My newest Comic Project
When I decide to begin a new comic I often start by thinking about what I would enjoy drawing. When I asked myself that question in June of 2023, two things came to mind. Pirates and Incas. This raised another question: Why not both?
And so Saqra Picchu was born, a fusion of two subjects that I found visually fascinating. I made sure to write a story that could properly showcase both Inca and Pirate culture. This allowed the book to become a display of what I consider my best artwork ever.
Take a look at the rest of this page to learn more about this comic!
Process
PENCILING: Before I begin the pencilling process, I do a series of small "thumbnail" drawing on copy paper to try to find the layout of the page. Once I've discovered a composition that works, I begin to pencil the artwork on the final page. I start out by drawing loosely with a blue colored pencil. This allows me to find the energy of the page using simplified shapes and lines. Once I've laid a base with the blue lines that I'm pleased with, I begin the final pencils. After lightening up the blue pencils with a kneaded eraser, I use 2B graphite in a lead holder to fine tune what I've drawn in blue. When I have the penciled page in a place that I like, I move on to
INKING: For this comic, I went back to basics and inked every page using a brush and ink. This was not my plan when I started. Originally, I wanted to ink this in a similar way to Boston Guardians: brush pens and fineliners. When I started inking page 1, I had a large area of black to fill in. Rather than use up the ink in one of by brush pens, I decided to try to use a brush and some extra sumi ink I had to fill it in. While I had it out, I decided to ink some of the smaller areas as well. Those areas became smaller and smaller until, before I knew it, I had inked the whole page with a brush and ink. I inked the rest of the page in the same way and I loved doing it as much as I loved the results. I plan on using the same inking method for more projects in the future.
GRAY TONES & LETTERING: Both the gray tones and the lettering for Saqra Picchu were done digitally using Clip Studio Paint. The gray tones were an easy way to add some more dimension to the artwork that, when combined with sleek digital lettering, gave the comic an overall more finished look.
Visit the materials page of this website to learn what specific tools and brands I like to use when making comic books.
2 Page sample
Enjoy this free sample of the final versions of pages 10 and 11 of Saqra Picchu!
CHARACTER DESIGNS
SaQra design 1
Brush Pen and Fineliners on 11"x14" Drawing Paper
SaQra design 2
Brush Pen and Fineliners on 11"x14" Drawing Paper
The main cover of Saqra Picchu.
How to Get a Copy
Right now, physical copies of the book are limited, as I have promised many of them to friends, family, and long time supporters. However, I will be printing more copies in the near future to sell at various comic conventions. Make sure to follow my instagram page and return to this website to stay current on what conventions I will be appearing at, and where else you can score yourself a coveted copy of Saqra Picchu!
In the meantime, I am working on setting up an Amazon Kindle page to sell digital copies of the book. As soon as I have that up and running, there will be links to the page both on this website, and on my instagram. Keep an eye out!