Too Many Options; Not Enough Time

I have been making myself crazy. Started off wanting to create a comic book for my grandson, but realized that I had to start practicing drawing things that I had never drawn before. Realized I needed help and would need to watch and participate in tutorials...many tutorials.

Looking at other comic books made me realize that my artistic style did not lean in that direction. However, I could do a story with illustrations. So now I have to write a story (which I have never done before) and create characters and dialogue. Suddenly the comic book story that I started out with is (POOF!) gone and it has inspired this other story.  

While I was thinking of all the things I was needing to do and learn to create this new project, I started watching these painting tutorials that popped up on YouTube. I became fascinated with painting, and drawings that you painted. I had a set of gouache paints that I bought a while back and started watching tutorials on that. Curious about painting on glass, I started watching tutorials on painting on glass with acrylic paints. Not to be outdone by drawings with technical pens. I could go on and on with all the fascinating choices for creating works of art that tempted me to watch tutorials on.

Yes, I fell down the Rabbit Hole and into this crazy-making land of creative options! I was watching a tutorial on feeling overwhelmed by art choices (I couldn't believe that I was not the only ditzy person to have this happen to them). The person in the tutorial had chosen an established and very talented artist's work to inspire her and lead her to her chosen artistic expression. Or, she said to find what you are passionate about and just start doing that one thing and see where that takes you.

 Okay, so I think I will be writing the story and practicing drawing what I will need to illustrate the story. I believe for the most part they will be pencil and ink drawings with perhaps a touch of watercolor (have to wait and see). But once that is done all bets are off, and it will be a smorgasbord of art projects! Hopefully, I will remember to choose just one and start focusing my energies on that and see where it takes me before I choose something else. That sounds right to me. 

It's like with the comic book choice that once I started focusing on creating one that I discovered that it wasn't what I wanted to do, and that it had no appeal to me as an artist to create. Don't get me wrong, I love comic books and go to comic book stores (for over 25 years) and really enjoy reading them. Just like so many art forms that I visually enjoy, but have no desire to participate in as an artist. 

I believe that I started writing tonight to share with you how addictive YouTube tutorials might be and to perhaps help someone else before you get overwhelmed by all the choices and make the mistakes I did. It feels good to share this with you, and it helps me to feel like I am making a good choice after putting it all down here in my blog (very cathartic). Enjoy the rest of your day. Night y'all.

 

 

Meet Kurag, the Antagonist

 I am rewriting the story a bit. I started writing my story boards but to me, it sounded weak and uninteresting. Then, I realized the story needed an antagonist to give it some action and drama. Otherwise, I just have these two guys climbing mountains and interacting with dragons. Then I thought, what if there is an evil person that is creating havoc and trying to stop the two guys from completing their quest. I did not want to have some random ogres and the like trying to kill the guys(those are entertaining but would require more hours of watching "how to" videos). Ha! Ha! But seriously, I just like Kurag and want to play with this idea for awhile and see if it sticks. Meet Kurag, the Seer/Oracle/Bad Guy:

 

 This is obviously a first and rather rough drawing, but it gives me a place to work from. And "No", I didn't get him from a "how to" video. 

I am having to start over with my story board and the whole introduction. This project is going to take months to complete. I spent the weekend watching tutorials on drawing people and did not draw anything. I think I'm just going to have to jump in and start drawing the two guys and see what works. I have to decide on their names, and then that will help me(I hope) to start to determine their looks. It's late. Gotta go. Thanks for listening to my ramblings. Night y'all.

Thank Goodness for YouTube

 This whole project to create a comic book that takes place in this imaginary place where there are mountains, cliffs, bridges, and a place that dragons inhabit is daunting. Oh, and don't forget the two teen boys that the story is about. Then we take a look at my skill set which up to now has been limited to drawings for mosaics which are mostly flowers, birds, a few trees, and insects. In the Art Book for my granddaughter, I did a few drawings but they were mostly in my comfort zone. I really love to draw which is good. But I NEED HELP! 

Whenever I needed to improve my drawing, mosaics, or whatever, I looked for places to take a class. I studied Mosaics at( IMA) Institute of Mosaic Art when it was on Fruitvale in Oakland, CA.  And I took art classes at Diablo Valley College (DVC).  And now I found a treasure chest full of tutorials on YouTube and I don't have to leave the house. No Traffic!  And it's Free! 

Trying to draw mountains was very frustrating for me and that is where I thought I would begin. Here are the results of my first two lessons:

My third lesson is very complex and the artist teaching the class took two (2) hours to complete the drawing. I started it today but will have to complete it tomorrow. The artists teaching these classes are so very talented. I found that if I watch the whole tutorial first and then start drawing with the artist, it's not so disjointed or as crazy-making.  Of the more complex drawing class, I also took pictures throughout to check that I am keeping up correctly. Good grief it's a lot to learn.

Yes, those are clouds in the sky. They're kinda wonky cause I just threw them up there while the artist was drawing them so fast it was a blur and there they were. Good News, there are cloud drawing tutorials!

So hopefully after the next drawing class, I can start drawing the village at the base of the mountains. Then I'll have the first page done.  maybe.

 Oh, I noticed that my stats show that people are actually reading my blog.  I started writing in my blog to keep a record of how this comic book all came together and show it to my grandchildren after the project is completed. I wanted them to see how much work was needed for me to make something that I wasn't sure I could do, and what a labor of love it was.  Knowing that I am also sharing it with you is an added pleasure. Thanks for checking out my blog. Appreciate it!  It's late, gotta go.  Night y'all.

I Picked A Title

 Last night I took one last look at the paper with the story line on it before I was going to bed.  The words, The Dragon Seekers, just jumped right out at me! And I thought, "That's the title."

So this morning, I thought it would be cool to put a dragon with the words, Dragon Seekers. Which got me started looking through my dragon stickers to get an inspiration for a drawing.  And here is where it took me:

 

 I'm really happy with the finished piece, but I have to tell you that working with colored pencils is hard to get the shading and the saturation of color that I want. I'll just have to keep at it and try some things to make it work.

I find inspiration in some of the work that I have already done. For Instance, with this drawing I drew inspiration from this mosaic. I was challenged to work with the color red as a dominant color in a mosaic. I had shied away from using red, so I had to allow the color to lead me to this mosaic and I felt really proud of the result. Since this comic book is so far from my comfort zone, I felt this mosaic could hopefully influence my effort as I work on this book.

 

Title Page (first draft)

 So, today I thought a good place to start would be at the beginning. So original.  This is a rough draft of the title page that just gives me a starting place to introduce my intentions for the story I aim to tell.  

From this opening, you can perceive that this is about a pair of 16 yr. old boys that are on a Quest to go to a place where there are dragons. And by doing so they will be in danger, but to them it is worth it because they will be getting this renowned membership into the secret society.

One thing that is missing from my Title Page is the Title. Which is another thing that will just have to emerge as I create this comic book. Before I go on, let me show you what I am talking about:

 

 

The Title Page is setting the scene of where this will take place that actually exists near Tibet but taking author liberties, I have created a village that doesn't or may have never existed in this place.  Other than the name of the mountains, everything else exists in my imagination, so much fun.

After looking very critically at this, I have already reworked the wording on this page and have rethought the buildings. That is the great thing about knowing that this is just the first rough draft. Nothing is permanent and it is screaming to be redone, added to, etc. 

So many things in life, once done cannot be undone. But this drawing and creating a story is not one of them. Maybe that is one of the things I love about Art and creating; that is the illusion of control one has. Whatever the motive, I have to admit to being swept up in the attempt to make this book work. And I cannot wait to see where tomorrow will take me. Night y'all.

A Comic Book, Me?

 I have been wanting to start this project for a couple of days, but my good friend, "procrastination", kept whispering in my ear that I should start later or tomorrow when I am really feeling the "vibe". Then I realized that time was getting away from me and I had started Nothing. And I realized that this illusive vibe didn't exist. That if I just start Something, then I will carve out time to make it happen. So, here are some pathetic drawings just a half hour before going to bed: 

 

 

 

This is going to be about two teen guys on a quest. 

This is nothing like what the finished drawings will be, but I Started! I have so much to decide on. I have to make drawings of my two adventurers in all kinds of poses, their clothes, names, everything.  And I have to decide on the story I want to tell and how to do this in pictures that I have to draw. Seriously, am I really doing this...This is very scary but exciting. What's the worse that can happen? I can't draw it and I end up using stickers, ha ha! Yikes! I have to get to bed. Night y'all.