ISRF Bulletin 6: Power.

Now you can read Words and Numbers in ISRF Bulletin 6:  Power, on ISSUU. You'll find the comic on page 12 with a short introduction by Rachael Kiddey.

Words & Numbers.

I have almost completed a new project called Words & Numbers. It's a collaboration with archaelogist Rachael Kiddey. Rachael got in touch with me to look into the possibility of using graphic storytelling in a bulletin published by ISRF, the Independent Social Research Foundation.
She had noticed how graphic storytelling in an academic context can be put to use in Places People Stories, a conference publication in the form of a comic book by myself and Petter Hanberger for the Linnaeus University. After some discussion we decided to work together, Rachael writing a script and me drawing. It worked very well I think.
I will post more on this after the bulletin is published.

Just drawing.

It's been a while since I did some drawing so this is practice. Scene from dogs with some additions. By the way, the guy standing in the doorway is Jörgen P Platzer, who's painting and Trojan Horse sculptures I posted a few weeks ago.

Hardware update.

Spending my days in the studio working on the new layout and practicing inking. Realized i needed a drawing board so I fabricated one using my Wacom Cintiq 24HD and a scrap piece of cardboard. Works very well. Nice to put the Wacom to good use.

Found.

I've been trying to find a good enough paper to ink on. So far i tried Marker paper from Canson, Bristol Board from Daler Rowney and W&N. Daler Rowney worked best but the ink bleeds a bit so my lines aren't sharp enough. Suddenly I remembered my stash of about 100 sheets of 250g Schollenhammer drawing paper. Sheets are 45X62,5 cm so i get two A3 out of every one. Gives a really crisp line. They have a yellow tone but works OK when scanned.

Drawing on paper.

Trying out my new Saji-Pen and ink from Kuretake. Seems to work OK. Inking backgrounds with pigma markers. Also used School pen from Kuretake for backgrounds. It gives a really crisp line and is easy to work with. Started to print out blue lines with balloons and lettered with Dave Gibbons lower font. Then lettering by hand with the printout as a guide.
Ordered some W&N A3 Bristol Board so I can ink whole pages. Right now I could only find A4 in the local art supplies store.
As you can notice I pride myself on keeping a neat workspace. Seriously I have to get a proper drawing board.

Micron

More inking with Micron markers. Trying to find the right line wheight.

Micron

I had problems inking in Photoshop so now I try a new approach. I'm converting my pencils to non photo blue and printing them out. This segment is inked with micron markers. Paper is standard copying paper so it bleeds a bit. Lives up the lines I think. Compare with the same frame two posts down.

I found an excellent tutorial on how to convert pencils to blue here.

Tools

Trying some new stuff. Pencilling in Photoshop then printout, ink with markers, scanning inks, clean up and adding some color.

New/old frame.

Trying some new stuff.

Layout

The plan was to start with the first 12 pages but I got carried away and made a new layout for pages 1-17. I hope this will add clarity to the story. Meanwhile Stefan is rewriting some of the text.

Back in the studio.

Taking up the work with Dogs after a long brake. Feels good to be back. I'm trying a new approach to layout starting with the first 12 pages. The plan is to find a little ruffer line and drawing style. The the reasons for this is among others to be able to create a page easy to read and of course efficiency. Tried to use Manga Studio for layouts but for now the learning curve for a new app is too steep. Photoshop works fine.

Logo

Updated a logo i made about 15 years ago for Karin at Sunda Grepp.

Dagens Nyheter

We are very pleased to find a short text by Jonas Thente on Places People Stories in today's Dagens Nyheter.
"The comic sumarizes a few of the conference lectures in a playful way and provides an excellent introduction to academic thinking both contemporary and traditional."

We're done!

Finally, after many hours of last minute changes, re-drawing, re-coloring and proof reading we, Petter and I, are so pleased to announce that Places People Stories is at the printers.
We'll be able to check out the first copies this tuesday.
Waiting for those you can read the complete graphic novel on Issuu.

PPS Touch ups.

Me and Petter in Turkey.

PPS Finally...

Finally done with inks, maybe some minor details to adjust. Trying out some coloring and lettering. Font is Dave Gibbons Lower from Comicbookfonts.com.

Done! Well, almost anyway.

Last page done! Remains to do some touch up on page 1 - 5. Then color and lettering.

PPS, Berlin.

Museum Insel, Berlin, birds eyes view. Decided on the dove just when I thought I was done.

Neues Museum, Berlin

Drawing the Neues Museum for Places People Stories. Five pages left to draw.