Did a bunch of work on these pages today, including adding a new page between the two I'd been working on. This will screw up the numbering again, but it's not the first time. While it's a little clunky for animation, I think it works ok for comics. There's movement, which I want, and a decent fluidity to the smear, which was hard to do. I think things are going to get a bit more extreme from here on out, but that's the mice. They're loud and rude.

Did a little work on this yesterday. Thursdays are hard as it's grocery day, podcast day and laundry day as well. That being said, I was put in mind of one of the old animation techniques from Looney Tunes, something called a 'smear.' It was first used to extremes in a cartoon called, "The Dover Boys." Still frames of that cartoon are insane and wonderful. While I don't think I can go that far, I think a good deal of exaggeration is warranted for this track. The mice are LOUD.

 

 I haven't felt a creative spark for art in awhile, so this comic has languished a bit. Between prepping for this week's podcast (watching the movie, writing the script), doing some laundry and recording some VO auditions, I didn't really feel like drawing, but I wanted to have drawn, if that makes sense. So I did the Terry and Rooster figures for this page and cut out where the spotlights would hit. So that's at least something.

 So, a couple of updates though I haven't really been able o dial up the right motivation to make art. The bottom is the updated version of the latest opening page for track 12 of City Silent. Had to fix the credit and lighting. But I think that's going to work. The top image is Smatt from the next page. I think. At least it's progress. Work just sucks the life out of me. I have been enjoying the auditions I've been doing for VO work lately, though and have been shortlisted for a couple of them. So here's hoping.

 Was a very busy day so didn't have a lot of time for art. But I knew what the next step was for this page and managed to get it done. The lettering was a pain in the ass. But it does almost exactly what I wanted it to do.

 Ok, made some more progress on this. Got the other two mice in there, lightened the overlay a bit. A bit more to go but it's a start on the new track. They're going to be loud again.

Finally know how to get Silas off stage and Smatt's gang on. Partially came from watching some video of hiphop dancers and partially because I went and saw "Spinal Tap 2." You never know where ideas are going to come from. Still a good deal to do on this page but this is the general idea of how I want to start.

 

 Finished this today. When I went to bed last night, I knew I wanted to add just a little dimensionality to the piece which meant some shadows, something I don't usually do. I also removed the dark patch in the foreground as it really wasn't adding anything and I enlarged and re-cropped the composition to better fill the space. All in all, I'm pretty happy with it. I hope the Brattle stands forever.

 Took another stab at this today. So far, I'm liking the colors but I think it needs a little something, just not sure what that is. Will let it sit and stew overnight then come back to it tomorrow.

Sometimes, I think I spend time trying to learn to draw like someone else. Maybe I doubt myself, I don't know. The top image is sort of like that. Going through the iPad, I found an image or two I didn't remember making and they're closer to what's stylistically going on in the rest of the comic. The top image is a real clash. So I will likely go with something more like what's on the bottom, making the mice's heads smaller, hand and feet bigger. And the messy spray paint, too.
 

 A quick pic of me as Basher, my orc as we wandered about the local ren fast in the rain. So glad I can still do this kinda thing.

 Was feeling pretty low today, what with the world being what it is. But the act of creation is something that can and has helped me feel better. So I took a moment to work on some character designs for City Silent. These are in reverse order, newest at the top. I think the simpler style might work really well as contrast to what Silas was doing, but it needs a bit more refinement.

 Can't believe I didn't post this. I finished this a few weeks ago. There was some added detail and fiddling with color and contrast, some based on the likes of the person for whom it was meant. My best friend Max is not someone that understands art, or so he says but as this was meant for him and his home, I wanted to involve him if at all possible. He was very kind about it. I always feel like I'm inflicting my art on people when I want to give them something, so I rarely do. When he moved to his current home, he did say he'd need some art. So I thought I'd make this based on his favorite place to sit in Harvard Square. Interestingly, one of the main focuses of the original, the mysterious woman in red that was sitting unearth in the center, got edited out of this version. I think it's for the better. 

All in all, I think this one works pretty well. It has that cool feeling of fall shadows and the warmth as well. It feels like the place without being a slavish copy. The colors are far brighter than I usually use in portraits and such. I don't know, I think it works. A print is on its way to him. I hope he likes it.

 Had a lazy day, which I needed. Was going through my Procreate files just to see what I might have left unfinished and came across this one. There were multiple versions of some of the layers there but when I flicked through them, I found a combination that I didn't mind. It's an awkward self portrait, which is fine. Certainly not flattering. It does fit my aesthetic. I only used color for the face, left the rest black and white which I rather like. Not a winner, but a good exercise.

 I'm calling this one done. "Three Horsemen" is the title. I wanted to capture a moment of peace between these three, unrelated men. Shoved together on seats, they calmly ignore each other and wait before something big happens, or perhaps nothing happens at all. Two are lost in their phones, looking outwards, the other does the same but without the technology. A typical scene if you've ever ridden public transportation but something about it just interested me. I decided not to use color; didn't see the need. And it would only have distracted or focused attention on one of them in particular and I didn't want that. I'm happy with it. It's something I would look at for a long while. I wish it would evoke some kind of meaning in viewers but I don't know that it will. Doesn't matter, this one was for me.

 Got a bunch done before the podcast. Most of it, I'm happy with. I think there needs to be a little more definition in the backpacks and such as they're just blobs right now. Don't want to go overboard as that will detract from the figures. But it's podcast time...

 Got some more work done on this today, though now that it's afternoon, the vaccines are making me achey and tired again. Will try and come back to this tonight if possible, but so far, I'm pretty happy with it. I think this evokes that kind of malaise one feels on the T, the simple waiting but also a moment of peace. One the one guy on the end isn't looking at his phone. I wonder what he's thinking about. More to come.

 And here's the second guy added to the mix. There will be more adjustments when I get the third done and there's some background to do, but I'm happy with how quickly this is coming together.

 I went and got FIVE vaccines today. I was aiming to get one; the new Covid booster but they talked me into getting whooping cough, flu, pneumonia and something called RVS? as well. So I spent most of the afternoon sleeping. When I got up, I had enough energy to work on this. So far, I'm liking how it's coming out and am seriously considering not using color. We'll see. There's a lot to go.

 Did some more work on this piece. These three were sitting next to each other on the T, kind of smooshed together the way commuters are. I think I will try and do the full figures and environment. These are jus sketches, though I will likely do the faces and bodies separately.

 I'm still struggling, wanting to do something but just not feeling that spark. There's a photo I took on the T of three random guys sitting on the train. I want to paint them, have been wanting to. I tried working freehand on one of them tonight. It's not bad, but too fiddly. Still, it's something.

I've been in a creative void lately. Just haven't had the spark to really make much of anything. I tried watching some shows on art and artists which usually helps but all it did was make me want to draw without giving me an idea of what to draw. When in doubt, do a self portrait. I did the second image based on a photo I took after orc-ing at the faire this year. Then, I re-made the one I did of my best friend Max from a couple years ago, one with which I've never really been satisfied. While this one looks more like the photo it came from I'm still on the fence about it. Both of these were done without underdrawing, inspired by a re-watch of a documentary on Alice Neel. There was something very special about her work. While not technically correct, her portraits had a life to them that a lot of 'better' paintings lack. So I gave it a try. I'm happy with the technique if not the final product.

 

 Had a little time before the podcast this morning to work a little on this. I added some details and fixed a couple of the chairs. I don't want to add any more details and am reviewing even the shutters on the  yellow building on the right. So far, I'm pretty happy with it. I decided to take it to the extreme and abstracted it further, because of that Rothko documentary. I think this version would not work unless I was using real paint, layering thinned down colors as he did as the subtlety would be lost.

 I felt like I had hit a kind of wall with the image as I had been working it. I felt too slavish to the details, was too mired in the tiny things and was missing the point of the whole image, which was to evoke the feeling of sitting in this area of Harvard Square. Then I watched a documentary on Mark Rothko and felt inspired. After watching it, I did what I've often done with some of my images; I deleted the stuff that was too fussy. Usually, it's a line work layer. In this case, I started over, using the same pencil drawing but I held the pencil at the very back end so I had less control. I didn't do most of the detail of the background and worked my way forward only adding as little technique as possible. I'm going to sleep on it but instinct says this was a better way to go. And if that's the case, I don't mind that I put so much work into the other version. If I'm happy with the final piece, it just means that was a necessary step. 

 Worked today, but managed to do a bit on this in the evening. I completely re-drew the woman seated in red. She's kind of a focal point of the image and I thought I could do better. So, I did. I also decided to move one of the chairs in the foreground over a bit to the left which helps fill in a bare spot and  balances the composition better. The wonders of digital art and layers. Did a bunch of little color tweaks. Right now, especially in thumbnail, it's working really well for me. This is Max's favorite place in Harvard Square to sit and I thought he might like a little of it at home. 

 And a slight update. I didn't finish everything but I did go bak and fix some things that really needed it. So, it's coming along. At least I got to listen to some good records today while working on this.

 I have to be in the mood and today, I was. This image has been kicking around for probably close to five years at this point. I'd really like to get it done. I did do a bunch of work on it today and might even get the bits and pieces finished. Maybe. That being said, it's coming along. There's going to be a LOT of color shifting before I decide it's done. But so far, I'm happy with the way it's going.

 "Side Eye." Finished tonight. I decided to keep most of the image in shades of grey and just color his face. That warm brown looks, to my eyes, really interesting against the grey background and blacks. The highlights in purple was a last minute change that I think makes them more interesting. Please click on this as the white background is overwhelming it and making it hard to see.

 It was a busy day off but I managed to get started on another portrait. I haven't done that many of these this year, and most of them are selfies. This is Ian, whom I've done twice before. He's giving us the side eye. The contrast of the highlights and mid tones is too high, but I'll fix that in color.

I've been trying to work on the look for the next track, trying to get out of my head a bit. I came across an artist in Instagram who does some amazing things with figures, kind of suggesting anatomy but ignoring its boundaries as well. So, here are some early sketches.
 

 I wish there were a nice, easy way to do this, but here's the layout of track 11 of "The City Silent." The colors are a bit dull to start, partially as the last track was SO bright, but the energy comes back in a kind of splash or loud clap at the end and I'm good with that.

 Finished page 253 and track 11. 15 pages for this track and it took about 3 months, which is not great but better than some. Now a transition section and the return of most, if not all, the supporting characters. Might also be able to bring Ricci in. We'll see.

 Had a little time to fool around with the next page. It's just an 'end of track' page but will lead in to Silas heading up a fire escape to lay back. Still wanted to get some motion into it. Everything's battery was dead or dying today; my camera, which, to be fair, hasn't been recharged in many months, then my iPad was down to 9% but I managed to get the three figures done with the help of 'Photo Booth,' something I've used for quick and dirty ref before. 

 Back from Boston and I have a few days off, miraculously, before I have to go back to The Drag. I never do art of any kind while away from the studio and this trip was no exception. I did take a bunch of reference photos for both locations and portrait possibilities, so there's that. Sat down to do some art today, wanting to get somewhere on the comic and found out that this is the last verse of the current track. I know roughly the image I'll use for the end of track page but also there's a chance of some pantomime as Silas goes to take a nap while others come to critique his work. Spoiler; it doesn't go well.

 I wanted to try something. I wanted to get a solid pencil sketch down, using some tracing and then just 'paint' as loosely as possible with the iPad and Pencil to see what I could do. I like the results but I think I need to just trust my drawing skills and draw the subject freehand first and work from that. This is The Brattle, my favorite movie theater. I will do a 'portrait' of it, hopefully inside and out, before too long. While I'm doing everything else. This was just a quick sketch.

 It's been a long time since I did any work on this one, but I found a little time this weekend. It is slowly coming along because there are SO many layers and so many details. So far, it's ok. It's going to need some tweaking but most of the elements are in place. I have to do the mid ground which includes people, cars and then the foreground trees. Still not sure overall. I keep feeling like I should be actually painting this. We'll see.

 Managed to finish this today, what with it being podcast day, grocery day, laundry day and lawn mowing day. I went with the old master colors as they felt appropriate for this application. I think I look tired and I am. Of many things. I also wanted an off-center composition and I think this works. One of my better for this year. Got to take more photos of folks and work on them quietly. I've done enough of me.

 Also wanted to do a portrait and as I have no subjects lined up, that means me. Still working on this one. Had a lot more line work but turned the layer off and am trying to simplify it.

 Forgot to post these but I managed to get a couple more pages done the other day. I used to hate drawing hands because they're hard. But I've learned to love them. I take photo ref of my own hands, trying to get them to 'act' in the way that I want. The hardest part is always dropping that finger so that they only have three. Why did I do that? Because the characters in "Fite!" had three fingers as was traditional in animation (which was a cost-cutting measure way, way back). Since Tamino first appeared in "Fite!," I carried the style over to his comic. And since Silas comes from "The City Dreams of Tamino the Cat," well...now that things are more realistic, it's a tossup whether I drop the middle or ring finger. It's usually based just on which looks better. 

The crown has become a problematic symbol. Then again, reaching for power, trying to be 'the best' is always a troubling goal. And if the paint looks like blood? That probably means something, too.

 This one came together easily because of its simplicity. By concentrating on the hands, we get a sort of detachment which I think is a good change from the other dream sequences of recent sections. I also like playing with the paint.