- OUT OF LOCKDOWN DIARIES -
Week 9 to 12: Out of Lockdown Diaries
Book Research
We started this project by going to the library to find some book research, comics don't generally appeal to me so I decided to look at books that didn't necessarily relate directly to comic design but which I thought could be useful in inspiring me to create a comic that is more like me. I chose books such as "The Pattern Sourcebook" because I love how patterns look and I am curious if they could be used to tell a narrative story in a comic book format. I want to find out what makes a comic and how far from traditional comic design can you go before it isn't a comic anymore?
We started this project by going to the library to find some book research, comics don't generally appeal to me so I decided to look at books that didn't necessarily relate directly to comic design but which I thought could be useful in inspiring me to create a comic that is more like me. I chose books such as "The Pattern Sourcebook" because I love how patterns look and I am curious if they could be used to tell a narrative story in a comic book format. I want to find out what makes a comic and how far from traditional comic design can you go before it isn't a comic anymore?
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Artist Research
After looking into some books at the university library I decided to look online for some examples of comics/graphic novels that interested me.
After looking into some books at the university library I decided to look online for some examples of comics/graphic novels that interested me.
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I love the use of colour within this comic, and this artists other work is also very beautiful. It is fun and yet it clearly gets across the story of the comic. |
"The Journey of Shuna" is a comic created by Hayao Miyazaki, I really like the lighter colours of these illustrations they really help to communicate the mood of the story. |
I think the bright coloured illustrations in this graphic novel really help to bring the pictures to life. Also the front cover looks really nice and the font fits well. |
Ideas Generation
To start my comic project I decided upon four different ideas that I could chose to create, after sketching and writing out my ideas I decided upon the idea of finding colour through lockdown influenced by nature. I also considered making the comic about social distancing but I decided the colour comic was far more interesting, and gives me a chance to draw more varied locations.
To start my comic project I decided upon four different ideas that I could chose to create, after sketching and writing out my ideas I decided upon the idea of finding colour through lockdown influenced by nature. I also considered making the comic about social distancing but I decided the colour comic was far more interesting, and gives me a chance to draw more varied locations.
Comic Panel Developments
After my ideas generation I decided to develop each panel to work out which panel layout works best, by doing this I worked out which compositions to carry forward into the comic mock-up which I planned to create after this. However I think that these thumbnails could have been greatly improved with some tone to help me to figure out how the paintings would look.
After my ideas generation I decided to develop each panel to work out which panel layout works best, by doing this I worked out which compositions to carry forward into the comic mock-up which I planned to create after this. However I think that these thumbnails could have been greatly improved with some tone to help me to figure out how the paintings would look.
Comic Mock Up
After I decided on which images to draw in the comic panels I started to create a mock up, I found it really helpful to be able to flick through a mini book and see how the story flowed across the pages. However after I created this mock up I did decide that I needed to rework the order of the pages, I wanted to make each page look like a mini story within the main comic.
After I decided on which images to draw in the comic panels I started to create a mock up, I found it really helpful to be able to flick through a mini book and see how the story flowed across the pages. However after I created this mock up I did decide that I needed to rework the order of the pages, I wanted to make each page look like a mini story within the main comic.
Material Testing
After I had decided what to include within my comic I moved onto trying out different techniques using a mix of watercolour and ink. I really liked the pen and watercolour images in the far right image, they have a watery fluidic quality to them which I think works really well with the colour changing concept within my comic. Additionally I also liked the blue pen and ink drawing I created of my dog Fae, however this was a very time consuming technique so I decided that it wouldn't be very practical to use this technique for my whole comic.
After I had decided what to include within my comic I moved onto trying out different techniques using a mix of watercolour and ink. I really liked the pen and watercolour images in the far right image, they have a watery fluidic quality to them which I think works really well with the colour changing concept within my comic. Additionally I also liked the blue pen and ink drawing I created of my dog Fae, however this was a very time consuming technique so I decided that it wouldn't be very practical to use this technique for my whole comic.
Small Scale Mock Up and Comic Panels
To work out what kind of colour I should apply to my comic I quickly coloured in a copy of the pages, as well as planning out the shapes of my comic panels. I did attempt to see how it would look if the colour transferred out of nature into me, however it didn't make much sense so I decided that I should join the colour instead of taking it out of nature.
To work out what kind of colour I should apply to my comic I quickly coloured in a copy of the pages, as well as planning out the shapes of my comic panels. I did attempt to see how it would look if the colour transferred out of nature into me, however it didn't make much sense so I decided that I should join the colour instead of taking it out of nature.
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Coloured Full Scale Mock Up
Before I went on to create my final design I created an A4 scale mock up, this made me realise that I needed to separate the panels with clear space.
I still need to work on these comic pages some more to make them flow better but I do hope that separating the panels would help to make it clearer to follow the story.
Before I went on to create my final design I created an A4 scale mock up, this made me realise that I needed to separate the panels with clear space.
I still need to work on these comic pages some more to make them flow better but I do hope that separating the panels would help to make it clearer to follow the story.
Sketched Comic Pages
To plan out the comic pages I drew out the pencil drawings in more detail and spent more time on trying to get the perspective correct, I think that these turned out a lot better this time.
The separation between the comic panels helps to lead the eye across the page to make the story clearer, also I think the gaps actually help to shape the story. I actually chose not to include the last two pages of the comic as I thought driving away in my car and the number plate saying lockdown over ended the story more satisfactorily than it would have if I have continued the journey into university. As this would have started another narrative part of the story that couldn't be resolved within the comic.
To plan out the comic pages I drew out the pencil drawings in more detail and spent more time on trying to get the perspective correct, I think that these turned out a lot better this time.
The separation between the comic panels helps to lead the eye across the page to make the story clearer, also I think the gaps actually help to shape the story. I actually chose not to include the last two pages of the comic as I thought driving away in my car and the number plate saying lockdown over ended the story more satisfactorily than it would have if I have continued the journey into university. As this would have started another narrative part of the story that couldn't be resolved within the comic.
Final Style Testing
After I finished sketching the pages I used one of the images to create multiple style tests, I ended up liking a mix of the coloured parts on the far right.
However I think it would work a lot better alongside the blue grey gloomy version, to create a larger amount of colour contrast.
After I finished sketching the pages I used one of the images to create multiple style tests, I ended up liking a mix of the coloured parts on the far right.
However I think it would work a lot better alongside the blue grey gloomy version, to create a larger amount of colour contrast.
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Comic Line Art
To create my final comic pages I drew out all of the pages in coloured pens, I spent a long time creating these illustrations and being slow to make sure I didn't mess up any of the lines. This was honestly a bit of a guessing game as to how each colour of pen would react when I applied the watercolour on top of it. I really like how the line art turned out, however they didn't have enough power within them to be the final illustration. So I then went on to painting the pages with watercolours on top of the line art.
To create my final comic pages I drew out all of the pages in coloured pens, I spent a long time creating these illustrations and being slow to make sure I didn't mess up any of the lines. This was honestly a bit of a guessing game as to how each colour of pen would react when I applied the watercolour on top of it. I really like how the line art turned out, however they didn't have enough power within them to be the final illustration. So I then went on to painting the pages with watercolours on top of the line art.
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Front and Back Cover For my covers I decided to create one illustration that showed both the coloured and grey blue version, then digitally edit the image to create a front and back cover. I like the colours however I think I could have maybe put more thought into the cover. But I ran out of time so I just created an image that I thought fit well with the story overall, the whole comic took a lot longer than I thought it would have so I just had to try my best with the cover and hope it worked. |
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Rushing Through Carlisle To Catch The Train These two comic pages were created to represent my journey through town to get the train, I haven't been on another train since lockdown started which has been strange as it was my normal mode of transport. I decided to represent the idea of lockdown by the doors of the train closing and shutting me in, also I separated the comic frames in an interesting way to give the pages some movement and sense of direction. |
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Being In Lockdown Daydreaming Of Being Outside These two pages were created to show how when I was trapped inside I spent a lot of time dreaming of being able to go outside again, I am at my happiest when I am outside in nature. I wanted to make the illustrations all have a dreamlike quality to them which I think can be seen most clearly in the illustration of me looking out of the window. The colours are faded but also the stars help to lead the eye towards the window and then outside. |
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Going On A Walk Discovering A World Of Colour Walking my dog was my main form of escape during the pandemic, and slowly over time I noticed that my previously grey and black wardrobe turned to become far more colourful as if I was trying to replace the colours of nature that usually surround me with my clothes so I could still feel connected to nature no matter whether I could go outside or not. I really like these two pages I think it is because they are more colourful and of course painting ginger hair does make the images brighter which was a lot more fun for me than the grey blue images were. I also liked painting a reflection it was quite challenging but I think it turned out quite well. |
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Packing Up And Leaving The House These last two pages are to show how after lockdown I left the house being much more colourful than I started at the beginning of lockdown, I really liked painting the images of me packing my backpack to leave the house. I don't really like how the final painting of my car turned out, it was created to represent me re-joining the world, it also shows how my form of travel is much more solitary now compared to when I used to travel on the train before lockdown. Overall I think that my comic turned out quit well and I enjoyed trying to paint pictures that were quite accurate, and then using interesting colours to bring them to life. |