more harvey, a drawing video, and a lynda barry trance
October 18th, 2008 | Uncategorized
I’ve been trying to find a way to show how I write comics in Adobe Illustrator. It’s very hard to explain without actually, um, illustrating what I’m doing. I experimented with videotaping myself working on the computer, but it was really hard to capture anything properly. Then I tried to see if there was some way to do a screen capture video, which I couldn’t do with anything existing on my computer. But a quick google showed me a whole buncha programs that do exactly this handy trick! I bought one called Screenium for 20 bucks, and have been working on a little tutorial that I can show when I go and do public talks.
But check this!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGnA0RjARqg[/youtube]
It just occurred to me that it would also work for capturing live drawing. Remember those scenes in the Looney Tunes cartoons when you’d see the animator’s hand sketching one of the characters? And then, like, the character would grab the pencil or the eraser to fix himself? I always loved that. I just love watching drawing happen. It kind of puts me into a trance, even when I’m the one doing it.
Here I am with Harvey Pekar yesterday afternoon in Charlotte NC, doing a signing at the freaking amazing comics shop Heroes before our evening presentation.
The Charlotte public library brought us in as part of the Novello Festival of Reading that they do every fall. Our event was held in this totally awesome brand new totally green building called the ImaginOn, which houses both the children’s/young adult library and a children’s theatre. It was the most amazing kids library I ever saw. Here’s Michele Gorman, the dynamo librarian who brought me and Harvey in. She’s sitting on a chair made of phone books.
Okay, one more thing. At Heroes I finally got a chance to buy Lynda Barry’s new book What It Is.
I started reading it this morning in the Charlotte airport, and got totally hypnotized. It’s amazing, and impossible to describe, so I won’t even try. But one strand of it is the importance of making marks with pens on paper, as opposed to the computer. I’ve been struggling with my new memoir, bogging down in the writing and not being able to move to the drawing, even though I’ve known for some time I need to do that. So Lynda’s book is a total kick in the ass. Anyway, I got on the plane and I was still reading the book but I looked out the window for a minute as we sat at the gate, and noticed this one-legged pigeon hopping around. She had to go through these strenuous gyrations with each hop to keep her balance, her iridescent neck twisting in the morning sunlight. I finally whipped out my camera to try and capture the strange movement…but just as I did, she took off flying!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMWhJ-CkD3Y[/youtube]
So my little movie just looks like any old pigeon flying away. I put away my camera and went back to the book. I turned to the next page, 45, which began, “Listen to the pigeons.”
What do you think this means?
46 Responses to “more harvey, a drawing video, and a lynda barry trance”
I think perhaps it means you should listen to what you read and make your pigeon-scratchings directly onto the paper, not via a computer. and that perhaps you & Lynda Barry could make some serious magic, with the right, one-legged bird along to inspire you…
oh my goodness, i LOVED listening to the music as i watched her (you?) come into being, and then imagined the singing! what a gift!
I love that book. I’ve bought it twice as a gift for someone else, and now I’ve got to get one to own myself.
I’m trying to think of something encouraging to say that doesn’t come out sounding like “Dance, you little monkey! Dance!”
I suppose I’ll just mention that a Muse is a capricious thing, and should be approached with both eagerness and patience. Much like we, the readers, approach our creators (as opposed to Creators).
In short… Thanks, and looking forward to more.
Listen to the pigeons, and enjoy the synchronicity.
Pigeons on the grass alas / pigeons in the air beware…
or not. Gertrude left these things open.
Nice drawing. 🙂
You also can do it in DrawSWF, a Java drawing program (need Java 5.0 or earlier version). You can export the drawing into a flash file, which can be viewed in any browser.
Or “Pencil” too.
I mentioned these two here and showed a drawing here.
Ahh, the joy and wonder your beautiful pigeon coincidence gives me.
The iridescence of her struggle: pain and beauty; then, once up there, that pigeon’s burden of limitation is as nothing. For the moment, at any rate.
Sometimes I take such delicious synchronicities as sort of mini Tarot-reading gifts that provide a lens on the aspect of being and time that’s brought to mind.
This one reminds me we need not define ourselves by our limitations, and I’ll bet I remember that the next time I listen to the pigeons coo, or maybe glimpse iridescence, even if it’s in some mud-puddle oil slick.
Funny — I’ve never given much thought to pigeons, but in the last few weeks, there’ve been two articles on pigeons in the L.A. Times:
Spiraling birds set man’s life straight
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/sep/12/local/me-roller12
and
Pigeon breeders now face fewer challenges in Iraq
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-birds12-2008oct12,0,4223159.story
Alison, thanks for the flight, and Alex K, thanks for landing me back on fertile earth with a laugh.
Those one-legged birds never fail to bring great lumps to my throat – maybe they don’t have a choice, but they seem so intrepid… how’s that for anthropomorphising?
Last week I went out looking for geese to illustrate a blog post for my birthday where I had nicked AB’s find of the Mary Oliver poem. There were some Canada Geese grazing up by the reservoir, so I was happily snapping away when one turned to show its right side, with a dragging wing and hobbled leg – possibly fox fight, or tangled fishing line. He seemed as indifferent as a bird can be while having 50% of his limbs out of commission, hopping and flopping along. The next fox will probably be the end for him, or perhaps he’ll be in a cooking pot by now.
That’s blog post , try again – this learning html is so unforgiving.
Damn, my technicolour dreamcoat is at the dry cleaners, but I’ll do my best … Without wanting to sound trite, don’t the frantic gyrations just to keep walking really remind creative people of the 99% perspiration art’s meant to be? However, it’s all worth it when you hit that 1% and take off? I think you’ve stumbled across a startling, but very apt metaphor there.
Listen to the pigeons and maybe do some freehand sketches? I remember reading that Charles Schulz used to sit down each morning at his drawing board and just do rough sketches of whatever came into his head and this would kick start his muse.
“What It Is” has been the kick in the pants each time I get lost on my way to finishing my dissertation. There’s something in that book that unlocks the parts of my brain that like to shut down, and out pours creativity and more thoughtful analyses. Think I should go read it again now…
How do you like Adobe Illustrator? Is it user-friendly? I’ve bought a graphics tablet and want to find something suited to cartoon drawing.
Definitely will pick up a copy of What It Is. Sounds like something I’ve needed for a few years. Thanks, Alison!
Pigeons on the roof, aloof.
Lynda Barry is amazing. I’ve been reading the adventures of Marlys and the gang for years. If you are not familiar with her work check her out online.
My cousin adopted a chihuahua with no front legs. Her name was Venus de Milo. She hopped all over the house like a kangaroo and could even jump up on the couch. Like Alison’s pigeon she didn’t know she was missing something and just made the best of things.
Dale: If you’re looking to try out the Illustrator experience, you might try Inkscape first. It’s an open source Illustrator clone, and in my experience tends to be a bit more user-friendly, if less powerful. I do pretty much all of my cartooning work with Wacom+Inkscape. You can download it at http://www.inkscape.org/
“Listen to the pigeons…”
how very cryptic.
I have moments like that very often, atleast once a week. But I think half of the time I am reading into it too much. I dunno.
Hope you enjoyed Charlotte. Did you get to go to the Mint Museum downtown?
Dude! Lynda Barry does writing workshops all over the country now based on What it Is. She’s in LA, Toronto and Portland next. If I weren’t stuck here writing this dissertation I’d be all on it like white on rice.
Here’s the URL to her class from eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160285895735
Page 45 is also a rather excellent comics shop in Nottingham.
Speaking of Rachel Maddow, there was a profile of her in the NYT Magazine on Sunday, one of those things where they rootle through somebody’s belongings and ask them what’s in their fridge and such. She says that she keeps a pile of comics and graphic novels by her bedside to read before sleep. Oh! ..
“Dance, you little monkey! Dance!”
Oh Alison, please forgive me but that made me laugh.
I enjoyed that little animation. It reminded me of Gene London. I loved him! Anyone else remember him? or the Golden Fleece? Quigley Mansion?
Synchronicity or serendipity. Been thinking about both alot lately.
gonna go order Lynda’s book right now, too! just in case I lose my muse and need some inspiration… now that we know her book is so magical.
psst…. ssshhh… please don’t mention this to Sarah Palin. I don’t want the witch hunter’s to come after our favorite graphic artists. We all know that what bubbles up in their brains, flows out of their fingers and onto the page can touch our souls and that’s gotta be magic.
Alison,
I just want to say that I was at the lecture on Friday night and it was wonderful! My mom (a middle-school art teacher) and I thought that it was fascinating to see your creative process – the screen-capture video was too cool. It really gave us a little peek into how you create your art. It seemed like the lecture flew by – and I could have listened to you talk about your talent and process all night!
I especially loved the drawing that you did off of Harvey’s sketch. It was really interesting to see his process, and then how you put your talent into it and created something wonderful.
Thanks again for an amazing evening! You have two newly energized fans!
Wow, I do believe there could be a message for you to have read “listen to the pigeons” after seeing one hopping about. I’m always amazed at the determination that one-legged creatures show. For them, even the most simple things are more of a struggle than for their two-legged counterparts. They don’t stop and cry about what they don’t have. They seem to rejoice in what they do have and they survive and in some cases, they even thrive. Have their been times in your life when you felt like a one-legged bird, but managed to survive and thrive? I think the message is to keep doing what you’re doing in your own unique way. Keep it up. Fun Home was amazing. Your next graphic novel will be equally as amazing.
i think it means the universe is listening. not to sound like a hippie or anything.
oh, and i think it means that lynda barry is amazing! but you knew that already, i’m sure.
Hi Alison! It was great meeting you, although I was mortified to suddenly find myself showing you my sketchbook at the ImaginOn. Fortunately you were very kind, which was very edifying. We had a great time hosting you and Harvey at Heroes–come back anytime! And remember to read the Barry prologue to the new Best American Comics book–it’s done in that same “What It Is” style, but is all about finding comics anthologies as a little girl, etc. So good.
I love Lynda Barry!
Saith Charles Schultz:
Pigeons in the grass, alas.
Beagle on the roof, aloof.
Jana C.H.
Seattle
Off-topic here, but related to a thread quite a few posts ago: isn’t it great to see all the good press that the Rachel Maddow show is getting? She rocks.
I totally agree about Ms. Maddow! There was a great article about her in NYT and which Dorothy Snarker covers on her very cool blog. (If you’ve never checked her blog, it’s just a wonderful, wonderful feast for the eyes of gorgeous women! Google it now! Work can wait!) I can’t wait till my partner and I get cable (due to the upcoming digital changeover) so I can watch Maddow’s show. I know, huge fan even before I’ve seen more than a few clips….
Lynda Barry will be glad to know sales of her book have risen since recommended on here lol. I’ve just ordered a copy myself, though sadly I had to resort to medusa.co.uk to get a second-hand copy in Blighty.
Hey, is that cute Michele Gorman a dyke? Very cute and I just love a dark haired librarian with red boots. I mean, it doesn’t really get any better than that.
Awesome screen capture of you drawing Alison. I love that “magic-drawing board” technique. Screenium rocks!
That is one of the apps I could have listed as being able to “capture a capture” of what is being played/displayed simultaneously on your Mac. You will find lots of fun things to do with that application. Anything you see on your desktop can get Movie-ized.
Nice soundtrack, but does it also capture your microphone so you could talk during your drawing? That is how I make training podcasts of folks demo’ing software techniques. They talk and show examples in software, and I capture using something called “iShowU” (also $20) then edit/compress/deliver as training movies online.
Have fun and show more!
http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/a_woman_after_my_own_heart
Dan Savage has also been charmed by Rachel Maddow, but it’s because she has no love for shopping. That’s another thing! I hate to shop too, Rachel!
Well… some shopping is SO easy and SO delightful you just can’t diss it! for example.. I just went and ordered Juicy Mother, Juicy Mother 2, What It Is, and State by State from Powell’s online… just like that! Whew… that was fun. Okay, better go get some rest so I can work tomorrow to pay that bill… it’s always okay to spend money on books… that’s my motto!
Hmmm, so Rachel Maddow identifies somewhat with Ron Paul… Um, OK. Nonetheless, she is SO definitely reading AB’s work! Alison, you should give her a shout-out (just cuz you already did so on the blog)! Two amazingly cool women agitators in the same place. It doesn’t get any better than that (um, except, yeah, Michele Gorman is way cute 🙂 )
Rachel: Thanks for the link! Gonna try it out tonight!
As someone who can’t do the first thing in Illustrator (never mind the second) I am impressed. Is there a pencil tool? Do you have a stylus? How do you control the weight and color of the line? I prefer to stick to pencils for my own work, but I’d like to know.
Loved the drawing video. Ah,the wonders of technology…
we loved you and harvey’s talks and thank you SOOOO much for signing our books. we just got the collection in the mail and are going to re-read everything 😀
you should seriously think about coming to the heroes convention next june!
This animation is awesome … does it mean you have taking up singing in choruses? Cool. Handel rocks.
I’m looking forward to seeing the tutorial you plan to put together and show at book signings and so forth.
Which reminds me: Are you going to come to NYC and Oscar Wilde to celebrate the release of the Essential DTWOF? I truly, truly hope so. The folks at Oscar Wilde are so wonderful; I simply signed up to have a copy of the book put aside for me upon its release, and they actually CALLED me on the TELEPHONE and let me know the book had come in! Awesomes! So personal! Very much not the Bunns and Noodle approach. This must be what Madwimmin was like back in the day (except that Oscar Wilde probably has a lot more gay male porno). (And Madwimmin was/is/always has been fictional, strange though that seems.)
“Essential” is beautiful; your Adrienne Rich story made me cry, because what greater gift can an established artist give a new one than a precise critique, followed by the acknowledgment that art is hard and a long thing to learn, followed by the exhortation to keep at it? And the payoff is even better, but I’m not going to be a spoiler …
Hope you are well and happy, enjoying your work on the new book. I hope to see you around NYC again … sometime!
🙂
Oh, okay (she says, having checked the Appearances list), that would be November 17 in NYC, but at Barnes and Noble … It’s a Monday, so I can go. Yay. And I wish I could follow you up to New Words in Cambridge the next day, because that’s where I bought my first umpteen DTWOF books, back when it was pretty much a bookstore. I recommend you go across the street to the S&S Deli afterward for some Massachusetts-style New York deli food …
Happy Trails!
Mothra again
Lynda Barry will be in Olympia at The Evergreen State College (her alma mater and mine!) on November 5th! I’m excited, I’m going to be working at the bookselling table there.
I enjoyed the video of the drawing a lot! As an occasional draw-er myself (as opposed to a drawer, found in a desk or bureau), I saw the “logic” in starting with the back of the head. I was intrigued that the first shape, though, is the ear (which could be put after the rest of the head was outlined.) I’d love to see a screen capture of a much more complicated image, like one that contained several characters, or even one of those great big landscapes you sometimes create. Thanks for the insight into your process, AB!
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