ART IMITATES LIFE
Posted by terrance | Filed under Art, Happenings, The Molting Comic
As opposed to my typical blog entrees where I chronicle whacky personal encounters and REPO! travels, in this post I’ll share a little of my artistic process…which often presents its own forms of wackiness.
As you may know, I’ve spent the last several months writing/illustrating an original comic book series, The Molting. The first two of twelve issues, “Guilty Susie” and “The Happiest Place On Earth”, are completed and available at TheMoltingComic.com. Currently, I’m knuckle-deep (as if it were a niece) into the third chapter, “Ootheca”, which should be available mid-February.
Those of you following the series will have noticed that I employed very different illustration styles for the first two installments. This was deliberate. It will make thematic sense as the series continues, but, in a nutshell, the style shifts were used to visually distinguish past and present elements of the story.
For The Past, I wanted the illustrations to be rudimentary and feel malleable. The Present, on the other hand, more realistic, more locked in its ways. To help realize these differences—particularly the realism that I wanted to capture for The Present—I explored a method I’d never used before as an illustrator: photo models as reference.
What does this mean? It means I sought out people who resembled the characters in my head, put them in costumes, posed them to match storyboards, snapped photographs, and then took these photos back to my studio to use as visual reference for the penciled and inked comic panels that followed.
As with all things, the moment you let others into your private world—especially when involving them in your creative process—new and often unpredictable things occur. In the case of my experiences working with photo models on The Molting, life began to imitate art. Or was it the other way around?
Each of the models brought their own unique flavor to The Molting mix, but in this blog I’ll focus on two of the more unique cases: Colin Ormiston, who modeles as The Molting’s protagonist, Joseph Pryzkind, and Sarah Villa, who poses as the mentoring mamacita, Ms. Alma Núñez.
Colin is a former student of mine. Sixteen now, I met Colin when he was eleven in a drawing and painting class that I used to teach. He was a good student and very gifted. Although he never drew cholo lobsters on the desks in my classroom (if you read issue two, you’d get the reference), his mother, Frances, revealed to me recently that Colin had a habit of doodling all over his tests and books in school before finding less disruptive creative outlets, like my drawing class.
In reconnecting with Colin after almost five years, I discovered several additional and uncanny similarities between him and the character of Joseph: an unusual relationship with an older brother, a bizarre family history, and an unmistakable inquisitive nature. After reading the script, his mother even remarked to me, “Did you write this with Colin in mind?”
One of the funnier exchanges on our initial photo shoot involved selecting which of Colin’s bicycles we’d use as a prop for him to ride as Joseph. In the story, Joseph is made to bike to and from school because his dysfunctional family fails to deliver on a promised car ride. As such, the bicycle journey is meant to be unpleasant for Joseph as he pedals through the grimy and dangerous neighborhood that is mid-‘90’s Anaheim.
Excited, Colin presented me a series of bikes to choose from that were stockpiled in the “bike graveyard” in the backyard of his house. I felt like Richard Gere in Pretty Woman, although instead of waiting for Julia Roberts to model the perfect dress, I was looking for Colin to roll out on the most pathetic bike. The bike, after all, needed to mirror the awkwardness that the character of Joseph was made to endure on his way to school.
Colin showed me a series of bikes, but each seemed hipper than the last. I turned down cool racing bicycle after cool racing bicycle, continually shaking my head until I spotted a rickety two-wheeled contraption lying in the dirt in the far corner of the backyard. It was practically buried.
This bike was perfect. Flat tires, loose bike chain, cobwebs on the spokes. Perfect. it was Joseph’s bike and I laughed to myself as Colin struggled to pedal the wounded beast—we’ll call her Gladys—up and down the street in front of his house as I took photos.
This was not acting. Colin did not want to ride the rickety thing. It was difficult to pedal and what teenager would want their friends to see them huffing around on Gladys? Life was imitating art. Or wass it the other way around?
And then there’s Sarah Villa, a friend of mine who I’ve always found hot in a “disciplinarian” sort of way. Well, Sarah’s hot in everyway, but the disciplinarian aspects made me think of her for the role of The Molting’s Ms. Núñez, a teacher and mentor to the character of Joseph Pryzkind.
I assumed that Sarah might be game for a little character role-playing when, about a year ago, she showed up to a mutual friend’s get-together dressed as Governor Sarah Palin. It wasn’t a costume party, and no one else was dressed up, but that didn’t detour Sarah from getting her Palin on and speaking in an annoying Alaskan accent for the entire evening. It was awesome.
I had forgotten that Sarah worked as a teacher when I asked her to model for The Molting (there goes art and life imitating each other again!), but when she offered to let me photograph her at work in her actual classroom, I knew that I’d made the correct casting choice.
Aside from having to rise for school at an ungodly hour, the photographing session at Sarah’s place of work went amazingly. She showed up dressed like a hentai version of a schoolteacher, like someone set to star in a Van Halen music video. If any of my female instructors had shown up to class looking like Sarah when I was young, I’d still be fantasizing about them to this day.
I sat in the back of the classroom, observing Sarah, watching students watching her, snapping photos. The male students drooled. The Female students sneered. The circle of life continued.
I want to thank Sarah and Colin for their contributions to The Molting, as well as all of the photo models. I also want to thank all of you who have been following the series. Stay tuned, because I suspect that as The Molting saga continues, so will the inseparable nature of art, life, and imitation.
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January 6th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
*sigh* Art and Life are at each other again. Life says Art’s copying him and Art says he had that idea first. When will there bickering end?!
Anyways, this was quite the awesome post. I really enjoy seeing how professional artists work (even if it is for my own ulterior motive of improving my own skills*demonic/charming grin*). I can’t wait for the next Molting!!!!! Ootheca’s a mighty interesting name and one can only guess at it’s reasoning.
Happy drawing!
The Little One
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January 6th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
Like your models. Thats a great way to work on your comic. Your friend, Sarah is a knock out. Kudos to you
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January 6th, 2010 at 9:08 pm
Ahh, yes. So now, in addition to tiny female voices talking about masturbation on your computer and infinate jokes about rape vans in your emails, The FBI know that should they seize your camera, they will find pictures of underaged boys, posing at your direction.
I think you’ve passed knuckle depth on this one, Sir.
~Peaches
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January 6th, 2010 at 9:19 pm
i thought colin was a cute kid. then i read that he was 16, and thus very much a kid. then i felt dirty. it’s only statutory if they struggle, right? anywho…
i think using actual models is a clever way to help you better flesh out and visualize the world that you’re trying to create. sometimes seeing it in real life makes it easier to see in your mind. if these are your models for joseph and ms núñez, i can only imagine whom you used for susie. one can only hope life does not imitate art where she is concerned.
i’m also enjoying the different illustration styles. it gives a story more depth and structure, at least in my opinion. i’m interested in seeing where the next issue takes us, so i will be eagerly awaiting mid-february.
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January 6th, 2010 at 10:46 pm
I can’t WAIT for the next one…what a shame that the cycle ends after 12….I’d like to see how long you could keep fistin’ with those mitts…
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January 6th, 2010 at 10:47 pm
Hentai school teacher, huh?
Oh the creative process can be such fun to read about.
I know I speak for many as well as myself when I say I am eagerly awaiting issue three.
Any chance the cover will be sold in poster form as well?
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January 7th, 2010 at 7:02 am
I cant wait to get them all! Sounds so interesting! The illustrations look great!
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January 7th, 2010 at 7:47 am
i love reading about how other people work. I especially love all of the coincidences with the characters
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January 7th, 2010 at 12:20 pm
Oddly enough when writing I’ve always found myself applying attributes to my characters that I see in real life. I never do it on purpose and didn’t even realise that I WAS doing it until I passed by a homeless man a few years ago shaking a cup with a cardboard sign between his legs where he was sitting that said “Spair a feu” and I recognised it as something similar to a passing character in a short story I had written.
It’s amazing what our minds can do without our consent, isn’t it?
-The White Rabbit
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January 7th, 2010 at 1:07 pm
Having had the pleasure of meeting Colin and seeing him in action at your Sins signing, I’m still blown away by how well you captured him in the drawings. Not that I don’t expect you to be able to do that with ease, obviously, it’s just really cool to see how easily your models translate into your work.
Do tell the boy we wouldn’t snitch on him if he did start drawing cholobsters on his desks at school, now.
Also, a hearty giggle over naming the bike Gladys.
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January 7th, 2010 at 7:05 pm
I wish I resembled a character that is in your head! Hey, come to think of it, I am (sort of) built like Sarah in the illustrations. Not the face though. Love the process of your art!! And your writing is so descriptive, I feel like I am listening to you talk. Too many blogs, I know.
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January 9th, 2010 at 6:33 pm
Damn, what I would have slain to have been in your art class.
I have been wondering about what your art process was like, so this Blog was quite indulging for me.
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January 10th, 2010 at 8:25 am
Gladys… Haha classic! One of my friend’s work colleague thought “what you talkin’ ’bout Willis”? was “what you talkin’ bout Gladys?” again I say Classic! Colin and his run down rickety shit heap of a bike reminds me of someone I used to know… Way back when. I mean didn’t we all go to school with the poor kid with the bike you wouldn’t give a buck for? I love your writing style, it drips (sounds nasty I know) with your emotions and makes us pretty much experience your memories first hand.
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January 10th, 2010 at 4:40 pm
Niiice. Got a few laughs reading this. Thank you so much for sharing much more of your life with the public than typical celebrities. It was interesting to read about the making of your comics. You’ve distracted me from my homework though – shame on you! Just kidding. ♥ REPO FOREVER!
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January 10th, 2010 at 7:42 pm
I just love the freaky dance art does with reality.
Years ago I penned a couple of detectives for my noir story – one an abrasive, loud, sexually-charged asshole with a volumes of comebacks, and the other a clingy, sullen, messy haired theatric. It occured to me last month that I now know both of them as friends. One friend even shares the same name as the character, and the other is studying criminology. I managed to find the real-life counterparts.
It kind of makes me the central female role after all.
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January 10th, 2010 at 9:19 pm
You used to teach an art class? I wish i could have been in it! *pouts* haha X3
Shooting real life models sounds like fun! Usually when i can’t get a pose right I’ll look for material online or mess with my little wooden model, his name is Jeff by the way, But its never exactly what i want. I think I’m going to start taking pics of friends in random poses now, thanks for the inspiration!
The drawings came out really great by the way!
On a side note, If you ever get some free time and find your self aimlessly browsing the internet, I’d go to Deviantart.com and type Repo into the search bar. There are alot of very talented artists there inspired by your work and i think you’ll find alot of the pieces are to your liking.
http://www.deviantart.com/#
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January 14th, 2010 at 12:57 pm
Stuff you have probably seen but…
If you interested in more photo reference stuff you should check out some rotoscope films like Waking Life and Scanner Darkly. Others may crucify me for this but I found the actual content of Waking Life dull but what they did with rotoscoping kept me watching until the end. Each cell of film has been digitally painted to produce hyper realistic animation. Really fascinating stuff because it breaks many of the established stretch and squash rules we have trained ourselves to accept.
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