Three Sour Notes

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Max West

Hot on the heels of the other two works I’ve discussed before (“Worlds Apart” and “Rusty Against the World“), I’m going to share yet another piece that I will be displaying at the Anthrocon 2012 art show. This piece is titled “Three Sour Notes”.

Three Sour Notes

"Three Sour Notes", Gouache and ink on Aquabord, 10x14 in.

I’m proud of this particular piece and believe me, painting this work wasn’t easy. The source of inspiration for this work was from a publicity still of the Three Stooges. At least a few stills were done, showing Moe Howard literally getting an earful of sound from the musical instrument of a fellow stooge. To be honest, I’ve pictured Rusty Duncan, Ragnar Eftirmatur and Olaf Eftirmatur as being a lot like the Three Stooges when they’re together. Thus the idea for this painting was born. Continue reading →

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Review: Casey the Pillow Fighter

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Max West

As a favor, I thought I’d do a review of a small press comic that I picked up while attending the MoCCA Festival 2012 – Casey the Pillow Fighter by Gary Cohen and Louie Chin.

Casey the Pillow Fighter is a short, color comic. It tells the story of a pillow fighter named…well, um, Casey! This knight from the land of Napalot is sent forth by the king to make the kingdom bigger. How does this happen? By handing out free t-shirts! Well, that’s something you don’t hear about everyday. However, this soon leads Casey and his people into a conflict with the Food Fighters to the east. A big war breaks out and…well, I won’t spoil it for you. You’ll have to read the comic yourself.

So is this small press comic worth reading? Definitely! This is a fairy tale, but offbeat enough that it’ll appeal to children and even get a few snickers from adults. The storytelling is smooth enough, with easy transitions from panel to panel and brightly colored artwork.

I only have one real problem with this title. There’s little contact information. While the writer of the work, Gary Cohen, is identified as being active on Inkbot.net, that’s it. There’s no email, blog URL, social media profile listings, etc. In this digital age, that can be an impediment to someone looking to promote their work.

Other than that, Casey the Pillow Fighter is a winner.

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Rusty Against the World

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Max West

I’m going to share with you a painting I did. This will probably be the cover for Sunnyville Stories episode 8, which won’t enter production until probably next year. This will also be one of the four pieces I display at the Anthrocon 2012 art show.

Rusty Against the World

"Rusty Against the World", Ink, gouache & acrylic on paper, 10x14 in.

This piece is titled “Rusty Against the World” and was done with ink, gouache and acrylic on 10×14 inch watercolor paper. Continue reading →

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Worlds Apart

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Max West

About two months are left now before Anthrocon 2012. I’ve chosen the four pieces that I will display in this year’s art show. I’ve had to give this a lot of thought and I’ve selected carefully. I’m going to share with you four works over the coming weeks I’ve selected to be displayed at Anthrocon. Continue reading →

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How to Use Dry Brush

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Max West

I’ve taught you how to ink comics. I’ve told you how to ink with a brush. You think you know all there is to know about inking comics…WELL, YOU’D BETTER THINK AGAIN!

I’m going to talk to you today about a little-known technique. Basically, this post will be about how to use dry brush. Anyone who is familiar with painting will already know what dry brush is. Dry brush is a technique where you led the ink dry out on your brush a little, so that it will skip over the paper. This in turn will lead to a neat effect that can resemble charcoal.

This is more of an advanced technique, so you may want to get some practice in before trying it. Go back and re-read my blog post on how to ink with a brush for the basics on brush inking. Once you review that, continue on. Continue reading →

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Review: the Snowman

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Max West

As I prepare for my trip to Manchester tomorrow, I thought I’d share another book review today. This book is one that I believe has much potential for those out there who want to learn how to make comics, especially small press comics. So what do I have here? Is it another “how to draw” book? No. Is it a new book on how to use the latest, cutting-edge computer software? No. What is it then? It’s a book from 1978 that is a big boon for those who want to know how to make comics. It’s the famous picture book by Raymond Briggs titled the Snowman.

Some of you out there probably just went “What the” or “How can some kid’s book help me learn how to make comics”. I’ll explain that. The Snowman (Raymond Briggs, Random House, 1978) is a picture book that spawned a famous animated TV special (which has some significant changes from said book) and is hands down Raymond Briggs’ best known work. But it’s much more than a children’s picture book. Continue reading →

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Getting Inspiration for Comics

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Max West

Quite sometime ago, I talked to you about how to get ideas for your comics. That article is a good start (go back and read it if you haven’t already) – but some of you may need more of a jumpstart when it comes to getting inspiration for comics. Well, look no further. I’ll reveal a few strategies to help you out. I have a couple of sources I use in getting inspiration for comics.

Inspirational Scrapbook

This first tactic of mine is not my own idea. It was actually given to me by British fantasy illustrator Finlay Cowan from his text, Drawing and Painting Fantasy Figures (Barron’s Educational Series, 2003). You can put together an inspirational scrapbook. Ready made scrapbooks can be purchased at arts and crafts stores or you can make one with a binder and notebook paper, like I did. Continue reading →

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Review: Drawings Words & Writing Pictures

Posted on March 28, 2012 by Max West

It’s been awhile since I’ve done a book review. You’ve probably read some of the basic books on comics theory like the works of Scott McCloud and Will Eisner. But there are those of you who want a more thorough text on how to make comics. Well, look no further. If you want to know how to make comics, then you have a strong option in the book Drawing Words and Writing Pictures by Jessica Abel and Matt Madden

Now some of you may have taken a look at the books on comics and cartooning at your local library or friendly neighborhood bookstore. More of you may have looked over the author names and wonder “who are these people”. It was John MacLeod of the Small Press Comics FAQ who talks about a concept called “M’s Law” and that is this: any substantial book on how to draw cartoons will be written by an artist you never heard of before, whose own art is particularly average and uninspiring.

However, that is definitely NOT the case with Abel and Madden. Both definitely have much skill and they know that they’re talking about. I can personally vouch for Matt Madden. It was he who had got me started on using brushes and nib pens (more on that in a bit). Plus I learned much about storytelling through his seminars. Anyway, how does this book stack up? Continue reading →

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How I Color a Drawing

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Max West

For today’s blog post, I thought I’d do something a little different. As all of you know, I’ll be heading to Anthrocon this June and I’m already planning what to put in the art show. I’ll submit one color piece and started to work on it. Then I got the bright idea to take a video of me working on the drawing. So here it is!

Quite a drawing of Rusty, isn’t it? I’m actually considering using this for the trade paperback.

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Unconventional Inking Tools

Posted on March 10, 2012 by Max West

In the past, I’ve talked about the various tools that are commonly used for inking comics. I’ve brought up dipping pens, technical drawing pens, and the brush in their use for inking comics.

These aren’t the only tools used. Since I’ve been hanging out with a lot of the alternative and small press comics crowd, I’ve seen a lot of unconventional inking tools used. Continue reading →

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