Forest Comic #2

Snapshots of tree trunks

Here it is: a second instalment of Forest Comic, where I make quick sketches of the woods while walking with my dog. This week the Queen’s Cup started to bloom, and we saw a few fledgling robins venturing out of their nests. There were grizzly bears in the field and black bears on the mountain.

For the colourful comic book cells I focused on spots in the woods where the fresh green growth contrasted with old dry forest materials. For the graphite-only cells, I am working on bringing more contrast to each drawing. My inspiration is David Hockney’s charcoal Yorkshire spring drawings.

All I want to do is draw all day but I have about 5-10 minutes for this activity, and it always feels like splash of fresh cool water during a busy day.

As I drew this week, I was thinking about the proportions of the rectangles in the comic book spread. Maybe I should try tall slim rectangles for Comic #3, because I live in a tall place. Living in a narrow BC valley, the mountains aren’t far off, they are right up beside me and I am often seeing but part of the mountain or the tall fir trees.

Here is a photo from a fun day where we cooked pancakes and kayaked on the river. The photo shows an element that is common in my photos; the clipped view of the mountains.

Another comic page layout option would be a single, full-page cell that captures a larger view of the forest. In this case I would come back to the same spot each day and draw until I have filled the cell. Looking forward to showing the results of these experiments in Comic #3, coming to you in a week or two.

Thanks for reading!

Anne.