I took Visual Storytelling 1 in the summer quarter of 2009. I wanted to review the class and my work, just like i did for my Materials and Techniques class, but never got around to typing one up. I thought I would strategically release around class sign-ups, banking that my professor ould be teaching the class again in Fall 09, but it turns out he didn’t teach it, nor will he be teaching it for some time. My class may be the last Vis 1 class taught by Tom Lyle, but the other professors aren’t inferior. Ofcourse, I offer this “class review” not only to review how the class went, but how my work progressed from it. I also like to talk about the kinds of assignments that are offered and what you should prepare for before taking the class, because sometimes I like to look around deviantart or Google for the pages of students past, just to guage an idea of how they approached a project.

Keep in mind that the process that Tom works in is not how everyone works, but he expects you to work his way. For a versatile artist, that isn’t a problem. I had a little difficulty here and there working from thumbnails, then creating tight roughs on an 8.5×11, and then printing them out on a 11×17 sheet and re-tracing/going in tighter with my pencils. It’s a long process that made my work stiffer, but for some it makes finished pencilled pages more “designed”. I lost energy in places, but I think it helped to slow me down and plan things out before straight jumping onto a blank page.

Project 1: Chickasaw Adventures #7

Tom Lyle did a comic called “Chickasaw Adventures” and proposes his students suffer what he went through. The script is not at all worthy of being transformed into a comic, and a lot is left up to the artist. As the very first assignment, it sets the tone of the entire class, and once you get through it, the other assignments aren’t quite as difficult. When I finished this project, I had thought I had done well, but I was torn to shreds (as was everyone). I didn’t think I would get any better than these pages (true!) and that this would be the culmination of my learning at SCAD. Ofcourse, I’d be proven wrong.

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I tweeted about possibly becoming a superhero artist in my future recently, because I’ve seen myself as an indie guy for the last two years now. To be self-published, and to write and illustrate my own books. But I just did some Batman designs for my Visual Storytelling 1 class, and I’m totally digging them! I really feel like I can be a penciller for the big two and enjoy it (ofcourse if I was given great scripts to work from). Here’s some of the character sketches I did for Gotham by Gaslight.

When I looked up plenty of 1880s fashion to incorporate into these characters, I saw a bunch of beautiful paintings from James Tissot. I love doing the research now, but it takes so long! What’s up with that? But it pays off. Thanks, and have a kickin’ weekend!

Whoa! I did this is in color! Be gentle, the colors haven’t dried yet, it might smear on your screen!

I have to reiterate that doing this comic lets me do whatever I feel like it. News happens all over the place! Including weird things that you’d never think would get any coverage byt he press at all. Bats dying from fungus? Whaat?? And they are going to seal up these caves so will all the bats who didn’t die yet end up trapped to die from fungus? Imagine dying from fungus. That’s a very pathetic death, dude. Your grave will read: “Here lies _______.” He died of fungus. What a loser and good riddance.”

Roundup:

• H&P: District Edition, featuring a recent quote made my Shia LaBeouf. Just in time for Mother’s Day! He’s gonna get some!
• It seems like the SEQALab website is down right now, but I’ll come back to spot this week’s roundtable discussion. [Updated] I gave a few of my opinions about journal comics over at the SEQALab Podcast!

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