February 8, 2005
The Business End of a Chubby Brush

   First off, let me highly recommend to you art lovers out there, the first issue of God, The Dyslexic Dog with art by that master illustrator from the Philippines, Alex Nino. The story, by the father and son team of Philip Phillipson and Brian Phillipson, involves mythology, religion and Pavlov's canine experiments. Really.

   I don't want to give it away, but trust me when I say, every page is a visual feast worth lengthy study. I look forward to the remaining issues of this four-part story. In a recent interview, the son, Brian explained how he came up with the concept, and his father, who's worked in animation for years, took an interest in telling Brian's story. Philip knew Alex Nino, who's been busy doing movie work, and the result is...a bit confusing, yet quite compelling. We'll see how it turns out, but as a first issue, Nino's art sells the story. My only complaint is the cover logo is near-impossible to read, and could possibly be lost on the shelves because of it. End plug.

   If you've tried inking, you'll know that it takes a while to figure out what tool you're most comfortable using. If you're really versatile, you can use most anything. Sometimes, you stick with one just for speed purposes, and fudge the rest. I'm an ace at fudging. If I'm really pressed, I use my Hunt #104 quill because you can really do tiny details (the folds of clothing on a background character) or whispy strokes that simulate brush feathering.

   In my first professional year, I used brush exclusively, then switched to quill on 1995's Justice League America, with disastrous results (compare JLA #103 to #105 in your textbooks, class, and you'll see), and hadn't revisited the quill until my work on Route 666. I'd done so because on some pages, penciller Karl Moline had heavy-handed pencils with several redraws "ghosting" on the page. Brushwork tends to glide over the graphite, and lift off during erasing, necessitating many time-wasting touch-ups.

   I can get a lot more expression out of a quill than I used to, but I return to brushwork when a job or commission piece calls for it. It's like riding a bike. I'm also using the brush a lot on my videogame art for that animation look.

   Well, last week, my trusty Raphael #1 8404 series brush, veteran of hundreds of pieces of art, started crapping out on me. There's a point in a well-used brush's lifespan that one hair will inevitably fall out, and your point becomes, well, chubby, for lack of a better word. You have to twirl it with extra care to achieve thin-to-thick ink lines. It's not unlike the grace-under-pressure a secret agent has when deciding which wire will deactivate the bomb (red or green?). Days or weeks later, another hair drops out and the point is there again. Every other hair costs you your delicate lines.

   A good inking brush should be able to make a nice point at both ends of your brushstroke. I knew my brush's vital signs were fading, so I was in need of a replacement. I usually like ordering new art supplies through 3-day mail, but many of my previous out-of-state suppliers have stopped carrying my favorite items. Don't get me started on finding good ink! That's a blog of it's own.

   My wife had found an art supply store on one of her journeys to work. I had low expectations, as some stores are poorly stocked and the hired help are usually disinterested art students who're just there for the employee discounts. As it turned out, I was much pleased with this new store, a mom & pop operation. Things didn't begin on such a rapturous note, though. When I first walked in and inquired about Raphael brushes, the store owner said they didn't carry them. However, they had Windsor & Newton Series 7 brushes, which, I was informed in an authoritative tone, were the best brushes in the world.

   I must admit to bristling (get it? bristles?) at being told what the best brushes are, as if I were a novice. Karen noticed me shutting down, stewing in annoyance. I usually pride myself on my patience in retail situations, but it immediately rubbed me the wrong way. In moments like that, there's the temptation to crane my head down, look over the glasses as they balance precariously on the tip of my nose and exclaim:"Do you know what I do for living, kind sir?".

   But instead, I wandered around the store and was not only placated, but delighted to find several items that have eluded me at other stores this past year. I then reasoned that maybe this mom & pop tag-team were simply telling me that the Windsor Newton was the most popular. After some mulling, I decided to get two W-N brushes, a #1 and a #2. I've learned over the years not to be so inflexible in my desires.

   Before leaving this newly-found art store of wonders, I made an extra effort to act like a human being to make up for the obviously dour indignation I expressed when I first entered. I can't believe I went from zero to sixty over some innocent advice on brushes. You never know what will set you off. Hey, brushes are my life, y'know?

   So I've been using the W-N #1 now, and I'm finding it a good fit. I still miss my Raphaels, but I'll soldier through. The only hang-up is that breaking in a brand new brush can be as much of a trial as a beaten-down one, so when pressed on deadlines, it's best to go with the devil you know, the old Raphael. What I end up doing is going over the rough lines with my .000 rapidograph and curves.

   And now a special announcement (special for ME, anyway):

   As of this week, I'm now accepting all inking commissions through an art representative, Tom Fleming, of Fanfare Sports & Entertainment, Inc. The reason for this change is:

   a) Tom gets a LOT of traffic from the art collecting community, and is one of the most honest and well-respected art dealers in the country.
   b) Most of his transactions are through credit cards and PayPal, which would open up a whole new customer base for me.
   c) Tom will add my link to his site, which will create even more traffic for yours truly.

   The new contact information has been added to the top of the commission pages on THIS site. I've gotten some emails asking when the next commissions gallery page will be displayed. Well, wait no more, I have NINE new ones that are displayed on Tom Fleming's site, www.fanfare-se.com . Rags Morales. Gene Colan. Jim Aparo. Dave Ross. Michael Kaluta. Marat Mychaels. Ron Frenz. And two by Adam Hughes.

   If you have questions directed to me, you can still reach me via my regular email addy, www.drewg1@mindspring.com

   Drew sleepy, too tired for hype. Time for bed. zzzzzzzzzzzz...
 
To be continued...
 
All characters & their images are property of their respective copyright holders. All original content (c) Drew Geraci. Please request permission before reprinting or reposting elsewhere.