Yeah, the emoticon carries my basic emotion right now.
The first experiment is a new lettering pen. I discovered the paper I am using bleeds. This is a pain for two reasons:
1) I like to draw on graph paper. It’s like cheating, because I can draw my comic at work without hauling around a ruler. The one in my backpack is faded and notched.
2) Bristol board is more expensive than graph paper (and also unfamiliar).
Changing over is happening anyway. The classic comic artists used brushes for their lines and lighting. My line work needs help and lighting isn’t being attempted yet. Waterson used ink washes and watercolor and I’d like to as well. Ink more than watercolor. Brushing ink in graph paper would be disastrous. Eventually, I’ll graduate to bristol, but I don’t want to yet.
Besides, The new pen’s $5.99, so I’m not giving up on it yet.
The second experiment is layers and the transform tool. P2 was drawn beforehand and differently. I like how it looks and the subtle difference it shows. Difference is good as long as it is on purpose. In prose and poetry, I use differences in technique to emphasize something without being obvious (trochees in iambic verse). I’m not trying to emphasize something here, but I wanted to try it out. I learned a lot while using layers, the transform tool, the gradient tool, and the rectangle tool. I like the direction this option seems to be going and will keep working it.