Man!! Where has the time gone?
It's 10 months since my last post. Little has happened during that time, but Ungoodwise is still in progress. A year from today, I will launch the first Ungoodwise story to be completed in over 12 years. The importance of that date in Ungoodwise will become apparent from with the very first page.
Until then... expect more updates.
I'm currently working on software that will allow me to integrate all my various and sundry projects into one hub. I hope to finish it sooner rather than later.
Talk to you next time.
21 December 2011
06 February 2011
Story, Life, Eyes and Facebook
The day after I posted last week, I received Aeon Flux the movie AND the Jack Hamm books. Despite the reviews, I think Aeon Flux is an underrated movie. There were some great concepts explored and lots of great ideas waiting to be be stolen. I plan to watch it again after I finish with Story and incorporate some ideas.
I didn't have much time to read this week, so I read about 7 pages of Story. I hope to remedy that over these next weeks I have less than 300 pages left to read, so I definitely need to up my pace, so that I can reread the book.
Of the Hamm books, I'll be returning the cartooning one. It's a good book, just not what I was expecting or needing. The other will be be very useful as I build my confidence in my art. I'm struggling to figure out how I will use the book.
I didn't have much time to read this week, so I read about 7 pages of Story. I hope to remedy that over these next weeks I have less than 300 pages left to read, so I definitely need to up my pace, so that I can reread the book.
Of the Hamm books, I'll be returning the cartooning one. It's a good book, just not what I was expecting or needing. The other will be be very useful as I build my confidence in my art. I'm struggling to figure out how I will use the book.
Above is me starting with the Hamm book and then sketching the various people around me. No rhyme or reason, just trying to get more comfortable with what is coming out of my pencils. Below is me working with the eyes and just drawing dreads.
30 January 2011
The Elements of Story
I just finished the last chapter of Story Part 2 today, so I'm moving from the Elements of Story to the Principles of Story Design. This chapter is entitled Structure and Meaning. I haven't given much thought to the meaning of the story that I'm telling. I know that's a story about revolution. It's action/adventure. It's a love story. Those are the genres, but what is the meaning of Abiogenesis in particular and Ungoodwise in general? That is what I will be exploring in the upcoming months.
This week for the weekly sketches and drawings, I divided the 12" x 12" sheets that I've been using for art into 4 6 "x 6" sheets. This allows me to scan them easier than the one big 12" x 12" sheet. Once I have them scanned, I piece the 4 pieces back into one.
This week for the weekly sketches and drawings, I divided the 12" x 12" sheets that I've been using for art into 4 6 "x 6" sheets. This allows me to scan them easier than the one big 12" x 12" sheet. Once I have them scanned, I piece the 4 pieces back into one.
The sketches from this week are 2 old drawing of Rasta from Ungoodwise. This drawing is a different copy from a drawing from years ago. I drew it just to shake off the cobwebs and I drew it way too big. The next attempt was simply me attempting to draw small enough to get the entire drawing on the square. One of the many things that I need to work on is drawing smaller, I draw really big. The lizard looking character is a character from Dave Kellett's Drive and then there are eyes. I'm still working on the eyes.
I'm still waiting on the Jack Hamm books and the Aeon Flux movie from Amazon.
23 January 2011
Abiogenesis: Dystopian, Action/Adventure, Love Story
Went out to the book store early this and ran into some full-sized blank moleskines that I just HAD to buy. It was a 3-pack, so they have become my new Ungoodwise work journal. Of course, right now that means it's completely and absolutely blank as I'm still working through McKee's Story. I've reached the 5th chapter of Story, so I've passed the chapter on genre. I knew from the onset that this first Ungoodwise story would be title Abiogenesis and that Ungoodwise is a dystopian, action/ adventure story about love. Thus far what Story has made me realize is that abiogenesis has a double meaning for this story. Large story points in the story are starting to gel in my head.
I spent time this week looking at the work of the late Mike Wieringo. I loved his cartoony realism and his dynamic poses.I worked on a taking his poses and reducing them down to stick figure gestures. I also worked one of my weaknesses... eyes and made the determination that I need to work more on my basics. So I've added the Jack Hamm books to my Amazon Wish List as I order Aeon Flux (the movie) for 30¢.
This is the last week that I post the art from a photo. I'll just bite the bullet and get a better image by scanning. Maybe I'll just work on the smaller 6x6 square to make scanning easier.
I spent time this week looking at the work of the late Mike Wieringo. I loved his cartoony realism and his dynamic poses.I worked on a taking his poses and reducing them down to stick figure gestures. I also worked one of my weaknesses... eyes and made the determination that I need to work more on my basics. So I've added the Jack Hamm books to my Amazon Wish List as I order Aeon Flux (the movie) for 30¢.
This is the last week that I post the art from a photo. I'll just bite the bullet and get a better image by scanning. Maybe I'll just work on the smaller 6x6 square to make scanning easier.
16 January 2011
More Story and Art
I'm slowly moving through McKee's Story. I'm currently just a couple pages into Chapter 3 (page 68). I have just over 360 pages left. After finishing Story, I will jump back into reading Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces and then read Story once again. I plan to use both this books extensively as I work through writing this version of Ungoodwise. This idea has sat with since 1995, so I'm in no hurry, but the goal is to get a solid start this year and to advance with my art to the point where I feel comfortable illustrating it. I'm not to that point just yet.
From an art stand point, I've found an unused 12"x12" tablet of Bristol board. I plan to do a daily sketch on a board for a week and then post each week's board here. Hopefully, most of the sketches will be complete inked drawings and there should be at least 7 sketches on each board. Sometimes, there will be more and I'm sure sometimes there will be less. Last week's has 7 inked sketches and 2 unfinished doodles and because these are really just drawing exercises for me, I'm not going to bother scanning them. I'm going to take a photo from my Blackberry and post it.
This week I started flipping through Volume 1-4 of the Epic reprinting of Blueberry. The top left image is me mimicking Moebius. I pencilled the image and then inked it while looking at the original. Below that is my rendition of the same character. I just drew it only using my previous drawing as a reference. I followed that with the drawing of the head with the huge beard (from Orc Stain) and the arrow thing. Kermit. The Kermit in the center is copied from the Muppet Show comic and that was following by the Kermit the top corner. The stars and squiggles was just me playing with the brush pen. Beaker was Deanne's suggestion. The unfinished drawings are Beaker (again) and Tiegre from Warmageddon.
I still haven't cracked open the other books (We, A Clockwork Orange, The Lord of the Flies), but I've decided that because of how I read, I'd rather purchase the books and not grab them from the library, so I'm going to start purchasing them soon.
From an art stand point, I've found an unused 12"x12" tablet of Bristol board. I plan to do a daily sketch on a board for a week and then post each week's board here. Hopefully, most of the sketches will be complete inked drawings and there should be at least 7 sketches on each board. Sometimes, there will be more and I'm sure sometimes there will be less. Last week's has 7 inked sketches and 2 unfinished doodles and because these are really just drawing exercises for me, I'm not going to bother scanning them. I'm going to take a photo from my Blackberry and post it.
This week I started flipping through Volume 1-4 of the Epic reprinting of Blueberry. The top left image is me mimicking Moebius. I pencilled the image and then inked it while looking at the original. Below that is my rendition of the same character. I just drew it only using my previous drawing as a reference. I followed that with the drawing of the head with the huge beard (from Orc Stain) and the arrow thing. Kermit. The Kermit in the center is copied from the Muppet Show comic and that was following by the Kermit the top corner. The stars and squiggles was just me playing with the brush pen. Beaker was Deanne's suggestion. The unfinished drawings are Beaker (again) and Tiegre from Warmageddon.
I still haven't cracked open the other books (We, A Clockwork Orange, The Lord of the Flies), but I've decided that because of how I read, I'd rather purchase the books and not grab them from the library, so I'm going to start purchasing them soon.
08 January 2011
We are telling a Story about a Clockwork Orange living amonst the Lord of the Flies
I received Story by Robert McKee from Amazon on Thursday. I haven't have a chance to read beyond the introduction. I first remember reading about Story from a Wizard article about Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti working on Ash at Event Comics. I've heard it recommended by others over the years, so I finally decided to give it a read. I'll let you know how that goes, once I get further along.
I've also make a trip to the local library, they only have 4 of the many books that I plan to read. I picked up 3 of those books and now I just find time to read them. The 3 books combine for 600 pages, so it's not that much of a reading commitment.
The 3 books are:
WE by Yevgeny Zamyatin
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
I also picked up Missile Mouse Volume 2 by Jake Parker to round out my Amazon order, so I'll be reading that first.
I've also make a trip to the local library, they only have 4 of the many books that I plan to read. I picked up 3 of those books and now I just find time to read them. The 3 books combine for 600 pages, so it's not that much of a reading commitment.
The 3 books are:
WE by Yevgeny Zamyatin
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
I also picked up Missile Mouse Volume 2 by Jake Parker to round out my Amazon order, so I'll be reading that first.
04 January 2011
A New Year... A New Beginning
Welcome to a new beginning for Ungoodwise. Ungoodwise is a cyberpunk, dystopian concept that has been stuck in my brain for over a decade. It has had many fits and starts and stops and retools but now I'm ready to begin and finally get her out of my head and unto screen and paper.
This blog will chronicle the journey from this beginning to the end. Hopefully, that end is a completed graphic novel. Where I am right now is at the very beginning. I've accumulated all the various notes and notebooks and sketches and everything that was worth keeping over the years and I'm beginning to compile that. I've purchased Robert McKee's Story as it came highly recommended and I'm hoping that it will help me put together the myriad Ungoodwise ideas that have been floating in my head. I have compiled a list of cyberpunk and dystopian comics, movies and novels that I will be watching and reading. This list is not so much for ideas, but to become more informed of what's been done before. Amazon.com and my local library will be my best friends in the near future.
The Reading List
1984 by Orwell
A Clockwork Orange by Burgess
Lord of the Flies by Golding
V for Vendetta by Moore and Lloyd
Akira by Otomo
Fahrenheit 451 by Bradbury
Player Piano by Vonnegut
Sirens of Titan by Vonnegut
Logan's Run by Nolan and Johnson
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Miller
Battle Angel Alita by Kishiro
The Incal by Jodorowsky, Moebius, et al
Transmetropolitan by Ellis and Robertson
The Stepford Wives by Levin
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Dick
Make Room! Make Room! by Harrison
We by Zamyatin
The Iron Heel by London
The Movie List
Logan's Run
Aeon Flux: Animated
Aeon Flux: the Movie
Akira
Ultraviolet
Blade Runner
Fifth Element
This blog will chronicle the journey from this beginning to the end. Hopefully, that end is a completed graphic novel. Where I am right now is at the very beginning. I've accumulated all the various notes and notebooks and sketches and everything that was worth keeping over the years and I'm beginning to compile that. I've purchased Robert McKee's Story as it came highly recommended and I'm hoping that it will help me put together the myriad Ungoodwise ideas that have been floating in my head. I have compiled a list of cyberpunk and dystopian comics, movies and novels that I will be watching and reading. This list is not so much for ideas, but to become more informed of what's been done before. Amazon.com and my local library will be my best friends in the near future.
The Reading List
1984 by Orwell
A Clockwork Orange by Burgess
Lord of the Flies by Golding
V for Vendetta by Moore and Lloyd
Akira by Otomo
Fahrenheit 451 by Bradbury
Player Piano by Vonnegut
Sirens of Titan by Vonnegut
Logan's Run by Nolan and Johnson
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Miller
Battle Angel Alita by Kishiro
The Incal by Jodorowsky, Moebius, et al
Transmetropolitan by Ellis and Robertson
The Stepford Wives by Levin
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Dick
Make Room! Make Room! by Harrison
We by Zamyatin
The Iron Heel by London
The Movie List
Logan's Run
Aeon Flux: Animated
Aeon Flux: the Movie
Akira
Ultraviolet
Blade Runner
Fifth Element
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