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Inky Stories - Comic Books by David Marshall

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January 13th, 2012

Plate Ground Comments about this page

Plate Ground

(PG; Drama) A young couple watches an urban sunrise, while their party guests recover.

This was orignally created as a content-free demonstration tool for my Art of the Comic Book class. The tools were (1) using a compass to draw ink circles, (2) 1-point perspective and (3) Ames Lettering Guide lines. Like similar recovery assignments “Go Snow!” and “GrubHub Delivery“, the content had to be built around the form. I also used this page to demonstrate feathering and texture, both of which are probably a little out of control here. The art supplies used to create this story:

  • 10″ x 15″ live area on 14″ x 17″ bristol paper
  • Speedball Super Black India Ink
  • Short-handle round #4 sable brush
  • Ruling pen (borders)
  • Speedball nib #512 (buildings, details)
  • Speedball C6 and B6 (lettering)
  • Ames Lettering Guide (setting 3.5 even-spaced)
  • Adobe Photoshop CS3 (production, color)

Updated with Color

This is the my third consecutive color story of the year, right after “Six-Year-Old Horse Thief” and “The Return“. My struggles are outlined in “Learning to Color Like Jean Giraud“. One thing Giraud mastered was hitting specific times of day in specific locales; hopefully this looks like a Boston sunrise.

– David M!

Talk Back! Most recent of (5)

Content Free Philosophy

Allen Smith | Posted on January 12th, 2012 at 4:45 pm   

Supposedly was meant to be content free, but this one page is a bit philosophical. Nicely drawn and written.

re: Content Free Philosophy

David Marshall | Posted on January 12th, 2012 at 7:33 pm   

Thanks, Allen. Perhaps this one’ll inspire a real story some day.

Sunrise in Manhattan

Tom Orzechowski | Posted on March 18th, 2012 at 10:59 pm   

Sunrise does build, once the sun reaches a certain threshold. I don’t know what that looks like in Boston, but I saw it many times in midtown Manhattan. The dim became warmer and then quickly bright, which was an odd thing to see among the highrises. They looked about the same while the sky changed absolutely. You’re catching the early moments of that here, oh yeah.

re: Sunrise in Manhattan

David Marshall | Posted on March 18th, 2012 at 11:44 pm   

Thanks, Tom. It’s nice knowing all the hard work I’ve put into coloring isn’t wasted. As one of our industry’s best and enduring talents, you’ve seen a lot of comics.

Really

Tony McMillen | Posted on March 27th, 2013 at 11:27 pm   

Really love this one.

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