Comments on: Cheating

By: Sudelblog.de - Das Weblog zu Kurt Tucholsky » Berlin und Tucholsky in feinem Strich

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 23:51:51 +0000

[...] und zeitlichen Distanz nun die Stadt, die Ereignisse und Charaktere richtig getroffen? Wie er in einem Beitrag seines Weblogs erläutert, bediente er sich manchmal fotografischer Vorlagen, um sie per Photoshop-Bearbeitung in [...]

By: gwen rachel stanley

gwen rachel stanley — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 14:06:41 +0000

It’s interesting to read about tracing images – when I was working on Paper Moon I used a lot of photo references and I found that a traced drawing would end up looking incongruous and out of place. I recall reading that Henry Darger did a lot of tracing in his work – not so much to save time but probably because he didn’t trust his ability to draw figures.

By: Nick Holt

Nick Holt — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:37:17 +0000

I’ve taken a second stab at my blog. My old AGR interview with you re: Berlin is among the old stuff I’ve begun with. Your students might find it interesting.

nickholt.wordpress.com

By: David

David — Thu, 01 May 2008 09:10:49 +0000

Jason: With “marathon”, I was talking more about distance than about speed. I consider Tezuka to have been a marathon cartoonist, for the sheer page-count and thickness of his novels. I often wonder how much his studio contributed to his output (I also wonder this about Herge’s later work). Have you ever considered putting together a studio of assistants like that? Or are you too much of an auteur (aka control freak) to let other artists have a hand in creating your vision? I’m a control freak, but I think if I had the chance and could afford to, I would hire studio assistants. My output is so slow otherwise. If you are meandering, then I’m crawling at best.

By: Isaac

Isaac — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:17:42 +0000

If it’s any consolation, I am dead sure that the traced Reichstag, rendered in your own inking hand, will still look more like your own drawing than Pete Mullins’s churches and obelisks look like Eddie Campbell’s drawing in From Hell.

If you start from the tracing and fill in a scene around it, isn’t it really more like your own “appropriation” than just a paste-down shortcut?

By: jlutes

jlutes — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 21:34:38 +0000

Congrads, btw, on all the progress you’ve made with “Berlin”! It’s a marathon accomplishment in a medium made up largely of sprinters.

Thanks, Dave. Great to hear from you!

I researched Osamu Tezuka for a lecture I gave this semester and was blown away by his level of sprinting. Averaged out over the course of his adult life, he drew 12.5 pages a day! He had assistants in the second half of his career, but the man drew at least the characters on every single one of the 150,000 that must have dropped from his desk like leaves.

I am definitely more of a walker. Or meanderer.

By: jlutes

jlutes — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 21:28:45 +0000

Constraints often improve Art, definitely including time constraints which force one to find shortcuts. Ever done a 24-hour comic?

I have not personally done a 24-hour comic, though it’s an annual tradition here at the school (and Steve Bissette, one of my co-instructors, was the first person known to attempt one, at Scott McCloud’s urging). I love working within constraints of all kinds though, and I use them pretty heavily in in-class exercises and homework assignments.

By: David

David — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:20:39 +0000

You’ve paid your architectural dues, Jason. You’re entitled to give yourself a break whenever feasible. I’m still of the school of cartooning that just avoids drawing buildings and cars.

Congrads, btw, on all the progress you’ve made with “Berlin”! It’s a marathon accomplishment in a medium made up largely of sprinters.

By: Alexx Kay

Alexx Kay — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:42:10 +0000

Constraints often improve Art, definitely including time constraints which force one to find shortcuts. Ever done a 24-hour comic?

By: Alec

Alec — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 03:48:28 +0000

I’ve been thinking about shortcuts a lot too Jason (only 8 years into Basewood, but fewer pages to show for it!) My friend Robin Enrico doesn’t even fill in blacks any more. He just outlines the area of black and then scans the page and fills it in photoshop.

But the above panel doesn’t offend me at all. I mean, didn’t Hergé have assistants that specialized in drawing buildings or autos, etc? I don’t think a tracing here or there will be noticed. Especially when you go to so much effort to make it appear in your own hand…

Anyways, I’m really enjoying your blog! See you this summer. :)