This is a strange little comic I did a while back when a friend suggested a group of us each do a comic-format story based on Batman. This was my take on it. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the Web-comic format, so I assembled all 10 pages of this story into one long strip to see how it would display on a phone or iPad. Hopefully you will find it amusing. Enjoy!
What the deuce indeed!
Our campsite – Joan’s Ford Flex in front of our tent.
The back of the Flex served as the pantry – as always…
This one tree above our campsite caught my attention. My son – now 19 – pointed out that he always liked the shape of the top of it, and imagined, as a small child, that it looked just like a robot. Naturally Joan had a different take on what it might be…
This is from the inside of the local pub. They have an amazing selection of beers, and always something really interesting and amazing on tap (for me that means hoppy). It’s fun going to the same campsite every year for 13 or more years now. We’ve gotten to know a few of the locals pretty well. This is our friend Tracy’s dog. He’s the local tree man and an amazing musician. As I drew this another local – a man a few years older than me – came around to see what I was doing. Turns out he, like me, was an Art Center graduate (he from the mid-1960s, me from the mid-1980s). It was fun to talk to him about storyboarding and the advertising business. He’s retired now and living in beautiful Big Sur!
This was a quick fountain pen sketch that I went back and colored in Photoshop.
Continuing with the theme of cars… This was a moment before going on a recent road trip – getting new tires, alignment and rotation.
This was at a body shop, waiting for an appraisal. I looked over at the Benz on the other side of a glass door, waiting to be picked up or worked on. The custom license plate was an animation term, so I figured it was an animator’s car. Kind of funny.
Cars in the parking lot across from my favorite barber shop…
This was a quick fountain pen sketch made while we were at a Ford dealer, working out the details of buying a new car. I later went back and added some digital color, since I didn’t have time to use the watercolors.
I just now realize that all these sketches were done while waiting for someone or something. Drawing does make the time go by faster. Most of the time I’m disappointed when I have to stop sketching to actually conclude my business. Ha.
I got the old Ford washed over the weekend. I loaded my Noodlers Ahab fountain pen with Lexington Gray ink and did a little sketching.
It’s a little-known fact that in Southern California the hottest month of the year is in fact September. That’s more anecdotal than scientific, but I don’t care, I swear it’s true. It was nice to draw a bit and get my mind off the blistering heat.
I started to draw this man’s wife or girlfriend, but she got up and moved. Oh well…
UPDATE: I did a little color work on these just for fun:
This was drawn at the Italian restaurant up the street while I was waiting to pick up our order. He was very good. I wish it were more common to employ live music at restaurants; it adds great atmosphere.
This is a strange composition. I was getting ready for a safety-oriented class to maintain my union status for the live-action Art Department guild. I looked up and this is what I saw, one guy sitting against the wall and the other guys in the shadows beyond. It occurred to me that I do a lot of sketching while waiting for something. On the one hand I think that’s probably good: making use of the time, celebrating even the most ordinary moments; on the other hand it makes for a lot of sketches of people waiting around. Not sure what that all means. Might make for an interesting series, seeing them all together, if it doesn’t put people to sleep I suppose. Ha.
I have been invited to teach a class on how to make sketchbooks. I figured the simplest and most practical design would be best for the class. The 124 page book pictured below was made in one hour — it usually takes at least a couple hours. What I did differently was to really simplify the cover, allowing it to be as protective as possible, hopefully somewhat attractive in a utilitarian sort of way, and letting the bulk of the creation time to be dedicated to sewing the signatures of the book block. I also really like the idea of re-purposing inexpensive but sturdy and useful materials, so I decided to make the cover out of a simple hanging folder. My son said last night that he wanted a new sketch book so I took the opportunity to try and make the design above. Here’s how it turned out:
I’m pretty happy with how it turned out and I think it will be a good book to make for the class. Quick and relatively easy, sturdy and practical.
These are from a fun diner / bar called ‘Cowgirl’. All but the last image was from where I was sitting. The last image is of the exterior of the place. Joan took a picture of me drawing that part:
Anthony Zierhut 