Another piece from the job. Yup, I got paid to do this while working at the Apple store. I give demos on the iPad pro generally using Pro-create and an Apple Pencil. This is the third try because today, for whatever reason, paint wasn't working for me. So I penciled this while talking to people about art for about an hour. It's got some problems, not least of which is that there's too much space in the cheeks. That being said, I'm happy with it as a sketch and really, this setup is pretty damned tempting. I could make tons of art like this as throw aways, things done just for the joy of drawing and painting with no other need.

Haven't done one of THESE for a long time. I think this comic might actually be a reflection of my mood. When I'm doing well, feeling good, I do some Ghiroy. It's meant to be fun, a distraction, nothing serious. So maybe when I'm not feeling up, or have too much going on, I let it go. Sounds good, anyway. When this comic feels like work, nothing happens. I still need to concentrate on Silas, but this took me just a few hours start to finish so I think it'll remain as that distraction, when I feel like it. Not like anyone's reading it anyway (except you, Vince!).

This is something actually connected with my job. Things have changed around and now there are times when I am specifically supposed to be doing art demos at the Apple Store. Believe it! The few I've done before have been me copying Rembrandt self portraits because they're fun, recognizable and a good challenge. That being said, I am really enjoying using Pro-create on the iPad pro. While I don't paint much any more, I could easily be seduced by this set up. This is unfinished but was getting towards the likeness part.

An alternate or first version of page one. Didn't think the pose was interesting enough though more 'true,' as I posed for it. Sometimes it's hard to get that balance of fantasy and reality. I'm also doing something new with this comic in that it's in the format of most American comics; I'm using the professional blue lined blank pages and everything. Because hey, I can always hope someone will want to publish this, right?

Of course I wasn't done with this. The original colors reflect the graffiti world but probably not the comic, and certainly not the opening page. So I did two other versions. The third one echoes the sky color of sodium vapor light at night, just like the opener, and is probably my favorite. This is more likely going to be the one I go with. I've actually been wrestling with the approach to the graffiti in this as the bright color scheme isn't one I usually use. I might try and mix my usual, more low key palette for the backgrounds and the graffiti can be in its bright. Or not. We'll see how it looks.

Well, took the plunge. This is the first page of the new comic. I hope this means that I'll keep moving on it. It feels that way. I have 24 pages thumbnails out. Perhaps I should do more planning, but I think I'm at that stage where planning will be more like treading water. Have to trust my instincts and just push on. Ink, Affinity Designer.

Weekends are pretty much shot these days, and days I work often are, too. So progress is slower. That being said, I did thumbnail out the opening of the comic, which is about 24 pages. As such, I can't see a reason not to proceed. Today's first was designing the logo. Seems like a small thing, but this will influence parts of the interior including words on the opening page. So it was necessary to get it out of the way. Spent too much time making little windows for the silhouettes of the buildings only to not use them in the end. For what it's worth, here we go.

Ok, a third one of these. This is closer to what I want. The background needs work as it doesn't have enough detail, but this time I think I got a good deal more 'angry beat poet' into things, which is how I want it to feel. It's a weird opening to a comic based on the graffiti world but what the hey.

Doesn't THIS look familiar? I've been looking at some other inspiration for the Silas comic. Things were feeling a little stale and I was trying to get back to what the original plan was. Stuff that's been making itself known to me includes the movie, "Bell, Book and Candle," at least the little Beatnik club in it, some of the Japanese woodblock prints that are hanging right over my computer, and a book on Japanese Graffiti I just got in the mail. The latter mostly proves that their graffiti isn't all that different than that in the west. There is a cool documentary that comes with it, and the music, mostly trance/electronica will prove valuable when drawing pages. This version of Howard is not only a lot more loose but a lot more like -I- draw as opposed to how I think I should. Since this comic is really for me, why shouldn't I go back to the brush I love and make it something I will enjoy? This layout is WAY too dull for what I want but at least the figure and its colors is closer to what I have in mind. Now the challenge will be to stay loose and let things flow...

And there's this from today. "City of Glass" really was an eye-opener for me, one of those few comics that sticks with me to this day. It's rather odd, and I don't know what to make of it even still, but Mazzucchelli did such amazing things in such small spaces. Really, the 80s and early 90s had so much going for them for comics. There was so much expansion going on. A lot of it was still superhero crap but so many other things were really making headway.

I've done a lot of pre-comic work on Silas, but little on the other characters. Well, can't have that. Did this one today of Howard the dog, also from Tamino who is the narrator of the Silas comic. Visually, I think I have him down, though he could be simplified a bit, too. All that being said, I originally visualized him being on a stage as in the beginning of a play though having done this, I'm wondering about a smaller venue such as an old style Beat poetry reading. More smoke, more atmosphere. This is a very plain composition. I hope the finals are a lot more dynamic.