I've been steady adding content and plugging away at HITT, so I apologize for the lack of content to the blog. However, I did do a bit of goofing tonight. Here's me as an 80 action hero. I actually don't have a scar on my cheek..heh. I grabbed a frame from a film for reference. Can you guess the film? A hint would be the earrings I put in my ear.

Happy Holidays!

Shutterfly is a great site for making personalized Christmas cards. I made one last year, but decided to spend a bit more time on it this year. Anyway, if you’ve happened by the blog, this card is for you!

The dreaded redo

Recently, I've started to illustrate in a more referenced and tighter style than that of the first several pages. Also, I'm repetitively using one filter technique in Photoshop that I'm really happy with. This wasn't discovered in those earlier pages. So - as much as I hate to do it - I have to revisit the first 6 pages and either redrawn them completely or somehow involve the newly discovered techniques. Basically, there is a lot of effort being put in the grey-scaling stage of the process.

More color studies for HITT

I really like the textures and randomness of this style of coloring. This may be a bit muddled, but I'm on the right track...and it sure don't look "comic booky".

A nod to SWEETS

I’m well on record as being a huge fan of Kody Chamberlain and attribute this very production blog to his SWEETS production blog, which I urge everyone to follow. I’ve also garnered huge influence from his art style. His loose, gestural images as well as his skilled integration of digital effects really speak to me.

Until SWEETS, his writing style was unknown to me. And, honestly, I’m still not sure I’d know it. Knowing someone’s work based on their writing seems more difficult to me that just “looking” at rendered art and recognizing who did it – but I suppose it can be done. That being said, Kody’s book is bound to hold merit by the simple fact that he wrote the dialogue that his “drawings” will be portraying. As the hand that arranged the shots, he knew when the illustrations were successful. The vision of many writers suffers in writer/artist collaborations. Perhaps the artist doesn’t fully comprehend or understand what the writer is trying to say. Maybe the artist doesn’t get the subtleties. When the writer and the artist are the same, it’s like the creator’s vision is being mainlined. It’s pure and the storytelling will be there.

One of the things Kody Chamberlain urged the readers of his book, SWEETS, to do was to read it again. I am and in doing so discovered things I initially missed or glossed over. The experience makes the book richer, even though you already know the ending. In the second reading of this first chapter, I recall initially having a difficult time, especially at the chapter’s end. There is a lot of information that comes at you and you’d best be paying attention. On the second reading, things are really clicking. This is definitely a book that requires two readings. And that’s a good thing.

Well, now I’m off for chapter two (and I’m really excited about it).

HITT tracks

In efforts to provide the proper tone to HITT, and get you out of that gritty, “hard case” noir malaise that so many private eye tales are told, I’ll link some music. This is HITT. This is HITT's world.

The first thing you learn about HITT is that he’s funky – and the first thing you learn about funk is that it’s all attitude.

...sallying forth and what not

In reviewing this production blog, I noticed the lack of content. Well, there is only so much I can provide - so, largely, you'll have to wait for the finished product. However, I've assembled you some pieces of the book that I've felt the call to twitpic - which, sadly, has gotten more attention than this blog. I'll do better.