Tag: insomnia

For this exercise I have to create a short comic strip based on the themes of slowness and pace.

Key words from the brief:

Option 3: A Comic Book

• This option involves developing a simple narrative and then producing an illustrated storyboard in a comic book style
• Have a look at a few comics or graphic novels and note down your thoughts on their respective styles in your log
• Emulate one of the artists you have looked at in the production of your work, or you can work in your own style.
• The theme of the exercise is based on slowness and pace
• Keep it simple so that you can concentrate on making the panels of your storyboard interesting
• Three page narrative, with either 6 or 9 panels per page.

Research

Before starting any sketchbook work I decided to do some research into comic books and comic book artists. Firstly, I looked at a comic called ‘Watchmen’ written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons.

The Watchmen was originally a series of twelve comics that was published in 1986 – 1987, by DC Comics. Eventually it was complied together to make a graphic novel called’Watchmen’. Below is a lecture I watched from ArtsOne in which the teacher talks about the book. It was interesting to get a better understanding of the decisions that were made from an artistic point of view and getting a better understanding of the narrative of the comic.

Alan Moore  & Dave Gibbons – Watchmen

To get a closer look at the comics content and the illustrations, I looked at pages from Watchmen using Pinterest.

Key points noted from the lecture and my own interpretation of the artist.

• Nine panel grid used throughout the book
• Careful consideration of the composition of each panel
• Capturing motion through the use correct use of composition and panel layout.
• Realistic illustrations with a focus on facial expressions and body language.
• Altering perspectives.
• Overlapping pannels
• Contrast of colours and emphasis on shadows and highlights.
• Careful consideration of character design.
• Detailed illustrations of architecture.
• Muted colour palette enhances mood and atmosphere.

After I researched the illustrator Dave Gibbons and watched an interesting interview with him explaining his methods of working. I found it invaluable to see how he draws using Clip Studio Paint, I thought perhaps I could apply some of his methods to my own illustration work when I learn how to use Procreate, or perhaps Adobe Illustrator/ Photoshop.

Three points he recommended.

• Be really good at your job
• Be reliable
• Be a nice guy.

Richard McGuire’s – Here

Next, I then looked into Richard McGuire’s graphic novel. It’s called “Here.” I found McGuire’s website online, and when I clicked on the link with the book information, I was astounded by the images and narrative displayed. It is one of the most imaginative books I have ever seen. Each page is organised in the same location, which is in the corner of a living room. The narrative effortlessly spans through many historical moments by jumping back and forth in time. The pages from the website excited me so much I had to buy the book.

Below are images from the book ‘Here’ that I downloaded to my iPad kindle app.

Upon completing the graphic novel, I became aware of how captivating and visually striking “Here” was—a study of space, time, and human behaviour as viewed through the lens of a single room. It is a fantastic source of inspiration for my illustration work and leads me to consider my relationship with my own home and the hidden secrets it may hold.

Notes that make the comic successful which I could apply to my own comic.

• Single location
• Minimalistic artwork to allow readers to understand the complex narrative
• Line drawings
• Limited colour pallette
• Reoccuring graphics
• Interconnecting panels, capturing the passage of time
• Emotional connection (joy, sorrow, love)

Chris Ware’s – ‘Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth’.

Finally, I researched Chris Ware’s – ‘Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth’ by watching a couple of video reviews about the book and other research material.

Originally the story was a series of comic strips published in a weekly newspaper in Chicago, before being published as a standalone book in the year 2000. The narrative is based on a mid thirty’s man who is sad and lonely and constantly having to deal with his over bearing mother. Everything in his life is a little dull until one day he receives a letter from his estranged father asking to meet him. Jimmy then undertakes this trip and eventually meets his father. However, there is also a parallel story about his Grandfather who has a similar upbringing to Jimmy that is set in 1893.

Notes that make the comic successful which I could apply to my own comic.

• Emotional connection
• Relatable relationships
• Passage of time
• Grid based layout
• Muted colour palette
• Precise line work
• Small lettering
• Arrows to guide panels layout
• Repetitive illustrations
• Illustrates life

To get a better understanding of comics I read the book Studying Comics and Graphic Novels by Karin Kukkonen. The book goes into depths about how comics are laid out and how the viewer interprets the visual information in front of them.

Below are some notes I have made from the book to consider when creating my own comic.

• Sometimes hand written text.
• Emphasis on facial expressions.
• Different postures of characters.
• Size of lettering indicates if someone is shouting or talking quietly.
• Character design Symbolism and metaphor.
• Different perspectives in panels.
• Gaze of the character can inform direction of page and importance.
• Gestalt Theory- Similarity, Continuation, Closure, Proximity, Figure/ground, Symmetry and order.

Recently, I have purchased an iPad, having never owned one I am currently getting used to how to operate it. The main reason I purchased it was to learn how to use Procreate. Therefore I feel this exercise is a good opportunity to do so.

Idea generation

 Considering the word “slow,” I began creating a spider diagram.

The sentences circled in the mind map are ideas that I thought had the most promise for a short comic. After thinking carefully I decided to look more closely at the word insomnia. To this I created another mind map.

Idea development

I began sketching out thumbnail ideas using the thoughts from the mind map above. I felt the idea, which centres on a tired mother and wife trying to go to sleep but is having trouble falling asleep, was suitable for the term “slow.”

After sketching these ideas I also had a slightly different idea about a young boy who wouldn’t go to sleep. Again, I produced some thumbnail sketches for this concept too.

Comparing the two concepts I decided to go with the first idea about the tired mother/wife.

Next, I began sketching out some more detailed drawings for each panel before creating detailed visuals.

Visuals for page one

Using my sketches I then enhanced them using Adobe Photoshop by adding colour, highlights and shadows. After getting used to using Photoshop I managed to do some further drawing using the brush tool with a Manga Crisp brush to do the other drawings.

Visuals for page two

Visuals for page three

Final design

Please press the arrows on the slideshow to see the final design.

Reflection

What did you find most challenging?

This exercise was rather challenging because aside from my earliest memories of reading comics like Dandy, Beano, and Garfield, I had yet to find adult comics very appealing. Subsequently, I’m not used to seeing comic book formats and have had trouble with similar exercises in the past.  
Yet, as I began comic book research, I recognised I ought to be more open-minded of the various inspirations available to me. For example,  I liked reading Richard McGuire’s graphic novel Here,  and I’m sure there are many other comics and graphic novels I’d like to read.

Creating comic book-style artwork posed another significant challenge for me. I delved into various digital drawing software options, such as Procreate, Adobe Illustrator, and Clip Studio Paint, under the assumption that digital tools were the optimal choice for this style of work. However, my lack of experience with these programs led to unsuccessful attempts at drawing. Consequently, the majority of my illustrations were created by hand and subsequently enhanced using Photoshop. Despite this setback, I gradually gained confidence as I refined my drawing skills and identified a suitable digital brush for sketching. Towards the end of the comic, I successfully produced several drawings entirely through digital means. This experience has boosted my confidence to explore other software programs and embark on tutorials, particularly focusing on improving my skills in Procreate.

Is establishing a particular pace something that you have experimented with before?

Yes, I have experimented establishing a particular pace before in the past. This was achieved in the unit, Key Steps in Illustration where I illustrated making a cup of tea over a small time frame. This work can be seen by clicking the following link. https://kolb2016.wordpress.com/2016/10/14/giving-instructions/ . Also for the same unit in Assignment five I had to produce a series of illustrations for a poster entitled “How to train your dog in seven days” again this can be seen by clicking the following link. https://kolb2016.wordpress.com/2018/03/24/assignment-5/ In both of these previous exercises I remember struggling with creating successful layouts but reflecting on my previous work I am happy that my technical skills and illustrations have since improved.

Would you attempt this again and if so how would you change your approach?

Absolutely, I would try this again. I really loved making the final comic strip, and the people I showed it to—friends, family, and fellow students enjoyed reading it.

Before embarking on a similar project however, I would like to read more graphic novels, and attend more tutorials on comics. As this can only improve upon the outcome and teach me more about comic styles.

During this exercise, I did take part in a study event with the university called Creating Comics for Beginners Workshop.

It was helpful to hear other peoples questions and ask a professional in the industry questions. I showed Julian Gray who is a comic artist one of my illustrations and he said he really liked it and would be interested to see the final outcome. He also said not to include speech bubbles like the one shown below because he said they are dated and to stick to a six panel layout if I am new to designing a comic.

I received several helpful resources from the session, which I will review later and utilise some of the advice for my future work.

References

https://www.facebook.com/CreativeBloQ (2018). The designer’s guide to Gestalt Theory. [online] Creative Bloq. Available at: https://www.creativebloq.com/graphic-design/gestalt-theory-10134960.

Kukkonen, K. (2013). Studying Comics and Graphic Novels. Chichester: Wiley Blackwell.

McGuire, R. (n.d.). Here. [online] Richard McGuire. Available at: https://www.richard-mcguire.com/new-page-4.

McGuire, R. (2020). Here. Pantheon.

Wikipedia. (2022). Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Corrigan.