Happy new year readers of chrisshipton.com. This blog has existed in one form or another since 2006!
Here is a pic I am working on after the humiliation of my threadless submission. It features a Balrog and a horde of Orcs meating out retribution to the web hipsters.
The festive period has prevented any serious drawing, as it does every year. A relentless round of bozze, food and hangovers. But now its over its back to the drawing board.. at last!
The process of drawing an Orc-tober Orc is relativley simple.
After doing some research (which typically consists of watching LOTR for the 100th time, reading the books, scanning my guide to Middle Earth or playing WoW for a bit) I am ready to plan a drawing. Typically I have at least two Moleskine sketchbooks on me at any time. Here I draw the Orcs in pencil or sometimes biro. I prefer pencil and think the end result is usually better, but sometimes a biro is the only thing around. These are relatively rough and ready drawings that can be processes and inked or redrawn in more detail on larger paper using quality pencils. The great Goblin was done in pencils on A3 paper, whereas the Orcs from the 21st were inked from a biro sketch in a moleskine.
Following the routines of a comic book inker I then take a print of the pencil drawing an ink it. The first Orc-tober Orc was hastily inked using my preferred pen the Pilot Sign Pen, so I have to keep using it to maintain consistancy (I am now on my 5th pen this month). I have started to buy them bulk as they cost £3.30 a pop in an art shop. The two Balrog pictures of Orc-tober were made in a large format using a proper ink dip pen. But my nibs are old and knackered and I have to wait for it to dry before scanning. When you are drawing 31 Orcs in 31 days time is not a luxury! Yet drawing an Orc a day is a great way to keep your hand in drawing wise and I’d reccomend it to anyone. It’s also led me to non-orc related research such as reading Burne Hogarth.
I scan the ink drawing in and then colour it using the computer. I lift the black lines of the ink drawing out of the file so colouring takes place underneath them on a single layer – I can see the lines yet colour underneath them so they aren’t obliterated. I won’t go into the specifics of comics colouring in this post. I have been building an Orc-pallette throughout Orc-tober. Originally I had planned to do highly derivative work based on Warhammer, Lord of the Rings Films and World of Warcraft. But as Orc-tober has progressed I have become more interested in making my own Orcs. Basically what I would have done had I got a call from Bakshi, Jackson or Blizzard (listed in order of preference). So my work is only medium derivative..
I could spend all day colouring the Orc but the demands of doing a 9-5 job AND trying to do an Orc a day mean time is limited. I re-introduce the line work to create the finished article.
My Orcs have ended up green and wearing an array of pseudo medieval armour and wielding orc versions of ancient weapons, relying on Orc cliche to an extent.
I feel the Orcs in the Lord of the Rings films and other media come across as stupid cannon fodder. But re-reading Tolkien he invests them with both a moral dimension, intelligence and a sinister dark side, yet they have scope for amusement.
Questions abound over Orc origins as well an exactly how evil they are. I like them as they are horrible and disgusting, ridiculous and over the top and a great counter point to the slightly pious sword wielding heroes and wizards you tend to get in fantasy land.
Check out my Moleskine drawings from a recent holiday. I did them whilst lounging next to the pool, observing my fellow countrymen slowly sizzling in the sun.
I have been keeping my moleskine going whilst enjoying frantic bouts of web designing, teaching and drawing chuck Norris. I was considering doing a small press comic about Sly and the Family Stones Baboon and Pitbull. Perhaps they could become a crime fighting duo..
These pix were done in a light paper blank reporters Moleskine using pilot pens and Magic Markers.
Masterchef is back on. I am fascinated by the gurning pudding chomping greg. Here are some Moleskine studies.
I have been pretty busy recently so have kept to the sketchbook. I have been practising mostly rats, Migs, Raptors, Abrams and I did a drawing of Maslow. All people seem to be going on about these days is Maslow’s Heirarchy of needs…
Be sure to check out my new JQUERY pop up enabled Portfolio page too!
My DVD covers project continues, I’m keeping my hand in. I have gone and got a load more inks and DVD’s. My trick is a weekly trip around the local charity shops, a fantastic source. I got Michael Clayton for 99p! I love that film…
Anyway I am contemplating a prize for correct guesses to the DVD covers. However seeing as NO ONE has posted a comment I can only conclude i) no one can tell waht they are or ii) no one reads this blog. I will go for ii) and it’s fair enough, my posting has been pretty irregular.
I love Moleskine’s. I have about 5 on the go at any one time! I have a notebook one which is essential to my being able to run my life. A phone book one (the analogue backup). A daily diary molskine, also essential to running my life. And I have two sketchbook ones, with thicker paper.
Here is a little selection of images taken from my tiny Moleskine where I have been idling away copying the covers of my DVD collection. But without including the titles!
See more after the jump, and post a comment with your guesses for the films!
