Bad Reviews and Drawing my Ass Off

I just finished drawing 3 pages in 3 days, and I’m not done for today.  For me, that is a lot.  My hand is tired!  Too bad I’m not ambidextrous.  But I won’t stop, because I’m in a really good groove.

I find drawing really does have a lot of momentum.  When you’re on a roll things just keep going, and when you’re stuck nothing will work.  Artist’s block is no joke.

This is all part of my mad dash to get this book done in time for the Big Wow! ComicFest in May.  I’m really trying to crank this thing out, because I want the story fully drawn with enough time to review everything and fix any erroneous grammar, spelling mistakes or atrocious drawing.  I’ll also need time to format the book, and make sure that cover Deena is helping me with will work.

So I’ve got some real motivation.  If you are keeping score at home, I have 15 pages left to draw.  This will be the longest scene we’ve ever done.  Longer than the earlier scene with the first confrontation with Redemption and Black Snow.  I don’t want to give anything away, I’ll just say that it is going to be epic and really set up the next book nicely.

So send some good thoughts my way to help me keep up this brisk pace.  I was drawing the scene out of order, cherry picking the panels on each page that were easiest for me to finish, but I think I will go back to my normal style of finishing each page one at a time.  Of the 15 pages I have left, 7 already have panels that are finished, so that should help.

The problem with drawing out of sequence is it allows me to put off tough panels, which build up in my head as being almost impossible.  I start to dread them, so by the time I tackle them I’ve got this mental block.  Going page by page means I have to take them on in short order.

And as long as I stay on this role I feel like I can take on anything.  I’ve got a better grasp of these characters then ever before, I’m feeling good about my setting, and the posing of each panel is coming to me easier.  Are they all perfect?  Of course not.  I’m not a perfect artist.  Truth be told I’m probably drawing well above my skill level.

My talent is more in the realm of comic strips.  Not that comic strips don’t require talent, but they feel so much easier then comic books.  Less story telling, you can be a lot more repetitive, the drawing is generally much less detailed, you can get away with a more simple cartoonish style, and the most important thing is usually the punchline.

So it is a different skill set, one that my talent level is more inclined to.  Not necessarily where my interest lies.  But there’s nothing wrong with bettering yourself and striving for improvement.  Sometimes I think I was never meant to be a creative person and that’s why it can be so difficult at times.  I’m really a very left-brain person.  I’m orderly, logical, analytical and objective based.

Whatever the case, I keep trying to be creative.

Speaking of, we got another review from the Webcast Beacon Network.  I wasn’t looking forward to this one, as Fes told me ahead of time that he enjoyed our Black Snow book less than I’m Famous!  Plus, it starts with the dreadful issue 1…

So I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t worse, and it actually had some nice things to say.  In particular the encouragement for Alex and I to keep going and the acknowledgement of our passion coming through in our work.  So that’s cool.  And like I said last week, I’m so used to peoples’ negativity at this point that it doesn’t have the same effect on me anymore.

Well, that’s enough writing for now.  It’s time to get back to drawing!