Illustrator progress

It feels like this blog has come to be about me learning Adobe Illustrator.

I met Rene Engström at a eggnog-party last friday, and she told me about how she draws her comic Anders loves Maria directly in illustrator. This was very interesting for me to hear, as this program has taken up my time quite a lot recently. She explained that she sketch and "ink" the comics with her drawingpad. I thought "Hey, I also have a drawingpad, maybe I should try the same thing!"

So, last saturday I tried out my skills with the drawingpad combined with Illustrator. I began by drawing a quick sketch in blue,

as this is the way I usually do by hand.

I then did the "inking" over the blue after
I had created a new layer on top of the blue.
After that I created a new layer and put it under the "Ink" layer.
I did a few coloring and lighting effects.
To hell with the outlines, who really needs them?
But I wanted more out of this picture ...




... So I did a background!

In this complete picture I have experimented a bit with gaussian blur to get the picture focused on the girl, and perhaps create some kind of photographic feel to the whole mess.

Interesting, huh?

The Joy

Crack!

A long time since I made an entry here, but since the people at Crack! have published my report from the festival in Rome this summer I might as well publish it here also.

You really should go to the super cool comics festival in Rome next summer!
You can also read this report in Swedish in the coming issue of Bild & Bubbla.

I woke up early

The lizard

In the meantime, in Borås.

Into the wild

As a result of a job that Im doing I have started to do a lot of pictures in Adobe Illustrator. I like this program because it's simple to work with and because It has a lot of features which I have not yet learned. I started to do all these images instead of doing what I really should be doing, my adventurestory.

Tomorrow I will embark on a 24 hour journey into the depths of my story and try to find out a lot of stuff, especially the ending. To my help I will have a lot of coffee.

My daily illustrator picture

Hihi!

"The funniest darn flick since steamboat willie" -New York Times

Nightbirds

Monday

Hmm, today Ive been in a lousy mood. I don't really know why. I was going to eat lunch but fell asleep.

Nytt bokförlag.

I brist på annat har jag nu startat ett nytt bokförlag. Djur 5. Vi har inte givit ut några böcker och har heller inga planer på att göra det. Synd för er. Ha.

Monster

I have done this monster today in Illustrator. It still could use a little more work, but I show it anyway, because Im sick of working with it.

Working ....

Today I've worked hard with Hazelhill to develop characters for their webservices. It is an interesting way of working, me with illustrator and the mouse in one hand and the phone in the other.

Booo ...

The castle

Barton strip 6

Panel 1: Im sorry Barton, you seemed promising as a cartoonfigure, but you didn't qualify! Your fired!

Panel 2: I'm so worthless.

Nah, come on, dont take it so hard!

Panel 3: There are other jobs -- NOOOOOOOH!

The mexican!

Ay ay ay!

Illustrator fun continues ....

A program that gives the creator the possibility to make pictures like this can only have been developed by perverts.

My illustrator day.

I was going to do a lot of other stuff, but I got stuck in illustrator and decided to try and learn something more about stuff in this program. The thing I have learned most about today is how to combine the gradient tool with the blending mode "screen".

My halloween costume

This was the costume wich got me to second place on the costume contest at Debaser ...

I havent been able to get any pictures of it, but this was the concept.

Barton, strip 5

So, this weekend I have been to some openings and stuff, me and Mattias Elftorp won a drawing-battle against Kim W Andersson and Fabian Göransson, I got on second place in a costume-contest on Debaser, really nothing to talk about ...

Let's just continue with Barton, shall we?

PAnel 1: >Brton is trying to go through with a very simple comic-strip ...

Panel 4: I can't do it! I'm sorry! I just can't! I am so worthless!

'Sigh'... CUT!

I got in .

Ok so I got in to my apartement and it costed me 1000 swedish crowns. Im sorry about the anticlimax, but to cheer you up I can now continue with my Barton-strips!

Panel 1: Barton is trying to go through with a comic-skit.

Director: If youre nervous we can try with a few attributes.

Panel2: Aaaand ... ACTION!

Panel 3:lalalala...

Panel 4: Oops! CUUUT!!

Locked out, day 2

Im still locked out of my apartement. I will post a follow-up when I've managed to get into my apartement.

This is so stupid

Yes, this is very stupid indeed.

Locked out!

I am still locked out of my apartement! I thought I should give you some background information of why I couldnt open the door with my spare key ...

No Barton today.

Since I have been locked out of my apartement, I will not be able to post comic strips today. Maybe later if I manage to get in to my apartement. Sorry for any inconveniance.

Barton, strip 3

Panel 1: Barton is working as a comic-stripfigure ...

Panel 2: Uhm, well ...

Panel 3: Hiccup!

Panel 4: Cut! What is the problem? You're supposed to slip on the peel, how hard can it be?!

Barton, strip 2

Panel 1: Barton has got a job as a comic-strip figure.

Director: Hey Barton, I'm the comics-director.

Panel 2: In this joke you're supposed to fall on your butt with this bananapeel.

Panel 3: Keep it simple, keep it clean, that's how I roll! Silence and ... ACTION!

Panel no 4: Come on now, wonderboy, don't screw this up!

Friday!

Tonight im going to Debaser in Malmö to Åsa Ekströms releaseparty for her new book Sayonara September! We celebrate this with a strip comic that was rejected by Sydsvenskan, a Swedish newpaper situated in Malmö. I have six strips, and this is the first one:


Panel no. 2: The next day ...
Barton: Uuuhhh My head!
Bird:Stop being a whimp Barton, get a job!

Panel no. 3:
Barton:But who eould hire me, little bird? I'm so worthless!

Panel no. 4:
The boss: Congratulations Barton! You´re hired at the MorningPaper as a comic-stripfigure!

TO BE CONTINUED ...

Release of Babian no. 14

Cover by Sofia Falkenhem

Today a new issue of webcomic-magazine Babian.se is released! I have a comic there! One of my favourites is Kalle Landegren's contribution, Clownen Jorgi, a psychedelic story about a clown. The clown is a common figure in horror-movies and comics, almost a bit over-used, but Kalle get's away with it by his cool "retro" style and insane and grotesque humor.

Also, check out Sara Hansson, Reetta Laitinen, Sofia Falkenhem and Rebecka Lindberg's contributions! And don't forget Erik Melin, Adam Boman and Beata Hemer! Ah, what the hell, check out every comic in this webzine!

Hjärnan säger nej, men Barton säger ja!

I did an experiment in combining simple drawings with illustrator. The result was this weird little comic on the theme The brain says no, but Barton says yes:

word of the day: No!

the brain says no

...but Barton says yes!