Page 71 — No wonder Bones-Jo is so crabby! Can it be a plot?
I’m celebrating! Last week I finally finished the children’s book project I’ve been working on since late Spring; the projected release date is this coming April, so stay tuned. Although I really enjoyed the work (which involved lots of sea creatures, boats, and big waves!), I’m so happy to be able to concentrate on comics again, and especially Mermaid Music. These pages have been in my head since forever and it’s a sheer pleasure to be getting them out onto paper!
Page 70 — more Mysterious Shadowy Figures! Oh, it’s only Cook *whew*!
While I’m working on comics, I sometimes listen to podcasts (not while I’m doing the lettering!). This week I’ve been listening a lot to a guy named Will Terry, whose you tube channel has a lot of really good information for illustrators and comics artists. If you are one of those, you might want to check him out!
Page 69 — Bones-Jo is a touchy sort! Someone should just teach her to say “thank you” to a compliment!
It’s been a busy week and a half — hanging a show of kitty art, off to Saskatoon Expo and back, and immediately into the home stretch of the children’s book project! I’m really looking forward to a quiet autumn (Happy Autumn, by the way — or Happy Spring if you happen to be on the south half of the planet!) with lots developing in the world of Mermaid Music.
Page 68 — Maggie arrives back aboard with a prize!
It’s good to be back aboard The Mermaid! I’ve been working on two book projects for publication over the last couple of months, and while one takes place at the seashore (and under the waves) it’s no substitute for my own beloved comic. I’ve really enjoyed drawing Maggie’s little excursion (if you follow my other work, you’ll know drawing cats is one of my favourite things), and she will certainly have more adventures in upcoming chapters.
In other news, I’ll be at the Saskatoon Comic and Entertainment Expo next weekend, September 17 and 18. If you’re coming to the event, look for me in Artist’s Alley! I’ll be right next to my friend k.d. prosser, of ThinkInk Comics!
Page 66 — The Curious Case of the Moonlight Swimmer!
For those who are interested in art process: I tried something new on the painting stage of this one: the dark, dark blue is Prussian Blue FW Acrylic ink, I applied that first, then was able to paint freely with the watercolour (mostly Daniel Smith Indigo, one of my favourite go-to neutrals) right across it. Sort of similar to masking, but in reverse. Then, white ink spattered over the sky, and some on the waves; finished it all up with some digital cleanup and a yellow tone for the moon, hills, and moonlit waves.
Sometimes I think it would be so nice to just pop the colours in digitally; on a page like this it would have been so fast! But I like the painted-by-hand look more, and haven’t learned to simulate it digitally yet, though I know it can be done. It would be silly to change medium in midstream, anyway. Maybe on the next story!
Page 64— Maggie springs into action!
For a look at the inked version of this, take a look at yesterday’s Facebook page!
Mermaid Music 