fountainpen vs pigment liners

Got to thinking about the inking the other day. Most proper manga artists ink with fountain pen and one or two different nibs. And of course everything a Japanese do I have to do as well, so for years I fought the never ending (epic) battle to master this tool. Not very successfully.

Why is it so hard? Why is it that I, who have seen in real life how it's done at the studio in Japan (burn nib w lighter, dip in ink, ink with whole arm; don't move the wrist too much, instead rotate the paper) still can't do it right. It's very frustrating when you know just how you want your pictures inked, but it _does not happen_ the way you want it too!

So instead as of late (last year or so) I've decided to go for result rather than practice and befriended the pigment liners - or what do you call them? markers? You know those with different size filt tips ranging from 0.05-0.8 or whatnot.

Note result: 

Fountain pen w Japanese nibs

Pigment liner size 0.3

Is there a difference? Is it all in my head? My feeling is that fountain pen lines are more shaky, more clumsy and less refined, while if I use liners, I have a lot more control and "sketch" out the lines. The frustration would be that it takes a lot longer and put a lot of strain on the arm/hand as you have to go over each line several times.

A friend once told me this inking technique is a very shojo approach. I think that might be bs (sorry) though I have no substance for that claim.

Then again my sensei at the studio also told me that any material and tool is fine to use when you draw manga - be it toilet paper if that works for you - as long as the result looks ok.

But it's interesting. 

And maybe one day... one day when the world is brighter, I will master those nibs!

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He he

When in Denmark do as the Danes - eat turtle ice cream.

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Komiks DK - the report

Another festival over, and a really good one at that!

This is my first time as a guest at Komiks dk and it was a lot of fun. Mostly I was impressed by how well they took care of their invited artists and made us feel right at home. Overall with my traveling I don't get to go to a lot of comic events, or at least not as many as I'd like, so quite nice.

Saturday at the festival! It was held at Oksnehallen, very nice high ceiling space but, as conventions go, none the less the oxygen seemed to, well, diminish and so entering from the outside was like hitting an invisible wall of... less air. As it should be!

Seriefrämjandets (Society for promotion of comics in Sweden? ugh. How would you translate that?) and C'est bon was there. All in all everyone was.

It's R2D2 and mesmerized kids! By far my favorite when it comes to spotted merchandise! (R2D2 nor the kids). And it could project images too! Look!

I wants it!! Even more than the DKR 300-something giant plastic gloomys i saw... (I used to have one of those, too...)

Female Asterix! Only in Denmark? I think I'm in love!

Despite my book being in Swedish the Danish comic store Fantask sold it at the fair, which made me very glad. A little embarrassing when I, of course forgetting to check they charged for it, sold it for half price at my first signing until they politely pointed it out to me. So sorry about that!! -_-; Danish currency vs Swedish currency = not the same...

Book signing table, artist perspective! Note the lack of people in front of it! But then again my book is in Swedish. Did I mention that? A lot? Oh.

Oh. And I didn't attend the dinner at Saturday night, which was a shame. Bad artist. Bad.

Panel debate on Sunday with none other than insanely talented Anike Hage (Gothic Sports published by Tokyopop) and Joachim Kaps editor at Tokyopop Germany: "Can manga be from Europe?" Since the answer would be a simple "Yes" we mostly talked about other things. Such as wether you should draw your comics backwards or not, and how to sell in your manga to a huge publisher. 

Second book signing right next to Chris Ware I think - uh, how should I put it - a little more famous than me, but none the less some dedicated enthusiasts showed up. Including two sweet kids that wanted Tam pictures. Those books are going really well, I think!

Mandatory t-shirt signing! ^^


Thus, last day. Enter the light alas, upgrade to level 2! After meeting a lot of artists and publishers I hope to have some exciting news for you soon, but for now, back to drawing!

zzz...

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The real Comic Art School

This week I've been guest teacher at the Comic Art School in Malmö (Serieskolan i Malmö).

Very nostalgic.

Please enter.

Since I teachings skills are not my most prominent talents they all got a killer-assignement of 20 pages in a week; cooperating together by forming japanese style (hierarchy) comic studios.

But so many talented artists this year! Or as my former teacher Gunnar explained it: "Åsa, if you attempted to get into the first year with the entries you sent us 2003, you would not have been accepted". Well.

Since the school's moving to new facilities this autumn draw-on-the-walls anarchy was ever present.

New classrom will be all well and good, but how can one leave the cafeteria behind?

I will miss it so (or would if. Not that I will be here).

Fika! ^^ (I'm thinking this blog should have a permanent rule newer to show an enty without at least one photo of a cake).

Last years books - the school publishes a selection of the students works at the end of spring term.

My entry was cursed with moiré (what does one call it in English? Evil patterns from hell hunting your screentones?). Die moiré die! From me to you, from my heart.

This is the lovely Fanny M. Bystedt; I'm her second year mentor (one of them - the absent one).

Fanny is one very talented and ambitios drawer and casually sketches 11 pages in a day. (11!!)

Fanny at large! She does draw pretty much anyting she sets her mind to do, but I'm particularly fond of her semi-self biographical manga. Her images and pacing gives the comics an almost hypnotical quality that really draws the reader in; it's quite amazing.

Fannys work decorating her wall! Also got to saw her in the Swedish Comic Sin anthology(www.swedishcomicsin.blogspot.com) and saw her latest fanzine Silver Pearl. Sample pages from her manga along with illustrations and such can be found on http://www.fannymbystedt.se/

That's all for now. Enjoy feet!

Love,

Åsa

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Schedule for Komiks DK 2010

Ok, I've gotten my schedule for Komiks DK! All about the action:

Friday 21/5:

- Prize-giving and Launchparty at Øksnehallen. 19.30-23.00

Saturday 22/5:

- Book signing: 16.30-18.00 at Genki.dk's stand

Sunday 23/5:

- Paneldebate: Can manga be from Europe? (along with Anike Hage and Joachim Kaps) 14.00-15.00

- Book signing 15.30-17.00 (in the big signing area)

Not entirely sure how the book signings are gonna go considering my book is in Swedish and as far as I know not available for purchase in Denmark, but time will tell.
In any case it will be an awesome festival with some very notable international guests!
For more info go to: http://www.komiks.dk

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Recommended manga this week

Finally gotten around to reading -almost all of- the manga Life by Keiko Suenobu after it first caught my eye when serialized in Japan 2006.

Very much recommended! 

It's dark though. And I mean it. Daaaarknesss.....

(Yes it's the second time I write a rather pointless blog entry today. No, I have not gotten much work done.)

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Komiks DK 2010!

Just announcing the (possibly) one comic festival I'll be attending this year is.... *tum tum*

Komiks DK in Copenhagen 22th-23rd of may!

More info about festival programs and such later. In the meantime here is proof:

http://www.komiks.dk/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=5&Itemid=64&lang=en

Happy times...

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