Fireside Conference

Here's a recently finished, moody panel from my upcoming comic "Symphony Number Six":

(click for larger version)

Boy, did that take a long time. Even though I saved myself some work by plunging parts of the image into blackness, I could always have gone further. I need to take a lesson from Marcos Mateu-Mestre, author of the excellent Framed Ink: Drawing and Composition for Visual Storytellers, which I have managed to read three times without learning its lessons.

Rainy Sn6 Panel

I seriously picked the best month in Oregon to ink this comic.

The streaks of rain were added digitally in post-production. I almost added them directly to the page with white gel-pen, but I didn't. I'm glad, because this looks much better.

Concert Hall

Here's my most recently completed page of "Symphony Number Six." Took longer than I would have liked, but boy was it worth it. One of the pages I'm most proud of:

Ever since meeting the artists of Periscope Studio, I've been very mindful of "shortcuts" by which a large crowd can be depicted without actually having to draw a large crowd. Some of these are very evocative, and they certainly save time. Nevertheless, sometimes I think the effect of seeing a giant mass of people painstakingly drawn is worth it.

The conducting postures are inspired by Hans Schliessmann's live sketches of Gustav Mahler. The theater is the Berlin Konzerthaus, the lavish exterior of which will be featured in the first panel of the next page.

Happy Couple

Drawn during a boring meeting. I've been thinking about J.C. Leyendecker a lot lately.

Thad Face

Detail from a panel of Symphony Number Six - this is the protagonist, Thaddeus Johnson: pianist, professor of music history, and assistant conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

Cozy Sn6 Panel

My most favorite comics, the ones that have "stuck with me" long after I put them down, have not necessarily been the ones with the most compelling plots or the greatest characters, even though those things are really important. They've been the ones that create a real sense of mood or atmosphere. I know that's not a very original thing to say, but it's true. I'm taking my best stab at it with my new comic, "Symphony Number Six." I'm so happy that I started inking these pages right as the weather is turning cold and rainy here in Portland, OR!

First Inked Sn6 Panel

First inked panel from Symphony Number Six. I'm so excited!