Video: Making of “Pot.Kettle”
January 30th, 2010
Hope you guys will enjoy my brother Dave’s latest video on the making of a Swoop comic. Once again, he makes me look like a natural… although he did insist on showing me white something out. When you guys are done here, be sure to check out his website. www.Duttonfilms.com Thanks, and enjoy!
February 3rd, 2010 at 10:14 pm
Very cool. Nicely edited, and inspiring to watch. I liked the music, which flowed well with the art being created. (Who was the song by?)
Do you do thumbnails of each of the panels before sitting down to do the actual comic, or do it all right then and there?
February 4th, 2010 at 12:08 am
Hi Ed, thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it. The first song is by Daedelus, called Pocket Watch Pulse on the Of Snowdonia album (which has some RAD cover art by Deth P. Sun - I’d frame the vinyl version if one existed). The second song is a Postal Service mix of an old Nina Simone song called Little Girl Blue. You can find that on Verve Remixed 3.
I usually do a page of thumbnails before laying out the drawing. I used to do a full size rough which I’d then place on a light table and use as a guide for the final drawing, but I cut that step out a while back. Lately, the thumbnails have been more fleshed out because of how the story is beginning to develop…. mainly, I want to avoid gaping plot holes.
February 19th, 2010 at 9:39 pm
Hi, I hope you don’t mind the basic question, but what kind of paper, ink, brush are you using? I see you’re a lefty like me, so it’s interesting to watch you work with a brush, gives me dangerous ideas.
Thanks!
February 19th, 2010 at 9:48 pm
Hi Aric,
I only really got into inking a couple years ago, and it’s been a great way for me to take breaks from my more painterly and labor-intensive illustration work. Have fun!
Not at all. I use Strathmore 300 Series bristol board. I alternate between the vellum and smooth, but I prefer vellum. It gives the inks a more natural look (versus digital). Ink is mostly sumi, mixed with a dollop of Rapidograph black india. I don’t think there’s any reasoning behind the mixture, but I do notice that sumi alone tends to clump pretty quickly. I sometimes throw in a mixture of ox gall fluid and distilled water (seen in the first video). This helps with inkflow. Finally, I use a #2 Windor Newton Series 7 brush. I actually like using the #3, but the results are indistinguishable from a #2, while being more expensive… This is a factor since I seem to go through a brush every few months.
I totally encourage you to have at those dangerous ideas.
February 27th, 2010 at 3:46 pm
Wow! That’s absolutely amazing. I love what you’re doing! Really! And congrats to your brother too, the video is also very cool.