Here we are again, about to enter the lion's den for round two of CBI3. I made it through by the skin of my teeth(never understood that saying) and hope to impress with another week's work to put me through to subsequent rounds. Am I nervous? No. Anxious? I gave that up years ago. I'm just going with the flow and enjoying the process of getting feedback and constructive crits from industry heavyweights. It's a humbling experience, putting yourself out there to be sauteed, broiled, fried, baked, and all around fricasseed for public consumption. I generally like pushing the envelope no matter what I'm working on, to challenge myself and everyone around me. And this competition is no different. I went for an amalgamated view storytelling wise, between myself and the writer, and for the most part I think that was achieved. I do enjoy collaborating with other artists on a piece in hopes of making the sum of all our parts stronger as a whole, simultaneously doing my best to reach the writer's ultimate vision with a storytelling style that is uniquely my own. Ergo, I like to season the work with a little wow factor(that I pray reaches its intended audience), while keeping true to the essence of the script, not necessarily the imagery suggested. There are many ways to tell a story. Ultimately, as the story's DOP(Director Of Photography), or actor(which every illustrator is for every character), I believe it's my job to set the pacing for the imagery, HOW the acting is delivered(expressions, position), and which camera angles best suit the style of shooting I'm going for. No two directors shoot the same dialogue the same way. Interpretation is the name of the game, although many seem to feel scripts are visual bibles, my experience with writers and directors(including my own experience) couldn't be further from the truth. As artists we need to respect our prospective areas of expertise, and create a vision that's homogeneous and inspiring for all involved. I really enjoy storytelling and have dedicated a lifetime's worth of work to it, being blessed to have worked in more industries than I care to mention, with writers who've inspired me to find new and more creative ways to tell stories. I hope that comes through in the work and that everyone participating on the CBR site enjoys my little contribution from stage to stage. Attached is a link to the site and to the pages I posted in the first round of Comic Book Idol. Please check out my fellow contestants threads, their critiques, and the Play At Home thread to view new up-and-comers like myself. They're all a stupendously talented bunch.
Enjoy!
The work was handed out at noon last Thursday and was completed(for the most part) Friday night with a few touch-ups on Saturday. Scanning and uploading on Sunday. As I'm doing double duty(doing a few pages for a friend's pet project), I'll most likely be cranking out this week's assignmenyt on Saturday night, and through Sunday. Barring the occasional movie premiere, Smallville episode, walk in the park, or current reading(Stephen King's The Cell).
