Imitation of Life and Art

Redrawn!
I decided to follow my fellow cartoonist friend Justin's footsteps by taking the Redrawn! challenge. What better comic to redraw that the very one I grew up reading: Jim Davis' Garfield.

Originally published January 5, 2000

My redraw.
Yes, I know I messed up on garfield's belly in the middle panel. 

It's pretty easy to see that Jim Davis' style is not exactly mine, yet in the process I can see what style is my own. The first mistake I made was measuring the panels more vertically, which affected the placement of the word bubbles. Where Davis used an ink brush, I used a pigment pen, to which the this choice reveals the most difference in Garfield's stripes. It's always been Davis' use of the brush that has established the style of those stripes. In his first year of drawing Garfield, Davis used a pen, and Garfield's stripes were just as thin as they are appear in my redraw.

Secondly, Davis is very abstract in his character design (has anyone ever commented on Jon's nose?) while I have developed my style from more realistic sources like anime and Edwardian era comics.

One final significant detail is Davis' ability to keep his drawings consistent enough that they look almost cut and paste. I just cannot stay that consistent, but then, neither did George Herriman.  Oh Well.

City Drawn!

Ever since Matt Groening confirmed his locational inspiration for the Simpson's Springfield, I've been interested in finding my own style in drawing local cities. Next, is a little illustration of Arlington, VA.

Arlington, VA

Pretty decent approximation, ya think?

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