If you have nothing better to do... drop by.
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
06 October 2010
A reminder...
It's nothing too serious... just a relaxed bunch of people who get together for a drink and chat about comics on a lazy Saturday afternoon. It's a great place to put faces to names, get advice, talk comics, show your work, or just hang out.
If you have nothing better to do... drop by.
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
If you have nothing better to do... drop by.
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
05 October 2010
The cover - pt.3
The cover is done!... Well, almost. The hard part is over anyway, and now I'm just playing with colour palettes. These two are the contenders so far...
Now all that's left is to impose the book and finalise the text pieces at the front and back. Not long to go now.
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
Now all that's left is to impose the book and finalise the text pieces at the front and back. Not long to go now.
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
04 October 2010
The cover - pt.2
My sickness is on it's way out. Finally. The throat still feels like sandpaper though, but the headaches and nausea seem to be fading. Still not feeling great though, but thank Christ the headaches/nausia are subsiding. Anyhow, I managed to rest for most of the day, but got on the horse and was able to ink the cover for DIGESTED.04 this evening. Here it is...
I used a brush for a fair portion of this illustration just for fun. It's kinda new for me. In the end I don't think I'll make a habit of it. Played it way too carefully because I was trying to be perfect and hit the mark, instead of just naturally flowing through the inking. It's kind of like trying to write like someone else just because you like their style. I'm pretty confident with a nib after all these years, and aside from the thick lines one can only get from a brush, I think I'll stick with nibs as my tools of choice.
I know that other illustrators like Brendan Hallyday swear by the brush, but I suppose it's because he nurtures them the way I do nibs. Besides, I've only got about 4-5 brushes, but I have a warchest full of my favorite 'go-to' nibs. It just wouldn't make sense to begin a new learning curve and throw all that away just for kicks. It's procrastination. Also, I ink on a smaller than ordinary comic page (A4), and so it's almost impossible to get the fine line I want using a brush.
Ahh... why am I even trying to justify it to you all? It's nib all the way for me.
So... now it's up to that part that I find least enjoyable (though satisfying when it's done)... the colouring.
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
I used a brush for a fair portion of this illustration just for fun. It's kinda new for me. In the end I don't think I'll make a habit of it. Played it way too carefully because I was trying to be perfect and hit the mark, instead of just naturally flowing through the inking. It's kind of like trying to write like someone else just because you like their style. I'm pretty confident with a nib after all these years, and aside from the thick lines one can only get from a brush, I think I'll stick with nibs as my tools of choice.
I know that other illustrators like Brendan Hallyday swear by the brush, but I suppose it's because he nurtures them the way I do nibs. Besides, I've only got about 4-5 brushes, but I have a warchest full of my favorite 'go-to' nibs. It just wouldn't make sense to begin a new learning curve and throw all that away just for kicks. It's procrastination. Also, I ink on a smaller than ordinary comic page (A4), and so it's almost impossible to get the fine line I want using a brush.
Ahh... why am I even trying to justify it to you all? It's nib all the way for me.
So... now it's up to that part that I find least enjoyable (though satisfying when it's done)... the colouring.
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
03 October 2010
The cover - pt.1
Have come down with one of these 'super' colds (or whatever they're called), and haven't been able to do jack for the past four days. My pens have missed me.
I've had blocked sinuses, headache, running nose, aching joints... the works. I've never felt this kind of illness before, for this long. A few people have told me it's a new bug going around. Am now only about 50% normal, but managed to sketch a few ideas for the cover of the next issue, and have whittled it down to this...
Now, I'll try and muster up the energy to fine-tune and pencil this out full size... then ink. Hopefully without dripping snot all over the page. Oh, my throbbing head.
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
I've had blocked sinuses, headache, running nose, aching joints... the works. I've never felt this kind of illness before, for this long. A few people have told me it's a new bug going around. Am now only about 50% normal, but managed to sketch a few ideas for the cover of the next issue, and have whittled it down to this...
Now, I'll try and muster up the energy to fine-tune and pencil this out full size... then ink. Hopefully without dripping snot all over the page. Oh, my throbbing head.
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
30 September 2010
Light at the end of the tunnel
It's Thursday morning, and I've written, layed-out, pencilled and lettered the final two page short story for the tail end of the next DIGESTED.04 issue due out in November. Feels good I tell ya!
Will ink this baby today, wrap up the final addendums for the back of the issue... and then it's only the cover to be done. I know the cover is the most important thing that people notice, and I'm careful to plan/execute it properly... but I'm always just anxious to get it done and get the book out. I know most comics authors absolutely froth at the mouth to do the cover, but to me the stories in the book are the real juice.
Catch the rest of you regulars at Saturday's monthly comics meetup. It's usually on during the first Saturday of each month, but because of this year's stupid AFL Grand Final reply... everyone's timetables are screwed up.
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
Will ink this baby today, wrap up the final addendums for the back of the issue... and then it's only the cover to be done. I know the cover is the most important thing that people notice, and I'm careful to plan/execute it properly... but I'm always just anxious to get it done and get the book out. I know most comics authors absolutely froth at the mouth to do the cover, but to me the stories in the book are the real juice.
Catch the rest of you regulars at Saturday's monthly comics meetup. It's usually on during the first Saturday of each month, but because of this year's stupid AFL Grand Final reply... everyone's timetables are screwed up.
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
26 September 2010
Like Mike...
Comics has always been my No.1 passion... but I've also been playing basketball for over 20 years now, and there's nothing like it for letting off some steam. I play twice a week.
Here's me, splitting the D and going to the rack.
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
Here's me, splitting the D and going to the rack.
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
23 September 2010
Progress report...
Just finished inking a very short one-pager for the next issue of DIGESTED.
No kidding... this is something I saw on TV.
(Update: This strip got pulled in the end. Needs reworking, and deadline is looming. Another time.)
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
No kidding... this is something I saw on TV.
(Update: This strip got pulled in the end. Needs reworking, and deadline is looming. Another time.)
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
11 September 2010
Dark Contrasts
Damn Saturday afternoon Melbourne traffic. Every person was out on the roads being the dutiful consumer in shopping districts that I had to go through in order to get to Mandy Ord and Dillon Naylor's exhibition/talk... Just my luck.
I finally got there, but was late. What a buffoon. I got there just in time to catch Dillon's final words, so I didn't get any pics of him talking, which was a shame.
Then it was Mandy's turn to present/talk about her work as Dillon listened on...
Mandy going through the chronology of her comics through the years.
(Click on the above image to view a larger version)
(Click on the above image to view a larger version)
I had a quick chat with both Mandy and Dillon after the show, and got to chew the comics fat briefly with them. Especially with Dillon, whom I've never really chatted to before, but who has a good and reserved confidence in his work.
As we chatted, we tended to agree that there hasn't been many comics/graphic novels in the last five years that have caught our eye in a major way. It's like there's all these indy publishers now and online comics, but nothing that has really made any big sound like the 80s or 90s. Maybe there's too much noise now. Everyone's doing it... maybe? Who knows. But Dillon remarked that that's probably a good sign in that it's a perfect time for comics to emerge while there's all this 'bubbling' and make an impact. Sounds like a solid idea to me. Hope it happens. Dillon mentioned the Heavy Metal comics and we both lit up... but we couldn't really think of any renaissance past that. Strange.
Anyway, it was a nice talk/presentation by Mandy... and I'm sure Dillon's was just as good too (sorry for being late). I highly recommend that you get down there and see their wonderful original works up on the walls before it all ends. You can even buy most of the artwork... A lot of it originally inked artwork too! What are you waiting for?
The exhibition is on until the 25th September. More details from the gallery's blog here.
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
I finally got there, but was late. What a buffoon. I got there just in time to catch Dillon's final words, so I didn't get any pics of him talking, which was a shame.
Then it was Mandy's turn to present/talk about her work as Dillon listened on...
Mandy going through the chronology of her comics through the years.
(Click on the above image to view a larger version)
(Click on the above image to view a larger version)
I had a quick chat with both Mandy and Dillon after the show, and got to chew the comics fat briefly with them. Especially with Dillon, whom I've never really chatted to before, but who has a good and reserved confidence in his work.
As we chatted, we tended to agree that there hasn't been many comics/graphic novels in the last five years that have caught our eye in a major way. It's like there's all these indy publishers now and online comics, but nothing that has really made any big sound like the 80s or 90s. Maybe there's too much noise now. Everyone's doing it... maybe? Who knows. But Dillon remarked that that's probably a good sign in that it's a perfect time for comics to emerge while there's all this 'bubbling' and make an impact. Sounds like a solid idea to me. Hope it happens. Dillon mentioned the Heavy Metal comics and we both lit up... but we couldn't really think of any renaissance past that. Strange.
Anyway, it was a nice talk/presentation by Mandy... and I'm sure Dillon's was just as good too (sorry for being late). I highly recommend that you get down there and see their wonderful original works up on the walls before it all ends. You can even buy most of the artwork... A lot of it originally inked artwork too! What are you waiting for?
The exhibition is on until the 25th September. More details from the gallery's blog here.
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
06 September 2010
A peek...
I'm currently inking the last page of the MINIMUM HOURS story in the next issue of DIGESTED.04. Woohoo. Finally the finish line. Just a short 1 or 2 pager after that, and the issue is done... notwithstanding the cover, that is.
Here's one of the final inked pages.
For some reason I was really feeling it with the nib on this one. It's a nice feeling when that happens.
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
Here's one of the final inked pages.
For some reason I was really feeling it with the nib on this one. It's a nice feeling when that happens.
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
03 September 2010
Dark Contrasts
Last night was the official opening to Mandy Ord's & Dillon Naylor's DARK CONTRASTS exhibition at the Town Hall Gallery in Hawthorn.
Personally, I'm of the opinion that comic stories are meant to be read. But the positive thing about gallery exhibits of comic art is that it attracts crowds that may not necessarily be into comic books at all. The upshot, one hopes, is that by getting people to see the medium in a format that they ARE familiar/comfortable with (ie. On a wall), then it may prompt them to also read the stories in book format. It's not a far-fetched idea, right?
I was one of the first there when I took the photo (above)...
But soon the place was jumping.
Lot's of chat and viewing of artwork.
A few familiar faces.
Some rare published comics by Mandy and Dillon were on view.
I didn't want to interrupt John puttin on his 'moves'... "So, ladies, uh..."
Dillon Naylor's work:
Beautifully designed and painted acrylics.
My favorite of Dillon's at this exhibit. Really confident work.
Mandy Ord's work:
Pages from some of Mandy's newer work...
And a close-up.
The artwork showcased on the walls was great. Congratulations to them both, and I hope the show leads to great things. They deserve it. The two have been toiling away at their comic book authoring/illustrating for years now, and while their respective styles are very different from each other, their passion for black ink on white paper is obvious and inspiring.
The exhibition closes on the 25th September. Mandy and Dillon will also be giving a talk about their work and careers on Saturday-11th between 2-3pm. Entry is FREE! So if you don't come... Like, what's wrong with you?
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
PS: Oh yeah, before I forget... the monthly comics meet up is on again tomorrow.
.
Personally, I'm of the opinion that comic stories are meant to be read. But the positive thing about gallery exhibits of comic art is that it attracts crowds that may not necessarily be into comic books at all. The upshot, one hopes, is that by getting people to see the medium in a format that they ARE familiar/comfortable with (ie. On a wall), then it may prompt them to also read the stories in book format. It's not a far-fetched idea, right?
I was one of the first there when I took the photo (above)...
But soon the place was jumping.
Lot's of chat and viewing of artwork.
A few familiar faces.
Some rare published comics by Mandy and Dillon were on view.
I didn't want to interrupt John puttin on his 'moves'... "So, ladies, uh..."
Dillon Naylor's work:
Beautifully designed and painted acrylics.
My favorite of Dillon's at this exhibit. Really confident work.
Mandy Ord's work:
Pages from some of Mandy's newer work...
And a close-up.
The artwork showcased on the walls was great. Congratulations to them both, and I hope the show leads to great things. They deserve it. The two have been toiling away at their comic book authoring/illustrating for years now, and while their respective styles are very different from each other, their passion for black ink on white paper is obvious and inspiring.
The exhibition closes on the 25th September. Mandy and Dillon will also be giving a talk about their work and careers on Saturday-11th between 2-3pm. Entry is FREE! So if you don't come... Like, what's wrong with you?
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
PS: Oh yeah, before I forget... the monthly comics meet up is on again tomorrow.
.
17 August 2010
B.P.R.D.
Today at lunchtime, as i entered the Richmond Library for my daily routine of working on my book/s, I spotted 'B.P.R.D: PLAGUE OF FROGS' at the corner of my eye. "I remember this." I thought, and proceeded to flick open the pages (just to reminisce) . Then I began to glow. Then I sat down... and before I knew it I had read the entire book and spent my entire lunchtime immersed in the story again.
This is a great, great comic. Real adventure. It's Indiana Jones, horror and CSI mixed together (with a better cast and story). The pacing is beautiful and SO easy to read. Mike Mignola isn't heavy handed with his writing, and allows the art (by Guy Davis) to complete the tense mood. It's a PERFECT example of how comics can out-do straight prose hands down in setting mood & story.
The above image is the cover from the first issue of the original series (which I have from years ago), but after reading it again today, I'm getting the TP too.
So should you.
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
Scribble, scribble...
E ] --
At the day-job I have a 'task sheet' where I organise all the things I'm trying to complete before I head out the door at 5pm... and these are the doodles at the bottom of my task sheet.
I just can't help it.
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
At the day-job I have a 'task sheet' where I organise all the things I'm trying to complete before I head out the door at 5pm... and these are the doodles at the bottom of my task sheet.
I just can't help it.
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
15 August 2010
Progress report...
Ok, so OXYGEN pt-4 is done... and now it's just a matter of finishing two short stories and the next issue of DIGESTED is complete. Should all be done in about two more months.
Two random inked OXYGEN panels from the upcoming issue.
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
Two random inked OXYGEN panels from the upcoming issue.
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
13 August 2010
"Oh, how quaint."
Yesterday at the Richmond Library, while inking the last page of OXYGEN for the next issue of DIGESTED(04), an elderly woman leant over to me and commented, "Oh, I didn't know people still did those things."
Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
08 August 2010
August meetup
A nice, cosy, chatty meetup this month. All the regulars came, plus some new faces that are starting to become regulars.
Colin Wilson and Jason Franks came back from the US where they bought back a crapload of comics.
Greg Gates shows us the goodies bag that Colin brought back from the convention circuit this year. I swear they're getting bigger each time.
Colin's copy of a new Moebius comic that Greg and I were in awe over...
(Click on the image for a bigger pic.)
Brendan occasionally brings down some great comics he's willing to sell... for a bargain. We all picked up some treasures.
The travelling, talented, Renan dropped by. His sketchbook is awesome!
... And I'll let Brendan sign off this post.
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
Colin Wilson and Jason Franks came back from the US where they bought back a crapload of comics.
Greg Gates shows us the goodies bag that Colin brought back from the convention circuit this year. I swear they're getting bigger each time.
Colin's copy of a new Moebius comic that Greg and I were in awe over...
(Click on the image for a bigger pic.)
Brendan occasionally brings down some great comics he's willing to sell... for a bargain. We all picked up some treasures.
The travelling, talented, Renan dropped by. His sketchbook is awesome!
... And I'll let Brendan sign off this post.
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
04 August 2010
Remember...
It's a relaxed get-together in the leafy suburb of Carlton.
Come one. Come all.
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
25 July 2010
XXX Neon - pt.2
Illustration idea for the back cover.
If you don't know what it is... don't ask.
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
If you don't know what it is... don't ask.
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
24 July 2010
XXX Neon - pt.1
A few posts ago you'll remember I illustrated a cover for James Andre's upcoming XXX NEON book that's coming out shortly (as soon as I get the artwork to James I'm guessing)... and here's the inside I'm proposing that'll spread from the inside front cover all the way to the back.
Click on the image above to see a larger version.
Not sure if I should leave it B&W, or tone it with one grey. I'm leaning toward the latter. Anyway, for now, I'll just complete the back cover sketch & it'll be done. I'll show it shortly.
(Sorry for the delay James.)
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
Click on the image above to see a larger version.
Not sure if I should leave it B&W, or tone it with one grey. I'm leaning toward the latter. Anyway, for now, I'll just complete the back cover sketch & it'll be done. I'll show it shortly.
(Sorry for the delay James.)
-Bobby.N
www.bobbyn.com
.
23 July 2010
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