OT: A Professional's Guide to Lettering Comics

[JimCampbell]

Typical! I manage a timely update for the first time in weeks, and then I don't have time to actually tell anyone about it! This week's Sunday Surgery brings a couple more Practise Packs, courtesy of those nice chaps at Zenescope.

More unlettered pages with scripts for you to have a bash at -- I look forward to seeing some of the results.

Cheers!

Jim

[JimCampbell]

My blog is finally back in action! Sunday Surgery returns to discuss the limits of letterer's role, and the dark art of trapping: http://j.mp/deEIer

Now that I've finished lettering this little beauty in seven languages -- True Grit: Mean Business -- my schedule looks a bit calmer and the updates should be more frequent and feature some actual, well, content.

Thanks to everyone for their forbearance and patience.

Cheers!

Jim

[JimCampbell]

Sunday Surgery this week brings a quick Q&A from my friend, and cracking artist, Conor Boyle, who has some pertinent enquiries about sizing, spacing, and some lettering conventions. Check it out here if any of that sounds like it might be of interest.

(I've recently been able to make some time for more artistic endeavours, including some flatting practise, so I might even be able to make some on-topic posts in the near future…)

Cheers!

Jim

[JimCampbell]

With apologies for an entirely Mac-centric topic, today's Surgery post asks whether you've ever looked at the capabilities of OS X's Automator application. I hadn't, and that turns out to have been a mistake that's been costing me time and making my life just a fraction more difficult than it needed to be. See if the little chap could be helping you, too, in today's blog post.

Cheers!

Jim

[JimCampbell]

Not lettering-specific by any stretch of the imagination, Sunday Surgery on my blog has a quick overview of my newfound enthusiasm of the Pomodoro technique for time management.

Cheers!

Jim

[Jim_Campbell]

I have to apologize for the relative lack of activity on my blog recently -- last month, give or take a couple of dozen pages -- I lettered 600 pages of strip, which hasn't left me time for much else!

Having a slightly less hectic month in prospect (apart from moving house, obviously!), I'm determined to bring some more content to the blog. Today, number one in an irregular series trying to explain to non-lettering creators why they shouldn't do some of the things that we letterers always seem to be moaning about!

First speaker on the left, damn it!



Cheers!

Jim

[Jim_Campbell]

Blimey! Two blog posts in two days! I told you I wasn't as busy this month as I was last month…

Following up yesterday's post, with A Panel Layout That Simply Does Not Work.

If you're an artist and you've ever done this, you should stop doing it here's why.

Cheers!

Jim

[patbollin]

Hey! I just wanted to say thanks for posting. I don't at all think this is way off topic, since no one ever said that this was a "Coloring Only" source (I don't think so anyway). I haven't gotten past the first page of the blog yet, but so far looks like really useful info, and I shared the link on facebook. Keep em coming, good sir.

[Jim_Campbell]

…Aaand finally, I'm back on some kind of schedule. Somewhere over 4,000 pages lettered in 2011, so I can only apologize for the knock-on effect on my blogging and, indeed, posting here. I do have a lurk most days, even if I'm not able to contribute much. Sorry!

Only tangentially related to lettering, this week's blog post asks (and answers) the question that seems to defeat so many pencillers nowadays: what are those blue lines on pre-ruled comic art board, and why are they important?

The mystery is solved!

Cheers!

Jim

[Jim_Campbell]

New bloggery! Not really lettering again, I'm afraid, but possibly of interest … a process post on 'restoring' the classic 1970s British strip, Hook Jaw!

Read it here.

Cheers!

Jim

[Jim_Campbell]

This week, we wander still further off-topic. I rarely do opinion pieces on my blog, but here's one on the Before Watchmen furore: http://j.mp/yoDYOE

Next time, something to do with lettering, I promise!

Cheers

Jim

[Jim_Campbell]

New blog post! As promised, this one actually has something to do with lettering, specifically, how to squeeze lettering into tight spaces by interleaving balloons: http://j.mp/zJFGvC

Cheers!

Jim

[Jim_Campbell]

A new blog post today: beloved British anthology 2000AD's birthday and what 35 years of lettering has meant to me! http://j.mp/yWGUcy

Cheers

Jim