WFC Network ActionIsMyReward.com   ComicBookClassifieds.com   MidOhioCon.com
| WFC Home | | About | | Columns | | Comics | | Contests | | Freebies | | Links | | News | | Shop |

CREATORS -
Mike Allred | Dan Brereton | Frank Cho | Jan Duursema | James Hudnall | Insight Studios | Tony Isabella | David Mack | Tom Mandrake | Denny O'Neil | John Ostrander | Alvin Schwartz | Jeff Smith
TOPICS -
General Forum (all-ages) | Pop Culture (mature)

Go to World Famous Comics Community Home Page Visit View Askew ProductionsClerks Inaction Figures
Produced by World Famous Comics Sponsored by View Askew Productions
David Mack's Message Board
Moderated by NohTV.com creator Ron Wm McElman.
RELATED LINKS
davidmack.net
WFC's Kabuki Website
Buy David Mack Signed Prints
Buy David Mack Graphic Novels
| View Thread | | Post Response | | Return to Index | | Read Prev Msg | | Read Next Msg |

Re: David, how long does a page take you to make?

Posted By: MACK!
Date: THU, 4/15/04, 2:07 a.m.

In Response To: David, how long does a page take you to make? (smokinghawk)

Well,
I don't have a fixed method for it. Each project and each issue usually developes its own way.

Often i work on several pages at once.

Or when doing one page at a time, it still turns out to be several at once. When doing one page at a time, I try to do the best I can for that page in one day. I do as much as I can figure out for that day.
I know the page isn't 100% done. Maybe 90%, or maybe 50%. But I did as much as I can figure out for it at that time.

Then I set it aside and the next day I just move on to the next page.
Then after having a good percentage of the work done on each and every page, I can see how all the pages fit together.
That is when I know what to do to all the pages to make them work.

This is sort of the most fun part. Because it all comes together, and then I work on all the pages at once. I can spend another two weeks on all the pages at once making them work as a whole and try to tweak to the rhythm of the story. I might change the order of the pages, because one page looks better next to another and has a better effect than my previous plan. or I may move panels around. Or re-write things. Or add panel, or ad different media for contrast at this stage.

And some times I work scene by scene. One scene at a time.

Most of the time for Kabuki, I make rough layouts of each of the pages in the entire issue before I begin doing anything more detailed. I sort of draw it all out, but not in a detailed way. A very crude way just to map it out. That can take a couple days to a couple weeks. It is really when I am figuring out the storytelling style of the issue. The pace and rythm of it. Sor of like writing music.
After that, I go page by page like I said before. I put all of the pages upright on the wall surrounding me as I work. This way, I can come back to some in the morning with a fresh perspective and see what it needs that I couldn't see when I moved on from it to the next one.
And when I have all of the pages mostly done, I come back to them and fit them together. This almost always involves changing the order of the pages, and rewriting the story to accomodate that.
I don't have to do this in black and white, but from the first painted book I did, I've always had to switch the order. The colors add such a different dimension to the story. So while one order worked in the layouts without color, the color adds something else, that I have to switch the pages for maximum contrast and effect. Otherwise, some pages can cancel each other out if the color or mediums are similar and they are facing each other. And likewise, one page can look twice as good if it is next to another one that compliments its colors and media and texture with contrast.

I did the first issue of Echo this way too. But the remaining issues, I did not have time to map it out first. I just went page to page, without mapping out the entire book in layouts first.

Just the first page, the best I could think. Then the next one off of that and so on without seeing how the pages are mapped out. It was a fun change.

When doing Kabuki, I like to have 2 months for each issue to accomodate, the whole thing including lettering, letters collumns and design.

With Echo, I did the first issue in 2 months. But the rest of the issues, I had to do in closer to one month each. Thus the new method. And I didn't have to do all the production work with Echo.

Hope that helps!

: David, as you know I've been enthusiastically buying up
: your originals as mymeager means will allow (and
: please tell Anh how much I appreciate her! She's been
: thoroughly friendly and very helpful). As I look at
: the pictures, most of wich are combinations of collage
: and original work on the same board, I wonder how long
: it takes you to create a page.

: I can certainly see the clever logic of using
: transparencies to create collage images, and they look
: great overlaid on paintbrush strokes and cut paper. I
: think your pencil work is simply astonishing--your
: faces and animals and dynamic poses are amazing.

: Given the detail and the mixed media you use, how do
: youplan out a page in advance, and how long does it
: take you to complete one?

: Thanks again, David!

Password:

Messages In This Thread

| View Thread | | Post Response | | Return to Index | | Read Prev Msg | | Read Next Msg |

Board Host: David Mack / Moderator: / Boardmaster:

David Mack's Message Board © 2004 David Mack and World Famous Comics. World Famous Comics Community © 2004 World Famous Comics and part of the World Famous Comics Network. All rights reserved. All other © and ™ belong to their respective owners.

World Famous Comics Network
| WFC Home | | About | | Columns | | Comics | | Contests | | Freebies | | Links | | News | | Shop |

Action Is My Reward.com
ActionIsMyReward.com
World Famous Comics Community
ComicsCommunity.com
Comic Book Classifieds
ComicBookClassifieds.com
Mid-Ohio-Con
MidOhioCon.com

World Famous Comics Community Directed by Justin
Produced by World Famous Comics
Sponsored by View Askew Productions
World Famous Comics Network
Terms of Use . Privacy Policy . Contact Info