tonycliff posts
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D A N C I N G (DD4, Chapter Two, pages 38-44)
In which Alexandra's expectations are shattered.(To read all of the posts with finished pages, simply browse the DD4 tag!)- - - - - - -Aha! The first of Chapter Two's Big Fun Experiments, the four-page "Proper English Ladying" spread. I am very happy to be able to share the finished ...
Meet Ataraxes (DD4, Chapter Two, pages 34-37)
In which Uncle Nikos* returns a generous gesture made long ago, Alexandra meets a horse, and her dad makes a thoughtless joke.(All the posts containing finished pages are sorted under the "DD4" tag!)*Continuing the theme of "Tony Definitely Knows All His Characters' Names," as I ...
A Visit to the Tombs (DD4, Chapter Two, pages 29-33)
In which someone certainly has a lot to learn about being respectful.(As always, if you wish to take a look at only the Patreon posts with finished pages on them, simply browse the "DD4" tag.)- - - - -I got bodyslammed by an illness this week—not COVID, but I won't go into details. And...
Clear Skies and Filthy Clothes (DD4, Chapter Two, pages 24-28)
Alexandra and Katerina take a look at a few of the night sky's splendours, and Alexandra's mom moves up the schedule.(To browse all of the completed pages, simply hit up the DD4 tag!)- - - - -I almost forgot to do this, but this week I revised two pages from Chapter One with new artwork.One ...
"Let's go see some bricks!" (DD4, Chapter Two, pages 19-23)
In which Alexandra and her newfound companions explore more of the humble town of Archipoli, discovering places they may or may not be "allowed" to "go."To browse previous posts with finished pages in 'em, simply pull up the "DD4" tag: right here.- - - - -I mentioned a fe...
"I'm okay!" (DD4, Chapter Two, pages 15-18)
This week, Alexandra and her father address some sticky topics.NAMES!Last week, a reader (hi, Emmanuelle) pointed out that Alexandra's dad was previously referred-to as "Andrew," but that Alexandra's uncle was also named "Andrew."Here's Nikos calling dad "Andrew:"...
"Kuh-nife" (DD4, Chapter Two, pages 11-14)
Katerina and Alexandra decide they need nicknames for each other for some reason. Names should always be very carefully considered and chosen using thoughtful, meaningful criteria.Art note: dappled lighting is very difficult to get to look right! Especially if you try to cast it over a character'...
Cannons and Pirate Bones (DD4, Chapter 2, pages 7-10)
PRACTICAL DEFENCE AGAINST PIRACY continues apace, this week featuring naval strategy from the mouth of babes.- - - - - - -In "how are things going" news: I suspect our toddler is reading my philosophy books and has chosen to test my resolve. (Of course he is not; he is a toddler.) All I want...
Practical Defence Against Piracy: CHAPTER TWO Begins!
I am proud to present you, Dear Reader, with the very first pages from Chapter Two of Practical Defence Against Piracy, in which the reader is unlikely to be misled, despite the narrator's attempts.There are three (!) cameos in these pages. If you recognize yourself (or your loved one), I hope I...
Star Chart WIP, and Billions and Billions of other Fun Things
This week: Take a look at the work-in-progress version of the Patron Acknowledgement Star Chart Adventures in software I need your help: olde-timey chapter summaries: examples?? Toddler camping Colouring has begun! Just barely! Pratchett UpdateTHE STAR CHART WORK-IN-PROGRESSPlease take a look at the...
Patron Acknowledgements Reminder, plus More Details!
The Patron Acknowledgement pages for Chapter Two will be styled after a "Star Chart," similar to above. I talked a little about this concept in a previous post.Please fill out this form!Very few people have done so. It's SUPER QUICK, it means your name appears in the acknowledgements exa...
Reminder: Chapter Two Patron Acknowledgements
It's just about time to get started on the Chapter Two Patron Acknowledgement pages, so a "call to action," as they say:IF you would like to be publicly acknowledged by a different name, or anonymously, or would specifically not like to be acknowledged, or would just like to be very spec...
Fake Pirate Bones: Serendipity in Writing
Every now and then, while writing, there are magic moments where story mechanisms click into place and your project feels more complete than before. Those are joyful moments, where it feels like the disjointed windmills and chutes of your Rube Goldberg device whirr together perfectly, where your Fra...
Little Monarchs, More Book Recommendations, and Not Being a Killjoy
Still flatting Chapter Two of PRACTICAL DEFENCE AGAINST PIRACY (DD4). Since it still doesn't offer a lot to look at, please allow me to point your eyeballs elsewhere.Jonathan Case's LITTLE MONARCHSI've excerpted six pages from LITTLE MONARCHS above. After those six pages, I was on board....
Chapter Two - The "Song" Sequence (Preview)
[ SPOILER WARNING - if you care about spoilers, or you just don't want to see this sequence 'til it's done, skip this post! ]I've been teasing this for a while, holding it back, because… ha ha, I am nervous about posting it! AND YET! Here it is. One of the sequences I'd most be...
Chapter Two Flatting, and thinking about "The Twenty-Year Project"
[ Above: This is generally what my flatted pages look like. The colours here may only be loosely correlated with the final colours. ]Flatting continues in its usual manner. If you’re unfamiliar with the process, think of it like working on one of those “adult colouring books” that were so popu...
Chapter Two Colour Script Refinements, and: other comics!
On the one hand, people say "done is better than perfect," meaning that getting anything to any sort of finished state is better than pursuing perfection. But on the other hand, I promised myself at the start of this project to not to let myself be too free with the feeling of "good enou...
Chapter Two Colour Script Stuff, and "The Baby Test"
As always, when I shift gears from one task to another, I feel out of my depth and anxious. In this case, I've switched from inking (thinking in terms of black and white lines) to colouring (thinking in terms of value or light-and-dark, and forms and shapes). I want to share some of the methods ...
Chapter Two Patron Acknowledgements!
[ Photo credit: Olivier Guillard on Unsplash ]Last year, for Chapter One, I prepared patron acknowledgements in the form of an olde-timey "Butcher's Bill," like the kind that would need to be prepared after a violent naval action.For Chapter Two, I'm planning to present patron acknow...
Lettering Chapter Two, or "Making Things Difficult"
Usta be, I would write out my story as a long manuscript, almost novel-style. As previously discussed, I am not doing that this time. Instead, I'm using whatever this approach is.I sit in front of the page in Photoshop, text cursor blinking, paper arrayed all around me. As I've progressed fr...
I scan, you scan, we all scan for Chapter Two Inks are Done
Let's take a look at some of the choices that we get to make during the scanning and page-prep process! All the images above are duplicated below, just FYI.But first:BIG SCANNERS ARE STILL EXPENSIVEI began the scanning process by looking at prices for Epson large-format scanners. Bad news: they&...
Chapter Two Inks: ALMOST DONE!
If the natural settings seem very Bill Watterson-y, it's because I pulled out my CALVIN & HOBBES to see how he did it. Someone reminded me that Watterson inked using the same brush I'm using now (Winsor & Newton Series 7 #1), and in situations like this, it's always good to go back and r...
Chapter Two Inks: The Looparound
Whey hey, we got all the way to the end of Chapter Two with inks, now I've looped around to finish the first dozen or so. For new Patrons (hello, new Patrons!), I like to ink the first handful of pages last, because my drawing and inking skills are better after, oh, eighty pages of practice. By ...
Chapter Two Inking: Expressions and "Acting"
Back at it, finishing a very "talky" sequence. We meet Vignelli, the Provveditore, who has just returned from a visit to Barathron, the island's other town. Alexandra dislikes him immediately and is confused as to why everyone else isn't as flagrantly repulsed by the man as she is. D...
"El Camino," Chapter Six
[ This is Chapter Six in an ongoing, improvised prose story about three adventurers trying to find their way after the head of their party has died, as well as trying to get paid from a town full of miserable racists. Chapter One; Chapter Two; Chapter Three; Chapter Four; Chapter Five. ][ 83% of vot...
Cheap Suspense and Perhaps How Not To Do It
A few weeks ago I was complaining about cliffhangers. Because no one likes the guy who complains but doesn’t offer solutions, I have made a casual search for some solutions.THE PROBLEMThe problem is the misuse of a very specific storytelling technique: when and how to cut between distinct, paralle...
Continuing Chapter Two Inks: the Wisdom of Birds
Got to ink some of my favourite panels from Chapter Two this week. I'm especially happy with that very first panel of the bunch, walking into the chapel. The inks only hint at the light and atmosphere I'd like for the image, so I'm excited for colouring.I'm also very happy with "...
"El Camino," Chapter Five
[ This is Chapter Five in an ongoing, improvised prose story about three adventurers trying to find their way after the head of their party has died, as well as trying to get paid from a town full of miserable racists. Chapter One; Chapter Two; Chapter Three; Chapter Four. ][ 71% of voters asked the...
Chapter Two Inks, and a Wonderful Surprise
This week in inking: maybe my favourite sequence of the book so far. I’m so glad I threw in that midshipman in Chapter One. He's been a delight so far. I’m excited to see how his role evolves.- - - - - - - - - -The week started off rough. I had less work time than usual because my partner’...
Inked pages, and thoughts on "why don't these finished pages look more finished?"
A curious thing about comic art is that comic art (or at least my comic art) never looks done until it's done done. It doesn't look complete until it's got the lettering—at least—in place, and the panel borders, and sometimes not until the colour is finished.This is especially obviou...
