So whats been happening? Well, a few things.
I recently upgraded my digital creation tools, now running a 22inch HD touch wacom cintiq attached to an ergotronic tall pole desk mount. I had found the stand that comes with the cintiq was causing me to lean over to get the right angle, leaving me with a sore back after a just a couple hours of work. Now I can draw standing up, or with the cintiq right in my lap, I can rotate it and move it wherever I wanna. I got the idea at this gentleman’s blog and it works a treat. Good stuff.
Which leaves me in desperate need to do as much work as possible to justify these rather expensive purchases… or should I say INVESTMENTS IN MY FUTURE which sounds rather nicer. I have been doing a little work for an upcoming educational app, which I can show just a little bit of, right here, just because you’re such a decent person. I’ve got a good feeling about you. This is one small part of a larger app which I’m definitely looking forward to seeing coming together, it’s been in development for almost a year now and should be seeing digital birth on tablets and phones across the land within a few months.
As you may have guessed, the image below is from a COMIC! Hurrah! Speaking of which, if you are at all into comics, or just enjoy listening to people talking about stuff they are into, you should tune into a great podcast I found- LET’S TALK COMICS. Do check it out, I’m only up to the fifth installment, and I have to say, although I was a fan of Brian Michael Bendis before, I now am deeply in love with the guy. I never knew someone could be so excited about this medium! The guy is not only a talented storyteller but genuinely entertaining to listen to. One of the true great oral storytellers. So jump online, get the podcast on iTunes, get inspired, and get drawing.
The diary comics roll on, sometimes like a ceaseless juggernaut that just WILL NOT STOP leaving me sobbing some days, wondering just how I got five days behind and scratching my head as to “what exactly did I do last Tuesday?” But regardless, its a worthy project, and exciting news is I’m currently putting together the last year of diary comics in Indesign, slowly, painfully, BUT- surely. I plan to have it done by the time a year is up, which means I have just under a month to have everything compiled, ready for print. No small feat.
Apart from that I’m chipping away at transcribing my informal interview with god amongst ants and all round lovely guy Frank Quitely. Once that’s done I’ll have to apply for Ethics approval to include it in my thesis, and then upload here as well, along with the images he is critiquing. The entire process of turning audio into words on screen is one of pain and pleasure- pain at my pitifully slow typing speed, and pleasure at this sonically concrete evidence of the fact that I did, actually, meet the man and spend two days in his studio. It still makes me happy to remember it, and is a testament to the old saying, He Who Dares Wins. Here’s one of the images he seemed to like the most- a diary comic doubling as colour experiment. He saw things in this image that I did not even see, nor intend, myself. A true artist indeed.
That’s probably enough from me for now, I’ll do my best to keep these coming at a more regular pace and in bite-sized chunks in future. Lots happening and very little time to take stock!