Back in Black (and White)

I have a new drawing up at A TWIST OF NOIR today:

Matchstick Man

Tried a method I saw Andrew Loomis use, black pen with inkwash around the figure. The ink, a Speedball acrylic/pigment, was very thin and grey. I had to paint several layers to get it dark enough (also tossed in acrylic paint and Sharpies to see what would happen), then went high-contrast after I scanned it. Lost a touch of the subtlety and detail of the original. I'm trying to figure out the best way to do greyscale crime comics and illustrations. By hand. Colored pencils look good on paper, but don't scan well.

I've transitioned from writing prose to using art as a storytelling medium or combining scripts with illustrations. Although I have been writing straight fiction and poetry all my life, I also used to draw cartoons and have been yearning to get back into comics lately. It's more satifying for me to have more than one thing going at once--I'd rather sing and play music at the same time than just play, etc. You can achieve a more sophisticated effect when combining disciplines (imagine what the right score does for a piece of otherwise silent cinematography). The creative process is different for me, as well, broadier and dreamier than when I exclusively use words. It's a looser focus. Meditative. Time flies by at a startling rate.

If anybody wants an illustration, let me know. I'm open to whatever you have in mind. * pitchbrite@gmail.com *