Hellboy by Terence Hoskins.

We have already learned about Sketch Charlotte and the interests of the members: Rich Barrett (RB), John Da Costa (JDC), Tom Davidson (TD), Derek Davis (DD), Henry Eudy (HE), Dan Morris (DM), Brandon Padgett (BP), Eraklis “Herc” Petmezas (EP) and Bridgit Scheide (BS). In the third and final part of the interview each artist explains their process, talks about their projects and discusses the Charlotte art scene.

Can you tell me about your process? Do you have a set drawing schedule? Do you use specific tools?

RB: I draw all my pages on paper and have recently started inking with a Pentel brush pen. Then do a lot of clean up and production work in Photoshop. I try to fit in a little bit everyday in order to try to maintain a page-a-week schedule but I’ve got a job, a freelance web design business and two kids so I really can’t keep to a set schedule.

HE: I do try to draw every day, at least in my sketchbook or just doodling around while on the phone or something. In reality, I should have a set schedule but generally I just draw in whatever downtime I have at work or when there’s nothing good on television. I pencil with an old fashioned wooden pencil with a hard lead, normally an H, and ink most often with either a Pentel brush pen or a Winsor & Newton #2 round sable brush. Occasionally I’ll use a Niko 357 Japanese nib to ink or a .5 Copic pen. I tried for a while to break in a Hunt 22-B nib but kinda gave up.

JDC: No set drawing schedule for me, but I use 2 tools exclusively: my Wacom drawing tablet and Adobe Illustrator. I like illustrator because I can do the majority of my comics work in the one application. So I do my roughs, then inks, flats and rendering all in Illustrator. I also use Photoshop for final image sizing.

BP: I’m rather traditional in my methods. I start out in pencil (4H) and pretty much render everything as I want it. I then ink over what I’ve drawn using Copic or Prismacolor art pens and markers. I do use Photoshop for cleaning up the drawing after I’ve finished. I’ve also used it to fix major problems without redrawing the whole piece. I’ll erase what’s bad and print out what I like and then redraw it. I tend to use smooth Bristol more than anything else.

EP: I tend to draw after my wage slaving job is over. So I draw mostly at night and on the weekends. I use anything to draw with. I usually do my roughs in pen and then blow them up. I then place them on my light box and ink right on the board with a brush pen. It varies though for each story.

TD: I always start with story first, which is what I think great comics should be. It’s all about the story and the art is there to serve it. I usually start drawing on a piece of paper. Just odd things. And then I create an outline based on what it is I was drawing. Once I have my outline, broken down page-by-page, then I start drawing. I wish I had a drawing schedule (it’s on my to-do list, which is broken up on a ton of mental Post-It notes scattered about here and there), and honestly it’s something I need to create and stick to. Tools include a Kuretake #40 sable brush pen. Hunt pen nibs, usually a #108 and a #102. Sometimes Scratchboard. Sometimes Pebbleboard. Every now and then a toothbrush. Anything I can get my hands on, really.

Sketch by Tom Davdson.

BS: I have two desks, one is a drawing table where I do my illustration and traditional tool stuff, and the other is a desk for my laptop and tablet. I usually do pencil work and then ink over it, then scan it in and use Photoshop Elements to color it. For my comic Kindle, it’s all pencil, which I scan in. I’ll create a background layer and play with grayscale gradients to give it a fuller look and slightly minimize the graininess. I always get excited about my desks. It’s just really nice to have that much space to do stuff, to research and idea building in one area and the technical stuff like drawing in another. Plus it keeps the internet out of reach when I know I need to be productive!

DD: I look at other comic strips or read comic books. I listen to music to get inspiration and use experiences from real life. I try to make time on the weekends and draw and at least 2-3 times during the week. I use Canson comic strip paper, Faber-Castell pens, Sharpies, whatever I need to get the look I’m going for. Sometimes I want bold lines and other times I want delicate lines. Anything to make my art style look unique.

DM: When I draw comics I generally tend to go from a very basic idea. I’m a much stronger writer than I am an artist so if I have a strong idea, I’ll then start making sketches for characters. After I’m comfortable with that, I’ll write down the idea and then go straight to thumbnails. I’ve tried going from an actual written script in the past but I tend to get bored really easily and I like the idea of being surprised where a story can take me. Also I think this just makes for better visual storytelling not being tied to a specific script. When I do thumbnails, I try to do at least three different versions of those thumbnails. I had several teachers hammer it in to me that the first idea you have isn’t necessarily your best so I try to do as many thumbnails as I can before I feel I’ve hit on a really good page layout that communicates what I want to get across in my story. After that I pencil out the story on Bristol. Other things, I do that while won’t get put onto paper the general public sees are warm up exercises. This is really important because it’s really obvious, at least to me, when I’m working on something without having warmed up and none of my stuff looks as loose as it should be. My drawing schedule is generally, since I now have a day job, mostly in the afternoons and evenings anyway which suits me. I don’t know what it is but I have a hard time working in the morning. As for my supplies, it’s a pretty simple list.  I use lead holders with F lead after years of using mechanical pencils and regular pencils. I draw on 500 grade Strathmore Bristol that’s already pre-cut. I use the 500 grade over other grades because it takes ink better which is great for me because I like to lay on huge black spots. As for my inking tools, I’m still trying to figure that out. I’ve been using Faber-Castell Pitt Pens lately but I’m not really satisfied with how that’s making my pages look. I need to make time to go back to practicing with a brush or a nib. However, one of my professors at SCAD told me I should experiment with my making my inks look dirtier in contrast to how clean my line work is so I might stick with a combination of tech pens and brush pens and just mess things up.

Hellboy sketches by Chrissie Zullo.

Tell me about your current project(s).

RB: My focus is on Nathan Sorry, my webcomic. I’m about 50 pages into what will probably be about a 300 page graphic novel so it will take me a few years to finish it. It’s a moody thriller about a guy who everyone thinks died in the World Trade Center on 9/11 but instead has disappeared with a new identity and about $20 million that he’s stolen. You can read it as I post it here.

HE: Right now I’m doing a bunch of friend projects. Mostly stuff guys I know on the internet wrote that I’m illustrating. I’ve got a Superman parody, a drug story and a long story about a wizard battle. I don’t work on this stuff nearly as much as I should.

JDC: I’m doing the whole project myself and posting it online as I go. Probably not the most efficient, but it forces me to tell my story. It is called The Imaginox. It’s an all ages fantasy story set in two worlds, and focuses on a boy’s journey into becoming a hero. Eastern style.

BP: Aside from my Big Dog’s Studio sketchbook (includes art from my good friend Mark Godby and fellow Sketch Charlotte member Terence Hoskins) I’m hoping to get some art contributed to Jester Press‘ Night convention sketchbook.  I’m also getting art ready for the Dollar Bin‘s annual anthology.

Prof. Trevor Bruttenholm by Brandon Padgett.

EP: I just finished Last Cigarette about a retired Greek cop. I’m currently scripting Inbetween Days and Archie & Silas: Science Police. I’d like to get back to Heracles, as well as, Mr. Lune soon. Sketch Charlotte is also putting together an anthology book for next year’s Free Comic Book Day. Keep an eye on my assorted websites for news, as well as Sketch Charlotte‘s website.

TD: I’m assembling the cast and creating the story for Circle City Tales #3. I’m also busy drawing D-Tales #3, which includes a story about marriage and sharing your life with someone else compared to experiencing it alone.

BS: I have a couple. One of them is my comic series Kindle, and I’ve been working on the second issue for a little while. Hopefully it will be out sometime in October. I did just come up with an idea for a trucker story that takes place on the dusty roads of Arizona. I have been developing it so quickly and I think if I don’t get it out soon my brain will implode! It has a lot of meaningful layers that are super relevant in my own life lately, but are revealed in metaphors that I personally have no experience with! Haha! I’m stoked about it. So much so, that if it means putting Kindle down for a minute, I might have to. Lots and lots of research though. I’m almost done writing the thing. It will probably be a thick, thick, single issue.

DD: T.E.A. The Ered Adventures is my current project. It is an ongoing comic strip series featuring Ered as the main character and Nik his wife. It also involves various friends, and fictional characters (ghost, skeleton boy).  I am also involved in a movie right now called Redneck Roots which is taking up a bit of my time. I am assistant wardrobe and we are working really long hours.

DM: Right now I’m working on a couple of things. The biggest thing I’m working on is promotional material for the classes I will be teaching at CPCC this winter for their Visual Narrative certificate. Some readers of the blog might remember a mention of classes for the fall but unfortunately those were cancelled since not enough people signed up for the classes. So right now, I’m doing things that I hope can get the word out on the program and we can teach it this winter. I’ve been working on the blog for the class that can be found at Central Piedmont Comic Connections. I’m also reworking the classes so they just flow better and incorporate some things that I think should be taught in them. Alongside that I’ve started creating characters and thumbnailing some one page stories for a comic I want to start putting online by the end of the year. Originally I was going to start with a huge monster of a story but then realized I don’t have much experience with that so for now I’m just working on shorter pieces to build into much longer ones. I’ll be promoting that by Dec-Jan. There’s also something I’ve got brewing but isn’t very concrete right now but hopefully by the end of the year will be. I don’t want to talk about it too much more though.

T.E.A. strip by Derek and Nikki Davis.

What would be your dream project? Is there a character you want to get your hands on? Is there another creator you really want to work with?

RB: I’m working on my dream project right now – Nathan Sorry. Unless you count my next book which I’m already cooking up in my head.

HE: Any project were I actually got paid to make dumb fart comics would be my dream. So, millionaires who like farts here I am, come and get me. I would really love to someday do a Police Commissioner Gordon comic with no Batman cameos at all. It would be just 22 pages of Gordon doing paperwork, drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes. I think it would really teach the kids some important lessons about real life. Also, if I could bring Stinky from Hate back from the dead and put him in a boy band, that would be keen. I don’t think my skills are anywhere near good enough to warrant me working with an actual real cartoonist, but if I could I would want to do something with Ted May. He’s the guy I admire the most recently. I love his Kirby-esque style and brush lines. Lots of times he’s illustrating the all American ugliness of the late Seventies and early Eighties and I really dig that. Plus he’s darn funny.

JDC: Is there another creator you really want to work with?  
There’s a ton of creators I’d like to work with some day.  I’d love to do a take on Star Wars some day, as long as there are Jedi involved.

Color cover for Bridgit Scheide's Kindle #1.

BP: I would LOVE to be a cover artist. Having a family and a career outside of comics (marketing) I don’t have time to do sequential pages. But doing a cover a month would be fantastic! Another dream project that I’ve thought about lately is to do a comic strip with original characters.

EP: My dream would be for a publisher to pick up my characters and stories. I wouldn’t mind working on Daredevil and Alpha Flight would be a dream. I’d like to get my hands on Swamp Thing or some of the magic oriented characters at DC. I still have my Blue Devil and Creeper pitches laying around here somewhere. Haha. Of course if Mike Mignola or Matt Wagner ever want me to work on something I’d be SO there. I’d love to write for many creators. I’m not too picky.

TD: One dream project would be an annual mini-series on Jim Gordon, who I’d LOVE to get my hands on. Ever since Batman Year One he’s been one of my favorite DC characters. And J’onn J’onzz, for sure! I’d also LOVE to do a story involving all those horrible, hilarious powerless Marvel villains, like The Lizard, The Owl and The Vulture!!

BS: NIGHTCRAWLER. I want to REVIVE him and take that dumb-robot’s arm out of his chest.

DD: I would love to get my hands on the Incredible Hulk. That has actually been a dream of mine forever. My dream is to draw big ass monsters fighting.

DM: I think my dream project right now would be doing a comic about the Roman Republic’s greatest enemy, Hannibal. I’ve been listening to Mike Duncan‘s The History of Rome podcast lately while I’ve been at work and Roman history has been really fascinating for me.  However, there’s something about Hannibal that really just fascinates me. I think it’s because it’s a story that works on a lot of levels and even today still resonates with people. I think I’d actually like to do a lot of stories about Rome actually. It’s a really amazing history that I think would be great as a comic. There aren’t too many established characters I’d be interested in getting my hands on really. This is not because I don’t like established characters but mostly because I don’t know if I would have an interesting angle to approach with them as writer. It’s really hard to write new angles and take new visual approaches on characters that are 40+ years old and have the confidence to pull them off. However, there are couple of mainstream people that if offered the opportunity to work with them I would love that chance. Grant Morrison is pretty high on that list, followed by Warren Ellis, Matt Fraction, and Alan Moore (if he still wants to make comics).

Kenny Powers by Henry Eudy for a recent Sketchercise.

How would you describe the art scene or the comics scene in Charlotte?

RB: Charlotte by its nature does not have a lot of what other big cities have to cultivate creative communities but frankly I’ve seen that change a lot since I moved here six years ago. Yet, having lived in a big creative city like New York, I’ve done more to pursue my creative goals in Charlotte then I ever did while I lived up there. Maybe because there is more opportunity to shine in a smaller community but maybe also because of the underdog desire to be creative and to push to do creative work within an environment that values other things over creativity. Anyway, when I first moved here I didn’t think there were as many talented and inspiring artists here as they actually are but I keep finding more and more. Just being in a group like Sketch Charlotte that has breakout artists as Jason Latour and Chrissie Zullo as well as as-yet undiscovered gems like Henry Eudy is pretty inspiring.

HE: Bah on the art scene. For a real art scene you need some bohemia. The Charlotte specialty is to chase that kind of thing out of town and build a condo where it once stood. Until the bankers let some derelict grooviness grow up naturally, ain’t gonna be no real art scene. Now as for the comics scene, it’s surprisingly robust but only loosely organized. There are actually a good number of talented artists and cartoonists in the Charlotte area but I think there are very few ways for them to connect and so a tight knit community has failed to congeal as of yet. Sketch Charlotte and the Heroes Discussion Group are both making some headway towards changing that. Prior to joining this group I had no idea there were so many people in Charlotte also making comics. I thought there was me and maybe two other guys. Probably there are lots of people in town who feel that way. They just don’t know that there is a community because it just hasn’t been well publicized. Sketch Charlotte is getting some attention lately though, our membership grows a little every few weeks. People are obviously getting the word and I think very soon an established comics community will be flourishing right here in Charlotte.

JDC: I think the art scene is great and growing. We have a wide gamut of talent, creators and success stories in the city and our group as well. One thing’s for sure, whatever your flavor is, you can find it here.

BP: I’d say it’s rather independent. A lot of that has to do with HeroesCon. Indie Island has really grown over the years and I believe all these fringe creators are taking notice and throwing their respective hats in the ring. There’s a really healthy, friendly environment here and I can see it getting bigger and more unique as more creators discover their voice.

Raven by Dan Morris.

EP: I’ve read an interview in the past that said Charlotte didn’t have a scene. I’ve lived all over the East Coast and I can say that Charlotte has a great art scene. We have such a wealth of great artists here in town. I’m really fortunate to be able to see and interact with a lot of them. The best part is that we all get along and really push each other to create great art. There is no hating going on here. I think having such an anchor like Heroes Aren’t Hard To Find really helps as well. It’s one of the best stores in the country and the staff is so supportive of the scene.

TD: It’s there, you just have to pull aside the kudzu to find it is all. Hang out at Heroes some, and come to Sketch Charlotte every Thursday (usually across the street at Showmars at 6:30 p.m.). Be a part of it!!

BS: The community is growing, I think. I love what Joel Andrew Tracy and the Culture Initiative are doing in the art scene. It’s a super awesome gathering of tons of artists around Charlotte, and they often host events with creative themes that everyone contributes to. And OBVIOUSLY!!! Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find is probably one of my very favorite places in Charlotte! What would the comics community in Charlotte be without you?! Love y’all!!!

DD: The comics scene in Charlotte is growing in positive way. I think there is a huge number of people that are really into comics as an art form.

DM: I would describe it as nascent. I’ve read one or two artists on twitter and interviews talk about how there isn’t much of one but I say bah to that. There is one here and if you don’t think there is one, then you’re not really participating in it. We may not be a big one right now but we have the potential to be a lot bigger. There’s really fertile ground to make a huge comics scene in Charlotte. It’s cheap to live here, the job market while it could be healthier is pretty decent thus affording us jobs that can pay the bills when making comics doesn’t, there are at least 2 good comic shops, and there’s plenty to do here for a young person. If you had asked me say 4 years ago, I would have said “Go elsewhere young artist” but today it’s amazing how much this city has changed. It’s an ideal city for a young cartoonist to live and work. There’s a great community of people here making comics that’s a real support network that I think can really build.

Please keep an eye on Sketch Charlotte and its members! They are producing some fantastic art!

Sketch Charlotte

Rich Barrett
John Da Costa
Tom Davidson
Derek Davis
Henry Eudy
Dan Morris
Brandon Padgett
Eraklis “Herc” Petmezas
Bridgit Scheide