Showing posts with label comics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comics. Show all posts
Sunday, 22 January 2017
Newsletter!
16:46:00
So I thought I would start a newsletter to help build my subscriber base to my blog. Whilst some social platforms are great for promoting art/comics, newsletter subscriptions are the best and most consistent way to reach people who want to keep up to date with your content creation.
Therefore I launched my first newsletter last week. To the starters who did subscribe, thank you and I look forward to sending updates on my content as well as useful articles on different aspects of comic book creation.
What kind of articles could you expect if you did subscribe? Here are a few topics:
- Updates on new articles discussing writing, penciling, inking, coloring and lettering comics
- Updates on conventions as well as my first experiences exhibiting at Comic Con
- Reviews of useful books and tools for making comics
- Updates on my creator owned comic Catapulted
- Reviews of online comic book platforms (Tapastic, Comixology, Webtoons etc.)
I kept my first newsletter light and I did mention that its not going to be a super frequent newsletter that is super long. Instead it's going to be succinct and to the point as often I find newsletters I've subscribed to lengthy and sometimes a bit spammy.
However I did receive a response from one of my subscribers suggesting a schedule so at least the newsletters are regular and can be expected. The opposite end of the spectrum is that newsletters aren't frequent enough which therefore runs the risk of getting forgotten, meaning your content never gets looked at.
Therefore I've decided to send a newsletter twice a month. Content wise I think that's all I could handle at the moment.
How do you subscribe to the newsletter?
At the top of my blog on the right is a small sign up form, pop your email in and away you go, or more so your email address.
Wednesday, 30 November 2016
Comics: Art in Relationship
16:19:00
If you like Scott McCloud's books on analyzing the comic book form or you enjoy Will Eisner's comments on comics and the form of sequential art then you will enjoy the free course Comics: Art in Relationship.
This course analyzes the question 'What are comics?' and the course instructor, Matt Silady, does an excellent job in providing an answer that can be tested with examples. There are 5 sessions but within each session there are multiple lessons. These include image and text relationships, thumbnailing, layouts and pacing.
The course material could be covered in a day however if you were to partake in the exercises it would most likely take longer. If you are familiar with the process of making comics and want something a little deeper on this interesting and challenging medium then this is a great course.
What makes it even better?
It's free. Completely and absolutely free. Register an account and sign up and the content is there for you to enjoy. You can even participate in the forums for feedback. This was a real gem to find and I thoroughly enjoyed the material. You can access the content any time you want and take it at your own pace. I believe the course ends in Jan 2017 sometime but that's plenty of time to make use of the course material.
By the end of the course you should be equipped to start planning and making a comic of your own.
Below is a link to the course. Enjoy!
https://www.kadenze.com/courses/comics-art-in-relationship-ii
This course analyzes the question 'What are comics?' and the course instructor, Matt Silady, does an excellent job in providing an answer that can be tested with examples. There are 5 sessions but within each session there are multiple lessons. These include image and text relationships, thumbnailing, layouts and pacing.
What makes it even better?
It's free. Completely and absolutely free. Register an account and sign up and the content is there for you to enjoy. You can even participate in the forums for feedback. This was a real gem to find and I thoroughly enjoyed the material. You can access the content any time you want and take it at your own pace. I believe the course ends in Jan 2017 sometime but that's plenty of time to make use of the course material.
By the end of the course you should be equipped to start planning and making a comic of your own.
Below is a link to the course. Enjoy!
https://www.kadenze.com/courses/comics-art-in-relationship-ii
Friday, 18 November 2016
Triangles?
18:53:00
Trying to create a my own comic book is not easy when you are a one man band. In most cases creative teams consist of a writer, penciler, inker, colorist, letterer and maybe an editor. There are times when a creator is able to fulfill more than one of these roles and in rare cases all of the roles. However this means a lot of cross training in all these steps of comic book creation.
In my own case I started out as an pencil artist (not a great one at that) and tried learning how to ink, then letter, coloring and lastly writing. Learning to write a comic book has probably been the hardest. With the other steps there are scores of YouTube videos, on line How-To articles and books on how to put the visual aspects of comics together. However, writing comics isn't that easy, at least for me.
So, where do we start? How do you go from an idea to a piece of work that makes sense as a story?
A long time ago I read an online article that articulated how to make sense of an idea and progress it to a finished comic book. Unfortunately I can't remember the site and author although I would love to credit where I found this information.
I'll break the writing process into separate posts. But first lets talk about triangles.
Triangles... Doritos? Cheese triangles? Flying space triangles? No. The story triangle.
You will find that there are four basic elements in constructing a story as illustrated by the diagram below.
In my own case I started out as an pencil artist (not a great one at that) and tried learning how to ink, then letter, coloring and lastly writing. Learning to write a comic book has probably been the hardest. With the other steps there are scores of YouTube videos, on line How-To articles and books on how to put the visual aspects of comics together. However, writing comics isn't that easy, at least for me.
So, where do we start? How do you go from an idea to a piece of work that makes sense as a story?
A long time ago I read an online article that articulated how to make sense of an idea and progress it to a finished comic book. Unfortunately I can't remember the site and author although I would love to credit where I found this information.
I'll break the writing process into separate posts. But first lets talk about triangles.
Triangles... Doritos? Cheese triangles? Flying space triangles? No. The story triangle.
You will find that there are four basic elements in constructing a story as illustrated by the diagram below.
Lets break each part down one by one.
The Characters
This is the "who". Who are the main characters? Who are the supporting characters? Are some heroes or villains? What are their motivations and characteristics? Do they have personality flaws? Are they following a certain stereotype? What do they look like? How do they dress?
Lots of questions when it comes to characters but this is basically the "who".
This is the "who". Who are the main characters? Who are the supporting characters? Are some heroes or villains? What are their motivations and characteristics? Do they have personality flaws? Are they following a certain stereotype? What do they look like? How do they dress?
Lots of questions when it comes to characters but this is basically the "who".
The Plot
This is the "what". What do your characters want and what happens? It is the simple sequence of events. For example:
Rosie wants to be on time for work. Unfortunately, she wakes up late. Natalie makes her breakfast. Rosie eats breakfast quickly, dripping egg yolk on her shirt. Now Rosie has to change her clothes, making her even later for work. Rosie leaves the house in a rush, not looking in both directions before she crosses the street. Rosie is hit by a bus and dies. That is a plot.
That's what happens. The plot is the series of conflicts and resolutions leading to the climax and ending where everything is tied together.
This is the "what". What do your characters want and what happens? It is the simple sequence of events. For example:
Rosie wants to be on time for work. Unfortunately, she wakes up late. Natalie makes her breakfast. Rosie eats breakfast quickly, dripping egg yolk on her shirt. Now Rosie has to change her clothes, making her even later for work. Rosie leaves the house in a rush, not looking in both directions before she crosses the street. Rosie is hit by a bus and dies. That is a plot.
That's what happens. The plot is the series of conflicts and resolutions leading to the climax and ending where everything is tied together.
The Story
This is the where, when, how, and why. Where and when are surface details, but they are important as they determine how the character and society act and react. People in feudal Japan would not act in the same way that Native Americans would act in 1800America
The plot described above with Rosie would have to happen in fairly large, modern city where cars and buses exist. It could not be transplanted toFrance
This is the where, when, how, and why. Where and when are surface details, but they are important as they determine how the character and society act and react. People in feudal Japan would not act in the same way that Native Americans would act in 1800
The plot described above with Rosie would have to happen in fairly large, modern city where cars and buses exist. It could not be transplanted to
How expands on
the question of "What do you characters want?" by exploring how they
go about achieving their goals. We then ask the question of why should the
events of the plot matter to the characters and the readers.
Ultimately, the
story is the impact of Rosie's death on Natalie, the bus driver, other characters,
and most importantly, on the reader. Why should the reader care about Jimmy's
death and its ramifications? Therein lies the story.
The Theme or
Premise
Every story sets out to prove its theme or premise. In the story outlined above, the premise might be "Remember to set your alarm clock so you don't wake up late." The consequences of not setting your alarm clock are then spelled out. The theme or premise does not have to be overly complex. It can be as simple as "Love conquers all" or "Crime doesn't pay" or "With great power comes great responsibility" (sound familiar?).
It can be much more complex, perhaps trying to prove or disprove the existence of a higher power. It doesn't matter how simple or complex your premise, as long as everything in the context of the tale--the characters, the plot, and the story--all relate to the theme in some way, shape, or form to your theme. Ultimately, when someone asks what the story is about, they will usually zero in on the theme or premise.
Every story sets out to prove its theme or premise. In the story outlined above, the premise might be "Remember to set your alarm clock so you don't wake up late." The consequences of not setting your alarm clock are then spelled out. The theme or premise does not have to be overly complex. It can be as simple as "Love conquers all" or "Crime doesn't pay" or "With great power comes great responsibility" (sound familiar?).
It can be much more complex, perhaps trying to prove or disprove the existence of a higher power. It doesn't matter how simple or complex your premise, as long as everything in the context of the tale--the characters, the plot, and the story--all relate to the theme in some way, shape, or form to your theme. Ultimately, when someone asks what the story is about, they will usually zero in on the theme or premise.
That's all for now but this is extremely useful in organizing and transforming an idea into a proper comic book story.
Also here is a pic of a breakfast sandwich. Why? Because breakfast sandwiches rule.
Also here is a pic of a breakfast sandwich. Why? Because breakfast sandwiches rule.
Friday, 11 November 2016
Comic Cons 2016
21:34:00
Recently I went to two comic cons that I don't usually go to. MCM ComicCon and ThoughtBubble.
How did it go?
MCM Comic Con
I've always known that MCM has drawn large crowds historically but I wasn't prepared for how packed it would be. I only went to the Sunday but friends who attended all three days had told me that the Saturday had sold out and that it was almost impossible to walk around with the crowds.
MCM in London is typically held in the Excel Centre. But whereas London Super ComicCon (held in the same venue) takes up 3 or 4 halls, MCM took up practically all the halls, both sides!
Of course MCM is not just about comics or manga, it has merchandise stalls, film, game, food and even karaoke areas! Halls on both sides of the main corridor were used, all filled with cosplayers who had traveled from all over Europe.
Although enjoyable with lots to see and do, I prefer cons that are solely focused on comics.
ThoughtBubble 2016
Now here is an interesting convention. ThoughtBubble has always been held in the city of Leeds, something that had always put me off from attending as its a good 4 hour car journey from London.
However I did not realize that some amazing writers and artists have been attending for years! In times past Adam Hughes has attended (an artist I've always wanted to meet and chat to).
This year saw Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman and Kim Jung Ji as well as many others attend. The event is spread around the Royal Armories Museum. The benefit of this venue is that panels can be held in nice theater auditoriums where panelists can be heard clearly (unlike at the Excel Center). I attended one panel on how to make money from comics where the panelists shared their own experience which was very helpful.
Watching Kim Jung Gi was a treat, transforming a huge blank canvas into a an amazingly detailed picture before a crowd of onlookers. How he manages to do these pictures, without reference and planning will always amaze me.
I got to buy some sketch books and a piece of original art from artists in artist alley, include Dean Beattie, Dave Stokes and also got to speak to some creators including Chris Lewis who I met at Kapow Comic Con years ago when he first self published Drones before IDW picked it up.
I had entered the yearly art competition, from which the top three entries get published in a ThoughtBubble anthology published by Image comics. Unfortunately I didn't come in the top three but it was a good experience to complete a one page comic within a finite period, something I often struggle with.
On the bright side I put the comic into a format that would be suitable to Tapastic and I think it will be an ongoing series of short 'slice-of-life' strips.
Check it out in the link below! Tapastic also has an Android and IOS app for you to enjoy comics. Search for 'Sebastian Chow' or 'Art Imitates Life' and subscribe and like the comic. Alternatively you can view it on their site without an account by clicking the link.
https://tapastic.com/series/Art-Imit
Leeds was also a lovely city to visit and in the main shopping center there was a replica of the 1989 Batman Batmobile (my favorite look of all the films). Needless to say I took some snaps.
I would love to go back to ThoughtBubble and even hire a table for commissions and selling art however I know this can be difficult with many being turned away due to the high volume of requests and limited space.
Onward to LSCC 2016 which now has a new venue and new dates...
How did it go?
MCM Comic Con
I've always known that MCM has drawn large crowds historically but I wasn't prepared for how packed it would be. I only went to the Sunday but friends who attended all three days had told me that the Saturday had sold out and that it was almost impossible to walk around with the crowds.
MCM in London is typically held in the Excel Centre. But whereas London Super ComicCon (held in the same venue) takes up 3 or 4 halls, MCM took up practically all the halls, both sides!Of course MCM is not just about comics or manga, it has merchandise stalls, film, game, food and even karaoke areas! Halls on both sides of the main corridor were used, all filled with cosplayers who had traveled from all over Europe.
Although enjoyable with lots to see and do, I prefer cons that are solely focused on comics.
ThoughtBubble 2016
Now here is an interesting convention. ThoughtBubble has always been held in the city of Leeds, something that had always put me off from attending as its a good 4 hour car journey from London.
However I did not realize that some amazing writers and artists have been attending for years! In times past Adam Hughes has attended (an artist I've always wanted to meet and chat to).
This year saw Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman and Kim Jung Ji as well as many others attend. The event is spread around the Royal Armories Museum. The benefit of this venue is that panels can be held in nice theater auditoriums where panelists can be heard clearly (unlike at the Excel Center). I attended one panel on how to make money from comics where the panelists shared their own experience which was very helpful.
Watching Kim Jung Gi was a treat, transforming a huge blank canvas into a an amazingly detailed picture before a crowd of onlookers. How he manages to do these pictures, without reference and planning will always amaze me.
I got to buy some sketch books and a piece of original art from artists in artist alley, include Dean Beattie, Dave Stokes and also got to speak to some creators including Chris Lewis who I met at Kapow Comic Con years ago when he first self published Drones before IDW picked it up.
I had entered the yearly art competition, from which the top three entries get published in a ThoughtBubble anthology published by Image comics. Unfortunately I didn't come in the top three but it was a good experience to complete a one page comic within a finite period, something I often struggle with.
On the bright side I put the comic into a format that would be suitable to Tapastic and I think it will be an ongoing series of short 'slice-of-life' strips.
Check it out in the link below! Tapastic also has an Android and IOS app for you to enjoy comics. Search for 'Sebastian Chow' or 'Art Imitates Life' and subscribe and like the comic. Alternatively you can view it on their site without an account by clicking the link.
https://tapastic.com/series/Art-Imit
Leeds was also a lovely city to visit and in the main shopping center there was a replica of the 1989 Batman Batmobile (my favorite look of all the films). Needless to say I took some snaps.
I would love to go back to ThoughtBubble and even hire a table for commissions and selling art however I know this can be difficult with many being turned away due to the high volume of requests and limited space.
Onward to LSCC 2016 which now has a new venue and new dates...
MCM Comic Con
ThoughtBubble/Leeds
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