Friday, September 28, 2012

Choices

Inking Ash's Ninja Baby pages has been much fun so far. He uses an expressive, dynamic style that suits the material well. Poses are interesting, and action sequences are really effective.

Inadvertently, a lot of 'me'  creeps into the finished pages; I add background details, trying to keep consistent with prior panels. I've started to add panels, in order to flesh out the story.

Here's an example. This is Ash's pencilled page:

This is a critical moment in the story, where the main villain is introduced. My concept is that she sucks the energy out of well-loved toys, and they turn into controllable 'zombies' as a side-effect. While inking, I decided that more was needed to show the villain in action, which would result in a smoother pace (the story now has a beat to 'breathe and create tension):


This also pushes Ninja Baby's discovery of the villain to the next page, which I find works better.

Although my drawing skills are still improving, I've always prided myself on my story-telling skills, a bi-product of my days doing storyboards (where clearly defining action and showcasing 'acting' is essential). I'm glad I'm confident enough to tinker with Ash's nice pages, and it ultimately becomes more of a collaborative effort. 

Next week: a progress report on NB 

Friday, September 21, 2012

Onward with Ninja Baby!

My wife suggested I create some character poses; not only would this result in a model sheet of sorts, we'd end up with artwork that could be reused for different purposes. I whipped up some sketches this morning, and am surprised how easily Ninja Baby flows from my pencil.



The design might still use a bit of tinkering; I'm not sure about the hair and belt, or if her onesy should have texture. Things that can be worked out at the color stage, of course.

Inking pages progresses smoothly; I'm at page 4 of the second story that will grace our first 'issue' (format still under consideration) and I really like the overall vibe. Having material directed toward really young viewers seems natural and appropriate, and my mind is whirling with which concept to focus on next.

That's it for this week, more behind-the-scenes next time.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Back on track

The Summer has just flown by.

Well, at least as far as STP is concerned.

I put aside my self-publishing endeavor to focus on commissions and entertaining kids home from school. With them back in class, and with my wife's help, I can devote time to finally getting things moving.

We've decided to focus on finishing pages for Ninja Baby, since I had a good amount already pencilled. I've inked 11 pages of a first story, and am working on the second tale right now (there's a good chance I'll add a page to the first story to 'beef' it up). 

Although I may keep material in b&w, color would be essential for web presentation or pdfs. I'm having someone tackle a sample page, and I'm excited at how it may turn out.

Once I have 24 pages ready, we'll figure out the next step. It makes sense that our priority should be having completed, print-ready work.

Let's hope I can keep up my weekly pace, and much appreciation for the comments and assistance of my wife!