It’s certainly been a tad draughty but let’s not let that slow down progress. In a week that’s seen me completing the character concepts of around 14 new faces I’ve got to get familiar with along with a rather nifty ‘sonic Swiss Army knife’ that I had a lot of fun with as I tussled with how it would actually work if this object was actually real?
Mid week our new production team had an online meeting to discuss the first month’s progress & with a couple of us having only just shaken off the flu along with another who is in the middle of that battle I think we’ve still made some good headway!
As the artist I’m honestly very keen to get the ball rolling on the pages themselves, it can be a wonderful distraction to spend everyday just designing the players involved in the story as well as equipment & environments, but at some point you’ve got to grab the reindeer by the antlers & get going on the really fun stuff, bringing their world together. Writing this on a Sunday night I’m already keen as for the alarm to go off tomorrow morning so I can sit & thumbnail out the whole book. At least the pages of panel layouts I sent to the team the other day will hopefully make sense!
During our meeting I experienced a wonderful moment when Andy (Lanning) found it fascinating to see how another creative works? I don’t think he’s seen someone have the whole books panels already laid out in the way that I just have. I’m not 100% sure that I’ve ever done that before either?
I may have mentioned before that when I receive a new script I’ll print it off so I can draw out a very rough idea of how the panels will flow, as well as jotting down any little reminders for myself about how I should approach a particular situation? Maybe sketch out a little idea here & there so when the time comes I’ll be able to build on that initial idea. I’m sure it’ll all come good in the end.
Despite the changeable weather I did manage to pop out to my local brewery (great views of Bodmin moor as well as the sea, not to mention its in the field in front of our home!) on a very calm & sunny afternoon for a quiet jar or two & a few hours of sketching out some ideas, it was supposed to be a spot of down time but when you’re permanently carrying a sketch book with you, we’ll, why not? It’s moments like those that really put a skip in my stride.
I’m really looking forward to seeing all these guys in full colour very soon & I’ll definitely be sharing as I go (the bits I can anyway).
Apart from all the hours spent chipping away at these strange folks that have been conjured from first the writers mind & then mine it’s been a week with many more strikes than gutters & long may that continue. I was truly gutted I couldn’t make it to the ACP’s 500th episode in old London town over the weekend & I trust everyone had a blast, I’m sure they must have! But in true UK style, had I of gone as planned the journey home on the Sunday wouldn’t have happened thanks to the blowey conditions shutting down the trains home.
Oh, & before I go, talking of travel, I should also mention that my amazingly awesome good lady wife (not just because I know you read this!) has just pulled the trigger on our next adventure later in the year in October…ROME!
A place I’ve wanted to see since primary school, which was almost as far back as the Roman Empire!
I can only imagine the sketching opportunities there.
Go steady & see you next week.
Rory.