Thursday, February 10, 2011

Sacco and Tomine's Drawing Process

Via SeeMagazine, graphic novelists Joe Sacco and Adrian Tomine talk about their process:



Joe Sacco:

“Drawing is generally like digging a ditch. I basically know how far I’ll get each day.”

Mr. Sacco completes about 2 pages of art a week.



Adrian Tomine was “constantly fighting against an undercurrent of stiffness” that can be a product of relying too much on photo reference. His new book, SCENES FROM AN IMPENDING MARRIAGE, drawn in a looser style, was originally not intended to see publication.

"It was a welcome reminder that drawing comics could actually be fun. Not just an arduous slog towards a very distant goal.”

The article begs the question (but doesn't answer it) of why Mr. Tomine was drawing comics not intended for publication.

Kenton Smith writes this informative short piece at SeeMagazine.

4 comments:

JM said...

To answer your question about publishing, when you read Tomine's book, you'll learn that the comics were intended to be printed only as a gift to the wedding guests.

Mike Lynch said...

Thanks, John! I was wondering about that. The writer should have noted it in the article.

Brian Fies said...

I really appreciated that piece, brief as it was. An interesting look at process from two guys who know what they're doing.

I was kind of relieved to learn the pace at which they work. When I'm really cooking I can average about a page per day (that's layout, pencil, ink, scan, letter, color, ready to publish) and I thought I was slow. Turns out I'm a regular Barry Allen, although my art is also less detailed than theirs tends to be. I like the ditch-digging comment; that's how it feels, knowing you've done one page and have two hundred to go. It's pretty daunting. But if it were easy, everybody would do it.

Unknown said...

@ Mike,

You're absolutely right, I should have noted that -- and thought I did! Looks like I crossed my own wires and didn't notice: I was both sweating the deadline and simultaneously working up a separate review that explained the project's development. Nargh. Oversights make Hulk smash.