CG#4, page 10 complete

I was realllly hoping to get this finished yesterday, but my workload turned into a larger chore than expected. So instead, I was able to complete the last 20% or so of the page this morning. This page was fun to do, both because of the action now taking off, as well as on an artistic level of working with shadow and light. Enjoy the preview!

CG#4: page 9 complete. Halfway mark reached!

Yep, now that page 9 is complete, we are (nearly) at the halfway mark! The "nearly" is because, while pages 1-9 are half the issue, I also have to create the cover for issue 1 and issue 2 (which is always shown at the end). This one took a little longer, due to details, and working out the combining of background (3D rendered) and foreground (hand drawn) images, which includes drawing in shadows where one overlaps the other. I think you will really like this preview, including the inclusion of part of the narration panel! On to page 10!

GC#4: page 8 complete!

Page 8 of "grOwing Desires" has been completed. On this page, I had fun using the "warp" command in Adobe Illustrator to extend and curve type as if it were stretched over a ... ahem... curved surface. :D Enjoy the preview!

CG#4, page 7 complete!

I just finished page 7 of the next grOw/cOmic (#4: "grOwing Desires"). I had hoped to have finished it yesterday, and had made excellent progress; but, I was blindsided by a lot of last minute "real life" work, which kept me busy for the second half of the day yesterday, and most of today. However, I was able to squeeze in some time between projects to finish this page, so that I could post an update.

Google SketchUp has really been helping out with the backgrounds, especially since so many "furniture" 3D models are available for the program for FREE! The backgrounds need some post-production work, no doubt about it. But my Photoshop skills are up to the task (fixing seams, adding texture where needed, and adjusting shadows and lighting to the needs of the scene).

Enjoy the preview! Tomorrow, it's on to page 8, where the action is really starting to heat up!

In a response to a comment made in the previous post, I wanted to put the answer here in the main Blog, as some people have missed things in the comments. It thought the answer was interesting:

other290 said:"Had a look at grOwstOry 1-6 vs the later 7-12, the new details add alot to the story and the difference from grOw #1 are amazing."

BA: @other290: Yes, the difference are huge between the first grOw/cOmic and this one. This is due to many reasons: 1) As an "known success rate" project, "Milk Farm" (GC#1) was the first of its kind. I didn't know how much time I should spend. 2) The line work in GC#1 was done with black felt pen on paper, scanned, and then colored using a MOUSE! 3) Half the coloring for GC#1 was done on a moving train, when I used to commute a lot!! 4) CG#1 was 5 years ago since it's release, and 10 years ago since I started that one (yes, it took 5 years to create)... I've had a lot more practice since then, and have been able to experiment with different methods.

Starting with CG#2, ink and coloring were done using a Wacom tablet (the original drawings are still done in pencil, and probably always will be). Doing the inking digitally in Adobe Illustrator with the Wacom tablet gives me wonderful control of line thickness, sharpness, and COLOR! It has also allowed me to do effects such as hair, some basic 3D, and repetitive textures. Also, the Wacom is a boon for coloring. I can use pressure sensitivity to control ink flow, rather than using on-screen controls and keystrokes to adjust opacity and brush size. Another method I now use to increase drawing quality, is that I now use more real-life photographs when drawing characters — for better reference to facial expressions and consistent looks. In comparison, CG#1 was drawn completely from my mind's eye.

CG#4, page 6 complete!

I am very happy that I was able to finish another page before the end of the week. The initial character-intensive pages have lessened (not to say that the current pages are plain or boring), allowing for quicker completion of each page. The plot has been initiated, the characters have been introduced, and the story is in motion. Enjoy the preview before the weekend!

CG#4: page 5 complete!

Another page is done, part of the opening set of pages that have quite a bit of detail (and characters). I mentioned this once before for grOw/cOmic#3, but I will repeat it here. It's not the number of panels, that causes a page to take longer, but the number of faces on the page. Faces need extra care to make them come out right, with all their intricacies. We humans are very structured to communicate with a person's face, so we are quite intimate with its features. Page 3 had a total of 18 faces (whew!), and page 4 had 14 which is why they took so long. This last page had 9, which is getting closer to the average.

I am also getting the hang of adding the Google SketchUp renderings as backgrounds. They definitely needed added Photoshop work — better shadows, lighting, bluring, etc — but the software does the trick, giving me detailed locations that would take a lot of time to produce otherwise.

Enjoy the preview! On to page 6 !

CG#4: page 4 complete!

I had hoped to post this yesterday, but I couldn't quite get the page completed with some "real" work coming in at the last minute. But, I was able to quickly finish it up this morning. Another detailed page, this one took a bit longer than usual. The story is taking shape, and characters are being introduced. Enjoy the preview!