Awwww crap!
Ever have one of those days where you think you’ve planned everything perfectly and then someone casually walks up to you and mentions the one thing you so obviously over-looked?
Well, thanks to Joey, that’s how Marc feels today.
On a side note, how do you all like today’s experimentation with hand-lettering? I think this turned out a lot better then my one or two failed attempts back in March. I was doing something a little differently than I had done before. If there’s a lot of positive response, I’ll keep experimenting with hand lettering the strips.
One thing is for certain though… when it comes to hand-lettering, you REALLY need to have the script laid out in final form. Usually, even though I have the entire strip in my head once I get to the pencil and inked stages, I generally ab lib the dialog. For the most part, doing the dialog digitally allows me freedom to edit on the fly. That’s really gone when you decide to take the hand-lettering plunge. You have to be very careful with how you plan things out simply because it’s a lot harder and more time consuming to try to edit, change or re-write things on the fly.
But if enough people seem to like my hand-lettering endeavors, I’ll continue to keep trying the hand-lettering technique out.
-Chris
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:51 pm
I’m all-for hand lettering on the basis that it generally looks more organic and fits better with most art. In this case, though, I think you need a wider pen nib because it’s not balancing as well as your digital lettering did and I think line weight is the culprit. Keep it up, though… hand lettering should not die!!!
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Scraps, that’s sort of of how I felt the first time I attempted hand lettering in the strip. And I’m not totally in disagreement with you with today’s strip either. I’m not intimidated by hand lettering. I do a lot of hand lettering when I do caricatures and office birthday cards.
I do have to find a little thicker nib though. At full size, the lettering looks fine but when I start preparing it for the web, that’s when things start getting really thin.
I’ll keep experimenting though.
-Chris
December 3rd, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Yes I started out with photoshop but that took too long. We also got some sample Blitz cartoon strip boards. From then it just made since to hand letter. I have really perfected my technique and now that is all I do. My husband does the artwork and we share the writing responibities. I do the hand lettering and uploading to the website. Bitter TEA Studios at http://www.bitterteastudios.com.
December 5th, 2008 at 8:19 am
Keep up the great work Dad!
December 5th, 2008 at 11:09 am
For anyone that likes reading these comments, “Dani” REALLY IS my daughter.
-Chris