BLOTTING PAPER The Comic: Production Report No.21

Art, Blotting Paper, Cats in Comics, Comics, Germania December 2, 2014

This is the second report documenting the production of the fourth issue of my artist book/comic…Blotting Paper: The Recollected Graphical Impressions Of Doctor Comics. The new chapter Beer, Chocolate and Comics…deals with the feline characters recovering from the demise of their patron…and their subsequent travels in Germany to visit the world of European comics.

Double page handprinted spread from Chapter 3–© 2014 Michael Hill.
Double page handprinted spread from my comic Blotting Paper, Chapter 3.
(©2014 Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics).

Continuing the turnaround of events and forward momentum that the above image from Chapter 3 illustrates…my feline leading characters start to get on top of things…taking control of circumstances and their situation and expressing their true character whilst on their travels abroad. Tail wagging. indeed!

Beer label collage character from Blotting Paper comic-© 2014 Michael Hill
Beer label collage character design from my Blotting Paper comic-(©2014 Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics).

I have been exploring the notion of a beer label collage project…derived from Belgian and German bottles, and have come up with this character. I expect others will follow. With the European theme and setting I am also considering including some bilingual content, probably English and German…and there is also an option of doing a combined issue #4-5!

Fish woodcut from way back-© 2002 Michael Hill
Fish woodcut print from way back-(©1998 Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics).
Fish woodcut with pyschedelic sauce from way back-© 2003 Michael Hill
Fish woodcut print covered with pyschedelic sauce from way back.
(©2000 Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics).

The subject of fish and the techniques of woodblock printmaking have returned…and there is some cooking too, of both fish and comics!

The Busch approach to managing a comics collection-now available as a postcard-© 2014 Michael Hill
The Busch approach to managing a comics collection-now available as a postcard.
(©2014 Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics).
Linocut, type, roller and ink dish after a print session. (Photo-© 2014 Michael Hill).
Linocut, type, roller, calligraphy brush and inkbowl after a postcard and comics art printmaking session. (Photo-©2014 Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics).

In addition to collage there were some abstract ink and paint images that serve as backgrounds, settings…or sometimes mere graphic expressions of a characters’ thoughts.

Abstract print image from Blotting Paper comic-© 2014 Michael Hill
Abstract landscape print image from my Blotting Paper comic.
(©2014 Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics).
Abstract print image from Blotting Paper comic-© 2014 Michael Hill
Abstract landscape print image from my Blotting Paper comic.
(©2014 Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics).

The art work also features several words and images made with pen and ink…including some quick-sketch location drawings from previous visits to Hamburg and Hanover and more recently to Berlin.

Dip pen with nibs by Gillot and Muller and ink from Lamy.
Dip pen with nibs by Gillot and Muller and bottled ink from Lamy.
(Photo-©2014 Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics).
Ink and watercolour drawing of Hamburg-© 2007 Michael Hill
Quickly executed ink and watercolour drawing on paper, Hamburg.
(©2007 Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics).
Quick Ink and watercolour drawing of Hannover-© 2007 Michael Hill
Quick ink and watercolour drawing on paper, Hanover.
(©2007 Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics).

On location drawing trips I carry a small leather bag of art tools and sketch books. It carries some smaller leather bags and a tin of colour pencils that fit within the larger bag. (see photo below, taken on the carpet at home, before departure)

Packing my art bag for a location drawing session. (Photo-© 2014 Michael Hill).
Packing my little art bag for a location drawing session…light, compact and easy to carry! (Photo-©2014 Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics).

More visual developments and an update on progress will be posted on this blog in the New Year. As always, I would love to hear any responses to this post…plus any comparable comments about your own experiences of drawing on location.

Cheers for a Happy Comics and Graphic Novel Xmas and New Year…and Seasons Greetings to all comics art fans and followers!…Michael.

(All text, photos and artwork-©2014 Dr. Michael Hill a.k.a. Doctor Comics).

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Co-creator and former Director of the Master of Animation, Master of Design, and Visual Communication Design courses at the University of Technology, Sydney, Dr. Michael Hill has a Master's degree in animation plus a Ph.D. in comics studies, prompting his introduction on ABC Radio as “Doctor Comics”. A member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Comic Art, and former member of the Comics Grid Journal of Comics Scholarship and the Advisory Committee of the Q-Collection Comic Book Preservation Project, he has delivered public lectures on Comics, Anime and Manga and held academic directorships in Interdisciplinary Studies, Animation, Design and Visual Communication. Having retired from academia and completing the donation of his collection of research materials on Australian alternative comics to the National Library of Australia, he is now active in the artistic domain, writing, drawing and printmaking, creating art postcards and prints and his own graphic novel: Blotting Paper: The Recollected Graphical Impressions of Doctor Comics.

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