Keeping It Loose

"A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new." ~Albert Einstein

Hello everyone and happy (?) new year. With every new year, some of us make resolutions in the hope of improving ourselves. I do not do that. I know that I will be good for a month, maybe two, and then revert to old habits. The one thing I will do, which continues from last year, is to keep pushing this newer style.

I t started last fall when I dove into Clip Studio, a digital drawing/painting software that many comic book and graphic novel creators use for their art. After years of working traditionally, I wanted to move into a faster and environmentally friendly working mode for my book work. Plus, I am venturing into the graphic novel world. Clip Studio came highly recommended, so I took the plunge. From playing around, this new style emerged. My sketches were always loose, but I lost that energy when I go to do the final art. Having worked with Peter Pauper Press on a book that forced me to keep things looser, I knew I had to do that from that point on with my artwork.

I now do my sketches, inking, and color digitally. Finding the right brushes, pens, and pencils is still an ongoing search, but I am zeroing in on my favorites. Retro Supply Company and True Grit are my favorite tools. Oh, I should mention with the new version of Clip Studio you can import Photoshop brushes.

Here are a few pieces that I am building my portfolio on their look and style.

Until next time, keep creating and trying new things.