Wednesday sketch

"Cheerleading Tryouts"

 

Sometimes I draw a thing, and it turns out to be completely wrong for it's intended purpose.

Advice from the Pros

 

Yesterday (and bleeding over into today) the internet exploded with reactions to some professional advice offered on the First Second blog. I agreed with Callista's post. I also agreed with everyone's reactions/advice against it.

Thought today I'd offer a sampling of some of the advice/criticism I've gotten from pros over the years, good and bad. All of it's paraphrased (though I have an annoying talent for recalling conversations), and I've given credit when I could remember who said it (I have an annoying habit of forgetting names). Corrections welcome.

I can't not write. If you don't have to, then please don't, because I don't need the competition- Bill Ransom (a lot of people have said something similar to this, but he was the first I heard it from)

Your art is either too cartoony or too realistic. Pick one-James Sturm

I like the art, but the story is too thin-an editor

I like the story, but the art is too spare-a different editor, on the same book

Use the colors as they come out of the box. Stick to bright tones, don't mix your own colors- Color designer Jenny Hansen

Try to use subtle pastels as much as possible. Gray is a great color- Bill Griffiths

Colors looks best when you muddy them up a bit- Seth

Use the colors as they come out of the box. Stick to bright tones, don't mix your own colors- Color designer Jenny Hansen

You should always dress for work. We are professionals. -Seth

The best thing about being a cartoonist is you can wear pajamas to work- Everyone else

AND SO ON. Guess my point is, almost everything I've been told at one point in my career has been contradicted someone else further down the line. And they're both right! They're just telling you what has worked for them. So, do whatever makes you happy.

Drawing Prince as a superhero makes me happy.

Sketchbook Wednesday

I mean to update this thing every Friday. Not sure how it got to be Wednesday. Might need to invest in a calendar. Also feel like I don't write enough on this blog, just throw up a bunch of drawings and run away. So here's some random information along with random sketches.



Yesterday I was sick and walking home in the rain, and I thought about quitting comics, like you do. Then this morning I got a nice email from a cartoonist I admire, and a couple of shout-outs, and I'm over it. It's easy to feel like you're working in a void. And very easy to be pulled out of it.



Like all my artist friends, I was gifted at least three sketchbooks this holiday season- this is not a complaint, they will all go to good use. One was "642 Things to Draw". While the paper stock is crap, it's nice to have a prompt on those days where I Just Don't Want To Draw Anything.



Hey! Rob Clough was nice enough to review "Here at the End of All Things", written by Sean T. Collins and drawn by me, and also covers minis by a couple of CCS friends in the same post.



Washaway is still updating every Monday and Friday over at the website. Seems appropriate, as it is razor clam season.

 

Is it still a sketch if you use a needle and thread? Embroidery also helps on the days when I Just Don't Want to Draw Anything, at least it's still Making Something. There's been too many of these days, lately. Could blame seasonal depression, but in Seattle that's a year-round excuse. Until next week.

Might even be on time!