Chapter Two Inks: ALMOST DONE!

If the natural settings seem very Bill Watterson-y, it's because I pulled out my CALVIN & HOBBES to see how he did it. Someone reminded me that Watterson inked using the same brush I'm using now (Winsor & Newton Series 7 #1), and in situations like this, it's always good to go back and re-look at things to see how they compare to your recollection of them, to observe them anew having acquired fresh experience. I've drawn 60-someodd pages using this brush, so knowing what I know now about what sort of gestures make what sort of marks, let's take that knowledge and re-examine artwork that I think I'm familiar with, but which will probably reveal new secrets now. (My major takeaway is that Watterson's artwork is less detailed than it is in my memory, which encourages me to make fewer, better marks. That is the hard part. That's where true mastery comes in: doing more with less, doing THE MOST with THE LEAST.)

Speaking of digging up old stuff, my dad found my childhood copy of Richard Scarry's CARS AND TRUCKS AND THINGS THAT GO for our little ding-dong to enjoy. I flipped through it. I noticed Scarry's hatching techniques and thought, "hey, that's how I hatch!" And I am realizing that the hours upon hours that I spent with that book definitely left its mark (so to speak).

PRATCHETTMANIA CONTINUES

Okay, look, I want to be cool and chill about all these Pratchett books I've been listening to, I want to be your nonchalant friend who knows how to talk about more than one thing, but I SHALL WEAR MIDNIGHT might be one of my new all-time favourite books.

I'm currently listening to it for a second time because I liked it SO MUCH that I don't trust my own feelings.

On my first listen-through, I was surprised at the maturity of the themes it deals with, considering Pratchett's stupid silly place-names and whimsical trappings. There's domestic abuse, there's the spreading of disinformation and fear, it's surprisingly topical. And it's all handled with a great deal of care and humanity. The grace with which Pratchett confronts his subjects is so much more sensitive than you'd get from most other books. I recently read Patricia Lockwood's excellent NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT THIS—a literature-ass literature book shortlisted for the Booker prize—and it was lovely and funny and gets you right in the guts, and though I know it's not a competition, I suspect I SHALL WEAR MIDNIGHT exceeds it, if only by being more accessible.

That's my rant. I'm a confirmed Pratchett convert. The process is complete. INTERESTING TIMES is too casual about its racial stereotypes and shows little respect for East Asian culture, so watch out for that one, but otherwise, get me my branded ball cap, I'll join the team.

It's got me so that I want to buy the Tiffany Aching series for all the kids in my life. I SHALL WEAR MIDNIGHT is book four in that series; it's part of the Discworld "universe," and connects with the other books, but stands well on its own. I know they won't listen if I say "read this instead of Harry Potter," but that's okay, maybe they'll come around in time.

SHOW ME THE GRAPH

Looks nice, right???

There is one existing page left to ink, but I think I'm also going to add in an additional two-page spread, but once that's done, it's SCANNING TIME.

*sigh* I wish I had a large-format scanner.

Scan you later,

TC