Sketchbook Comics - Using Prompts

Hello! I'm starting to realize this new #100dayproject is going to be bigger than my usual scribble drawings that are so Instagram-friendly.

My plan now is to post more often to the blog here with process words and stories about how it's all going, especially if I can't explain it all on Instagram.

If you need to catch up, here's my introduction post to #100daysofcomicstudy.

I'm using "Mastering Comics: Drawing Words & Writing Pictures Continued" as my guide for learning how to tell longer-form stories through comic panels. This is the 2nd book of this series. I stumbled on it at Half-Price Books, and the 1st book wasn't there, so I'm hoping it's not too over my head already. I've ever drawn anything before, so that helps a little, I think.

The first couple of chapters explore sketchbook exercises and narrative prompts. 

Today is Day 7 of 100, and the assignment was:

1. Draw six panels.

2. Take your brush (it assumes people use colors/inks, which I don't do yet. In my case, I found some soft pastels) and draw a line in each panel without thinking about it too much.

3. Now go back to each panel and try to incorporate that line as part of a whole image.

4. Extra points if you can actually make a narrative happen across the panels.

Photo 1: My panels and lines.

Photo 2: The completed comic.

Learning/discussion points:

1. Being left-handed is hilarious. I smudged the ever-loving crap out of those pastels. That's also why I didn't do a full-on scan of the comic; I would have probably smudged it even worse in the copier.

2. I should probably get over my reluctance to spend 4 minutes looking a reference photo. My memory for what things actually look like for real in real life is very bad.

3. I will draw fat squirrels all day every day. Maybe I have a new sidekick!

Week one complete!

- C McG
(@classymcg)