Oh Lordy, I’m tired. My new job at Harper Collins is going splendidly (how about reading children’s and YA books and playing in Powerpoint and Photoshop all day? And making spreadsheets of sales figures for HC and the companies it distributes. Ehem.), but I do tend to forget how much energy it takes maintaining a 9-5 job. Plus, It’s an hour commute there and a little over an hour back.

However, I am managing to juggle it, at least. I may be tired now, but I actually left at 5 am and 6 am my first two days so I could work on “Jeannie Carmini” before work and worked on it again during my hour lunch. I find it impossible to do creative work afterwards because I go home and crash, but I’m tossing around the idea of taking up an offer to work in the same building as the Deep 6 studios. It’s on my way home from work, it should be only $150 a month, and I find it a heck of a lot easier to work when I’m tired when I’m out, than to get home tired and hear my comfy bed and laptop calling me.

So “Jeannie Carnini” is going slowly now, but at least it’s still going, and steadily. I think because I enjoy my job, I’m not watching the clock and therefore have the joy still left in my heart throughout the day.

And seriously? I LOVE MY JOB. This is just a three-week temp job, but if they don’t ask me back right away or hire me full time, I plan on going to Human Resources and asking if they have any positions available. I get to look at book sales figures all day (I know. Only *I* would find that amazing), the pay is AMAZING (considering the most I’ve ever been paid for a 9-5 job was $10/hr because Austinites are CHEAP), and IT’S IN PUBLISHING. If I were offered any other 9-5 type job in New York … this would be the place I’d first pick.

And of course, once I get my second paycheck, I’m immediately singing up for a letterpress class at The Center For Book Arts.

It’s almost $600 for the class, but … letterpress is a beautiful art form. I don’t know why more printers don’t switch to gravure plates (printing plates that have raised text/illustrations so they leave an impression on the paper), considering they’re so much cheaper to make now, and WAY easier. A little UV light and BOOM! Photopolymer plate! Which taken care of properly will last indefinitely.

Offset printing, however, uses lithographic plates, which uses a thin layer of oil to create the image, so that’s why they don’t leave indents in the paper, and I hate it. I also want to mix my own inks instead of being limited to stupid CMYK halftones for color reproductions. Mixing a color directly makes it vibrant and ALIVE. And “Jeannie Carmini” is going to be either two or three color anyway (I’m thinking brown, yellow, red/pink), so it’s not like there will be any screening involved.

I also want a foot-operated platen press. ;_; OMG. IT’S LOVE. I’ve been drawing designs throughout the day of how to make my own from more readily accessible materials.

But I digress. I like my job. And I’m actually feeling good about the book I’m working on. Life is good.

On another note, I was looking at my click-throughs, and found the response at bottom of this post entertaining to read: http://comicsworthreading.com/2010/01/12/lea-franco-makes-comic-about-slur/

I’m not a particularly PC person. I use words like “retarded” and “gay” and “queer”, but I’ve always used them in more of a … playful way? They’re words that have come to have colorful meanings with subtle differences dependent  upon inflection and situation. I mean, I’m queer. But I also use “queer” to mean “odd in a fun, quizzical” way. I say “retarded” to mean someone who is ignorant. And I use “gay” to mean “retardedly stupid”. Dan Savage of Savage Love (it’s a cynical, brilliantly funny sex advice column for the uninitiated, btw) had a whole rant about this word, and it’s a common thread throughout his podcasts of people who call him up offended that he’d “dare” use them and that somehow he’s single-handedly bringing down the whole of American Society by using them.

I’ve never used any of these words as a slur because well … I don’t use slurs because they’re disrespectful and ignorant. But I still use them with their alternate meanings. I’m not trying to insult anybody or show my superiority. Like I’d never call someone a “nigger” (I refuse to use an asterick for that word, btw, because it has too much power as it is, and being afraid to say something in demonstration is the same as showing highschoolers how to put on condoms by having a banana but no condom), and there’s no other double, subtle meaning to it, so there’s no reason for me to ever use it (except in rhetorical demonstration, of course).

Some words are purely racist/sexist/etc slurs. But some words have subtle double meanings, and I don’t see why I shouldn’t be allowed to use that alternate meaning. It doesn’t make me ignorant. If anything, it makes me MORE literate because I understand the humor of the double meaning and know how to use it in ways that fit the context. It’s like dancing on a pile of knives: it can be safe and fun and exhilarating as long as you step the right way.

I also know people who use FAR worse words in funny, humorous ways that make even me cringe. But I let them have their way because oh my gosh, I’m smart enough to realize their intent is not of malice or ignorance, but of making a new word out of something old. It’s the intent and not the words themselves that hold power. Just watch one of Sarah Palin’s many speeches someday if you don’t believe me. They have some of the most foul-intent hate-speech of any politician I’ve ever heard. But she never says it directly. She never uses the WORDS. But her intent behind simple language that typically relay more gentle meanings, make her one of the most horrific people I know. Of course, that’s why she scares me. Because some people hear only the words, see them as sunshine and roses, and then don’t wonder later why they’re up on The Daily Show as Hatechild of the Week.

But that’s just my two-cents.

(edit) I should probably also mention that my mother’s step-sister has Down’s Syndrome and my mom makes “retarded” jokes ALL. THE. TIME.  Matt thinks people who have mentally handicapped kids or relatives get a pass for getting offended about the use of this particular word, but then why does my mom do it? She loves her sister. I’ve never heard her say anything with insulting or cruel intent about her. Perhaps, then, she just has a sense of humor? Because my mom is one of the nicest, most considerate people I know.

I have a few more samples from what I’ve been working on lately. Oh! And my children’s comic has a name now, too! “Jeannie Carnini! Clean Your Room!” Hee. I already know what I’m going to do with the cover, too, but that’ll have to wait until the interior is actually done as well. I’d say I’m about 3/5th’s there. Optimistically, I finish by the end of February. Realistically, by the end of March.

The character for the girl in this book, Jeannie Carnini, was a particularly tricky one. As you can see, these are some of my (many!) initial, horribly failed attempts (which actually starts on the right and works left):

You’d think I’d have learned by now that if I don’t like a face, I shouldn’t try to just erase and rework it. I really should just throw away the entire pose.

Usually, the problem isn’t where I initially think it is. I would erase and redraw the face, thinking, “WTF is UP? Nothing looks right!” I must have erased that stupid face about fourty times when I finally went to bed, woke up the next morning, looked at it once and realized in a flash of dumb inspiration that I needed to redraw the entire pose, and really the whole character. That wasn’t Jeannie Carnini on my page. That was some other girl dressed in her clothes.

So I drew another character, but I still wasn’t satisfied. Something just wasn’t sitting right, but I couldn’t pinpoint it.

Later that night,  I went over to my boyfriend’s because sometimes I need to work away from home, and we sat and discussed (he IS an artist), and I doodled, and thought about how Jeannie Carnini would REALLY stand, and finally I hit upon it:

First of all, the pose is better. She’s more awkward, less sure of herself, which is more her personality. I’m a pretty confident person about most things in life, and I tend to project that on to my main characters. But … kids are awkward creatures. Smart little snaps, but unsure in the way they walk and stand. I don’t know any kid that holds themselves with surety except for the bullies. And the brownnosers (which ah … I was one of those).  Or kids pretending to be mutant turtles on the playground. >_>; (I dug Raphael because he could swear and get away with it).

The other problem I kept running into with this character was that I kept whispering to myself, “simplify! simplify!” because it’s the style I’m running for, but it kept being either too much or too little (should have scanned in the overly simple ones. oops. too late now.) I would catch an expression on the first sketch, a few simple lines, and then I’d run in with a pointed lead and ruin it with detail. I needed to find that happy balance, and at last, by trying and trying and throwing away an awful lot of sketches but never giving up, and thinking about it and thinking about it some more, I finally got it. And slowly, as I get into the character, the easier she becomes to draw.  Not just in the face either, but in her body language as well.

It takes time to get to know your characters! I actually sit down and talk with them in my head. When I find myself struggling with their body language and expressions, I tell them, “Okay. What would YOU do in this situation? What kind of person are you? SHOW me.” And eventually they do.

Sometimes, it’s silly to admit, I play the actor, stand in front of a mirror and pretend to be my characters. And really, it’s the more subtle characters that are the most difficult. I struggle a lot with main characters because they need to be generic enough to appeal to anybody but also have a strong personality that is charming and engaging. Kind of a paradox, isn’t it? In this story, the easy character is the Frog Prince. He’s one aspect of a personality he doesn’t veer outside of. But Jeannie Carnini? Well. She’s an emotional, inquisitive, odd little girl, and sometimes she overreacts like the Frog Prince while other times she’s still and contemplative.

It takes knowing your characters to draw the expressions beneath the cartoon mask out, and truly reveal who they are.

And it’s made yet more difficult when you’re drawing in a new style! But hey, I think it’s worth it. It makes them real and breathes them to life.

The above are some of the pencils from the beginning of the book. I take an 8.5×11 sheet of 65 lb cardstock (I prefer a heavier paper because it doesn’t tear from all my erasing), fold it in half, and then I work on the right while I use the left space for reference drawings, thumbnails, and practice sketches. I’m having to think in a two-color space for this book, so there’s a LOT more planning that goes into it!  I’m particularly fond of some of my light studies in moodily lit woods. :)

Off to bed now! Tomorrow I have an interview with a temp agency. I plan on self-publishing this book, but that means I’ll be needing capital, and I don’t have good enough credit unfortunately to get a loan. Or heck, I get declined for high-interest credit cards. And I’ve never even owned one before! No credit is worse than bad credit, I guess? Anyway, ideally, I would like more web site and illustration work, but this agency is mostly office jobs. I do what I have to so I can continue pursuing my dream. :)

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Cover mockup for my dad’s book about Corporate America. Had a ton of fun with the fonts; I actually haven’t used any reference yet, but I designed it to imitate old circus posters. The final image won’t be a lined illustration, though. I plan on working entirely with cutout-flats, sort of like you’d make with construction paper, but cleaner and prettier. We’ll see how it turns out!

My dad occasionally reads my blog, so hopefully he doesn’t see this one until I’ve sent him the image. It’s supposed to be sort of a surprise. :)

And the original concept thumbnails:

Been having a difficult time finding good coffee to home brew in New York. I was in Manhattan yesterday running errands and happened to drop by Puerto Rico Coffee Exchange and picked up several varieties of beans, but so far I’ve been disappointed by their mix. Their beans, though having unique flavors I haven’t stumbled across before, have the savor of having sat out for too long. It’s that sort of burnt cigarette ash taste that I find so unpleasant in every single preground coffee I’ve ever tried. Except these were whole beans I bought and ground at home, so they shouldn’t have tasted this way.

So far:

Ethiopian: Incredibly bitter flavor that is greatly mellowed by sugar and cream. Actually, this coffee is almost sour tasting, and after a few sips it started to grow on me simply for being different. But it also has the unpleasant aftertaste of ash. Not a coffee I would drink more than half a cup in a day. Also very oily with little crema. I usually like the coffee oils, but in this case, it just prolonged the sourness of the coffee afterwards. However, if you like your coffees to punch you in the face and leave a puckered lip afterwards, this is a perfect blend.

Puerto Rico Importer’s House Blend: A sweeter, almost floral but still somewhat ashey tasting coffee. The flavor doesn’t change much with sugar and cream, so adding them does little for its taste. It did however make an excellent crema when I brewed it (always french press) and made a nice, rich coffee with very little oil. This is a coffee made for people who’ve had their taste buds killed by French roasts their whole life and don’t know that better exists. Flavorful, but burnt to hell.

Brazil Santos: Best one so far. Light and sweet but not overly slow. Slightly bitter without the ashy taste I’ve been getting in the other blends. Should improve with a peculator instead of a French Press, I hope.

Guatemalan Mandheling: Haven’t tried yet, but it’s a light roast, and I like light roasts. They’re usually more acidic but less ashy tasting.

My favorite coffee ever, however, is still the Lola Savannah Peruvian Fair Trade. Quite possibly the most delicious cup of coffee I’ve ever had, it’s spoiled by cream and sugar. If I can’t find comparable, I’m just gonna have to have it shipped. I need my coffee, dangit!

Yesterday, I also dropped by New York Central Art Supply and bought a paint palette for the Dr. Ph. Martin’s Concentrated Watercolors I’ve been experimenting with, more pencil leads for my lead holder (so I don’t have pencil shavings all over my floor anymore), and several shades of Dr. Ph. Martin’s India Inks. I needed some vibrant inks that are also waterproof, and I’ve had good experiences so far with Ph Martin products and already have the teal india ink, so I thought I’d give it a go.

Slightly inconvenient but not unexpected so far is that the degree of opacity varies drastically from color to color. My favorite so far is the Terra Cotta; it’s a gorgeous red-brown that’s beautifully matte and opaque straight from the bottle. I’ve been using my nibs again, and it works beautifully. I’m actually beginning to prefer this color for inking with a nib line over black. It’s gorgeous.

I also bought yellow, grass green, violet, sepia, and red. The sepia is also opaque straight out of the bottle, but it’s practically black. the other colors will require letting them evaporate to get more consistent, denser color, but they’re still beautiful vibrant colors, and I’m looking forward to experimenting and seeing if they’ll actually mix as well. There’s a few colors I would like to tone down.

I wish I could show the larger illustration I’m working on, but it’s a secret right now, so I’m taking photos and will hopefully show the process later. I’ve never worked with real watercolors before, but the effects I’m going for are simple. Mostly, though, I’m enjoying experimenting. I’ve been influenced by Eleanor Davis lately and her ability to draw so much expression and to exaggerate. I’ve focused too much on realism in my art in the past, and I’d like to move away from that and focus more on expression. Knowing the body and how it works is important, but I’ve realized the more I confine myself to the rules, the stiffer my people become. The sole premise I started with in this illustration was this: I have to draw an expression and body language, but the character can’t have any bones.

We’ll see how it turns out. -_-; I’m embarrassed as it is to show it to anybody. Grr. However, I did just finish inking these two other experimental illustrations. They’re inked with a nib using the terra cotta ink. I seriously <3 this ink! Hopefully tomorrow I’ll have time to experiment with watercoloring them. I’ve only used nib maybe two or three times before (thought I have all the supplies, I just wasn’t comfortable with the results), but that was at least three or four years ago, so I’m pretty happy with how these turned out. I’ve no wacom at the moment, so they haven’t been cleaned up yet, unfortunately. And since I’ll be laying down watercolor, I can’t just white out the line or it’ll bleed into the watercolors (being not waterproof).

First, the fat lady sings. I’ve been having a weird obsession with drawing fat, happy people lately:

Second, a little magician girl:

Mornings are made of the “Jane’s S.O.S” rewrite and evenings consumed with art. It’s a good work flow for me. :)

Saturday, however, I’ll be going out and applying for a part-time job with the U.S. census. It’s mostly weekends and evenings, and that’s perfect to me. I would like to get actual illustration work, but I’m building my portfolio now and diversifying so that I’m not limited to just a few styles. And I recognize the amount of time it takes to get that kind of work: it takes word of mouth and a lot of experience. I’ll get there eventually. :)

Back to work!

OMG. I <3 FONT EMBEDDING. Current generation browsers are finally, FINALLY, moving towards support for embedded fonts, and this means webpages can now look SEXY. (drools all over happy pages)

So yeah, putting the finishing touches on my new site, and EEK does it look pretty! XD And HOLY F*CK has it take forever! ;_; I've been teaching myself PHP and a better understanding of the CSS language (which is actually ridiculously easy once you understand what you can and CAN'T do with it) and everything for the site is finally starting to come together.

HOLY COW I'M SO EXCITED. I feel like I'm getting a new lease on my career and on life. All this energy comes rushing in from nowhere and I want to jump to the sky and shout with joy. The last time I moved, it was a bad, horrible, terrible decision, and in my gut, I knew so. But this time around, I know it's the RIGHT decision, that good things are going to happen, and that I just need to GO. Only ten more days until I move--

HOLYBANANAS!YES!

--and I'll be living in THE most multi-cultural city in the US. Maybe on our planet. I can say "sayonara" to Austin for the time being (though I'll be back to visit!) and "howdy" to my new city.

(hugs New York City)

SO EXCITING. O_O

Back to my website now! Hopefully, next time I update, it'll be from my pretty, brand sparkling new layout.

Eek!

SO EXCITED! \>o

Woo font embedding!