dcorsetto
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SUCH UPDATE MUCH TRAVEL
🕑 Added 2019-06-03 20:31:38 +0000 UTC
I've had a lot to update y'all on, but every time I start to write up an update, something else gets updated. I think things are settled enough for now to share. Here's the list!
the end of BOO!
Some of you may already know that we just wrapped up our sex ed comic, BOO! It's Sex! My friend and collaborator Monica Gallagher and I decided awhile ago that while we LOVE making this comic exist and sharing it with teens & adults alike, we've both got too much on our plates to keep it going.
Before you ask, YES, we have hopes to put it into a printed book! And YES, I'm going to link you to the very first strip so you can read all 96 strips from beginning to end. (Hot tip: the site is designed for mobile, and is surprisingly more satisfying to read on the Webtoon app on your phone.) I hope you like it, and that you learn something you thought you already knew! I KNOW I SURE DID.
So, now that researching sex ed & writing BOO is off my plate, I can focus on the new book...
from here to Portland (Oregon) and back
A few years ago, Erika Moen, Dylan Meconis and Lucy Bellwood all offered to house me if I ever wanted to come work at Helioscope in Portland, Oregon. Infected by Monica's recent case of YOLO, I decided this is the year!
I'm leaving this Thursday (SHIT THAT IS REALLY SOON) to work on "the book" - it still doesn't have a name - on the west coast, among other talented cartoonists, writers, and illustrators.
I could've flown, but of course I decided to make it A Whole Thing and do signings and camp out along the way. So if you're on my route between here and Portland and back, I may be stopping at a comic shop near you! Have a look (signings are in pink):
Signings!! Madison, Portland, and Omaha:
- Madison, Wisconsin: THIS FRIDAY NIGHT! June 7, 4-7 at Westfield Comics
- Portland, Oregon: June 15th, 5-7 at Books With Pictures with Lucy and Erika!
- Omaha, Nebraska: Krypton Comics, dates & times tbd, probably July 9th
My car is tiny, so if you'd like to reserve a book, please let me know so I pack one for you! I'll also have cool prints available exclusively to anyone who buys something from the host store. :) If you're a patron and you see me at a signing, let me know!
my big fat Canadian iPad
I bit the bullet and bought the big new iPad last month while I was in Toronto. I went to TCAF, sold some books, and then just brought all of that money to the nearest Apple store. Paying for an iPad by pulling stacks of maple-scented cash out of a fanny pack in the middle of a bustling Apple store feels... ridiculous.
I'm learning Procreate right now, so if any of you have Procreate tips, I'd love to hear them!
#Mermay and other art
Mermay was more of a Merweek for me but I did draw a few sassy merms! I also painted a poster for my friend Chelsea's upcoming show. I'll share this stuff with you patrons in a little while, so I can show you how I used Procreate on the iPad to prepare a sketch for the poster. I think me and this tablet thing are gonna be friends.
State of the Book, and little personal things...
I spent this morning interviewing my friend Pang to get a better feel for one of the characters in the book, Berto. I didn't expect her to arm me with so many small details, everything from biometric appointments, to the emotional weight of citizenship status on otherwise regular relationships, to learning a little about Thai culture (Berto's Peruvian, but inspiration comes from the least expected tiny corners)... the added bonus of writing stories about characters that draw from your friends is that it gives you a really nice excuse to get to know your friends a little deeper. I wish our society allowed us more excuses to ask and receive hard questions that cut past the small talk.
It'll be a little weird leaving Shepherdstown to work on a book that takes place in Shepherdstown, but I think it'll also be helpful to have that distance and see my home as a memory, as a place that I need to explain to people who don't know it already.
I just finished re-reading Patti Smith's M Train for the nth time after nibbling on it for months, and it reminded me not to be so literal when I write, instead of spelling things out to the point where connections are made without audience participation (= boring). When I was a teenager I picked up a book by Randy Glasbergen called "How to be a Successful Cartoonist," no doubt because it was the only book I ever saw with the word "cartoonist" on the cover. I remember a paragraph instructing aspiring creators to never write down to their audience, and to assume that your reader will make the connections you want them to if you give them the tools with which to make them. I hope I can lay out all those tools in this book while restraining myself from drawing every tool's owner's manual.
Looking forward to seeing some of you between Shepherdstown and that other coast. :)
Comments
Danielle Corsetto
YEEEE I keep forgetting just how many great people are there! You too!!
Danielle Corsetto
Ahhh hooray!! Looking forward to seeing you!
Yes! Yes! Yes! I love that you'll be in Portland! And at Books with Pictures to boot! Katie is the Best, and even better for hosting you! I need a copy of GWS! (I've totally emailed you already)
Ripley LaCross
I can't wait to see you at the studio!!
Danielle Corsetto
I am my father's daughter!
Andy Ihnatko
+100 points for the Big Paper Map On The Wall With The Route Marked In Highlighter.
No worries! He says the offer stands if you change your mind. And if you happen to pop down to SF while in Portland, that could work too. :)
Danielle Corsetto
Thank you so much!!
YOLO Road Trips are THE BEST ROAD TRIPS!!
Nova Sulprizio
yep! on their official website it's under discussions, and there are a ton of awesome brushes available for free ( and some for pay too ) at https://procreate.art/discussions/10 - this was where I got my start on procreate back in the day looking at a lot of custom brushwork and how people were using / making them! it helped a ton in figuring out my own process.
Danielle Corsetto
Ooohh I didn't know there was a Procreate forum?! At least I'm guessing that's what you mean. :) Thanks for the encouragement; I'll definitely put some time into making a few brushes after I figure out how the default ones work! Cheers!
Danielle Corsetto
Thanks Lulu! (Or I guess Lauren!) Tbh I'm just looking for fast videos and hot tips right now, but I appreciate the offer! <3
Nova Sulprizio
Congrats on the end of Boo! and your YOLO move!! I can't wait to see more about your newest projects. As for procreate, as that's what I exclusively use, I suggest a few things. Pay attention to your cavas size, don't be afraid to make your own brushes, and browse the forums for their brushes. The two biggest brushes I use I ended up making myself and I couldn't be happier!
I have a friend who recently taught a class at the Letterform Archive on Procreate best practices. He's a type designer and lettering artist who also does some illustration if you want to do a skill share. Shoot me an email at lauren@lehartdesign.com if you want me to connect you.
Danielle Corsetto
*GIF of someone clapping, impressed, but also glaring and shaking their head at you*
Pretty sure if you need procreate tips, you could...um ...you know ...read the webtoon you just wrapped up? #sexpuns
Danielle Corsetto
Oh WHOA Katie that's actually totally possible!! I should be leaving home around 8 am, which puts me near Streetsboro around 1 pm. If you're free this Thursday (June 6th) and you can pick a place for us to meet up, let's make this happen!
If you need a lunch break nearish the Streetsboro, OH exit off I-80 and want to meet up, lemme know!
