Tea for Two

I'm so glad

Phew.  Can you Adam and believe that it's been over a month since I've rambled on here about what I've been up to in the world of comics.  Time to put that right.....

I'm happy to say that the Empyre pitch is now winging it's way to some (hopefully) interested parties.  I'll attach a quick zip through of some of the process here.....

My pencilled layout (which the more eagle eyed reader may recognise).....

....and chum Adam Bolton's finished page, which I suppose slightly improves my scribbling.

My pencilled layout.....

....and chum Adam Bolton's finished page.

All good stuff and a great little project betwixt me, Stephen Aryan (writer) and Adam.

Also, if you're in any way interested Nostalgia and Comics in Birmingham now handily stock 'The Grinning Mask'.  Go buy if you're in the area and if you're like me, feel your wallet wince as you make your way to the till with the mini-pile of comics you happen to have grabbed whilst there.
 
What else?  Oh yes.  I had a tip-top time at the Birmingham Zine Fair the other weekend and do hope that it will be returning to the city next year.  I heartily recommend / endorse this event / product.  A great way to come across some new comics - hats off to Liz and the other people for organising a top do.

AND....I hear whispers and rumours that Too Much Sex and Violence number 4 is on it's way to the printers, featuring art by me (and several other talented folk).  Just keep an ear out for when the gentlemanly Rol Hirst announces it for sale.

Until next time folks,
RT

To the gangsters with pens...

What ho chums,

In all the excitement of Autumn approaching, I very nearly forgot to mention that the Empyre pitch is rapidly nearing completion.  Hurrah.  This will be winging it's way to semi-interested people very soon.

Empyre chum Adam Bolton is also excited for he is heading to the New York Comics Con where he will be revelling in the launch of his 'Where's My Shoggoth' book (wrote by Ian Thomas).  Do go and buy a copy of this super kiddies / Lovecraftian book.  I said that you would, and you wouldn't want to make me a big fibber now would you?

In other news, I've recently discovered the mightily splendid Procreate for the iPad.  If you are in any way interested in creating comics and own one of these infernal devices, then I strongly suggest that you make haste to grab an 'app' (I believe that's what the kids say?) of Procreate and a stylus pen - although it is surprisingly easy to use with your bare digits.  This is about as close as you'd want to get to a version of Photoshop on the iPad and is super-duper to use.
I've been tinkering with it for about a week, and really believe that I could put together a snappy comic with it - without having to trouble my drawing board.  From a screen resolution point of view, I think that I may struggle to get more than 3 or 4 panels to a page, but this may be down to my chunky scribbles.  It will be interesting to see the paper print quality of some of the stuff I'm putting together, but for a web comic it's truly great.  I only need someone to put together an IOS version of Illustrator and I might never turn my PC on again (only joking my trusty machine)....

I'm toying with the idea of a BIG digital project at the moment, and will attach a couple of quick jpegs from my initial scribblings.  This page and a half took me about an hour to put together - all without having to leave the comfort of the settee.

Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye.
RT

Stop Making Sense

....or how I've tried to make a 'Talking Heads' page more interesting.  I'm sure that I'm not the only comics artist out there who struggles with making panel after panel of folk talking look interesting?  Please tell me I'm not?

This is a layout page from the mini project I'm working on which I mentioned here previously.  I imagine that I'm fairly safe to announce now that it's with writer Stephen Aryan and fabbo artist Adam Bolton.  Hurrah indeed.  Go check out their stuff and hunt down a copy of Adam's rather lovely looking 'Where's My Shoggoth?' book what he has created with Ian Thomas.

This mini project is currently being worked up into a pitch and rest assured my gentle reader, that I'll keep you posted about this one as it nears completion.  

Toodle pip chums,

RT

Hello?

'Hello? Hello? What's that you say?  Ryan Taylor is featured in Desert Island Comics on the Forbidden Planet Blog? Why, I'd better head over straight away and see what that insufferable dandy has to say for himself......'

'.........and no I'm not interested in double glazing.  Do you know I'm with the telephone preference service? You don't care? Well that's hardly the attitude is it now....'

Sleepy time time

Ahoy chums,

Colouring-in stuff for you this week.  I recently submitted some pages for a paid superhero comics job (which I didn't get by the way), so I thought I'd post them here.  They may well end up in the gallery section of the trade paperback yet, but I'm sure the author won't mind me putting them on my mighty blog.

A cover test and a page for you, the two delicate readers of my blog.  It was an interesting pitch though, and all good practise in meeting a tight deadline.

(Do you know?  Even if I do say so myself, that's a nifty hand what I have drawn on yellow/blue suited chap in the cover test)

In other news, I shall be having some piccies published in a forth-coming collection of poems for children.  'Born to Giggle' is compiled by Ian Billings and features a very loverly cover by the equally loverly Hunt Emerson.  It's all to raise money for Save the Children, so dig deep.  I'll let you all know when it's piblished as well as published.
   

 

Phew and indeed phew.

RT

Painting by numbers

Quick colouring test what I have done using an old Grinning Mask page.  Thought that I'd publish it here rather than have it languish on my PC.
 

What do you all think chums?  Any comments?  I'm a bit new to this colouring lark.....

RT

Sad Tooth Sign

Amongst other things, I'm currently working on a bit of a collaborative thing.  This is all at a very early stage at the moment, and so I don't want to reveal too much.  Nonetheless, I can probably scratch together a few things to blog about.

I'm working from a script (by A.N. Other) and putting together pencilled layouts for A.N. Other II to provide finished pencils and inks.  This suits me down to the ground, as I am (or so I've been told) quite nifty with page layouts / storytelling.  This also means that I can leave A.N. Other II to correct my slightly ropey anatomy.....

I must say that the finished tester stuff is looking super-duper so far, and rest assured gentle reader that as soon as I can jot a few more bits about this one, I will.

In the meantime, for those wierdos like myself who are interested in the stages that go into a finished comic page, I'll post a couple of panels.  Rough layouts at A4, blown up to A3 and then traced to make a tighter pencilled layout.

 

In other news, I've taken the plunge to join Curtain Twitter.  Shock! Horror!  Come follow me why don't you?

RT

Jollity Farm

Sneaky panel from my work on Too Much Sex and Violence # 4.  More news to follow on this one as the whole thing nears completion....

RT

This is the end my friend...

A quickie today - the Midlands Comics Collective anthology 'The end of the world', got a fabbo review over here at the Forbidden Planet blog.



Hurrah.

RT

Devo-lution

What ho chums,

For today's ramblings, I'll put together a quick piece about a cover I've recently completed for a fabbo up-coming anthology by the Midlands Comics Collective. 

First, a very rough A4 pencil sketch
 

 

Blow it up to A3 and start pencilling on layout paper (my current pencilling paper of choice)

 

Then inks onto tracing paper taped over the layout.  This method means I'm not as precious with inking as I may be on super-expensive Bristol Board...

Scan it in and have a quick dabble at colours

 

Add some more layers of watercolours, drop the lettering in, and Bob's your uncle (he certainly is as well).

This anthology (as you may have guessed) is all loosely based on the end of the world and features contributions from the very talented Midlands Comics Collective, including (I'm reliably informed) a 'lost classic' from the splendid Hunt Emerson. 

If you happen to be at Kapow this weekend and providing the printers haven't fibbed to us about deadlines, then you should be able to grab a copy from fellow Midlands Comics Chum and top bloke Josh Clarke.  Tell him I sent you.
  
To further whet your appetites, I'll attach a snippet from my contribution to the anthology.
 

Until next time.
RT

Son of a Gun

Grrr.  I'm merrily working away at some exciting stuff but not allowing myself to post too much about them yet.  Fear not chums!  I'm sure that I can post a wee snippet of pencils from a bigger piece for the internet world to patronisingly snigger at.
RT

I want to see the bright lights tonight....

What ho there gang,
 
I can't post much at the mo, as everything I've been working on is (hopefully) going to press soon and will make a far more interesting blogpost if I hold off writing about it until then.

In the meantime, I'll provide a sneeky peep at a panel from a bit I've done for a forth-coming anthology and some previews of some line-work art that I've contributed to a book of children's poems (again, I'll hopefully be in a position to write more about these in the coming weeks)

Your chum,
RT

Working Man Blues

Sorry for the lack of posts lately folks. I'm super-duper busy on a few projects at the mo including four pages for an anthology, four pages for Too Much Sex and Violence, some colouring work and a few things of my own I want to get out there (so to speak).
Anyway, I'll post a work in progress pencils panel from the afore-mentioned Too Much Sex and Violence here for you.
Until next time,
RT

Animals

A few quickies for you today chums.

My strip 'Grace's Imaginary Menagerie' is making it's full colour debut over here at Jim Medway's loverly Comical Animal publication. Do tell him I sent you and take a peep through the top strips and stuff on offer.

Also, there's a review of 'Too Much Sex and Violence' issue 2 over at the Forbidden Planet Blog. They've been good enough to print a snippet of one of my finished pages therein. Go grab the finished comics here courtesy of Reliable Rol Hirst.

Until next time,
RT

Flash

A quickie for the arts blog on the theme of Flash Gordon.....

RT

Magik Markers

A long overdue return to the Weekly Themed Arts Blog this week chums, with the X-Men theme compelling me to sketch away and try out my new markers...
Professor X - although the more astute amongst you will tutt disapprovingly at the fact that this is but a pencil sketch with nary a marker in sight....
Ta-da. A sketch of Cyclops in full marker glory.
And finally the big bad anatomically-odd-to-draw Juggernaut.

In other news, I'm frantically drawing away at a couple of pages for issue 4 of 'Too Much Sex and Violence' and 'The Grinning Mask' issue 3. I shouldn't hold your breath waiting for me to finish either of them mind....

RT

Skeleton Key

Achtung! Ich bin der Red Skull. Ven Ich am not trying to crush der freedom, or destroy das Kaptain America, Ich enjoyen readink der dumbkopf British komiks.

Lately, Ich habe enjoying der 'Too Much Sex und Violence' by Herr Rol Hirst, und ein selektion of artists inkluding der Ryan Taylor. Checken sie out. Alles klar?

Fairies Wear Boots

Evening gang,

Sketchbook stuff for you today I'm afraid, I've grabbed a few quick pages at random....



Whilst I'm on, go and vote for the ever-reliable Rol Hirst for this year's Eagle awards. I know I will.

RT