50-shades-of-batman asked: Hello :) I've only recently started reading your webcomic Kingfisher and I just wanted to say, I've thoroughly enjoyed it so far! I absolutely love the style of the characters, also how each characters personalities are so defined and unique. So in all I just love the comic and your talents just tickle me pink! Thanks and regards~
Aww that’s so sweet! I’m really glad you’re enjoying the comic. :D
So I haven’t posted in here in forever, mostly because the only art I’ve been doing is my webcomic. I didn’t want to flood this thing with “HAY GUESS WHAT! I’m still working on my comic!!” but… I just recently finished my 100th page of the Kingfisher, and I’m so happy. This has been the most fulfilling artistic project I’ve ever worked on. I’ve gotten lots of wonderful, unsolicited compliments and feedback from total strangers. I’ve never felt like my art mattered so much until I knew that there were people who had nothing invested in me, who sought out my art and writing and loved it.
Anyhow, this is a collage of some various expressions one character, Jack, had made during the course of 100 comics. I figured out the other day that I’ve spent approximately 1500 hours in the course of 9 months working on this comic. (Slightly more than a full time job.) I pull about 2-3 all nighters a week. I’m so glad I have.
So the link: http://www.borfy.com/Kingfisher/
(Here to read the archive: http://www.borfy.com/Kingfisher/Chapters.html)
I’ve been working on some bonus comics/writing based on a poll I did of my readers, experimenting with incorporating more text into the comic. —and of course everyone wanted it to be sexy, so there you go. :B
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EXPERIMENT CONCLUSION
(above: a facial average I made in about 20 minutes just recently.)
TECHNICAL: To me this project was very successful and fun, and I easily developed techniques for creating image averages. The winning combo - low opacity, overlay setting, masking out the parts you don’t want. Other insights: the less pictures you can get away with using, the less vague and fuzzy the images will end up being. Some features dominate others.
AESTHETIC: I thought overall, the average men looked a lot less interesting and compelling than any individual model. I think they were probably more universally beautiful, but lacked the quirkiness that makes for a balanced, attractive person. They end up looking more like advertisement models: inoffensive. I was also surprised how many models have pale eyes, this is not my preference but seems it is the preference for those that choose models. I was also disappointed that almost all the models were Caucasian, and the averages appear very white and fair. Sadly this is representative of the world of the images we look at, perhaps for a future average I will seek out non-white, or at least slightly more exotic models.
PERSONAL: I found that a year later, I did not use these guides much in my art creation, as I usually want to create characters that look a bit more distinctive than these averages. However I think this has really informed my eye, I am much better able to analyze faces and features. It also may have influenced me in ways I did not realize (see earlier comparison with my painting.) Plus I had lots of fun!
Oh I haven’t announced my new rebloggin’ blog, xrayeyes. Mostly a repository for sexy dudes, I thought it would help keep this Tumblr nice and neat. Check it out! The last bit of my experiment is coming up, I forgot I hadn’t finished already, tee hee…
EDIT: OOOOPS. That Douglas Neitzke post before this was meant for xrayeyes… there was a Douglas here, it’s gone now!
OK one more Ian pic… my digital painting of him… *cry forever*
A tragic anniversary today. :(
(Source: friedenschwert, via fuckyeahgoths)
OMG I just realized…. Average guy vs. Dikdik’s Garden… Whoa.