Week 9

ASSIGNMENT
Print out the images that we already have for the comic. Attend a critique in which our fellow colleagues would look at our "rough draft" of our comics.

CRAFT
I DREW THEM!!! HAND-DRAWN!!! Then I scanned them and put them on my USB. Then I printed them out...





COMPOSITION
The people who looked at my comic understood it well, even the "flashback" and "flashforward." I did my story this way because I wanted the reader to go back in time and see all the crap that the main character had to go through that led up to the point where the story actually started. The only thing that they did not completely understand was the empty wallet picture, which represented the character not having any money. I'm going to remove that picture from the comic because I was told that the cell phone picture of her not having any battery or signal would be enough to get my point across.



CONCEPT
I wrote my story the way I did because it takes the reader through the journey of the main character. All of the negative things throughout the story lead up to the dramatic ending.

Week 8

Assignment

Write a story that will be converted into a comic strip. Bring in pictures to begin using for the comic strip that you will create. They can be photographed or drawn. Drawn pictures must be hand-colored using Photoshop.

Concept

My concept was to try and get across every aspect of the story using as less words as possible. This means that the pictures being used should be very detailed. I ended up using one very short line in the last cell of my comic. The pictures that I drew are HIGHLY detailed, and I feel that they get the point across just fine!

Composition

I used bright colors for my first cell picture because I want my comic to not only catch, but also keep the reader's attention throughout the storyline. The bright colors also make the pictures pop more.

Craft

I used Photoshop to color in my pictures. The paint bucket, eraser, and paintbrush were my BFFs in doing this. The zoom function was also another close friend of mine. It helped to erase those details that I might have missed, and also to fill in little spaces that were IMPOSSIBLE to fill in when the picture fit the screen. The use of numerous layers (a different one for every color) helped to make coloring and erasing a lot easier than it would have been if I were just using one layer. Since this was my first time using the coloring function on Photoshop, my draft is a little rough, but it can be fixed!!!

Week 7

PERSON 1: (Walking angrily down the street block towards the brown two-flat near the corner. A box is being carried) This wind is blowing a little bit too hard for my taste. It would be so freaking nice out here if the wind wasn't blowing eight gazillion miles per hour. It's bad enough this box weighs a ton. She'd better be happy I like her because I wouldn't be going through all this crap if I didn't.

FLASHBACK

Car driving on expressway.

PERSON 1: (In car, looking at gas meter) Oh my gosh, I'm about to run out of gas! GRRR!!!

Car is pulled over to shoulder and slows down to a complete stop.

PERSON 1: CRAP! (Tries to start car, but it will not run) UGH! Now I'll just call a stupid taxi. (Looks in purse for cell phone and money. Finds cell phone, but has no money in wallet) Oh great. No money. (Attempts to make call on phone but hears nothing) And the phone is dead. GREAT! I knew I should've charged it at home! (Stands on the shoulder for a minute thinking of what to do. After coming up with nothing, she sighs heavily, gets the box out of the trunk, and begins to walk) I can't believe this. Her house is a 10 minute drive from here, so I can only IMAGINE how long this walk is going to be.

After walking for about 15 minutes, she turns a corner onto the block that PERSON 2 stays on. A child's skateboard is left in the middle of the sidewalk, and she trips on it, nearly falling onto the ground. Her shirt catches onto the gate of a house and rips. She stumbles backwards and the heel of her shoe breaks off.

PERSON 1: WHY ME?!?!?

FLASHFORWARD

PERSON 1: (Limping to the front door of the building) I hate my life. (Rings doorbell. Door swings open, and PERSON 2 stands there smiling. PERSON 1 carelessly hands the package over to PERSON 2) Here!

PERSON 2: (Grabs box excitedly) Aww, for me? You shouldn't have! (Invites PERSON 1 inside and sits box on the living room floor to open it. Pulls out a framed and hand-painted portrait of three people; PERSON 2 hugging a younger girl, and a man standing next to them smiling) This is so nice! I've been looking for a painting to hang over the mantle! Thank you SO much, hun! (Reaches out to hug a PERSON 1, who reluctantly hugs back)

PERSON 1: Yeah, well... You're welcome. I found an old picture of us before dad died and decided to paint it. It took me about 3 weeks to complete it, 21 days of late nights staying up mixing pigments, a car with an empty tank, a broken heel on my shoe, a ripped shirt... But I GUESS it was worth it. Haven't seen you smile in years since dad died. Happy birthday, mom. (Smiles and reaches out to hug PERSON 2)

CONCEPT

This was a story for my next project, which will be a comic strip. PERSON 1 is going through all this hell to get this heavy painting to PERSON 2, who is her mother. PERSON 1 is trying to make PERSON 2 smile since she hasn't seen a smile in so long, and this is why she's doing what she's doing. In the beginning, she's a little pissed about all the mess that she's going through to get this package to her mother, but in the end, she realizes that it was all worth it just to see her mom smile.