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