Thoughts on Cartooning & Art:

I usually prefer the look of art that I created by doing life-drawing from scenes in my mind’s eye, rather than those drawings where I painstakingly construct the characters out of lines, simple shapes, etc., building them up.  To me, my mental life-drawing stuff just looks more organic and comfortable to my eyes.  That having been said, I have switched back and forth between these two approaches many times over the years.  Issue 6, and the current issue 12, is examples of life drawing from my mind’s eye.

When my visualization abilities are at full charge, I tend to go right to the art board and draw the pictures there directly, skipping thumbnails altogether.  At all other times, I draw the picture on a separate piece of paper, make changes in the computer, and trace it onto the art board.  I wish my visualization abilities were always at full charge, but stress or illness or fatigue can sideline them.

When I mention life drawing from reference pictures in my mind’s eye, I mean that I am using the same skills that I would use to draw a live models, props, or settings. Visualization and concentration are among the artist’s most powerful tools.

I have changed paper, inking supplies, pencils, and other tools often over the years.  Sometimes I’ll hand draw backgrounds, sometimes I’ll use Sketchup to build the background.  At one point, I cut and formatted all my own art boards, but now I use Blueline Pro paper exclusively.  When it comes to inking, the mix of brush, crow quill, fountain pen, and technical markers in my art has changed regularly.  These changes are based on my mood, but no one has ever noticed or pointed out the change, because my art looks like my art no matter how I did it.  (It’s the artist, not the tools!) For years I drew with 4H pencils in lead holders, and now I’m partial to 3B in lead holders and draftsman’s mechanical pencils.  I should be more consistent, but it’s the mood I’m in, and the availability of tools, and the tooth of the paper that makes up my mind more often than not.

I used to collect toys for reference.  I have a drawer full of realistic looking squirt guns, for example, that have shown up as real guns in the comic again and again.  If I am having trouble drawing a character from a sharp angle, I will often use my Art S. Buck plastic models posed correctly, or perhaps my old GI Joes.  The older, large GI Joes are fantastic models, because they are well jointed and capable of almost any pose.  I also have tons of vinyl animals, and lots of vinyl dinosaurs, but the latter rarely get used as art models, primarily because no dinosaurs have shown up in the comic.  I love drawing and painting dinosaurs, so maybe it’s time for a Jurassic invasion of Spire City.

When drawing or inking, I am often in “the Zone” for hours on end, a higher state of consciousness when the pencil seems to guide itself, everything I do is gold, and I feel and overwhelming sense of joy.  This is really a wonderful state, and the brain releases endorphins like crazy when I’m there.  Like my visualization abilities, illness, emotional turmoil, and fatigue all have the ability to keep me out of the zone.  I wish I could bottle this state, and take a swig whenever I needed it, but I cannot.

Despite have drawn tons of stuff over the last fifteen years, I feel confident in stating that life drawing at the Indianapolis Art Center’s open studios has increased my ability, and my visualization powers, by ten-fold.

When I revisit this subject, I will go into some detail on how to develop and make use of visualization in art.

Scott.

Movies, Reviews, Opinions…

Hi, Folks!

Remember how I used to do reviews of superhero movies on this site?  I stopped after “The Watchmen,” because to me that movie sort of cleared the decks and made anything else seem redundant. I loved Iron Man, but it is very unlikely I’ll see it while it’s in the theater, and I’ll probably wait and get it on Netflix.  I am very hyped about Kick-Ass, however. This just all goes to show that what I look for in a superhero movie is different from what others want.  For example, here are a few comparisons:

• Mystery Men vs. Bryan Singer’s Superman = Mystery men
• Iron Man vs. Spiderman I or II = Iron Man
• The Incredibles against the Fantastic Four movies = The Incredibles

Keep in mind, I have not yet seen (and may never see) Wolverine or Spider-Man III.  Yet, I wonder how cool a television show based on Planetary could be, or a big-assed movie based on the Authority?  I suspect I’ll be left wondering forever, though.

So, having said all this, here is my wholly subjective and probably irrelevant views on some of the movies I’ve seen in recent times:

• 50 Watt Fuse: The G.E. Smith story is interesting, but not a blockbuster.
• A Quantum of Solace: A+
• Aeon Flux: Not as bad you would expect.
• Almost Famous: Outstanding movie! Deserves all the praise it got.
• Black Snake Moan—Outstanding, provocative, just a damn good movie
• Boogie Nights: A+
• Casino Royale: A+
• Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young–Living with War: It’s hard seeing your heroes get old.
• Hancock: Meh… The cum scene was funnier back in the Pro.
• Inside Man: Universe, please give this misspent time back to me!
• It Might Get Loud—Yes! Yes! Yes! Let guitar geeks rejoice!
• Journey to the Center of the Earth: This stretched suspension of disbelief to beyond breaking!
• Lord of War: I was moved. A+
• My Super X-Girlfriend: Even the wonderful Uma Thurman can make a real stinker, it seems.
• Natural Born Killers: Well, this was an eye opener.
• Pan’s Labyrinth: I hated this movie.  Maybe it was brilliant, but I don’t care.
• Thank You For Smoking: I was educated. A+
• The Bourne movies: Excellent, excellent.
• The Illusionist: Very good movie.
• The Last Samurai: Very moving.  With Tom Cruise, I expected less.
• The Mothman Prophecies: I liked it a lot.
• The Prestige: There were some very enjoyable elements in this movie.
• The Secretary—Talk about provocative! Yikes!  But a great movie in any case.
• Ultraviolet: Unrealized, as if they ran out of money and had amateurs edit it.
• Windtalkers: Incredibly bleak.  Watch at your own risk.

Why should it matter what I think about these movies?  Well, if you dig Johnny Saturn, my movie preferences should go a long way in explaining what I like in making comics.  Beyond that, my opinions are no more or less valid that yours.

Scott.

"It Might Get Loud" Review

Hi, Folks!

Check this out:

Last night I watched “It Might Get Loud,” and as a longtime guitar nut I was enthralled.  Likewise, fans of Led Zeppelin, U2, and the White Stripes will also really enjoy this.

The part of the movie where the three guitarists sat in a faux living room and compared notes and played some music together was the highlight of the movie for me.  You’ve got guitarists from three different generations and styles, but really that’s no problem for them.  They all knew each others’ music, for example, and they compared song-writing tips.  In essence, it felt like a million old jam sessions, just some guys having fun.

The personalities picked were great, of course.  You’ve got Jimmy Page, who comes across as a sweet-natured, quick-to-smile, grandfatherly type.  Then, there’s the Edge, who is eminently amicable, and more talkative than I’ve ever heard him.  Then, there’s Jack White, the edgiest of the three, a brilliant musician with a volatile edge.  This was all fun for me, because I’ve bought my share of Led Zeppelin, U2, and White Stripes albums.

Part of me expected Jimmy Page to be more like his 70’s persona, dark (and into the dark arts), sinister, and brilliant.  Well, he’s still brilliant, but here he was relaxed, affable, and engaged in the process.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile this much.

The Edge was just what I expected: Super serious about music, yet calm, peaceful, and relaxed enough to have some fun.  We usually don’t get to hear him talk this much, but then most of his interviews have been with Bono around.  (This is not a criticism of Bono—he’s got a big personality, so he takes up more room in most conversations.) I was also pleasantly surprised at how skilled the Edge was when playing slide.

There is a scene of Jack White playing with the Raconteurs, and he’s playing his guitar so hard that he’s cut his hand or fingers.  Before long, there is blood smeared over much of the guitar’s face, but that doesn’t stop White from playing.  This says something about passion and art that should ring true for all of us.  This reminds me of Stevie Ray Vaughn, who played so hard with such big strings that he sometimes shredded his fingers—he often sealed up the injuries with superglue or bandages so he could keep playing.

The three musicians gathered without a chance to meet and compare notes.  Additionally, there was no backing band, and they are three guitarists from different schools of playing.  First, you’ve got the incredible blues and blues-rock stylings of Jimmy Page, with a hint of Celtic music thrown in for good form.  Then, you’ve got a rock minimalist, the Edge, who gives a great deal of attention to his sound.  With Jack White, it’s a ragged blues/rock/punk mixture.  In short, they had no problem playing together—they all spoke guitar.

Part of the charm of this documentary is that it is really about the guitar itself, not a technical exploration, but a visceral celebration of the instruments feel, smell, and look.  If you play guitar long enough, you know there are a very definite different smells to nickel-wound strings, of varnish, or exposed wood, of each instrument’s quirks.

As a bit of a guitar player myself, I give “It Might Get Loud” and A.

Goals, and News, and Non-Standard Stuff

Hi, Folks!

These last few weeks have been, shall we say, “non-standard” around here.  I’d like to think that we are back in the saddle and gearing up for some big stuff. (Ah, the joy of mixed metaphors!)

At the moment, plans to put “Johnny Saturn” out for the Kindle have been halted.  It seemed like a great idea, but a full “Johnny Saturn” page on the Kindle screen is just illegible. It is my hope that this can be figured out, but at the moment this push has stalled out.

I’m working on putting a new transcription plugin on the site, John Coswell’s “What Did They Say” plugin.  This has all the potential of being really fun for reader and creator, and helping out our traffic.  Unfortunately, I’ve run into problems with it, and I can’t get it to work right.  I’ve got a post on John’s forum asking for help, so perhaps he can get us up and running.

I have a huge artistic goal for the rest of this year, and it’s not the standard “draw better” or “study anatomy” type of goal.  Essentially, I want to be able to draw at my top level no matter what my mood or energy level is like.  The way it currently stands is that I draw pages in silence at my art table in my art nook.  If I’m sick, or someone stresses me out, or I’m really tired, then I no longer draw with inspiration, but get by on learned skills and memory.

Perhaps I should explain.  When we learn a skill like art or music, we practice a great deal to learn patterns and processes and build muscle memory.  When we start drawing, then we purposely forget all those rules and set out on inspiration.  You don’t really forget all the rules, of course—they are still there and hard at work in your subconscious.
A comparison might be a master guitarist—he learned all those chords and scales and modes and so on, but when he bends his mind to playing he thinks of none of that.  The technical aspects drop out of conscious thought, and there is a direct conduit between the musician and the music.

Well, musicians always play, no matter what’s going on.  The generally don’t skip concerts because they are in the wrong mood, or suddenly switch to playing only rhythm guitar because playing lead guitar feels clumsy.  Well, that’s how I want to be with my art.  The show must go on.

Scott.

Some updates, some plans…

Hello Everyone!

I haven’t written a new blog in a while, so I figured it is time for some long, candid thoughts.  If you don’t care for such mental meanderings, that’s fine, just skip this post.

There’s been a particularly nasty head cold going around in central Indiana, and Benita and I traded it back and forth twice, so that each of us was sick twice.  We developed coughs, and that meant lots of cough syrup, much of it with Codeine.  We slept a lot. Now we are largely past this little bought of illness, and getting back to our normal lives.  The only positive thing I take away from this experience is that it is reasonably comfortable to lie on my back and draw in my sketchbook.  (I would not have thought this to be the case, really.)

I purchased Riven Phoenix’s course, “The Structure of Man.”  I strongly believe that drawing the human form well calls for a life-time commitment to learn the skills and anatomy necessary.  I go to life drawing studios at the Indianapolis Art Center weekly, and this has helped tremendously, but I’ve long felt that I’ve hit a plateau.  So, I ordered this course, which has 45 hours of video training on it. It is my sincere intent to use the knowledge held within to polish of some the weak points in my drawing ability.

We set up a store for Benita on www.basicallybenita.com, and we have three t-shirts for sale there.  I did the penciling, and Benita did the coloring and lettering on these.  I’m really proud of all this, because it took a lot of effort to figure out how to effectively set up this storefront.  It took three plugins working in concert, and I actually paid for the premium version of one of them.  (I mention this because we have all gotten so used to getting software for free online.  There are even free versions of many high-end programs out there!)  Anyway, as I was saying, there will soon be a new, replacement Johnny Saturn store, and we plan to sell (among other things): comics, trade paperbacks, t-shirts, posters, prints, PDF or CBR downloads, and much more.  Really, this is just over the top exciting for us.

Scott.