TDM Page 71 and Moving Dead Bodies

This page represents a return to form in some ways, which started on the last page.  I’ve been going a bit overboard with referential photos in attempt to draw more realistically, and I think that led to some of my burn out/not having as much fun drawing.  It is hard to draw well when you just aren’t that good of an artist, and I will readily admit that I’m not that good in many ways.

Does that make me bad?  Not necessarily.  But I’d rather not get too deep into that subject right now, as it really was not my point.  What is my point?  Good question.

I forgot the answer.  Oh yeah, I didn’t look at any photos here or many for the last page.  It is a lot more fun, and I think more creative, even if the end result is less realistic.  Why does it need to be so realistic anyway?  I don’t think it does.  While the story is somewhat grounded in reality it certainly has a lot of fantastical and cartoonish elements, so why not reflect that in the art.  It’s not like we are making The Watchmen here.

Not that my time with the photos hasn’t been beneficial.  I think I now have a much greater command of the human form that I can draw upon when creating new imagery.  Looking at my characters’ faces, expressions, bodies and poses on this page, I think they have a consistency and depth to them that I wouldn’t have achieved in the past.

This page was drawn fairly quickly and without any real incident.  The bottom panel was the only one that gave me pause, as I wasn’t quite sure how to arrange it, and I ended up with something pretty simple really.  I think there is a bit of elegance in the simplicity and it gets the job done.  Nothing too flashy, but maybe I’m just not a very flashy artist, and I can live with that.

By the way, his name was KURT!  Goodbye you cranky old man.