Code 911 and the mysterios Inkling

I suppose you're all reading the awesome comics David Heath and I are creating for Bilateral Comics (and if you don't, you're breaking my heart). I'm very happy I found a good collaboration as this, since David is allowing me to experiment a lot with the art and I really hope this will help me grow. Right now the second chapter of Valley-01 is readable online, and Ten Fingers is now available to buy printed.

Now we're starting to build the next short issue - as Ten Fingers, this is going to be a one shot and a break from Valley-01 that will come back with the third issue after Code 911.

Code 911 is a "noir" story (as you can imagine, I can't get away too much), and I thought my usual style wouldn't fit the mood. I've always wanted to try the sketchy style done with ballpoint pen, because I use it for my life drawings and they turn out pretty good. It was time for my Inkling to shine!!!
...and it failed terribly. I haven't had the chance to actually try the pen before now: it has various flaws that make clear why it's not so popular as I believed. This is what I drew (scanned, with black areas outside the panels and text properly added after)

and this is what the Inkling saved.

Now, forget the eye in the third panel, as I moved the receiver without noticing. I'm also ignoring the fact that it doesn't cover the whole page, as it's meant to work on smaller paper. I know that not having the paper infos on the file make a difference; anyway, there are a bunch of gaps between lines that are actually filled, and it seems not to feel the pressure I put in making the signs on paper. I wanted to draw in pen as it's actually the media closer to the pencil in my hands, but the Inkling doesn't make justice to what I can do with a ballpoint pen. It's a pity, as it could have been very practical do to the whole comic without having to scan the pages.

Well, it seems that anyway Code 911 will be done like this. Bonus: the color test.

You all know I hate how colors often destroy my drawings, but this time it quite fits. I hope this turns out to be awesome!

School's out!

I study in the best school ever. This is the final project for this year (for those who can't read italian...well, look at the drawings ._.)

But HOW did we get here? This school year was full of new things to learn from the begininning. I felt like a newbie again, and it wasn't bad, but I think I need a lot of practice to actually learn what we've been taught.
First of all, inking.  I switched from various tecniques (nib, brush, brushpen, pen, digital...), and I'm still looking for the most suitable for my drawings. Anyway, I definately did a lot of progresses: one of the best of 2013 done with nibs, and one of the best of 2014 in brushpen.

Most of all, I think I'm starting to balance the ink with the color, that was one of the most difficult part for me. Color is still a bitch, but I've managed to make some progesses too (spoiler page from Valley-01 #2!):

There's definately a lot of work and exercise to do, as well as in every other aspect of the page (I'm still struggling with backgrounds, and I probably always will), but I got the principles and I think the result is waaay better in just a couple of months.

The most difficult part of this year's studies is that there are a lot of possibilities, both with ink and color, all of them equally useful. I mean, faces and hands and bodies and backgrounds have basic rules to follow, and I'm pretty sure about how I want them to turn out. This doesn't apply to ink, mostly because I'm not sure about the result I want. I like most of the results I can get, and I haven't even started to go into details as mostly of the scenes I draw are actually pretty plain (dialogues, mostly inside, with a few characters). I don't even start to talk about color, you can imagine how many differences there can be in coloring pages. As for now, I want to find at least one satisfying way to have a solid page, and avoid the messy look of my older pages.

Color, how I hate you

As anyone who ever listened to my complaints about coloring, you should know I consider myself a terrible colorist. I swear everytime I put shades on a good ink it gets destroyed.

So, we're having some badass coloring teachers at school, and I'm doing my best to learn what I can while I have time.  Turns out I clearly don't have patience to deal with traditional tecniques anymore.

Anyway, at least I'm learning to balance ink and color. Previously I just inked without caring and splat color in the white spaces, like a child. I still can't get a result that I like without the black lines, but it's a start.

Actual pages to come soon!

In a few weeks I have to get back coloring actual pages for Valley-01 second episode; hopefully the study will pay, as it's been inked in a slightly different way (a way that consider color as part of the drawing). Meanwhile I'm testing another style while working on the cover. Preview!

So many things to learn, so little time.

Note: I am now a proud possessor of an Inkling. Soon to come a (very important and never ever written before) review!

Oltre il bosco

Some quick characters design for a short story I'm working on at school

Tattoos

I'm trying myself on some tattoos designs. Most of them have been done for fun, some are requested and some might be used in the future. I'm pretty satisfied with them.

Old characters

So, some older characters came by to say Hi. They were kinda stuck in the pencil. I'm glad to see they're doing fine; I'm considering getting them back on paper for a short story. Some preview

DC talent search - Harley Quinn

So it happens that DC comics is hosting a talent search with a requested page on Harley Quinn, and we're giving it a try. It seems like the lady and I are pretty good together

Perspective practice and character design

Bremen!

I've been in Bremen to visit a close friend last week. I was mostly relaxing, so the sketchbook has been used very little, but I've got some good sketches to share. Enjoy!

Practice makes perfect

Fantasy sport fans

Some preliminary sketches for a fan based illustration. This should be handed to a sculptor to create a miniature out of it

Sketches and works in progress

I'm full of work these weeks! Here are some sketches and work in progress I'm into right now - just because I'm still not allowed to share some of the commissions that are keeping me busy. Enjoy!

  Some characters sketches from High School Heroes, a really nice webcomic

Colour experiments

A work in progress I'm very proud of - can't wait to have the time to finish it

And don't forget to keep reading our weekly webcomic Swan Song

Work in progress

So much work in progress, and many more to come! I'm still not used at how longer is to create an actually painted image instead of a comics illustration.

And more comics are coming this way - just be patient

Work in progress

Work in progress. I'm colouring it, and I can't wait to have it finished.

Question of the day: why, if this photo is horizontal, does this blog make it vertical?

Designs

Some characters design I worked on for maybe future comics to work on. How I'd like to have something completed to show!

These pics are horrible, because I worked on sheets that don't fit my scanner, so I had to take photographs.

-same here

Still on practice-mode. 

This was meant to be a cover art for the ebook "Portal to Mescalahem", by Larry Forkner. I'm not sure this will be used, in the end, but I'm satisfied on how it turned out, and I wanted to share

Practice makes perfect

Lately I've been doing mostly exercise, as I'm up to no particular project at the moment (except for Aeternus webcomic, but I'm not allowed to post completed pages on here until we launch it). Some landscape painting sdone on this purpose

They're all small watercolours, the biggest one is around 16x24 cm, And since they're quite cute, they're also for sale on my etsy shop.

On the other side, my portrait exercises are so bad I feel ashamed. 

There'll probably be some good comic news in some days ^_^ August seems to be the most peaceful month, as nothing really happened.