Sketch Charlotte

Still playing around with ballpoint pens in my sketchbook. I put down a preliminary pencil sketch on this, but used a soft graphite. The paper in my sketchpad is pretty soft and toothy, too. I tried to ink on a windy day, and this brand new Uniball that I'm using just wanted to do little more than skip, skip, skip. It frustrated me, but I kept on. I fumbled with the idea of finishing the lines using a pen nib, and put a little bit of Hunt #108 in there. Then tried a fountain pen which I didn't know and which also had its own challenges. Today I went back to the Uniball, this time in a closed environment, and it flowed super smoothly. I realized I was going very slowly and just taking my time, two benefits of using a ballpoint pen. And sometimes those skips add a bit of character to the line, I feel, but I REALLY just enjoy putting down a solitary line slowly. It's kind of zenlike. At the end I realized my frustrations at the pen skipping also could've been due to my impatience and just not slowing down and enjoying the line.

~T

So, I've added yet another blog to my repetoire and have started a new monthly column called Anatomy of a Panel where I pick a scene from a comic and interview everyone involved in making that scene happen - the writers, artists, colorists, editors, etc.

My first interview is with the team behind Vertigo's excellent Scalped.

Hope you all like it.

Here's a quick sketch of myself. hahahaha Roughing out ideas for an upcoming
strip.
peace,
Herc