My new year’s resolution this year was to push myself to get better at drawing. I was in a rut and feeling pretty shitty about my art in general. This year my goal was to break through that wall and really try to improve. Part of that meant sketching as much as I could. I’d stopped drawing for fun. I’d gotten into the habit of only drawing when I had a job to do. Now I draw almost every night and I try and force myself to NOT draw things for work. It’s been awesome and while it was hard at first, It’s getting much easier.
I’m also pushing myself in the comic strips and I know that’s been weird to see. I don’t know exactly how to describe the thought process behind some of these experiments. I sort of have to try lots of crazy stuff to see what works and what I like. Often times that means going too far in a new direction and then walking it back or trying stuff that just doesn't work at all. Today’s comic is a good example of that actually. I was trying for something in the second panel that just didn’t work. The figures overlap in an odd way and the way Gabe’s hair intersects Tycho’s face is a crime against God and Man. The first panel is goofy and closer to what I was going for but probably a little over the top. I like the way I drew Tycho’s tears and I really dig the line that defines the top of Gabe’s mouth in that panel though. Those are elements I’ll keep for sure. The last panel I actually like a lot and I think that is probably the best drawing I've done of Tycho from the back. So yeah, I look at every single comic like that these days. I see every strip as an opportunity to try something new. Some of it is going to hit and some of it isn’t.
Here’s some sketches from last week.
I don't know where this little cat came from but I like him a lot
-Gabe out
