Walk cycle

Class last week focused on character design and character writing (which could each be their own class), and environment (again, woof, what a mountain to climb). To work around my inadequacies tackling such big topics, I leaned on the genius of Ernie Bushmiller and used Nancy comics to illustrate all of the benchmark points I was hoping to communicate. How better to talk about good cartooning than by looking at genius cartooning?

I also demoed non-photo blue penciling and crow quill inking in class, to set up this week’s studio assignment. The assignment was to create an original character (using some character creation prompts & worksheets I put together) and pencil & ink on Bristol a four-panel democratic grid (so, same size panels) of the character in a walk cycle, showing different environments, and the comic has to tell a story about the character. I penciled my own walk cycle before class last week and used it to demo inking. Last night I finished inking the page, and then promptly dropped my inkwell on the floor! I mopped it up frantically with a paper towel, which just smeared it *everywhere.* I googled what to do and turns out a paste made from baking soda and just a little water is literal magic and cleaned it right up?! Thank GOODNESS!

It felt like going home, inking this page. I love drawing my diary comics quick as I can think, straight to ink with scribbled gestures to document and remember, but I’m reminded again and again that I need to prioritize thoughtfully finished work and get some of these stories and thoughts out of my head and on to paper. What a bone-deep pleasure it is to scratch that nib over board.