Some thumbnail pages out of my sketchbook. I thumbnail a lot, but the amount of detail is hardly consistent. I either stop when I get a good idea of a shot, or get too interested in it, and end up using the more detailed panels to enlarge and trace onto comic paper as a starting point:

This one is a perfect example. I got the right pose I was going for, but it wasn't the right size in the panel. So I shrunk the borders, and started getting an idea about the background. Scanned, I can enlarge it to 11x17 paper scale. This sort of thing really helps to be able to take in the whole composition... something I cannot do at all drawing at the larger size.

I found a pen in my art box that I bought, must be a year ago: a Tombow ABT double headed marker pen. Decided to play with it a little... and sweet Granny Goodness, I'm in love. I only used the fat end, which creates good variety in line widths because the tip is still super fine. Not sure what the ink is(pretty sure it's not India), but it's remarkably black, dries very quickly, and didn't bleed on my so-so sketchbook paper:


This is a super quick sketch I did, vaguely of the main character for the comic I'm working on right now. I went overkill on the blacks, but I was just playing around with the pen. I likey, and think I'll be buying a bunch more. I got some good brush strokes out of it which is great, because I still haven't put forth anytime to learn how to use a proper ink brush.

Cheating!

So, I think this'll be the final image:




I keep thinking I should add some effects in the background, but I have such a love for flat graphic color. Hence the vague geometry with the tree of life in the foreground. I know not many will get it, more of a wink to those that do, but my hope is that it doesn't need to be got. That it'll be okay looking a little weird and sci-fi-esque, fitting the abstract nature of the book. But this is the exact sort of thing I'd like feedback about from a publisher. We'll see, but overall I think seeing this and a few colored pages will at least cause editors to take a longer look at it. It was designed for the color to make it flourish, and I never intended it to be seen in B&W.

I guess this means I'm officially giving a damn about Invader again. Oy.

Here's hoping.