Comic Creator's Journal @comicsbyannie - Tumblr Blog

Final.

I definitely think that my project will be a start to a much larger piece. Possibly a grahic novel the size of Fun Home or Pyongyang unless I gave it a really lame and predictable ending to make it a shorter comic. I’m pleased with my idea and I love my characters. Creating stories and character is a very old hobby of mine, the only difference is, it is going to be through the comic medium instead of solely the written word. I’m so glad I went with an original plot instead of my original idea of doing another adaptation or something. I enjoying this a lot more!

Inspiration.

I love Alexis’ comic book idea. I’ll just steal her whole story and go write a book... Just kidding! I have taken a lot of inspiration from my peers, particularly as far as the final project goes. It’s interesting to get your own ideas expanded upon by other creative minds and take those expansions and incorporate them into your work. I don’t know if that even made sense.

Basically this time around, I’ve gotten most of my inspiration from my peers. If I could steal something it would me their ability to take the good ideas already in my head and make them awesome!

Process.

I’m starting to realize that my drawing process is basically the same as my writing process. As a picky perfectionist, i’m doubtful of my own work and put in an unnecessary amount of hours. At first, I was fond of the rather minimalist, effortless style of comics as I’ve said before and realize that is much harder to copy someone else style than it is to just go with the flow and create your own. I think my general process, planning, sketching, inking, cleaning up eraser shavings has been solid the whole semester and I suppose it has payed off since people seem to enjoy what I’ve brought to the table. It’s hard for me to accept compliments on my work, though, because I treat anything I produce like it’s a rotten tomato and can never get it as “fresh” as I want it to be...

While discussing my plans for the final project, I took quite a bit from my original group members from the first workshop (+Danielle). I decided that I’m going to stick with my story with the exception of the super hero aspect I was contemplating leaving out or leaving in. The group seemed to like the idea of the short comic ending on a cliff hanger, but still have some sort of wrap up that suggest they have found the item just need to get back to the planet.

#workshop #reflection

These character workshops were very helpful. My original storyline has been pretty heavily tweaked based off of everyone’s feedback and I got some very good ideas.

With Ashley, Raeli, Alexis, and Hadassa, I tried to narrow down my audience and define a genre. Originally it was super hero with science fiction elements, but I was still uncertain if I wanted to keep the super hero aspect. On the character herself, I asked appearance questions. I didn’t want her to look too cute or too juvenile, so I got some input on her looks. Incorporating a weird tattoo or some weird extraterrestrial jewelry or pendant seemed to be popular.

When we broke of into groups by genre, I pitched the idea to Ari, Rebecca, and Terra and they agreed that because there was no clear VILLIAN and the science fiction storyline could stand alone, that the super hero part of her character/story was not needed. We discussed things like WHERE on earth her family would be suck and adding more drama to the “mission” the alien family was on, making it sort of a crisis. The idea of there being some sort of sickness plaguing the planet would create an urgency for the family to return with a rare mineral was the one I liked the best.

We also discussed my main characters curiosity of earth and trying to fit in, but its difficult because she’s weird... and well, yeah, she’s a legit alien. Ari said it reminded him on Young Justice’s M’gann. I might pull inspiration from her.

#workshop #reflection

My main character is an alien from a planet that is far more advanced than earth. This species has enhanced senses, intelligence, as well as telekineses abilities. Her family, who is affiliated with the planets high court, are assigned a mission to another planet, but their vessel starts to lose power halfway. The closest planet they can like exist on is Earth, so they prepare to land, avoiding the alternative: crashing, exploding, etc.

On earth, her parents try to fix their ship, but aren't exactly equipped with any tools or materials they need. Meanwhile, my curious main character (which will have some weird alien name) decides to disguise herself to observe humans.

I picture this story turning into something "super hero" related where she starts sympathizing with the humans and caring for them to the point where she turns into vigilante-esque crime fighter against her parents' wishes.

#discoverytask9

Yes, she’s an alien. My story for my comic is weird.

#discoverytask9

So, I work at the Hogwarts castle in Universal’s Wizarding World. For guests that do not want to ride the ride, we take the time to give them personal castle tours. We take them through these rooms and areas of the castle and give them some background and fun facts of the Harry Potter fiction that they may not have known. They get a big kick out of it.

I used this for my map, using the “marauders map” in the series as inspiration. Ex: using the footprints to show a path.

#discoverytask8

Brainstorming.

For the final project, I would like to do another adaptation. At least, that’s all that’s floating in my head right now because we’ve just finished the adaptation project. I’m not sure that I want to continue the adaptation, however. I actually liked the way I ended it even though it was an adaptation of the first half the song.

I also kind of want to tell a story in my final project which makes me feel that I shouldn’t limit my dialogue and text to a song or already written story, especially since we are given such freedom.

I want to explore color too. I want a vibrant comic, something with a lot of pop color like we saw in Born Again.

#journal6

Inspiration.

Reading Daredevil: Born Again has made me interested in seeking out some older, lesser known comics because it was pretty different from the super hero material I’m used to reading. I was also very inspired by the coloring of the comic. I did a fair amount of research about the process of comic book coloring and how in this day and age, they are typically colored in a digital environment as opposed to hand-colored. This method is preferred by Christie Scheele, the colorist of Daredevil born again. I actually went out and bought a set of colored pencils and color ink pens to start adding some color to my comics!

#journal5

Process.

Not much has changed in my comic creating process. I still have trouble finding the creative fuel to come up with a visual, but I did move a little quicker during my adaptation project. I think the only thing I did difference was do quick sketched on scratch paper before hand to get an idea of how it would work on the page.

Now that we have spoken a bit about making conversations between two people a little more interesting instead of just picturing the two characters talking aback and forth from panel to panel, I was able to use that technique in my adaptation project. The song I chose to adapt was a song that is a conversation and with each line, I tried to give a different view or a different image to accompany it.

I was pretty happy with the way that my comic came out. I think my process is working pretty well. And I will definitely have to start incorporating quick panel sketches before penciling and inking on my actual page.

#journal4

This is the pool located at my new apartment. It looks like a resort pool and it’s pretty awesome. I really don’t know how to draw water or how to be light with my ink pen, so I left my pencil lines here.

#discoverytask6

Peanuts comics are classic and actually very, very difficult to mimic despite the sketch-y, raw style they’re drawn in. I always loved Charlie Brown, but specifically, I was obsessed with Lucy. I always saw a lot of myself in the character, even when it came to her relationship with Schroeder, which I find to be hilarious. I chose to copy a comic with the two of them and then continued the storyline to their future married life (BECAUSE CLEARLY THEY ENDED UP TOGETHER!).

I’m finding that I like the simpler style of comics better than the super detailed ones (super hero comics being the exception, of course). So, in my own comic art, I’d like to carry on trying to make my drawings as simple and... well... cute, for lack of a better term.

Brainstorming.

I’d really like to do something interesting for the final project.

● So, I’m a huge Harry Potter fanatic, so I thought turning one of the tales from Beedle the Bard would be cute. They’re short and sweet.

● One of my favorite poems is by E.E. Cummings, it’s called “Maggy and Milly and Molly and May.” I think this would make a cute comic.

● I have an inappropriate crush on Shawn Mendez who sings “Stitches,” I would find a way to make this into a comic if it meant listening to this disgustingly adorable song on repeat.

● Some other top 40 songs I like are “Big Girls Cry” by Sia, “Someone New” by Hozier, “Lay Me Down” Sam Smith.

● Also like.... could I do a Beatles song? I mean... may of their songs WERE top 40 back before “top 40″ was an actual thing, right? Beatles songs actually tells stories unlike many hit songs today. I’m thinking “Eleanor Rigby” or “Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds” or “A Day in the Life.”

That’s all I got so far.

#journal3

Inspiration.

While I love the deep, artistic strategies employed in The Photographer, I have to say that I’m completely jealous of the minimalist, black and white styling of our main text, Understanding Comics. I’m speaking mainly of himself as the comic narrator. He looks the same in every frame, even when he is explaining something that requires a more detailed picture. When I stat down to do my first comic staring myself, I was inspired by Scott McCloud’s rendition of himself. Any other time I’ve tried to draw, I attempted a more realistic approach having grown up with an artist for a mother who could draw and paint really well.

Starting Daredevil has been a real treat. Super hero comics, especially the classics, are usually very colorful and vibrant and extremely recognizable for what they are. I’ve read lots of Marvel and DC Comics by different artists and while they all have their own styles, you can usually tell when artwork belongs in a super hero comic book.

I would also like to play around with panel sizing and arrangement. I took a lot from the discussion we had on The Photographer about the pages right before his “death.” They way you size the frames and arrange them can create just as much emotion as the actual picture or drawing inside them. I find it pretty fascinating.

#journal2

My roommate and I have been fooling around with this Rubik’s cube for a few days now and we’ve dealt with all the frustration and anger associated with trying to solve it without the tutorial online. So here is my roommate going through the motions, trying to solve the cube and then finally, the finished product.

#discoverytask4

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