Composition

I did some sketching this week, or maybe doodling is more correct. I like this composition, it's clear and light. I was into compositions a couple of years ago. I found it very rewarding and challenging to make the paintings work, to get the colors communicating to each other. Somehow I stopped with those paintings to do more figurative artwork. Maybe that's just how it is, you go through various phases in life. But you can always go back if you want, and maybe that step back will in fact be a step forward. And on that philosophical note I leave you for now!

Take care!

Me and Modesty part 5

Welcome to the fifth and final part of my Modesty Blaise project! As always we begin with the story...

During this project I've experiencing every sentiment from "happy happy, joy joy" to "Oh my Lord, why has thou forsaken me". I first thought of the project as something fun, and kind of trivial actually, but that soon changed and it began to be more and more serious. I'm quite amazed by that!
So how have I chosen to end this project? Of course with a comic strip!
In doing this comic strip I wanted:
-action!
-that the strip be somewhere in the middle of the adventure.
-close-ups
-show the kongo/yawara.
-to give a picture of the whole adventure.
-to show Modesty and Willies relationship and their past in Network.
-Tarrant.
-a classic Modesty strip.
-clear (ink)black.
-a cliffhanger?

Well, I'm not sure I could fill only one strip with all this, but I sure tried!

When I had done some work on the strip I figured that the third panel didn't quite work so I made this panel instead which I think suits the strip better:

A couple of days ago I noticed that this panel could be added to the the original strip as a fourth panel, but I didn't do that because I wanted the trip to be only three panels.

And here it is in all it's glory:

I wanted to use similar fonts as they use in the Modesty Blaise books published here in Sweden by Egmont in 2006. I think I've gotten quite close.

As a bonus here is the strip inked with brush, (my previous attempts with inking with brush has been epic fails) I was so amazed by the fact that it came out alright that I wanted to share it with you:

And that's it for me for now.

Take care!

P.s And of course as you probably already knew Modesty Blaise is created 1962 by Peter O'Donnell (1920-2010) and drawn by several artists but the first to draw the comic was Jim Holdaway (1927-1970). I hope I haven't enraged them in doing this tribute...

Me and Modesty part 4

Here is last weeks drawing inked! As I wrote last week I wanted to give Willie a go, and also to show their relationship, and get them in a cool pose. The cool poses are something I have to work on...
This project will get it's finale next week, so be sure to come back! It will be a smash!

Take care!

Me and Modesty part 3

Due to the coming holidays (Easter) I'm writing this update on a wednesday evening and not as usually on a friday.

As I'm continuing to experience this truly is a learning experience! When I looked at the last weeks Modesty drawings I noticed that one of her feet didn't look right. I tried to cool my nerves and tried to stand in that pose myself to reassure that the pose was alright! I've got one word for you: Ouch! Mental note, if you can't strike the pose you are drawing, it's probably best to rework the pose. So here they are (again), the first drawings of Modesty Blaise in pencil and ink:

But there will be something new for you as well. This week I also wanted to draw Willie Garvin and try to visualize their relationship somehow. Actually I found Willie quite hard to get right, to tell you the truth I'm not sure if I've found him yet.

Take care!

Me and Modesty part 2

Hi there!

First I must write that the earlier update this week meant quite a lot for me and for this blog, maybe I'm taking it too serious but I think it's very important to be clear about things and why they are as they are. This blog of mine is kind of organic but the maine focus is creativity, and I want to keep it that way! But later on there will be some changes, so stay tuned!

We continue this Modesty Blaise project with an inked drawing of last weeks sketch. Even if the project is quite well defined (in my head) I now know that I will return to Modesty later on. I'm still kind of searching for the character and getting to know her and Willie. I'm trying to be close to Holdaway, but I'm also trying to find my own way. So far it's been quite challenging, to find the character. I stand in aw for the comics artists who do such great work. What I mean is that it's kind of easy to just draw a figure that looks like Modesty, with her clothes and traits, but the real challenge is to draw the character, the person.

Take care!

A learning experience.

This blog of mine really is a learning experience! A couple of weeks ago I posted that I was looking for work. Which is true. But during the last week or so I've given it some more thought and I decided to delete that post. I'm writing about it because I believe in honesty and transparency. When I wrote that post I kind of lost track of what this blog is all about, creativity in a quite broad meaning of the word. My goal with this blog is to have a showcase where I can show what I do, and to keep improving my skills.

I'm not sure if these are the right words to write, but here I go, "I stand corrected".

Please be sure to come back this friday for another drawing of Modesty Blaise!

Take care!

Me and Modesty

I'm trying something new and a slightly bigger project for the upcoming weeks. And the theme for these updates will be Modesty Blaise. One of the coolest comics characters ever! But first there is a story, as always...!

Me and Modesty Blaise don't go that far back. I kind of knew of the character before I read the comic. I can't remember when I read the comic for the first time, but if I'm going to pin point it, it would be somewhere in the 90s, I guess... A funny thing though is that I may have seen the movie from the 60s before I read the comic... Talk about getting not the ultimate introduction to the Modesty universe! Speaking about the movie, I kind of like it in it's 60s camp and groovy way, it's sad though that they couldn't get movie makers that had a feel for the comic. I think that would have made a better movie that way. But back to the comic! So there I was not having giving it a fare chance, not until my nephews wanted to sell books and magazines for christmas 2009. While I was browsing what was on offer, I stumbled upon the "Agent X9 Specialalbum 2009". So during the holidays 2009 I got to read my first Modesty adventures, for real. And since then I've been reading it steadily in the comics magazine Agent X9 here in Sweden. The magazine had fanart from Swedish comics artists for a while and I thought that I would give that a go!

So without further ado I give you my first sketch of Modesty Blaise, it's in pencil, when I scanned it I tried to get it as clean as possible. Here I've just tried to get a feel for the character and trying to get a cool pose. Actually I "borrowed" the pose from one of the posters by Yves Thos for the James Bond movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". One of my top three Bond movies! I think it's kind of cool that I borrowed the pose from a Bond movie, when it's a common mistake to take Modesty for an agent, which she is not. She just sometimes helps Tarrant out when he finds himself in a pickle!

Take care!