CG#4: page 13 complete!

With the rain and wind battering the East Coast, I stayed in this weekend, and started on the next page. Finishing it this morning, I was able to continue the great progress that I am making. It's amazing how much a little reflection adds to a scene.

CG#4: page 12 complete!

I was soooo close to finishing page 12 yesterday, but some last minute work came in that slowed my progress. So, since I was so close, and today is just a miserable windy and rainy day, I decided to finish the page up this morning. I really like how this page came out, with the composition, flow, and lighting. Coming up with the preview was a little difficult on this one, but I was able to to decide after about 4 or 5 attempts. Enjoy!

CG#4: another day, another page (p.11) complete!

I made excellent progress today, finishing an entire page in 1 day (page 11 of 18). That's a lot of work, but I was able to accomplish it due to a slow work schedule (good for grOw, bad for the wallet). I used some depth of field on this page to add some focus, and I like the results. I also discovered the command in SketchUp that adjusts the Field of View (a.k.a. the lens aperture), giving me better control over perspective. I was very happy discovering this, as it is now easier to match the backgrounds to my drawings and the required view for the scene. Enjoy the preview!

Also, I am including a "progress map" that visually shows what pages are complete, and what needs to be done for issue 1. "C1" is the cover for issue 1, and "C2" is the cover for the next issue, which I always try to show at the end as a preview of the next chapter.

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.