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Monster Chefs
by Brian Anderson
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Working without panels
Quick peek at some art from page 40 of the webcomic. For this project I have to work fast and small. Usually on letter size paper. And fast. Did I mention fast?One draw back: after a time, I tend to suffocate my work under those constraints. Panels become flat, emotionless. So, to break out of that, I draw the shots and scenes on larger paper. Let my hand move further, wilder. That lets me work fast and punch in some emotion.After the shots are drawn, I'll composite them in photoshop in their letter sized pixel cell.
Cover Process for Book One
Inking the cover for book one. I'm trying to keep my line art thin and clean. Once I had the rough layout, it took a bit of mind twisting to decide on a final style. I don't want it coming off as overly comic bookish and at the same time I didn't want to do a full on painted piece. Mostly because it's not my strength and also, I didn't want to stray to far from the interior art.So here is the beginnings of some clean inking. Already made a color guide so that part shouldn't be as challenging as it normally is for me.
Testing Colors and Techniques
Testing out some techniques and color guides for the cover. Trying to keep things bright. This is close to the color schemes I want to use on the artwork for the novels. But I think the art for the book covers needs to be tighter and a bit more realistic.
First Drafts
So this is what a first draft looks like. At least the hand scribbled part. After the notebooks, I transcribe it all in to the computer, cutting and patching bits as I go. Then I give it one more look, jotting down a few notes of things that need renovating and it's off to my editor.There's lot's more to be done. Rewrites, cover art and interior art. All of which I am greatly looking forward to.
A break from playing.
On the mend.
Little equinox recovering from a mysterious leg injury. Possible snake bite. No sitting in my lap while I write for now.
Morning jog
Posted with BlogsyWhere the Wild Sophies Are
Can't believe I've never tossed a reference to this in the strip before. This is a little peek at a strip that will run in March.
Burning through Moleskines
Time to open a new notebook. A fresh, Hobbit Moleskine. For the most part I'm writing this novel longhand. Means quite the workout for the Lamy. The advantage to pen and paper is the ability to write anywhere, anytime. Gotten used to that over the years. This also means a chance for some chunky editing when I transcribe the words into the computer. I used to try avoiding the whole transcribing process. Save time. But really, it's a huge advantage. Mainly, by not getting into the habit of having to sit at the laptop to work, I can squeeze a lot more words out of the day.
Butt in chair time
A quick morning post to loosen the fingers. It's butt in chair time. Last night was the pre-visualization for what I'll write this morning. No make up trailers, or camera shots to set up. Get the actors on the page and let 'em have at it. Let the agonizing fun begin.
Puppets. Always some puppets.
No matter what I do, puppets always work they way into the story. These guys were a bit of a surprise. However they became a fun way to convey some backstory and foreshadow upcoming scenes.
Landscapes Doodling
Spending some time sketching out landscapes and bits of architecture from around the Conjurian. Helps on two fronts. For one thing it helps discover new places that might be useful to the story. And, when I'm writing scenes, visualizing them in ink makes it easier to focus on the important details.
Religion in the Conjurian
Here's a quick concept sketch for the Dedites, a religious order that believes Dedi created the Conjurian. They sprang up when I worked on the origins for this world. Their counterparts would be the growing majority that Dedi merely discovered the Conjurian. However, as you'll see in the first novel, the truths behind their beliefs will play a huge part in the future of both worlds.
The monk pictured here is loosely based on another of my favorite magicians, Kenton Knepper. A brilliant thinker and a major influence on many of the effects I perform.
Some Novel Concepts
I take breaks from writing to doodle out concepts. Mainly for two reasons. One, the book will have illustrations, and two, it helps me visualize the character or scene. Scribbled up the first new concepts for the Grubians Brothers. They were two of the first characters to pop up in my original Conjurers sketchbook way back when. Roughly based on Penn and Teller, they were originally my Shakespearean clowns. Now, they are so much more. Much more than I ever expected.
Time for some magic
Back home from a glorious road trip visiting family. Managed to squeeze in some writing and stripping (comic stripping. What were you thinking?). Also got some quick concept art scratched off. Here's a snippet. This is part of the tower of Dedi, the center of Conjurian City.
Big News for the Conjurers Novels
I'm thrilled to officially announce that the Conjuers novels have found a home. You can read the details here:http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/book-deals/article/60195-book-deals-week-of-december-2-2013.htmlA lot of hard work has payed off. A mega, huge thank you to my agent, Rosemary, for finding the perfect home. Of course, a ton more work is ahead. There's some work to do on this site too. I think I'll just link to the comic on gocomics instead of running it on both sites. This site will then be my journal for creating the comic and the novels. It will also house all the backstory stuff and a few other cool surprises along the way.Thanks to all of you have been riding this rollercoaster from the get-go. So, so much more to come.
The Conjurers on gocomics.com
Sorry that today's episode is not posted. However, since the comic recently launched on gocomics.com, I wanted to consolidate and sync where and when the comic is posted.If you would be so kind as to head on over to gocomics, subscribe to the strip there, and leave a comment telling the awesome, god-like beings that run the site, thank you, I will forever be indebted to you:http://www.gocomics.com/the-conjurersLots of Conjurers related material will continue to appear here. This will include posts on the novel, background stories and such on the Conjurian and bits and pieces on magic.Thanks again to all of you who have faithfully supported this endeavor for what seems like an eternity. I promise, cool things are a comin'.-Brian
New Conjurers Comic
Well we might be gettin' all "Reservoir Dogs" up in here. Next week, we'll learn more about Steve. Is he on their side? Could be some screaming. You'll have to wait and see.
New Conjurers Comic
And a car chase! Yep, not as involved as I would have wanted, but still fun. There's going to be some odd alliances coming up.Also, this comic will launch on GoComic.com starting on October 28th. It'll still run here, along with all other Conjurers related stories, but GoComics will open it up to a larger audience. I'll be promoting that a lot more in the coming days.
