I'm trying some three-panel stuff as an experiment in timing and brevity. I might eventually use this format to create a regularly occurring strip. Here's one approach that uses the discussions of a couple as they lie in bed.
The Thing About Your 40s Is...
This is a single-page piece I made for my friend Dustin Grella, who turned 40 a few weeks ago. He was actually happy about it! Pfft! Silly man!
Anyway, I'm pretty happy with the piece. It's extremely liney, which I wasn't sure I liked at first. Makes the whole thing very busy. But I've decided I like it after all. It's so textural. I did a lot of corrections at the end with Pro White and a little tiny brush, which was very fun it turns out.
The only thing I don't really care for is the lettering, which I did by hand here, rather than on computer, since this will be given away as a finished work-on-paper. I used a nib-style pen for the lettering, another first. I think in the future, though, if I must do hand-lettering, I will use a marker. I just really hate lettering.
This piece was done on 11"x17" bristol and was ruled with proper borders, which was a first for me. It was nice to work so big for a change. I think I'll use the large format for all my interstitials.
UPDATE: Here's a version with computer generated lettering. Ah! Much better!
The Comic: Page 14
A little water in the brush helps a lot. My brush has been feeling so dry. I think it's the ink drying quickly, maybe because it's old. So I finally added some water to it, just to keep it moist. Actually, I keep the water in a separate container and just dip the brush in when it starts getting gummed up. It really helped a lot with the fine details on this page.
Here's the sketch.
