Disney Inspired

Okay, for those of you (Mark D. Aster) who think that I have abandoned the quest of illustrating my book and this blog...No, it is not true. I was just on vacation for a week. I just got back a day and a half ago. I am still recouping from the trip with a four year old, but I decided I needed to do a post.

While in Disney World my nephew and I went to Downtown Disney and saw the Disney/Pixar Movie, UP. It was very good. As I sat there watching it I realized how much I skim on my artwork. I don't spend anywhere near as much time as I should developing the movement, the size comparison and stuff like that. That is not fair to me or the reader. Plus, if I ever want to do more with the characters then I need to develop them more.

The reality is that if this book gets published I have visions of other books, magazine covers, toys, t-shirts and even a little animated short. Yeah, I wanna dream big, like Mr. Disney himself. But first I got to finish the damn book, huh?

Before I go, let me just say a little something about the picture you see above. It is yet another failed attempt at illustration by me. The little boy, who I have yet to tell you about, was really done badly. I had to fix him up because that picture makes him look older than I have in mind. As far as Our Hero is concern, at the time I actually liked how I depicted him in this drawing, but now I hate the image. That is actually one of my biggest problems. I complete a drawing, love it and then end up hating it. Drives me crazy.

E.W. Forge

What's Love Got to do with it?

Yeap, yet another crappy image I did on the book and rejected.  This is actual the third version of a similar image.  I had several takes of it.  This was going to be the final one and I rejected it as well.  I decided it did not have enough movement in it, although I loved it at the time.  Now I am happy with my progress on the book so far.  Yesterday and today I did some very good work and I think I will finish at least one more page of it by tomorrow.  I am happy with the progress, although I was hating it yesterday.  Thus is the way of art.  

E.W. Forge

I Hate This!

I hate it!  I hate it!  I hate it!  

I hate working on the illustrations for this book!  Why does it have to be so damn hard?  It's no wonder I never went into the arena of comic books.....I suck.  I want it to be easy!  I want it to just flow.  I want it to be a one shot venture.  That is what I'm use to.  That is what it is like for my more artsy art work; why not with this?

One of the main problems, as I have mentioned before, is the fact that the porportions that I have choosen to give to Our Hero:  Barrell Chest, Broad ass shoulders, Tiny waist and, boney legs and big hands and feet, little head.  The man is a mess, but I thought it made him look comical, but it really just makes him a nightmare to illustrate in certain situations.  

Of course I stand by the fact that anything can be drawn, it just falls on me to find the voice to draw it   Take for instance the crappy drawing above.  It is from one of my earlier attempts at illustrating this darn book.  See how much it such and this is one of the simplier situations I have written Our Hero in and still it sucks.

The other problem is that I am too darn stubborn to admit that the porportions don't work and am unwilling to bend and make changes to the character.  So really, all of this is all my fault, so I really don't know why I'm complaining.  

I will say this, as I hope it is evident in prior post, that I have gotten much better with the drawing of Our Hero.  This blog will show both good and bad drawing in the evolution of this book.  This crap ain't easy and I want to share my burden.  LOL

At any rate, I woke up around four in the morning and do a great deal of work on two pages from the book.  I am kind of proud of the work I have done since I did not get anything completed over the weekend (including posting to this blog).  

What's so funny about the lack of blog entries is that I am just lazy.  I mean, I have bunches of drawing to choose from and the printer is right next to my bed.  I don't have to do much but scan and post.  Still, I'm just too lazy to do somethings sometime.  I'll try to do better.

E.W. Forge 

Up Up and Away

This is my favorite picture of Our Hero to date.  It is one of the few times that I feel like his proportions work.  I needed to put a shadow underneath him but didn't.  LOL

Yes, I am still working on this thing.  I need to concentrate.  It kills me to have the perfect idea for what I want the picture to tell, and can not get it to come to life on paper.....I even have a stick figure sketch to work from, but I don't even know how I got that crap to work.  lol.  Anyway, I sleep most of the day away, so it would be nice if I could complete two pages tonight.  

E.W. Forge

From the Back

Yet another sketch of Our Hero.  A current sketch, I might add.  I did this sketch of Our Hero this year, but I inked it with a pen while I was at work.  Yes, I inked it at work, but only while I am sitting around killing time.  It is just another form of sketching.  When I actually did this sketch of Our Hero it was only my attempt to get an idea of what Our Hero would look from behind.  His hands are all wrong, but that's okay.  That is what sketches are for, right?  Right.  

Anyway, as far as the illustrations of the book are concerned, I got a lot done on yet another page.  I am very happy with most of it.  Just for the record, when I say I have most of something done on a page of illustration, it means that I have the characters down, I have just not gotten the back ground completed.  (Did I mention how much I like the work I did on my cover?  It is not fully complete, but I think it is so cool.)

Anyway, I am about to work on yet another page before I go to sleep and prepare for work tonight.

E.W. Forge

What kind of Hero needs glasses?

I think I need glasses.  Which sucks.  

I drew this sketch of Our Hero today, but it was not a morning sketch (more like mid-morning).  The pencil drawing went off without a hitch, but as I was attempting to do my version of inking it the picture began to blur.  This is not the first time this has happened, with both inking and reading.  I really should go see an eye doctor, but I'm still in a sort of denial.

I don't really know why I'm in denial about it.  I actually have always liked glasses and I for one find them to be sexy as all heck.  

Anyway, I drew this because I am attempting to post something with Our Hero on it for everyday, since I can't post my actual illustrations.  

So, here is were we stand.  I finished, sort of, the page I was working on yesterday.   I say sort of because I'm not one hundred percent satisfied with it.   Now I am working on one of two of the other pages that work with that illustration.  

E.W. Forge

Morning Sketch

This is a morning sketch.  You all know what morning sketch is, right?  It is like morning wood.  It means that I woke up with Our Hero on my mind and I took my sketch book and cheap as ink pen and doodled this sketch.  For the record, just for too much information sake, I sleep with my lap top at the foot of my bed along with my sketch book, pencils and other drawing utilities laid to the side of the bed.  Yeah, I know....but since I don't have an end table and most inspiration  comes at night time, it is good to have the tools of the trade nearby.

Today I worked on another page of the book, but did not finish it.  I know, I need to do better, but I had today is the day I go to visit my family and by the time I got back home, fixed me some to eat, ect, ect....it was too late to do anything more.  However, I plan on completed that illustration tomorrow, before I go to bed before work.  So, tomorrow, hopefully, this post will be about how proud I am about finishing yet another page of my children's book.

E.W. Forge