📌 Zinework and Comics

"Zine and B Zine"

One of the fun things about being a newbie to illustration is that you do, at least, actually SEE progress—the rare (and maybe only) benefit of starting from a position of more enthusiasm than particular skill. But here I am, and I guess the good news is that, for as rough as this still is, I’m definitely seeing improvement since I started doing daily art five weeks ago. In particular, I can see my linework becoming more confident, my composition improving, and getting a bit more exploratory with texture, color, and value.

Last week I did the best comic I’ve managed so far in Jane Porter’s Comics class (an admittedly not-so-high bar), and the best part is that it was also much less laborious, even though I added a lot more detail. The benefit of regular practice, I guess! I really love the addition of graphite watercolor into my art—there is just something very intuitive about it.

Our prompt was the Joan Baez song, "Diamonds and Rust."

Today’s prompt (which we always get the day of) was to create a List Comic, and since next we’re doing a zine, I figured I might as well try my hand at that to get a bit more format practice in. Especially given that I also turned this around in a few hours (which…might horrify some, but for me, fast), I’m relatively pleased—I particularly like the turtles, and the glow on the lightning bug. Plus, it was just plain FUN to make. (This is Side A: “Weird American Things I Missed in Oz”—see Side B: “Weird Aussie Things I Miss in the U.S.” below.)

Here’s a reading of how the thing “works” (though just Side A), if you are so inclined. Of course, now that the second side is done, too, I just flip the paper over and refold it, to make the “new” book.

@elaynecrain

Elayne Crain on Instagram: "Today's comics workshop prompt was …

Your “zine and be zine” friend,

Elayne

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