Brian Moore's Sketchblog

Gemma is the punky, troublemaking type. She also probably has an unmeasurably high IQ.

Jael is the RA on the dorm hall on which several characters live. She's a soft, comforting presence, who happens to be synthesizing human skin on fish as part of her degree project. She likes tea.

Shaenon has a very simple philosophy for superhero character design: "I believe that all superheroes should wear either mining hats or goggles. Mostly goggles." The ring is my addition, based on a dimly-remembered ring-based candy. The "sour apple" flavor came on a plastic green ring, perfect for pretending to be Green Lantern.

And here's a painting of Gemma's roommate Micki, another test painting on Canson watercolor paper. I think I like the smoother paper better.

O'Doyle appears in two versions in Smithson, as a lively child prodigy and as a washed-up, distinctly non-talented-looking adult (who nevertheless seems to get a second act in life by means of automatic writing.)

Lots of time in the lab this weekend, trying to get the paint to do what I want it to do.

I like the top and the right paintings; they have some nice light. The one on the left looks OK but the technique was way too labor-intensive; it sucked all the freshness out of it. Maybe you heard the noise Sunday night.

This is a new interpretation of a panel from last week's Smithson. (I'm trying to bring the wacky energy I've been getting with the cutout paintings into my comics work, and this was a convenient way to practice.) Micki looks OK here, I think, but Chuck's looking a little too cartoony. After I scanned this in I repainted his eyes somewhat so they're not quite so Little Orphan Annie. Panel border and lettering in Photoshop of course.

A panel I like from the most recent Smithson strip. After 75 strips, I'm still figuring out the best way to draw Micki (and Gemma, and Scooter, and ... ) Also, forks. Forks are tough to draw.

Here are some pencils from the most recent Smithson strip. My current system (and I've been through several over my run on the strip) involves working everything out in pencil on plain copy paper, and then inking over it on the bristol using a lightbox. I have a panel template that I use to quickly rough out the panel dimensions before starting in on the figures. I usually get at least two panels to a sheet, or more if they're skinny panels (and if I don't screw up one of the drawings.)

I must've had a good day with this page; only Gemma's freaking-out pose gave me any trouble. You can also see where I re-cropped the panel, a prime advantage of doing things this way. If a panel comes out okay, it gets the magical Panel Number In A Circle and I move on to another one.

Meta: After promising myself I wouldn't obsess over this blog's design too much, I've begun fiddling around with different background textures. The current one is supposed to be a nicely textured watercolor wash, but tiled like this it comes out looking more like carpet samples. Ugh. So gird yourself for more fiddling with the blog's design as time goes on.

Logged a few more hours on the Quest for The Ideal Paper over the weekend, trying out everything I had on hand in the studio: plain typing paper, Bristol, card stock, Arches (that is, the Good, Expensive Stuff) ... At some point I found a cache of sample packs of watercolor paper, that I had completely forgotten about.

This page is all on Arches 140 lb. "En-Tout-Cas" ("All-Purpose"). Nice stuff.

I'm sorry to have missed MOCCA this year - it sounds like it's packed with cool events and attending artists. Maybe next year ...

Meta: According to Movable Type, this is the 100th entry on this blog. Hooray for persistence.

Here's a test painting for a recent illustration gig. Lately I've been playing with having large areas of black ink in my watercolors - it makes a nice graphic contrast that I can build the painting around. (Which artist was it that called black "the prince of colors"?)

And here's a slight re-design of Micki from Smithson. I'm still playing with the features of most of the characters, trying to tighten up their designs. Micki looks a little angry here, but I kind of like her revamped hairstyle.

Panel sketches for this week's Smithson, buttressed by a few doodles.

A quick, caricature-y painting of the punkiest girl on campus (from Smithson.)

Gemma finally gets her close-up in Smithson.