Categories: uncategorized
Date: 01 November 2005 10:08:44
I'm a doodler more than an artist. I quickly sketch dozens of images, for use or for fun, as I go through any week, sometimes when I should be writing, sometimes because the plans require it...
Oh yes. The plan. Have I spoken about the five year plan at all? Basically I was going through a prayer sesh trying to work out where I was and where I'm at and the projects I'd love to do and the ones I feel less of an immediate attachment to. That's not to say that I not enjoying what I'm doing at the moment, although some days I do feel brain meltingly busy and unable to prioritise, like a rabbit caught between a dozen sets of headlights all bearing down on my furry noggin. Other days it's like I'm looking out on a long road and I can see signposts in front all showing a progression. There are projects I'd love to work on, and into, but the time isn't right, so I leave them to my sketchpad and occasionally play with the details and hope and pray that one day they see some sort of completion.
Computer games, for example, are a long held love of mine. Not the playing of them, just the design, implementation and execution. I have three games in mind, each of a varying level of complexity and each with a story to tell. Each could be accepted and enjoyed by Christians, each is more mainstream than that basis would suggest. One is somewhat violent in places, neither without consequence (one of my main bugbears about computer games) nor without reason. It also has the most dramatic encapsulation of faith in a narrative that I've created I think. Needs work of course, but the characters and the twists, the story and the resolution are things that one day I hope I can share with an audience. Most of all I want to see the main character come to life and take part in the story he's placed in.... Much like Mushy from the Dr Sylver books ( :) ) he's a flawed character, but has reasons for his anger. He's strong, powerful, haunted and hurt... That's not the first computer game I think I'd want to do though, it's the second. At least ten years ago I planned and plotted out a puzzle game which still has elements that have yet to be emulated... I know I know, every game designer says that he's created the perfect puzzle game and, unless you're Alexie Tetrisguy (Pajinov?), every designer is fibbing. However the puzzle game I want to make is something that I think would create a lot of fun and I'd dearly love to be able to play it outside my mind rather than inside it.
That said the market for computer games is sporadic and for the moment it seems the best course to carry on outside of it rather than in it, but I do miss being inside the games scene. So anyhow, that's on the plan, just a while away.
More immediately I'm deep into last draft territory of Sylver 2, into the planning of Sylver 3, working on the first draft of a more mainstream title with a very nice twist/premise, still trying to get the graphic novel through the development chaos that it seems to have become entangled in, working as a youth arts worker + volunteer youthworker, learning BSL level 1, doing a GNVQ level 2 youthwork course and a few other bits and bobs. May end up being a ten year plan methinks.
And writing small posts on blogs that turn into rambling epics. Sigh. Good way to treat a free morning.
Which sort of brings me to the point of the post. I'm a doodler.... :) I'll sketch out twenty or so images a week for varying reasons but sometimes, one in every 500 or so, one image will just nail everything I want to be doing. Image, execution and message all in one fell swoop and I've just worked on one of those. Not showing it just yet because it strikes me that it could be useful for a specific Summer meetup if they'd like to use it or something like that so I'm going to start touting it around as an image, but for a while I'd forgotten what it felt like to just create something for the sheer thrill of seeing it come out not just exactly as hoped for but more than I could ever have wished for. Actually, if I'm honest, I'm still working on it as a colour image, the black and white version being finished, but just looking at it on the screen.... For once I'd look at it and say I'm an artist, rather than a professional scribbler. Funnily enough, ironically enough, the last time I had that with a picture was for the never (well, not so far anyway) used adult cover of Dr Sylver and the Library of Everything. The story behind that some day I may tell... Anyhow, suffice it to say that that was over a year ago and so I'm more than glad that feeling came around again.
Incidentally I have four pages in the upcoming issue of Porpoise comic. Issue 2 will be on shelves sometime around mid November I'm given to understand and, being a small print run thing for the moment, I believe it should go into the 'buy now, instant collectors item, even with Kercal's random stuff in' list. Please do run, straight away, to the Christian book seller of your choice and put your name down on the pre-order lists :) My stuff is the first print resolution collection of the OneHundredHours comic I did a couple of years ago (and boy, wasn't that fun trying to find all of the original images and, yes, I know that Tre's hair has changed in the meantime and the bassist is not Jono no more...) The other page is something that I sketched out in a moment of introspection. Shall probably post them up here one day, but for the moment their purpose is to be in Porpoise ish 2. Available soon ish :) It may be that the graphic novel project gets an airing there someday, but again, that's a long way away....
Currently listening to: Adelaide: Over tired and ill prepared. Love it to peices, check out my review on Cross Rhythms.co.uk if you don't believe me :_) Currently playing: Mario 64 DS mini games. They fit my hectic lifestyle :) Dr Sylver chapter title of the week...: Chapter 26: Ordinary Beautiful.