Some more sketches for the project. Refreshing as always. Decided not to hold my sketch book sacred anymore (moleskines…great gifts, terribly expensive). I noticed if I care too much, then I get picky on drawing, which is terrible for a sketch book. Drew over the arrows I was working out for that Link illustration I did a while ago. Hey kids, not you can learn a little about Italian director, Luchino Visconti! Pairs well with amaretto.
One more related sketch to come this week.
B
So these are a little old- but looking through my sketch book, I thought it’d be fun to put these up. Look at all the fun we’re having putting these up!
Last year, I went to a town hall meeting with my girlfriend, who needed to go for a class. It was…interesting. There was a family dressed in their Sunday best that came just to thank the city council for doing their job. At least, that’s what I gathered from it. The meeting was definitely not lacking in characters.
B
So instead of hogging all the sketchy goodness to myself, I thought it probably nice to actually share* and update my blog.
I think this moleskine was a present (cause they sure ain’t cheap), and I sketched in it for a hot minute about a year ago and honestly, have been pretty horrible about sketching except for working out ideas, but nothing for fun like this. It felt so fresh to not be constrained to “bigger” ideas or for a specific purpose. Instead of a means to an end, it was just a means. Though, these are very very much connected to the new Serpent’s Lust send-out project I’ve been working on.
Figuring out a balance between bigger projects and simple fun projects, and in a way, just sketching has been a fun project. This stuff just reminded me why I love drawing and storytelling.
More sketches to come this week and the big project coming soon too! Excitement!
B
*special thanks to Barney for that life lesson.
The last couple of days have been interesting. Moving forward and stepping back…though, maybe it’s more like side stepping actually.
I’ve been secretly working on what I keep calling “send outs”. I’ve been saying it so much that I’m starting to hate that word. It’s just so…formless. Like an amorphous blob of an idea. I think of words like “blech” and “glurg” when I think about it. Like saying, “I’m going to elevate my heart rate”, but never getting more specific than that when you’re really going to go running. Forgive the exercising analogy. In reality, I’ve been working on a small booklet, closer to a story book than a zine or a comic or whatever is hip these days. It will be a book of words and images that retells A Serpents Lust by Ueda Akinari.
Yesterday, I compiled my rough images into InDesign to create a faux dummy. A dummy of a dummy? Would that make the dummy brilliant? Annnnd here’s a transition sentence. Each image on its own at the time was kind of interesting to me (some more than other). Once they were compiled, I took that step to the side to see the path I was headed. It sucked. OK, well that’s a bit over the top, but it just didn’t do it for me, and if I wasn’t going to like it, how could I expect anyone else to like it? I got out my art school sword (yes, you get a sword if you go to a design school, something they don’t tell you) and just poked holes in the armor. When it’s easy and you can damage a piece or project within the first 5 minutes, you know you’re in trouble.
As I’ve learned, trouble is good. That means I’m paying enough attention to whatever it is. Or maybe it’s that I care enough. I’ll leave the profound realizations for a memoir, all I know is that it’s good. I was left with asking the big question: “why?” What were the choices I was making and why? Sidestepping the project, I could actually see the line I was stumbling around, and failing the sobriety test of why I was telling the story. So, faithful reader, it’s back to it again. I’ve got a great feeling about this booklet, and quite honestly, this stuff would be really boring if I got it right every time, all the time.
Special thanks to my girlfriend for letting me give her the, “this is why it sucks” presentation and giving me feedback.
B
picture: compilation of various roughs for project
“I’m so glad no one can hear me sing while I work. Haha!”
-me to my girlfirend via text
Coming up with more comps for the last page of an upcoming send out. I realize I don’t post enough anything on my tumblr. Should probably fix that.
B
So I’m watching this right now whilst working in Photoshop. It’s, how the French say it, multitasking. Or is it procrastinating? I’m never sure.
Came home to a nice little surprise. Two pieces in the 3x3 Magazine student show! Thanks to Christine Nasser and Jeff Smith for all the guidance.
After looking at my name in print, I actually said out loud, “Go me”. Then proceeded to critique the pieces. Hah!
Byron




