Red.

So I thought I'd do a little "work method" post. This is mostly how I work when doing a single image, spur of the moment, eye-candy piece. It generally starts out with a photo, something that catches my eye because of pose, colour, composition, anything. What I like of the original photo decides how much of it I'm going to take - if it's just the pose, I'll change pretty much everything else about it, if it's an expression, again everything else goes, if it's composition most elements will stay in one way or another. This photo was particularly stunning - the eyes, the expression, the colours. Damn I wish I could do my makeup that nicely. So I pretty much just wanted to draw it as it was. As I went along and started inking (mapping pens, ftw!) I started picturing it as just the face, all focus on the expression in the eyes. So when I got to adding ink to the black coat bit, I found myself covering everything up that wasn't the face. Sorry hands. Sorry tattoos. I thought about cropping it but I really love the composition and the contrast between the fine mapping pen lines on the face and total black encircling it.
So yeah, that's how I sometimes work. :)

scraperboard

Theda Bara and Rory Manning.
I've been experimenting a little with scraperboard these days, as if drypoint and monotype and general inking wasn't enough. I am all over the place this term. But anyway! Even though a little difficult at first (perhaps mostly to do with the shitty tools and cheap scraperboard - actually, not even cheap, it was fairly expensive, it just doesn't seem to be very good) I think I've kinda got the hang of it. And in doing so I created two images if Theda Bara - which is quite project-based, at least -  and Rory Manning, a model (I think? I don't know, she's utterly gorgeous and kind of a ghost on google). It's a great way to study contrast and lighting, really makes you think about negative and positive space.

Lulu

I've been wanting to do something on Louise Brooks ever since I watched Pandora's Box a few years ago. Actually, I've been smitten with her since well before then, as I grew up with Crepax's "Valentina" stories. So when my current project started going in a 20s direction, she was definitely going to have to be one of the subjects/characters. This ended up being a mini-project within the project, a little zine done in a mixture of drypoint and monotype (professional printmakers might kill me about it) which allowed me to have detail while maintaining the swishy inky goodness of monotypes. I'm also fairly satisfied with my hand drawn type. This will eventually be reformatted to fit the book I'm creating for my project as a short narrative under the name "the Courtesan".

squares.

 

Messing about with format and inking.

a little eye candy catch up.

Comica Comiket

So! This is quite late in posting, but last weekend the eye pie collective in top notch form (if a little tired) headed down to London for this year's Comica, the big city's own international and indipendent comics fair. The venue, Bishopsgate Institute, was pretty awesome and oh so many artists were there (Robert Crumb, Anke Feuchtenberger, Alison Bechdel, Joe Decie just to name a few). Unfortunately we couldn't stay for the full festival and many many events organized, but it was a good day, if a little excruciating having to stand by while people pick up your work, study it, read it, then leave it (it's £1 dude, honestly). But a very interesting experience nonetheless.

Dr Sketchy's Gender Bender September

A bit late in posting these, but I was trying to wait for the blog entry on the Sketchy's website (I'll add it as soon as it gets posted). So! The Gender Bender afternoon was possibly one of the best yet, and definitely the craziest, raunchiest, funniest one, as you might be able to tell from the sketches. Yes that is a lady with a beard and a penis. Aaand another lady (the amazing V.J. Spankie) with her Goblin King act - yes, as in THE Gobling King, sporting what most people remember about Bowie as Jareth anyway. Pretty much an awesome afternoon. I am really looking forward to the next one now.

Check me out on pinterest!

more monotypes (my favourite ones so far)

monotypes

Experimenting with monotype, contrast and use of ink. It's a hell of a lot of fun.

Nita

Nita Naldi, and generally a tribute to all the 20s flappers, actresses, women. I love that era.
This was a test for this heavily inked style I love, and kind of a study on the flapper style.

Cordelia.

I've been watching loads of crime drama series recently while doing work. They don't need too much attention to understand what's going on, so they're great for keeping company whilst doing work. So, I felt kinda stuck with the various ideas I've been working on recently for third year projects. Being able to write your own brief is *not* entirely helpful (at least for me - too many ideas whirling around, with no limitations on themes or outcome except for the ones i set myself). Getting back to the crime series, I thought I'd draw a simple sequence just to get out of the rut I put myself into, and get back into drawing narrative. Also, I needed to test out and get better at using my new fountain pen and creating a good mix of entirely black shadows, details and white areas. Anyway, this is what came out of that. I'm pretty satisfied with most of it, although I might switch the second and third panels round to give the entire page more balance. Aaand I'm not too happy with the reflection of the hand in the bottom panel - not sure if I should leave it white, shadow it like I did with the front leg in the second panel, or just get rid of the reflection entirely. Meh, I'll have a think about it and a go at it tomorrow.

wip...

Lilium

lomolove. II

Taken with my lovely Sardina.

summer.

Some photos of the gorgeous places I've been this summer. Illustration-related updates soon to come, in the meantime revel in the beauty.

lomolove.

Taken with my dad's old Lomo Supersampler.

Baba Yaga prints in the making, all hand-inked on mark resist.

printsprints

"Baba Yaga" screenprinted, one and two colour. I love how this came out, I found this dark blue paint and used it rather than black, and it looks so good. Anyone interested in one, email me (limited run of 30)

lisaroseharper@gmail.com

pinkness

I somehow decided to dye my hair pink, so I drew a new nymph to celebrate the occasion. Her hair is a lot prettier than mine though.

I took a little day trip to London on Sunday for ELCAF. I didn't really know what to expect but the turnout was excellent. So many stands, gorgeous zines and books, and oh so many people. I got some great stuff from the No Guts No Glory stand, they stocked some first class work! Also got a copy of The Accidental Salad and the lovely Joe Decie was nice enough to sign it for me. I kinda wish I'd take more photos now, but no doubt there will be some about.