Image, or Sketch dump....part 1

I just discovered you can only upload five images at a posting. Weird. Oh well this will be a many part update then. I produce tons of sketches in warm ups, character designs, layouts, thumbnails, and all aspects of drawing a comic. So I rounded up a bunch of them from my piled up table and scanned them in. Most of these were done in just the past couple of weeks.

the process.....the warm ups

I thought I would post a bit about 'the process' as it were. I had some people ask here and also email me about this little known part of the drawing process.

The first thing when I sit down to draw is the 'warm up'. I guess like most things involving controlled parts of the body, ha, like a baseball pitcher or something is the 'warm up'. Same in drawing. The 'warm up' gets the arm moving so you can work on control, movement, and just generally working the kinks out. And of course the older you get the more kinks you have to work out. I find it also gets some of the images out of your brain you may have stored while watching tv or reading or whatever from the night before. It also serves as kind of an 'idea factory' for poses and other stuff.

Also after doing this I usually scan them with my 11x17 scanner and save most of them. I usually scan all my work. Even pencilled pages before inking. Sketches I like, finished work and all. My scanner is one of my most important pieces on my computer table. I paid a ton for it, but it has been worth every penny. I used to have a small scanner, and when I started doing Captain Spectre I had to scan each half of a page and put them back together in photoshop. What a pain that was week after week. Or whenever I got a page done. Now I can scan a full size comic page, they are draw bigger than the print size, if you don't know. The drawing field on a full size comic page is about 10 x 15.25 inches.

Anyway you can see the simple sketch of the Captain Spectre drawing I posted last week, in the lower right corner of the top page of sketches. That is where it started, and I thought it was a cool pose so I finished it up on the bigger paper of a comic page.

warm up drawing goes crazy!

Usually as a warm up drawing I try to do poses for Captain Spectre flying or fighting. Mainly because they are more fluid and have some energy, and for warm up drawings that is kind of what you want to either get into, or out of your system. Also lately because of my hands I have been using large paper so I can kind of get all the joints and things going in the same direction. Well this morning started with a couple of very quick roughs sketches then this one just struck a cord. My arm felt ok, and things were going good so I just stuck with it. Also must of the time if I do a pin-up type thing it is or can be used for a couple of different things. I figure this could be a splash page sometime, or a cover, or poster or banner or something. Anyway now I have something nice to ink and warm up my inking someday, maybe tomorrow....we shall see. Sometimes a drawing gets under your skin and you just have to finish it - strike while the iron is hot kind of thing.

'Solo Flight' update - I don't have any more finished pencilled pages yet, I went back to working out some problems I saw on my thumbnails and layouts. Fight scenes are not as easy as they look to do the choreography for. And especially to make some sense out of. I don't like those fight scenes that don't move right. Anyway hope I can make them all work.

On the medical front, it seems that I had a couple of pains that just won't fade at all with all the different meds I have been taking. So my local doc tried something different, and it seems to be working some....it is a nerve med that attacks the way your pain receptors receive signals from your nerves. So it is a combo of neuralgia and arthritis...so more meds and more time to sort things out. But more on all that as it develops.

Again thanks to all who tune in....I do appreciate it more than you know. thanks.

A quick update

Legionnaires....sorry once again for a long pause between updates. I will explain as things develop on that, with good news hopefully.

But until then here is the pencils for page 2 of the 'who are they' part of the intro to 'Solo Flight' -the first full length Captain Spectre comic!

I finished these off last night, after having a couple of bad nights with my arm and hands. So I guess you could say, 'equipment failure' was the reason for the long pause between page 1 pencils and this page 2.

thanks for understanding Loyal Legionnaires.....I do appreciate it alot.

...and so it begins.

Believe me I have said it all to myself....about damn time, time to get to work, get off my butt and do some work, just do it, and most anything else you can think of to get me going.

Sure I have to tighten up the script, iron a few more things out along the way, but the good news is....it has begun.

What you see here is the first pencilled page of a very short intro to the world of Captain Spectre. I decided to add this to the first of the book for people who aren't used to the story, or even comics in general.

I recently listed to a couple of podcasts about comics from part time or non-comics readers. One of the more interesting things about it all are a couple of questions us regular comic readers take for standard practice. Like the big question, who are all these people I am seeing and where did all the stuff come from?

As comics, I feel, need to spread out since we don't seem to be getting new readers just mainly comic readers trying something different. I thought I would add a intro bit for people who haven't see the on line strip, I can always point them there with something in the book, or in person if they buy a copy. Also this sets the stage for the era and feeling of the book, rather than people thinking it is a modern day book and helps get them in the mood for what they are about to see and read. At least I hope it is a good idea. I will post all of this intro online as I get the pages done and we can talk about the idea and if it works or not.

It does add some pages, but this first one is gonna be a whooper anyway. I really don't have a official page count yet as I am still working out some layout problems and storytelling things. I want this book to be as clear as possible to readers and non-comic readers alike.

So stick with me Loyal Legionnaires, it is going to be a long slow road getting this book finished, but I am hoping it will be worth it in the long run.

I will post as much as I feel I can to not give away too much, but since this is mostly what I am working on from here on out, after the day job of course, then I feel I have to post somethings.

thanks.......and away we go!!!!!!

I am not a doctor, but I play one in a comic book....

Just had to post this concept idea. Not going to tell where it is from or when he will appear. Just mainly wanted to get it posted before someone else hits on such a simple idea for a character. He does plan on being a part of the Captain Spectre galaxy of characters.

From the past....into the Future....

Well here is an odd update. As I progress with this medical problem, and kept trying to find some comfort as I worked....I have discovered that those ratings for pencil lead, you know like HB - 2H - etc. also has something to do with age. ha. I kept trying to sketch and draw thru all this even though I wasn't getting much done. With the new meds I am taking I am also getting hand tremors or shakes. So this is all kind of like learning to draw again. I also found the lead in the pencils I have used for decades was driving me crazy as I would place a line down on even the smoothest bond paper I use for roughs and sketching out ideas. The HB which is a middle ground was driving me nuts. So in the last few days I have tried out all the different leads I have around here, which is quite a backlog of lead types. Oh I know some people will think I am crazy and can't tell the difference in the feel, but I can. Hell I even have paper on my computer tablet because I can't stand the feel of the plastic on the stylus against the plastic on the Wacom tablet. I know it is a small thing, or it should be. But it happens. So bare with me as I work thru some of this and come out on the other side. It's like learning to draw all over again in some aspects.

Also the paintings above are ancient history. Back when I thought I was going to chase a fine art career I painted. These paintings represent a period I was going thru as I dealt with some issues from being a veteran. Well I have dug these paintings out to take some photos of them to actually enter into a show....veterans doing art about the war, specifically VietNam. But more on all that as it progresses.

Just be kind when you look at them, they are probably close to thirty years old now, and are huge.....three by six feet is the average. Hell I even used to build my own canvases. Also the lighting on these are kind of weird as I was experimenting with some really shiny paint to bring in metal since they are about the war.

slow going....

Well this week is almost a total loss. Inking the buildings and finishing this up is ALL I have been able to get done this week. Great production speed, huh.

Pardon my french, but it just amazes me that I have to wait so long to get to this new doctor, and even at that the steroid shots they gave me didn't do shit, and she refuses to give me any pain medication. Amazing, I thought doctors were supposed to make life easier.

Well I go in tuesday to get all the test results and grizzly news. Then I am sure her and I will go round and round. I have taken a full week of sick time because of my hand and arm. I am sure that isn't playing well with the people I work for. Hell if you only knew how typing this is going. It may look fine in it's published form, but I think on average I miss hit a key in every word I even type anymore.

So anyway, I may try to throw some color on this piece this weekend. But then again maybe I won't.

So until this is kind of cleared up or I find yet another doctor, I am at least going to find out what some of these test results are, hell I am paying for them so I might as well, don't expect too much production from me.

sorry, Loyal Legionnaires.........

Stuff and Junk.....

Sorry to all you Loyal Legionnaires out there, but again sorry for not posting. Honestly I just haven't had anything to post. I was working on some things, but again honestly to use an old phrase, I have hit the wall. My rheumatioid Arthritis is really driving me crazy. What little work I am doing is at about quarter speed. Which, pardon my french, really pisses me off! My mind is rattled with this all. I can't get going. I have finally been to the new specialist, and I just don't know what is going to happen from all that. Again honestly, not much hope in some areas.

I just don't know how much money and time this is all going to take.

Anyway enough whining, I will just suck it up for now I guess. So I offer yet another cover idea in process for 'Solo Flight'. I pasted in a photo background to get some reference. It won't look like that too much when finished. It is just to give kind of an idea and placement for the buildings. I started taking a look at covers lately, and kind of got tired of the fact most of them don't have a damned thing to do with the comic other than some fancy mood shot of a brooding hero. And I found out I was trying to do the same damned thing. So I decided to do something about it. And yes this scene kind of appears in the comic so it gives a taste of things to come.

So with slow going things, including this blog, I will try harder to keep all informed as to what is happening. We all just have to keep the faith as they say.

Legionnaire Roundup and happenings...

Here at Lightning Legion Secret HQ on Saturday morning while waiting for the pain meds to kick in so I can get some work done, I thought I would post an update from the drawing table.

First off, above you will see the project cover to the science comics I have been working on lately at the day job. See there that 'Action Science' tag line isn't a bunch of whooie, I actually have been doing science comics. This piece contains one of the 'virus' characters from each of the stories that Martin Powell has written.

Below that is a concept for a lady character. I started this as just a warm up drawing earlier in the week. You know one of those throw away kind of drawings to get the joints working and the brain cob webs cleared out. Well then it evolved into an idea for a character with kind of a pun for a name. 'Liberty Girl' is what I wanted to call her, but then realized someone already used that name. I don't know if they named their character because of the term or what. You see a 'Liberty Girl' during WW2 was kind of a bar-fly/hooker/gold digger type that hung around the army/navy bases and tried to hook up with soldiers or sailors. Anyway once I remembered that name was taken, the idea kind of fell apart. I can just use the costume idea for another character or something.

One thing I would like to mention is I like more functional looking women's costumes. Oh don't get me wrong, nothing wrong with sexy outfits....they just have to be used at the right time and on the right person. Maybe this could be another outfit for Jack since she is mostly all business when she flies her plane. But, probably at a later date, this looks more 40's to me. More like a WW2 pilot or WASP type flying outfit.

Then as always I pound away in the spare time, what little I have, to move forward on the ever present KiGor 11 page story. So here is a progress shot of page 6. And yes someday I will get this little story done.

And with all of that, I am still working on the layouts for Captain Spectre's first issue. Which I am afraid is turning into a larger story than I thought it would. After all there are no limits when I do it all myself.

Thanks for tuning in for your Legionnaire update all you Loyal members.....

thanks.......