(no subject)
I had started writing an entry back in the beginning of September (!) about finishing up my latest graphic novel, The Battle Of Blood And Ink. I'd gotten about a paragraph or so in and then abandoned it. I don't know why, beyond I may have seen something shiny or was preparing for New York Comic Con at the time, or just didn't know where I was going with it. Here is what I had written:
It's been a long journey so far.
Last night I finished the art for the third graphic Novel I've worked on and the first that is something I had a hand in creating. The book is called The Battle of Blood And Ink and will be out this coming May from Tor Books. I've been staring at that last sentence for a while because I don't think it has hit me yet that I've finished. I've been trying to put my thoughts together on the whole thing since last night. A question I have been asked frequently is , "how does it feel to be done?", and invariably my answer will be, "I'm hungry", or "I can now explore other rooms of my house". I'm waiting for the day I can hold the actual book in my hand. that will give me a real feeling of elation.
So why the first sentence? Because it has been a long journey. When my friend and collaborator Jared Axelrod and I first conceived of Blood and Ink in November of
Those sentiments which I had typed out are all fairly accurate to finishing a book, at least for me. I usually am so dialed into the process of making that when I hit the end, I am unsure of how to act about it. Something happened after I finished Blood and Ink that hasn't occurred in over 3 years, and that was I didn't have anything lined up next. This was both wonderful and panic inducing. I am an admitted workaholic. To be a functioning artist of any sort you have to live, breathe, and eat the stuff daily. I've replaced most of the addictions in my life with a work ethic that borders on psychotic. Without getting into too much self analysis, if I don't have work I either turn into a complete sloth, or entire rooms of my apartment are subjected to projects, much to the exasperation of Holly. I was panicked. The down time that I suddenly found myself with was also a blessing. It made me think about my art and chosen medium for the first time in a very long while.
I never go back and look at a work once it is finished, because I see all the mistakes and only the mistakes. I finished Blood and Ink and put it away for a time. I would eventually have to do corrections, but for a few weeks I didn't touch the book at all. One reason was the above mentioned New York Comic Con and what I was doing to get ready for that. Another was, to not pull any punches, fear. I was afraid that I would get down on a work that I had a hand in creating. A work that I loved very much. I didn't want to put myself in a position where I would begin to dislike what I had done because of my own self criticism. I took the time, and I thought. I looked at works by other artists who are much better than I am. I looked at the quality of work that these artists were putting out, and I started to think about the stories that I want to tell and the level of quality that I want to bring to my work.
I then came back to The Battle Of Blood And Ink and began my corrections process. There were a blessed few. Our editor Liz is very discerning and any correction she suggested were things that I had considered changing at least once myself. I ended up going in and changing pieces that weren't up to the standards that I had set for myself. That process was extremely cathartic. I can go back and look at the work as a whole and be proud of what I have drawn. I've seen a digital comp of the entire book and Jared and I have put together a solid piece of work, and I am proud of that as well.
Since October I've taken on some new work. I'm working on a graphic novel adaptation of The Three Musketeers, as well as producing Blood and Ink short stories, that are going up on our website http://www.fablesoftheflyingcity.com. I've also begun to develop my own original works. One is an adventure story and the other is wholly the fault of being engaged to an entomologist. As I work on these stories, the thoughts that I have been having towards level of quality are still at the forefront of my mind. We'll see what the results will be. I for one am looking forward to it.
So, am I excited about The Battle Of Blood And Ink?
It's been a long journey so far.
Last night I finished the art for the third graphic Novel I've worked on and the first that is something I had a hand in creating. The book is called The Battle of Blood And Ink and will be out this coming May from Tor Books. I've been staring at that last sentence for a while because I don't think it has hit me yet that I've finished. I've been trying to put my thoughts together on the whole thing since last night. A question I have been asked frequently is , "how does it feel to be done?", and invariably my answer will be, "I'm hungry", or "I can now explore other rooms of my house". I'm waiting for the day I can hold the actual book in my hand. that will give me a real feeling of elation.
So why the first sentence? Because it has been a long journey. When my friend and collaborator Jared Axelrod and I first conceived of Blood and Ink in November of
Those sentiments which I had typed out are all fairly accurate to finishing a book, at least for me. I usually am so dialed into the process of making that when I hit the end, I am unsure of how to act about it. Something happened after I finished Blood and Ink that hasn't occurred in over 3 years, and that was I didn't have anything lined up next. This was both wonderful and panic inducing. I am an admitted workaholic. To be a functioning artist of any sort you have to live, breathe, and eat the stuff daily. I've replaced most of the addictions in my life with a work ethic that borders on psychotic. Without getting into too much self analysis, if I don't have work I either turn into a complete sloth, or entire rooms of my apartment are subjected to projects, much to the exasperation of Holly. I was panicked. The down time that I suddenly found myself with was also a blessing. It made me think about my art and chosen medium for the first time in a very long while.
I never go back and look at a work once it is finished, because I see all the mistakes and only the mistakes. I finished Blood and Ink and put it away for a time. I would eventually have to do corrections, but for a few weeks I didn't touch the book at all. One reason was the above mentioned New York Comic Con and what I was doing to get ready for that. Another was, to not pull any punches, fear. I was afraid that I would get down on a work that I had a hand in creating. A work that I loved very much. I didn't want to put myself in a position where I would begin to dislike what I had done because of my own self criticism. I took the time, and I thought. I looked at works by other artists who are much better than I am. I looked at the quality of work that these artists were putting out, and I started to think about the stories that I want to tell and the level of quality that I want to bring to my work.
I then came back to The Battle Of Blood And Ink and began my corrections process. There were a blessed few. Our editor Liz is very discerning and any correction she suggested were things that I had considered changing at least once myself. I ended up going in and changing pieces that weren't up to the standards that I had set for myself. That process was extremely cathartic. I can go back and look at the work as a whole and be proud of what I have drawn. I've seen a digital comp of the entire book and Jared and I have put together a solid piece of work, and I am proud of that as well.
Since October I've taken on some new work. I'm working on a graphic novel adaptation of The Three Musketeers, as well as producing Blood and Ink short stories, that are going up on our website http://www.fablesoftheflyingcity.com. I've also begun to develop my own original works. One is an adventure story and the other is wholly the fault of being engaged to an entomologist. As I work on these stories, the thoughts that I have been having towards level of quality are still at the forefront of my mind. We'll see what the results will be. I for one am looking forward to it.
So, am I excited about The Battle Of Blood And Ink?