've got 10 pages inked and ready to be scanned/polished/delivered/etc. for your eyeballs.

So, please, feel free to leave comments and critiques, advice, etc.

Thanks!

-Ryan

New Year, New News.

Alright, everyone, incredibly sorry for the delay. I got pretty busy last semester with school and family, but I've managed to keep on track with Mega West. I've finished all the pencils and am now currently in the inking process. I'm technically up to page 5, but I'm also going back to the first 4 pages and filling in black areas that I left untouched for the time being. It's one of those things that you don't think of at first when reading a comic, but filling in areas of black such as shadows on faces, objects, etc. actually helps to lead the reader's eye through the page in the direction that you want. It's hard to get a handle on at first, especially in the pencils stage, but it makes sense once you start to ink. At least, that's my experience so far.

By the way, if anyone is interested in making comics, I'd recommend a book I've been reading for reference and help on this whole process: Drawing Words and Writing Pictures by Jessica Abel and Matt Madden. It explains a lot of visual techniques, materials that are used in comics, what kinds of pens and brushes to use and how, as well as story structure and developing characters. Nick Sousanis, the former editor-in-chief and cofounder of thedetroiter.com, recommended it to me last year. He's pretty cool, and uses comics to talk about and explore a range of topics.

Anyways, I would like to start posting previews of what I've inked so far, but I may have to switch to a WordPress blog for that. Last night I lettered all the dialogue that Sean had finalized up to page 10, so that's my next benchmark for now. Get to page 10. Get to page 10...

Take care.

Ryan

Halfway

I'm back from Tennessee, didn't get but one page done while I was there, so I'm behind where I would be if I had been drawing everyday since then...

What I mean to say is that I've finished drawing page 15, which puts me at half the issue. Here are some scans to show what the issue is looking like so far:

pg.5

pg.6

pg.7

pg.8

pg.15

I set all my pages up on sheets of 11 x 17" Bristol board, ruling off a page area of 10 x 15.375", and a “live area” of 9 x 13.5". There were quite a few bleeds in this issue, so I needed to have room past my page area for the art that would get cut off. I figured the proportions out so that I can scale it all down to a regular comic size of 6.625 x 10.25", with a live area of 6 x 9". Yagh. I have only Jessica Abel and Matt Madden's book "Drawing Words and Writing Pictures" to thank for the help on all this technical stuff. 

I scanned half of each page since the size is 11x17, then stitched them together in Photoshop--hence the dark band in the middle from edge that didn't completely touch the scanner bed. It'll look a lot nicer when they're inked, since I can just go in and set a threshold, converting the whole think to black and white. However, that probably won't be for at least a week or so, once I've finished all 30 pages. 

Well, this is the furthest I've ever gotten in drawing a comic, so even though the end may still look like a long way off, I'm getting there. Sometimes it sucks to draw, other times it's really fun. I'm finding that I'll too worked up over getting correct proportions or perspective, but once I step away and take a break, then come back, it gets better. I'm trying to find a balance between drawing realistically and figuratively, and sometimes I'll get it. Practice makes better, though. 

Alright. Enough. I need to sleep.

-ryan h

Progress.

Hey, not much to share, but pages 5-8 have been pencilled. Started on page 9 today, but I'm gonna have to finish it tomorrow (hopefully). Tonight I'm headed down to Tennessee for a week with my friends who are going back to school. I'm bringing my stuff to draw, but who knows if I'll be able to get that much done. 

Cool. Hopefully I'll be able to scan some pencils when I get back.

-ryan

Back on the Wagon

Alright, Sean and I recently redid the page layouts for the whole issue, since we decided a lot of pages had too many panels and were cramped, and also to streamline the story better. So now we're at 30 pages for the first issue, and I've already begun the pencils. I finished pages 1-4 Saturday, and I'm starting on page 5 today. My goal is to get all the pencils done by the 20th or so, in order to start on inking before I go back to school. It's gonna be a challenge, but a fun one.

Also, we're starting to put together ideas for an actual website for Mega West. Hopefully we'd have it up when the first issue is printed, and you could go there for character bios, backstory, and other news.

Yup.

Here's a sketch.

Alright, I don't think I'll post images of the penciled pages. Maybe I'll scan one and then again once I ink it to show my process. 

Cool. 

-ryan

Baby Steps are Better Than No Steps

So I finished the layouts for the first issue today. They are super rough.
Most panels are no more than stick figures, but that's okay. It's all about panel layout and flow at this point. Seeing what works, and what will drag it down. The fun stuff won't come till later, but until then, I'll show you some of the spreads.

Here's the first 5 pages so far.







I probably won't be able to start drawing for at least until the semester is over. But that will give me time to work out any further rough spots in the flow of the panels.

Alright, back to homework. It's funny that even though I'm on spring break this week, I feel guilty for enjoying it, and not doing work every day. I guess that's what it's going to take to survive in this economy.

whatever.

-ryan