I just love your work, always have—and I’m fully prepared to keep buying, checking out at libraries, supporting, etc—whether you go weird colors or classic tape deck. I’m so excited to see the final version! And I’m feeling challenged to try your values technique on my next color piece.
I feel this. I often have trouble distinguishing between when I'm pushing myself vs. forcing myself to do certain things. The crappy part is either way, I'm wired for gold stars--even if the 'gold star' is just the fleeting adrenaline of a challenge. But sometimes I'm just pushing myself (or seeking yet another outside opinion) because I can't, like, *not* and it's so hard to tell if the effort is/was worthwhile while it's happening. I want joy to infuse my work, so I need to find a more balanced sense of my internal marks of success--and ways to thoroughly enjoy grooves without turning them into ruts. I'm working on it...but it's a very long-term project.
I've been having this same existential crisis, albeit without the illustrating part, and more wondering "can I make something as witty and layered as Elaine May and Walter Matthau in "A New Leaf" or with the zany specificity of Phyllis Diller's Household Hints?"
I used to turn my iPhone grayscale and then point my camera at designs I was working on to make sure the contrast was legit. I feel like that's the opposite of what you're doing and I love how you're thinking about it. I bet there's a ton of anticipation (and nerves) when you're about to hide the grayscale layer and see the color. Thanks for sharing!
Ahaha, loved the references. Loved the comic. And I can't wait for Gumlock 2!
(Also it was both comforting and terrifying to know that this job maybe always feels like you don't really truly know what you are doing? As I face the art for my second book, I realize I learned nothing that will help me from the first one. Gulp.)
Sometimes I feel like I've been forced into always taking the most efficient path to do anything. Part of that is the 15 years I spent cooking for a living and part of it is capitalism. So now I will sometimes kind of deliberately do something in a non-efficient convoluted way. Maybe it's silly but I like letting myself (sometimes forcing myself honestly) have moments where I may be spinning my wheels but I am at least having fun. I think this process is kind of like that. It's fun and I think it's really cool.
I just love your work, always have—and I’m fully prepared to keep buying, checking out at libraries, supporting, etc—whether you go weird colors or classic tape deck. I’m so excited to see the final version! And I’m feeling challenged to try your values technique on my next color piece.
Let me know if you do!
I feel this. I often have trouble distinguishing between when I'm pushing myself vs. forcing myself to do certain things. The crappy part is either way, I'm wired for gold stars--even if the 'gold star' is just the fleeting adrenaline of a challenge. But sometimes I'm just pushing myself (or seeking yet another outside opinion) because I can't, like, *not* and it's so hard to tell if the effort is/was worthwhile while it's happening. I want joy to infuse my work, so I need to find a more balanced sense of my internal marks of success--and ways to thoroughly enjoy grooves without turning them into ruts. I'm working on it...but it's a very long-term project.
I've been having this same existential crisis, albeit without the illustrating part, and more wondering "can I make something as witty and layered as Elaine May and Walter Matthau in "A New Leaf" or with the zany specificity of Phyllis Diller's Household Hints?"
I'll have to look these examples up—I don’t know them.
A New Leaf is so, so great. I know you'll love it.
That Photoshop technique has blown my mind!!
I used to turn my iPhone grayscale and then point my camera at designs I was working on to make sure the contrast was legit. I feel like that's the opposite of what you're doing and I love how you're thinking about it. I bet there's a ton of anticipation (and nerves) when you're about to hide the grayscale layer and see the color. Thanks for sharing!
Ahaha, loved the references. Loved the comic. And I can't wait for Gumlock 2!
(Also it was both comforting and terrifying to know that this job maybe always feels like you don't really truly know what you are doing? As I face the art for my second book, I realize I learned nothing that will help me from the first one. Gulp.)
LOVE the dramatic & irresistible cover for the new GUMLUCK! And so fun seeing & hearing about your creation process.
Sometimes I feel like I've been forced into always taking the most efficient path to do anything. Part of that is the 15 years I spent cooking for a living and part of it is capitalism. So now I will sometimes kind of deliberately do something in a non-efficient convoluted way. Maybe it's silly but I like letting myself (sometimes forcing myself honestly) have moments where I may be spinning my wheels but I am at least having fun. I think this process is kind of like that. It's fun and I think it's really cool.