Thrillpower Overload: the missing chapters

[Bolt-01]

Funt - Spoiler for what?

[TordelBack]

Hershey's death,  I assume. Probably a fair point, it was only last month. Great interview though, thanks to Kevin Hall (and Frank for sharing).

[Bolt-01]

Aye, I did wonder, though considering that comic scene have that down as an entry in their 'greatest comic moments' of 2019 poll It seems to be fairly widely known about.

[Proudhuff]

Thanks for sharing with us non-FB astras.

[Funt Solo]

Aye, I did wonder, though considering that comic scene have that down as an entry in their 'greatest comic moments' of 2019 poll It seems to be fairly widely known about.

I'm trying my best to avoid spoilers as I'm a little behind. I realize this is my responsibility, but a little bit of context goes a long way. For example, I would not have read a poll entitled "Greatest Comic Moments of 2019", just as I don't read the prog and meg reviews in the Spoiler section of this site. And, if Frank had included the short preamble to the article he copied (which opened with "I recently got to chat with the amazingly talented artist Colin MacNeil, about his stunning work on current Dredd thriller Guatemala") then I wouldn't have read the article.

Context clues are really helpful.

Again, a fascinating article - what an insight into the collaborative nature of the creative process between writer and artist.

[Bolt-01]

Apologies, Funt. I had completely forgotten you weren't yet up to date.

[Frank]

Dave Kendall was kind enough to share some insights into the mixture of physical and digital techniques he uses to bring Deadworld to life ... to create Deadworld.






I'll be finishing off Fall of Deadworld: Doomed tomorrow. Can't believe this Deadworld epic is fast approaching 250 pages to date, maybe more. I've lost count. Even as a pro, that's really hard to imagine.






I start off with an A3 sheet of cheap crappy newsprint, where I doodle out the thumbnails. This is where I'm sitting with the script, working out the story.

I have four small thumbnails on one side. This allows me to plan out different thumbs if needed. I didn't with this page, but you get the idea.

I then produce a bigger version on the right hand side. These are really rough and are my equivalent of a writer's shorthand. I make certain decisions, which dictate layout.

As this is a tight script with lots of scenario changes, I use horizontal panels to create a visual barrier to new scenes or payoffs.

Having those kind of rules can take a lot of pain out of the planning process, as you have to make the page follow those rules.

Even though they look rough, the layouts take the lion's share of the time. They are the most important stage, I think. If they're not good enough neither the pencils or painting will save a page.

As you get older and more experienced you learn that lesson. You're in less of a rush to get on with details and rendering. I'm also really strict that I do every panel in order.

There may be something I'm looking forward to, but I won't rush to do it as it will ruin the consistency.






Next comes the blue pencil/Clip Studio Paint stage, where I take those layouts and attempt to make it look like I can draw.

A lot of changes can happen here, as I have the power of digital to play with stuff further. Digital is a game-changer in the planning/blue pencil stage. In the old days, it was blue pencil and lots of erasing.

Now, if I've drawn a figure or scene I like but it's in the wrong place or size, I can just shift or resize to fit. I then print out the layouts and pencil traditionally. A stage I really enjoy.







These are then printed as a light blue line onto Bristol board and I add the tighter pencils. The brown tint is a layer I add to the pencils in Photoshop to aid in the painting stage.







Finally, this is taken into Photoshop to paint. I tend to paint underneath the pencils, on a separate layer, to add the colour scheme.

I'll then flatten it all to add shadows, highlights and details. Although this is done digitally, it's not dissimilar to how I would approach a traditional painting.

Instead of the layers, I'd use transparent washes and then go to opaque paint at the end. I could paint it traditionally, but my eyes just couldn't take that level of detail these days.

I do like digitally painting, as it gives me a lot of control. Ironically, I still tend to go with my initial colour schemes. A holdover, I guess, from having to bite the bullet when painting in acrylic or watercolour.

I genuinely love doing this. I hope it shows. Tharg's just let me get on and do my thing. It's rare to be allowed so much creative freedom.

My illustration tutor used to say to me that 'you're only as good as your last piece of work.' That still echoes in my head 30 years on.

Sometimes deadlines and pressure mean you can't always fulfil your best work, day in and day out, but it definitely stops you resting on your laurels.



Thanks again to Dave Kendall for this fascinating insight, which puts the incredible scale of his achievement into perspective.

[broodblik]

Thanks for sharing

[TordelBack]

Kendall works in what ia usually my least favourite area of comics art, fully painted murk: and yet I absolutely love his stuff, which somehow combines pin-sharp detail and graphic body-horror with pervasive gloom. He's a bit of a genius. Thanks for passing that on, Frank.

[Bolt-01]

Dave in an absolute hero - and it is a genuine thrill to see him working for TMO.

I have his pencils for the Slaine cover he did waay back on Zarjaz 07 - and they are treasured.

[Frank]

Liam Sharp was kind enough to grant permission to share these portfolio pieces he created during his apprenticeship with the great Don Lawrence (circa 1984), which he originally posted on the 1977 group:








These pages are fantastic. If Rogue Trooper wasn't being ably served by the great Steve Dillon at this time - and headed down a narrative cul de sac that would lead to the character's demise - Sharp could have been an interesting choice of Rogue artist.

Without wanting to be shitty about it, these pages are much better  - or at least more consistently good - than the early Dredd pages Sharp delivered. Sharp soon began producing absolutely fantastic work, but it's a good illustration of the extra experience needed to learn how to produce good work at speed and of the importance of good editorial to both assess talent and develop it to mutual advantage.

[Robin Low]

These pages are fantastic. If Rogue Trooper wasn't being ably served by the great Steve Dillon at this time - and headed down a narrative cul de sac that would lead to the character's demise - Sharp could have been an interesting choice of Rogue artist.

Without wanting to be shitty about it, these pages are much better  - or at least more consistently good - than the early Dredd pages Sharp delivered. Sharp soon began producing absolutely fantastic work, but it's a good illustration of the extra experience needed to learn how to produce good work at speed and of the importance of good editorial to both assess talent and develop it to mutual advantage.

Liam Sharp turned up here a few years ago. I remember saying that I'd not been a fan, but that I really rated his Nemesis and Purity Star Scan for being its own thing and not copycat. He was extremely relaxed and gracious about me not being a fan, not defensive at all. I was able to take a look at a lot of newer (at the time) examples of his art, and found I liked them far more than his earlier stuff in the Prog. There was a Hulk piece that suggested he'd a perfect fit for black and white Slaine.

I ended up really like him and his art.

Regards,

Robin