Figure Drawing

Check it out! I’ve made some serious updates. My Portfolio is now public, with just a few bugs to work out. There is a lot going on here, which is good. I’ve been mostly inactive because I have been chugging through the script. The script which is complete! Okay, okay, it needs a little work, but my editing buddies are looking it over and saving my life. My mind has been generating some fun ideas I am excited to announce soon.

In the meantime, I am working on bringing you some short stories in lieu of the typical blogs. Expect to see regular stories, and a few book reviews.

Thanks for dropping in!

- Dylan

Hello, it’s Friday, finally. It has been a long week and I’m glad that it’s nearing its end. I feel like I have accomplished a lot around here, though. I’m hoping this weekend goes well so I can get more accomplished and start working forward. As I explained on Wednesday, I am getting back on top of writing. My plans for this Saturday is to write as much as I can and reconnect with my collaborators. Right now I want to invite you to collaborate with me and audit some of my writing for the ending of this story arc. If you’re interested, please post in the comments or send an email to thedylanjacobson@gmail.com.

I bet by now you are wondering about pages. It has been too long since I have posted new content and I do need to get back on top of that. My plan right now is to draw a page each week for the next two weeks. Then on the second week, start posting again. I may need to take a periodic break to write, but by then I should be able to be posting every 2-3 weeks. It takes a while, and I need to create a strategy in effort to bring more consistent updates. Bear with me and you will get to see this blossom.

So what of the future? Currently I am trying to round off the story that we are experiencing right now. It’s not the end of Alice, just a shift in paradigms. When this story – Forces of Evil – is finished, there will be a content Hiatus. If I can stick to my plans, I will have started writing the next story before we are finished with Forces of Evil. I will then take time to finish the story of the second arc – name still concealed – before attempting to draw any of it. There will be blogging and major website maintenance during this period. Once the story is complete, I will start to draw it. Right now the goal is to draw 8-12 pages in advance, so I have a decent stockpile. Then, depending on how quickly I am drawing them, I may be able to return to two pages a week. I am not certain how many pages the next arc will require, but I am pretty sure that it will be longer than the one we are on. My final plan is to have a solid, homogenized, art style for the entirety of the second arc. With support, I am willing to bet it will work out.

Have a great weekend!

Ever,
Dylan

I did it! I did it! I have prepared a review of Angel & Faith, Volume II: Daddy Issues. I’m proud to have finally tackled it. So what did I think? Beware, some spoilers exist below.

Well, last time we saw the pair, they were collecting these special artifacts in hope of bringing Rupert Giles back to life. As you ought to know by now, the world has been turned upside down by the actions of Buffy and her enemy Twilight during Buffy Season 8. Things have gone awry with magic being fragmented and shattered, as well as new vampires becoming very similar to the Lurks we have seen in Fray. These factors are making quite a difficult process of reviving Giles, especially topping it off with the fact that his death is considered natural, therefore immensely difficult to reverse.

Let’s make matters worse. We know there are lots of misunderstood, misguided, Slayers out there that are lacking leadership and trying to do their best in a world where vampires have been romanticized and essentially indoctrinated as civilians in the eyes of the public. This mess is making it hard for any good Slayer to actually fulfill her duties as a Slayer. Now we need to make this even more convoluted and add the new fact that our old villain, Twilight, had a couple of nasty cohorts who seem human in many ways, but are beyond powerful, Nash and Pearl. These two can fly, and in the Buffyverse, that says a lot to their capabilities. What makes them frightening is that they seem to have it in for our friends Angel and Faith, as well as the other Slayers. They certainly seem unstoppable.

So what happened in Daddy Issues? The good news is that Nash and Pearl take the back burner as we focus on some personal aspects of Angel and Faith while they work on restoring Giles. What makes this good news is that we know our heroes have a little longer to go before they face the inevitable. The title alone should give away some facets. We’re addressing issues that made Faith such a punk in the earlier days, as well as some of the repercussions of Angel being a sire. Overall, I would say that this volume was pretty compelling. It was woven neatly and in an interesting light. We also get to see the return of a very beloved character from the television series’ that many people have probably been yearning for. I won’t say who it is exactly, but I will say you’ll probably love seeing her.

Characters are really what hung me up. One thing that made the Buffyverse desirable as television shows is that the universe seemed well defined. I got to see characters I loved doing things in places with which I had become attached. With the transition to a comic, the writers have expanding things so far that I am missing the old scenes and characters. I am feeling a bit inundated with many of the new arrivals, most of whom I do not know well enough to cry over, and the twists that seem keep creeping out of peoples pasts. I’m also missing old faces like Charles Gunn, Nina, Kate, Groosalugg and hell even Connor. (The emotional scamp must have been growing on me)

Moreover, I am really pleased with how the book looks. A problem I have been having is the frequent and dramatic change in artists. There is only one transition in this volume, and I didn’t like it. Regardless, the major chunk known as Daddy Issues is beautiful. Rebekah Isaacs and Chris Samnee did a brilliant job with this story and really make me feel the actors of the original series. It’s lush and refreshing. Not to mention a great relief over the days when the comic was with IDW. What the hell were they thinking back then? Many of the books were visually unreadable, to me, anyhow.

Back to the point, Angel & Faith, Volume II: Daddy Issues was a good read. Though I struggled with some of the elements, it was vibrant and compelling. I am excited to see what stones will be turned as we inch closer to Giles’ possible resurrection. Will it work? Will he still be the Giles we love? Only time can tell.

Ever,
Dylan

My goodness this week has been unusually busy and unusually fast. The more I think I can accomplish, the less time I have to do it, it seems. I will be reading Angel & Faith Volume II tonight to prepare a blog for you tomorrow. I must, the book seems cursed to never be reviewed. But I digress. I want to take today to address where things are at with writing.

If you recall, about a month ago now, I recruited a few people to help me revise and improve the ending to this arc of the Little Alice story. During that time I had my hiatus and disconnected from them. I’m sorry. I am regrouping and preparing to hook back up with them. I need to get my thoughts and notes lined up over the next few nights and hunker down on the script. It is all established as an internet group and I’ll be responding by the end of the weekend.

My goal right now is to get everything regrouped by Friday evening, and head up the script this weekend. It should be ample time to make some significant progress. I am hoping to finish the script for this arc entirely by the end of May, leaving only drawing and page posting for this quarter of the Alice epic.

The script has become immensely important to really polishing things as I round them out. If you think about it, I have made changes in leaps and bounds since this story began. In the beginning, I knew very little about where I was going. I was storing all of the information in my mind and had to think about it constantly. I moved through three art styles, as well as loose storyboard and a very loose script. It’s overdue that I tighten it as much as possible. A good script will not only keep me on track, but improve the overall development and dialogue.

By now, I hope you are aware that I am gingerly plotting the next arc. I have consumed as much as I can in effort to move into a new paradigm. On top of that, I am dropping hints frequently on what will be going on in the new story. I hold high hopes for bringing you a completely new experience in a greatly more professional style. Currently, I have no intention of changing the art, aside from minor tweaks and polishes. What you should see as we move forward is a stronger visual story backed by a good script and doodles.

All of this, however, may not be possible unless I prepare a tighter unity in my process early. That is why focusing on my script is so important right now. To reiterate, I apologize to my readers and editors, I will be on the writing horse very soon.

Finally, writers, improve my brain! Tell me, what are some of your best scripting techniques?

Ever,
Dylan

Last week we had a doozie. The week started bright and warm, the winter seemed far behind us. That was until Monday evening. The pleasant spring weather was dashed overnight, as if stolen by some seasonally twisted Grinch. Rain began to fall as the temperature dropped and ice began to grow around the life forms and structures outside. The coating grew thicker as the Tuesday progressed on.

From building I work within, I could watch the gray sky open and dump sleet and rain throughout the afternoon. I watched as my narrow window grew ever smaller as the ice coated it, hungrily seeking to eat the warmth. The interior was safe, for me at least, but residents were rapidly losing power. Work stood steadfast.

The evening developed into many without energy. My home remained lit, with intermittent flickering that were sure to drive us mad, if not leave us cold and dark. The time between appeared safe and, much like Poltergeist, the flickers were reliable and often traveled in pairs.  My housemates and I roused ourselves to keep our minds off the storm and the electricity. Night fell, with guests seeking refuge and sleep seeming impossible.

Wednesday crept up on us without warning, and the cabin fever began to set in. We were land locked, but still operational. No one could escape to their lives, but we made the best of it. We huddled in the apartment, wrapped in a thick layer of ice, now being compounded and compacted by the ever falling snow. Our powerless refugees, thankful for the food and warmth, shared our interest in escaping eventually, and kept ourselves busy.

Outdoors, again, the city was scrambling like mad ants, trying to recover from the unstable road conditions and the mangled falling trees. The weather was a sickness that crept over the foliage and decimated it. It tore limbs free and slaughtered the innocent giants that reached toward the heavens. The cold bore death down on the city.

With the onset of another evening, the cold world hardened. The city made haste and the trapped guests could make their ways back to their newly lit homes. Plows scraped and sirens blared in the distance, dancing in the circle of warning and caution lights. Rest was fast and the night escaped with it. Time seemed to slip away in this second winter.

As Thursday arrived travel was permitted, but things were still treacherous. Schools were closed and jobs were delayed. People jittered like insects struggling to warm up and thrive. Everything seemed dead; the world was covered in the remains of mangled trees and their snowy shrouds. Thank goodness we made it through with power and good company. The only unfortunate affair was that I missed my blogging, I missed my website. Things were in disarray and needed recovery.

Even now the world is still repairing, but I am here, ready to write.

Ever,
Dylan

Well, we had what many in the Midwest are calling “Icepocalypse”. It cut off a lot power in the city and changed some of the plans around here. At this point it almost feels like I’ll never be able to review Angel & Faith. Anyhow, we survived. I’ll tell you more tomorrow, now for the forecast.

Tuesday: Icepocalypse
Wednesday: Reconnecting with the team
Thursday: Angel & Faith Volume II
Friday: Where things are at

Ever,
Dylan

Tuesday morning, I wonder what’s driving me today? What’s driving you? When things aren’t right, or the way that they should be, it can be hard to find something inspiring. If you’ve been following this blog you know that I have been a big believer in planting faith in something inspiring and follow all of its leads until they’re absolutely exhausted. That’s why I can dwell so long on something like Buffy. It’s why I can watch something ten million times and not be tired of it. Lately, I’ve been in a muse-free desert that threatens to change things for the worst, but I am fighting against that feeling. I’m sure if you’ve attempted to tackle something creative, you know the feeling.

How can we face it? Is there a way to fight the dwindling and forge forward? Yes. Luckily, the answer is yes. The best solution I have ever found is to make yourself do it. When things are hard, they are probably worth doing. We grow that way. It’s something I wish I grasped better honestly. When you’re feeling dried up, know that you are a wellspring of creativity and you can only refresh yourself by using it. Make, and keep making. If you hate it, keep making it. Something, anything, for the sake of forward. It hurts and it sucks, but it’s progress. The distractions in life can take the backseat more often than we let them. My recent hiatus has been good in the regard that I have escaped some of my vices, like the internet, even if only temporarily.

There’s one good thing that I know can come from this. I’m going to tell you exactly what it is. Inspiration. You might fight through something nasty, some hideous dry spell, only to come out on the other side inspired by yourself. New work, new perspectives, new beliefs, they’re all there if you make it through it. How do I know? Because out of the countless hard things I have to do, I have actually faced some of them. When I do, it’s rewarding. Inspiration can happen when you’re motionless, but you’ll never change the world sitting still.

I don’t have a giant following of dedicated fans. That can make things harder with whatever you’re doing. Support is something we all need. Another thing that I find helps is the fragment of sanity one must sacrifice to weave a story. Maybe it’s because I have an overactive imagination, but sometimes my characters can support me just as well as any reader or significant figure in my life can. I have to make this happen to give them resolve. Alice deserves to see the end of the road some day. You can do it too, and allow whatever it is you’re working on see the light of completion.

Finally, ask for support. If you have someone in your life that can encourage you when you have no drive left, then you ought to be able to rely on them. I’ve got a couple, actually. First there’s Brett. Sometimes he must take after the common parrot, because he is pretty damn good at telling me over and over to work on the comic/website. It’s annoying, but I need it, and he knows it. Second, there’s Carrie. She does it differently. She loves me enough to let me work when she knows it’s important. If I share it with her, she puts in the time to make me feel stronger about it. Find people like that and hold on to them, and thank them. Thanks you guys.

So, before we go. You’ve seen my advice on getting re-inspired, what do you have to get yourself through?

Ever,
Dylan

So let’s hypothesize that you have read yesterday’s blog. If this is true, then you know that it can be hard to clutch onto inspiration. But, we also learned that we can get it back in various ways. On top of that, when we finally get that inspiration back, we can get back to work on what really matters. For me that’s Alice. But how do we keep from falling into these periods of difficulty and non-creativity? It’s tough, I obviously go through quite a few. The good news is that there are some things we can do to stay on top of our passions.

First, stop doing stupid things. Seriously. If there is something stupid that you’re up to just stop it, and you’ll have time to get right back where you need to be.

Second, practice. I have constantly talked about keeping a sketchbook. It’s important to keep something with you that can keep you going. Perhaps it’s a sketchbook, or something like an mp3 player that can keep your mind in the right location. We all have something helpful in that regard and you need to keep it going. It’s easier than having to get back up all the time.

So let’s say that you’ve got a sketchbook, carrying it around is big fun, isn’t it? Draw in it. You need to keep it going. These muscles are exactly like the physical kind you work in the gym. Keep them going and you’ll stay in shape. Keep your mind where you want it, and work for it as frequently as possible. Write and scribble and doodle as much as you can. You’ll find it gets easier as time goes by and you’ll be surrounded more by the things you’re pursuing, than the things pursuing you.

Now that you’re working on something as frequently as possible, you’ll notice that working on the real project is a lot easier. It flows better and you feel much less clouded, I guarantee it. This is the exercise required to really make things happen, we’ve got to make it a habit.

So now I ask you. What’s your routine? How are you keeping on top of things?

Ever,
Dylan

Hello, I hope you are all well. I hope you are still here with me. For the last three weeks I just fell straight off the face of the Earth. It’s hard to explain, but you deserve some sort of an explanation. I did not have any intention of scurrying away the way that I have, but I was up to some stupid things. I turned my whole world into chaos with my colossal stupidity. Unfortunately, Alice had to take back burner. Hell, it seemed like she wasn’t on the range at all. I have some things I need to work on, and they have been the most important to me, but I am regaining time to spend with you again. I need to, for the sake of development. Hopefully this unannounced hiatus can be over looked while I get back to what’s important around here.

So here’s what’s up: I magically disappeared from my small group of helpful editors and I need to get back on track with them. Writing is very important at this stage since I need to figure out how to round this story off. Also, I will be trying to get back on track with the daily blog posts, they are highly important to keep my momentum going. At this point I could really use some support in getting back in the saddle. Finally, I cannot guarantee you a page for at least two weeks, I will keep you updated on that as frequently as possible.

To really make this feel like a Monday, here’s your forecast:

Tuesday: Finding Inspiration When There Isn’t
Wednesday: Flexing the Creative Muscles
Thursday: Angel & Faith Volume II
Friday: Where we are

Ever,
Dylan

Page 61 has arrived! What troubles will befall Alice now that she has heard this scream? Is there ice cream down that corridor?

Ever,
Dylan