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These drawings began with discarded pieces of paper that were used to clean crayon off of hotplates, or with papers randomly stained with strong instant tea, tempera paint, charcoal, or graphite.
After measuring out the standard comics page at 10x15, I divided the space into panels of two different widths, and all the same heights. I cut the randomly marked papers into these two sized panels and taped the marked panels into an alternating sequence for each page. Parts of randomly marked paper that weren't the right size for cutting into the measured panels were used on pages with an alternative format, interspersed to add visual interest for the graphic novel.
I clipped a sheet of acetate or clear lamination over each page.
The next part of the process is called pareidolia. The random markings on the paper were looked at until an image was seen.
This process uses two parts of the brain, memory and imagination. Memory says 'that looks just like...' and imagination allows you to see whatever it is you recognize in a different way.
After staring at the panels for awhile, I began seeing some characters in each panel and I drew their main lines onto the acetate. These were just sketches at this point that were refined in the final drawing and inking stage. I was able to sketch 2 or 3 pages each night, and if I couldn't find anything in a page within an hour's time, I would move to a different page and get back to the first later.
The acetate pages were placed onto a light table to shine up through paper used for the final artwork, or photocopied backward (clear lamination or acetate allows you to copy either way) and reduced at 68% onto standard sized copy papers to be redrawn while lit from behind on a clear clipboard. Each page full of panels was used again upside down, inspiring different images for each. As the marked panels were just scotch taped with two small loops of tape under each, they could also be rearranged and intermixed onto future pages.
After all or most pages were sketched in with randomly inspired images, they were arranged into a sequence that seemed to express a story. Then I added narration and dialog.
I wanted to use an alternative approach to create a graphic novel - starting with the art to inspire the story rather than illustrating an already written story.
I hope this process inspires others to begin creating an 'art driven graphic novel'.
After measuring out the standard comics page at 10x15, I divided the space into panels of two different widths, and all the same heights. I cut the randomly marked papers into these two sized panels and taped the marked panels into an alternating sequence for each page. Parts of randomly marked paper that weren't the right size for cutting into the measured panels were used on pages with an alternative format, interspersed to add visual interest for the graphic novel.
I clipped a sheet of acetate or clear lamination over each page.
The next part of the process is called pareidolia. The random markings on the paper were looked at until an image was seen.
This process uses two parts of the brain, memory and imagination. Memory says 'that looks just like...' and imagination allows you to see whatever it is you recognize in a different way.
After staring at the panels for awhile, I began seeing some characters in each panel and I drew their main lines onto the acetate. These were just sketches at this point that were refined in the final drawing and inking stage. I was able to sketch 2 or 3 pages each night, and if I couldn't find anything in a page within an hour's time, I would move to a different page and get back to the first later.
The acetate pages were placed onto a light table to shine up through paper used for the final artwork, or photocopied backward (clear lamination or acetate allows you to copy either way) and reduced at 68% onto standard sized copy papers to be redrawn while lit from behind on a clear clipboard. Each page full of panels was used again upside down, inspiring different images for each. As the marked panels were just scotch taped with two small loops of tape under each, they could also be rearranged and intermixed onto future pages.
After all or most pages were sketched in with randomly inspired images, they were arranged into a sequence that seemed to express a story. Then I added narration and dialog.
I wanted to use an alternative approach to create a graphic novel - starting with the art to inspire the story rather than illustrating an already written story.
I hope this process inspires others to begin creating an 'art driven graphic novel'.