I’m basically enthralled with reading about other cartoonists’ processes. Actually, I’ve been hiding in my studio for over two weeks (this time…), studying Dustin Harbin’s process and learning as much as I can. I’m finally up to his posts on coloring and I can’t wait to post my most recent efforts soon. I was already obsessed with Ryan Andrews’s work when I discovered this post on his blog. I can’t wait until I have a few hours (or days… or weeks…) to study this with the intensity it deserves. In my experience, there’s no better way to improve my work than by learning from those who create the comics I wish I could make myself.
Ainsley Olsen Comics
Posts tagged Dustin Harbin
I guess I can just thank Dustin Harbin for yet another contribution to my career. For the first time in about 7 years of owning the damned thing, I finally successfully used an Ames guide! The only downside was that I also discovered that none of my friends know what an Ames guide is, so I didn’t have anyone with whom to celebrate.
The wacky cast of patients from The Bob Newhart Show. See previous post for an attempted explanation of why I would draw casts of 70s television shows…
I’ve only very recently become acquainted with the practice of “fan art” and I’m still not entirely sure I understand it. I can’t imagine drawing someone else’s characters (especially someone I admire), when there’s no way I could do them justice. (For some reason, I’m far more comfortable drawing someone else’s work and calling it a “study”… The same thing? I hardly think so!!) This is about as close as I think I could get to making “fan art” and feeling confident enough to show anyone. See, this real keen comics guru whose work I routinely study with enormous awe made the very generous offer to send a free drawing to anyone that purchased John Martz’s Excelsior 1968 (yet another comics god). The aforementioned guru, Dustin Harbin, made some fantastic drawings of Mad Men characters to send to those like me who dove at the chance to own yet another comic by John Martz. Dustin posted some of the drawings on his blog and I am thrilled with my Roger Sterling. Dustin’s little portraits are even more appropriate if you know that Martz’sExcelsior 1968 is his mother’s high school yearbook re-imagined in cartooned portraits. It’s basically endless inspiration. And I was so moved by both of these gentlemen’s fantastic work that I’ve decided to do some little portraits myself. The next few posts are the main and secondary characters from The Bob Newhart Show (yes, the series from the early ’70s). And I have to admit I’m kind of really pleased with myself. These turned out to be fantastic before-bed sketch opportunities and then warm-up inking fodder for the following morning. I think I’ll pick another favorite classic television show and continue my homage to two of my favorite artists!
