Ape on the Moon: Contemporary Illustration » Ink Illustration

Ape on the Moon and Other Illustrations by Sandra Dieckmann

moonape — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:25:55 +0000

I chanced upon UK-based German illustrator Sandra Dieckmann’s busy illustrations via an interesting money-raising idea on her blog. Sandra is trying to raise £200 to buy a new printer, and to do so, is creating original drawings for those who donate.

I got involved, and was very pleased to have a drawing done by her centred on the Ape on the Moon theme. She did a great job and put in much more work than I’d hoped. The drawing is below, as well as some samples of the rest of her excellent work. This may be the start of a series of Ape on the Moon illustrations sent in by illustrators, so get in touch if you want to contribute an original Ape on the Moon illustration.

Get yourself an original drawing directly from Sandra, by donating here!

Creating Jack Teagle’s Nobrow Comic Book

moonape — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 20:21:32 +0000

I’d spotted illustrator Jack Teagle’s comic book whilst graphic novel-shopping in London recently.

I was struck by the beauty and appeal of such a well designed, drawn and printed book so I thought it would be nice to find out more about the process behind creating such a work, which he had published through a cool printing and publishing company called Nobrow.

Jack gives details of his book: ‘Jeff Job Hunter‘ and the process behind its creation, below.

Introducing the Book:

Jeff Job Hunter is about an unemployed man who simply can’t find work. Jeff is on his 13th week of the dole, and has his payments stopped. He has to go on a work placement to receive further benefits. His work placement is to go into the dungeon underneath the job centre to kill a monster to start his payments again.

Jeff Job Hunter is a story based around the trouble I had with signing on, when I was unemployed. I wanted to create a comic which reflected the situation I was in, but add in my sense of humour.

Nobrow approached me after they had spotted my work at the D&AD design awards. They create artists books, comics, narratives, limited prints and showcase the talents of a variety of artists and illustrators.

I had worked with them on their Nobrow: Jungle book, they were pleased with my work, and knew that I drew comics for fun.

They want to give a platform for British comic artists and writers because there isn’t really a platform for comics in the UK like there is in Europe or America. They asked me if I was interested in creating a comic book for them, gave me the specifications and asked me to start writing up a story.

Planning the Story:

When I had to sign on, everything seemed pointless. I would search for jobs days on ends, attend interviews well out of my way, where I would have trouble getting to work everyday. The people at the job centre just didn’t seem to care, they always treated me like I was a waste of time and space.

I wanted to try and get some of that into my comic, a poor man going to impossible lengths to get work or to receive payments while receiving indifference from the job centre employees. I had no shortage of ideas for the project because of my experiences, so I started to plan.

I started off with a blank page for each comic page,and started to try and flesh out the idea by drawing a small rough comic. At this point, I didn’t know the style, or really what was going to happen.

I showed Nobrow the comic, they made suggestions and changes and then I started to write up a much more solid story based on the feedback and rough comic. Now I had a script for each page, so I made another plan which was much more developed.

The style was taking shape, and I managed to fit more into the comic. After a few chops and changes, Nobrow were happy with the comic, and I started to work on the final.

Planning the Visuals:

Visually I tried to keep to my usual style when I work in pen, I thought this would relax me and get the best work out of me. I wanted to keep it simple, but also be able to build up areas of detail when needed.

When I created the characters I wanted to create a protagonist you could sympathise with.

I designed my characters hunched over, so they looked tired and like they couldn’t be bothered with things.

I usually draw my characters with large eyes, but I thought that I could get more expressive faces by simplifying them to black dots.

With panel layout I kept things quite traditional. I didn’t want to cram too many panels in, so I think at the most I have five or six panels per page.

I use more panels if I need to get crucial timing across, and less panels for easier to read material.

Rendering the Finished Piece:

When inking the finals, I planned out the pages and doubled the size to get more detail into them, put in bleeds and panels, and then inked into them. Nobrow have a very unique way of colouring their work, which I had to follow.

I was given three colours to work with, and had to use Photoshop to merge and blend these three layers of colour to get a variety of other tones and colours. Mixing all three gets the dark line I used for outlines.

The process was quite complicated, but the outcome was well worth it.

Text wasn’t too much of an issue, I’m a big fan of hand drawn types, so I hand wrote everything in the book, including the publishing information in the back.

I didn’t need to worry too much about printing, as I sent my files to Nobrow, and they checked everything was in order before the print run.

Getting Published:

I’ve worked backwards for this process, instead of approaching a publisher with an idea, they saw that I drew and self published comics, and wanted to give me a chance to create a published work. It was going to be in book form from day one.

I think from my experience, the best advice I can give is, keep drawing comics, just draw for you own amusement, self publish, post online, get them seen!

The more comics you draw, the better you will get at pacing, timing, telling a story and drawing. People will be able to see you create comics and approach you.

Buy the book here!

Artwork of Julian De Narvaez

moonape — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 09:29:11 +0000

I was contacted recently by Colombian illustrator Julian De Narvaez and was hugely impressed by his portfolio, some of which I can show to you here.

His work process involves an ink drawing on paper, followed by acrylic and digital colouring. At the moment Julian is working on a series of oil painting illustrations, claiming it is ‘something I’ve always had respect for but not been able to concentrate on before‘.

Artwork of Maarten Donders

moonape — Mon, 31 May 2010 14:37:06 +0000

I’m loving the colours and slightly twisted content of the work of Dutch artist and illustrator Maarten Donders. I’ve asked him a few questions to dig a little deeper into the work he does. A picture of his workspace is also included.

What is your work process (and materials) for your coloured drawings?

Usually I start off with pencil, make a rough drawing, and then start on the first ‘layer’ of color. I often use a water-based ink that’s easy to work with.

Then markers, pens, paint etc. to finish the drawing. When necessary I tweak the colors in Photoshop or add finer lines and color with a Wacom tablet. Sometimes I just entirely work on the computer, whatever suits best. Finally, when I’m done i put it away, look at it again in the morning and make changes or start over.

What was the main source of inspiration for your illustrations until now?

When I’m drawing there’s always music playing. Even when I’m not working, music is pretty much my fuel. I go from blues and jazz to doom metal and everything in between, although my favorite ‘work music’ is usually the psychedelic stuff from the 60′s and a lot of new underground bands that really blow my mind.

Besides music I’m always look around for things that interest me. My mind is usually overloaded and I’m easily distracted. If something catches my eye, I’ll investigate further. Things like record covers, weird movies and comics, old movie posters. I like my drawings to have a certain tension or atmosphere to them.

I guess you could say that most of my drawings feel like they are ripped out of their context. A friend of mine always says I make illustrations for stories that don’t exist.

What are you working on right now?

I’ve been swamped with other (non drawing) work for the past months, but I have some good stuff coming up. In the next couple of weeks I will be making drawings for a couple of upcoming exhibits.

I’m working on a shirt design, a skateboard, I’m starting a secret project with one of my buddies who is an animator, and some other things. Between all this I make sketches, take photos, visit concerts and buy records.

Suspended Motion: The Illustrations of Leif Parsons

moonape — Wed, 26 May 2010 10:55:15 +0000

I came across some highly cool artwork by New York based Leif Parsons. One of the re-occurring elements of his work is the capture of movement and action within his compositions, which enlivens the work he does. I sent over a few questions about his stuff to learn more.

How did you get into illustration?

I came to New York as a older student to study illustration, but I disliked it so I switched to part time and studied design.

While there I would also audit / sit-in on other classes that seemed interesting. Near the end I took a independent study with Bleckman and Nieman that re-ignited my interest in illustration, and upon graduation I just hustled and hustled!

What is the work process and tools of the work you do?

My illustration process is idea driven -I usually lie in bed and make notes trying to think of an idea that makes me happy.

I then get reference and sketch it up hoping I have cool editors / art directors that don’t want to make it more literal. For illustration I am essentially just drawing with a pencil though in my art practice I am using paint, collage, and assorted other materials.

What are you working on right now?

I just finished doing a op-ed collaboration with my friend Josh Cochran which was a first and fun. I am also working on the monthly editorial illustration I do for LA Magazine.

What is your one self-promotion tip?

Make something nice enough (and interesting enough) that you would want to keep it, then perhaps an art director will want to do the same…

Interview with Illustrator Eric Hews

moonape — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 12:04:37 +0000

As I am away in Japan for three weeks beginning March 18th, I have handed over a few posts to my guest poster and friend, graphic designer and proprietor of Aqua-Velvet, Amy Henderson.

Hello again, friends of Ape on the Moon! It is a pleasure to be back with you whilst your captain Alex is still away on holiday. He has promised to take many photos which I am certainly looking forward to seeing.

Today I present the keen work of comic artist/illustrator Eric Hews who lives in the US. I really like Eric’s fresh style that is never overworked. He has a terrific habit of not only showing off his roughs and ongoing work process but also providing running commentary throughout his flickr stream which you will definitely want to check out.

Many thanks to Eric for allowing me to toss a few queries his way. Read/look on and enjoy! –Amy

What does the career path of an artist who draws and write comics look like?

I’ve been drawing cartoons as far back as I can remember. My father got me started with rocketships, Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny… but I never really considered it a career path until lately. In college I studied art, psychology and creative writing and graduated with an ever useful degree in English Lit.

I started my working career as a one-man writer/editor of a corporate newsletter, which included doing illustrations for the articles I wrote. After that stint, I spent 15+ years working as a creative/manager in Advertising and Marketing. I left advertising two years ago to go the freelance illustration route. While it hasn’t exactly fed me, it has certainly been the saving grace of some hard days.

Throughout my life I have always found plenty of downtime, no matter what I was doing. I inevitably draw cartoons in the borders of my work-papers.

What inspires you most?

My girlfriend, friends and family inspire me most. I seem to have plenty of funny people around me. All I have to do is listen well and the material just keeps coming.

What is your work process like?

My work process is very organic. I’m constantly taking notes during conversations and many of these notes become dialogue for my characters. I always start with the dialogue.

When I begin to draw a cartoon out, it is usually the first draft that I stick to. It’s normally the most ‘honest’, even if some things about it are admittedly awkward.

I only draw freehand, these days, and usually directly in ink. If I add color, it’s usually a Photoshop job. I have been known to simply publish rough pencil sketches from time to time. I have no problem letting people see the underpinnings of my work.

Tell us about your comic “Yo & Dude”… how it came about and where it’s going. Very curious to learn more about its upcoming animation leap!

I’m bi-polar, so ‘Yo & Dude’ is a natural offshoot of my swinging moods. Yo, the cat, represents my jaded, serious and cynical side. Dude, the dog, is the innocent, naïve one who sees the best in people and things. Those two sides of me are constantly at odds and fighting for attention. You can see which side is ‘winning’ by which character gets the most lines.

Moving them into animation is becoming a bear of a project. I’m currently working on the script and trying to convince a few friends to collaborate with me on the writing and animation. I have no experience doing this, so it really is a seat-of-the-pants production.

I can reveal a few things about the first short. It takes place on a moon-base, and not necessarily OUR moon. There will be a house-robot character. There will also be a small cube of ham that speaks. That is all I can say for now without pigeon-holing the project. For all I know, it’ll end up being a morality tale set in medieval times.

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Retro Illustrations of Manuel Gomez Burns

moonape — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:55:24 +0000

I was contacted by Peruvian artist Manuel yesterday asking for some promotion advice for his surreal illustrations often created in a fun old fashioned style. I liked his work, and decided to help kick start his campaign of promotion with a post here on Ape on the Moon.

What stood out for me the most, apart from his frequent use of intense, distorted facial expressions, is his application of retro effects to his work, which he explains below.

Most of my “aging” effects are done in Photoshop. I mainly work with ink and brush on textured card stock, so my artwork is basically lineal. All the cracks and stains are real cracks and stains scanned from real, yellowish paper, old card or newsprint. The halftones are created entirely in Photoshop.

There are many ways to create these effects. The first time I created those “fake comic book covers”, I did it intuitively, experimenting with colors and shapes. It took me a while to figure out how to created the best look.

John Lee Illustrations

moonape — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:48:34 +0000

John Lee is a freelance illustrator based in Memphis, Tennessee who caught my eye recently with his striking yet delicate artwork with really excellent choices in colour. He’s also a writer, so I look forward to a self-illustrated book of his!

MoonApe on Twitter!

Santiago Uceda’s Bigfoot Poster Tutorial

moonape — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 17:13:43 +0000

You might remember Oregon-based Peruvian designer and illustrator, Santiago Uceda’s poster art as featured in a previous Ape on the Moon post here. What he’s great at is the hand-drawn, rough style of his artwork.

Santiago is back to share his step by step work process behind one of his recent posters, featuring the Portland hipster Bigfoot. Enjoy!

Materials: Pencil; Sumi ink and brush; Block printing ink; Roller; Plexiglass; X-acto knife.

1. Ideas

The challenge was to create a poster for a Society6 Portland poster series based on fun facts centering around Portland in Oregon.

One thing that is often associated with the Northwest is the mythical creature Bigfoot. Bigfoot is not necessarily associated with Portland, but I figured this is a place he would call home if he were given the chance.

2. Sketch

I always start with a light pencil or blue pencil sketch and then ink that. I don’t do to many preliminary sketches. There’s usually a very rough sketch just to get the idea and placement across and after that is final.

I sketch & ink the different elements separately and then assemble and color them in Photoshop.

I wasn’t quite happy with the first Bigfoot, so I drew another one on a separate piece of paper and then collaged them together.

3. Color and Texture

I create my textures with mono-prints or with ink. For the river texture I made some wavy textures with mono-prints. I rolled some ink onto the Plexiglas and made some wavy strokes with a brush.

I then transferred the ink to a piece of sketchbook paper.

Colors don’t really matter at this point, I usually change colors in Photoshop.

For the clouds I cut out some cloud shapes, rolled ink on the Plexi, put clouds face down on ink, place another piece of paper on top of cloud, cut out and then scribble on top of that sheet. The scribbles are transferred onto the cloud cut outs.

The bridge and hand lettering were done with Sumi ink and brush..

Once it’s all been scanned and composed in Photoshop, I start playing with color by applying color to individual layers with layer effects.

The multi-colored rain was a bit much so I toned it down and ended up with a more subdued palette.

And there you have it!

Excellent, thank you Santiago!

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Bigfoot Poster Tutorial

moonape — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 17:07:04 +0000