Your worst enemy as a creative… is yourself!
If you think you’re alone in feeling like a hack, a fraud and a talentless poser, think again. We all have an annoying voice in our head, telling us we suck! What to do?
Watch this video, that’s a start.
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Why Creative Restrictions are Good for You!
What does David Lynch, Picasso and George Lucas have in common? Setting up guardrails for your creativity can have surprising benefits.
I put together a video explaining why, using examples from film and TV like Reservoir Dogs, Star Wars, Twin Peaks and my own graphic novel STILETTO.
Let me know what you think! Comment below or go to YouTube and do the same.
PS: I know a lot of people worldwide are hurting financially and in self-quarantine at the moment. So to offer some consolation, the premium Comics for Beginners course is available at a drastically reduced price until December 31st 2020. Follow this link to get lifetime access for only $25$5.
Video: Creativity Everywhere
I was asked to participate in the Creativity Everywhere series on YouTube and talk about my creative process. Click below to see me break down how I work on a comics page, using a page from STILETTO as a concrete example.
On another note; While the pandemic is still affecting people globally I’ve discounted the premium comics course at $5. Go here to claim lifetime access.
Choose The Right Inking Style
Some say there are only seven different stories in the world. That may be true. But there are a million different ways to tell your story!
In comics, probably the most important part of the storytelling, is the style you choose in the drawing. A lot of black on the page tends to attract an older audience, while a slick, curved line art and big eyes on the characters will give off a more Manga-like feel. There is a huge difference between a character sketched rendered in scratchy-scratchy detail like a Burns or a Crumb and a drawing inked in flat blacks like a Mignola or a Miller.
First off you have to decide what the genre of the story is. Maybe your style itself fits a certain genre, maybe you are able to change up your style to fit the genre. Whatever the case,you need to make a conscious decision.
My advice would be to look at other comics in the genre and see how they do it. The danger is that you may get too influenced by a certain style or artist, so having more than one reference is always a good idea!
Most artist have what I would call “riffs”. A certain way of drawing something, usually a short cut of sorts. You pick up riffs along the way, but you also invent your own. Your hand will do most of the hard work, but you can also conciously decide to use a certain inking style on a project.
The most important thing about style and tone, is consistency. A set of dogma rules for yourself before you start drawing a particular story can be a good idea. Choose the tools and riffs you will use and stick to that. Do short stories and try out different techniques, see what works for you. And what it does for the story! You can do it in a million different ways – the key to succesful storytelling is to pick a way and stick to your decision.
Bonus Video: How to Paint with White Gouache on Black Board
Sometimes negative thinking is a good idea! Especially if you’re designing a very dark piece of art, focusing on the highlights rather than blacks can be useful.
In this little video I demonstrate how I transform a black piece of board into a cover for a novel (my own!).
Hey, if you want more drawing tips and other goodies, why not sign up for my free, non-spammy newsletter?
Bonus Video: A Most Productive Year
If you thought I was lying on a beach somewhere, you are thoroughly mistaken! Here’s part of what I’ve been up to this past year or so. Probably the busiest time of my life ever – and still is. Watch the video to find out why.