FREE COMIC BOOK DAY and…

Saturday May 5 is Free Comic Book Day ! It’s like Christmas with less nog!

Christmas is RUINED. If only there was something to read with Batman in it, some time in May...

But just in case FREE COMICS aren’t enough for you ravenous T-Dot funny book fans–it’s also the weekend of The Toronto Comic Arts Festival, where the best of the indy creators gather together and just commit art all over the joint. Bring splash guards for all the flyin’ ink and paint.

You want MORE?  Free Comics and a great comics convention isn’t enough?   How greedy are you guys?  Okay, just to calm down the insatiable maw I sense out there, The Comic Book Lounge & Gallery ( conveniently located at the same address as the Toronto Cartoonists Workshop) will be crawling with lots of great comics creators including Stuart Immonen, Kathryn Immonen, Gibson Quarter, Marco Rudy, Raffaele Ienco, Mike Del Mundo, David J. Cutler, Karly Macdonald and this long eared Ty-Bunny, signing autographs, doin’ sketches, and making FREE COMIC BOOK DAY the magical adventure that it is.

According to the plans I’ve heard, there will be face painting for the kids, a mini artists alley, and obviously–free comics!! And word has it that Toronto Batman might make an appearance.

There, I hope that satisfies you folks for a day of comics fun.   After that exhausting day is over, I’m going to put my feet up on the couch at the Comic Book Lounge…and…

WAIT!  THERE’S MORE?!?!?

After the Free Comic Book Day events are over,  starting at 8pm, I will be sitting talking with my guests about Canadians and the comics industry exploring the idea of “As Canadian as possible under the circumstances.” in a LIVE talk show.

The first person I thought of to be my first guest ever was Mark Askwith. I’ve known Mark for thirty years now? Wow–long enough that I’ve lost track. I met Mark back when he was manager of The Silver Snail comic shop. When Mark created the much-beloved and much-missed Prisoners of Gravity for TVO, I did the art for the opening sequence, and guested on it frequently. These days, Mark is a producer at Space:  The Imagination Station, producing Inner Space. That’s only some of his comics cred–there’s so much more!

And we’ve got Will Pascoe, director of an upcoming documentary about the Golden Age of Canadian comics superheroes. And we’ve got Scott Chantler, the award winning creator of Two Generals and Towers of Treasure! Not enough for you? We’ve also got Ken Lashley–as he says in his bio “[he’s] worked for them all, Lucasfilm, lucas arts, Hasbro, Mattel, Dc comics, Marvel comics, Fox sports..etc..” In the midst of his many projects, he’s doing covers for DC Comics at the moment.

We’re planning for roughly an hour–but if we’re having too good a time, we might go longer. And the audience isn’t allowed to be shy, as we will be taking questions! (But keep your questions relevant to the conversation.  No one gets to bring up our Mayor’s weight problems or the price of gas.).

When On the Couch’s inaugural episode is over, there will be an announcement of the Joe Shuster Award nominations. Then–

–an Industry Night Party to celebrate comics, Canadians, the Shuster Awards and anything else we can think of.  We will make you ACHE with fun.

Come join us for some of, or all of the day–and the night! We’re excited about everything we have planned for Free Comic Book Day and for On the Couch with Ty Templeton. (This will be the  first of hopefully many On the Couch episodes–unless there’s a death in the audience, or an armed rebellion, we’re coming back).

Ty the Guy OUT!!

Here now, your BONUS FREE COMIC BOOK MOMENT:

Isn't this cool? And it didn't cost you a dime.

LEARN PROFESSIONAL LAYOUT AND STORYTELLING FOR COMICS…

…from me! My next set of courses for the Toronto Cartoonists Workshop start up in just a couple of weeks.

My Comic Book Bootcamp Part One ended last Wednesday. I like to say that once students go through the first Bootcamp they’re good to go off and make comics, and some of them will. But we do offer a Part Two through TCW and many of my students return–I do introduce new ideas, expand upon the anatomy I teach in Part 1, and more. It’s really up to individual students to decide what they need. But often students find that they like the atmosphere so much at TCW, and realise how much fun it is to be in an environment surrounded by people just like them–people who are creative and interesting and want to learn and create. I love watching as friendships are made, and finding that students get together outside of class and start working on projects together, or simply meet to help each other out with a script, or to act as a sounding board. That makes my day every time!

Before the next session of classes start (on May 7), there will be a SNEAK PEEK WORKSHOP. Thursday, May 3, I will be teaching Professional Layout and Storytelling from 7-9pm. Sneak Peek Workshops are $25/hst.

Then, next Monday I will start the full class–the ‘official’ course description is:

From thumbnail layouts to finished pencils, this art focused course teaches you everything you need to know about the unique process of telling stories with pictures.  Learn to THINK like a comic artist as well as how to CREATE like one.  Essential learning for future Marvel zombies, Indy artists or Web comic creators.  While basic drawing skills are helpful, they are not necessary.

You can enrol through the TCW site; contact the school owner if you have any questions, info@cartoonistsworkshop.com.

Ty the Guy OUT!

Nepotism Friday! Keiren Smith edition!

I always talk about how busy I am around here, creating fine comic book based entertainment for the masses with all those crazy knucklehead characters I get to write and draw….

Like my wildly hysterical script for Avenging Spider-Man #8, (cover by Shane Davis, interiors by Matt Clark), due in stores in just eleven weeks! Silver Sable and Doc Strange Guest Star! Order yours today!

…but my wife has been doing so much colouring work around the funnybook biz lately that this month, she’s got more to read out there than I do.

So, because you should love her as much as I, I’m showing off some pages from her most recent work, with links to where you can read it online.  Who says my home in Toronto isn’t the House of Ideas?  Oh, this Cease and Desist order from Marvel  does.    Well, OTHER than this legal restraint?  Who?  Who?

First up:  A few teaser pages from a HEROES OF THE NORTH story about their characters Nordik and Eightball, available as an online comic book before the print edition comes out later (from Ardden Entertainment; the first omnibus collection sold out, so grab the second one as soon as you see it!-kts).  Read it while it’s free, fans, it just went online a few days ago.

I LOVE the blues she chose.  The pencil and ink artwork is by my friend David J. Cutler, who did the fun-but-hard-to-find-a-copy-of Johnny Canuck and the Northern Guard comic book with me last year.  I just can’t seem to quit David J., but one look at these pages and you can see why I’m a fan.

The lesson of this tale seems to be:  Ladies, dress warmly for cold weather.  Either that or it’s a thrilling murder mystery with cool action sequences and gunfights and stuff, like a good comic book should be.   All in glorious colour for LESS than a dime!  Beat that!

I dig the first panel on this page!

So click on over and read this story and show our Canadian comic book creators a little love.  It’s even better with the word balloons, though it covers up the pretty drawings and the pretty colours.

Keiren also just finished colouring a project called “Taking Flight” for writer Stephen Sutherland and artist Garry McLaughlin, who hail from Glasgow, a town with even more foreboding weather than Toronto.

If you're getting a "Frank Quitely" vibe, you're not alone.

This is the just the first three pages.  It’s available for pre-order at Laser Age Comics, but it won’t be printed up until April 9, so you’ll have to pace and bite at your nails until then.  I really like the colour work my one-and-only did on these pages.  The sense of quiet and peace as this character learns what it’s like to fly is really brought across by the palette she chose.

Here’s a page from a YMCA comic book project Keiren finished a few weeks ago…

The Adventures of Y Guy, written by another Holmes Inc. alumnus Kathleen Gallagher

Pencil art by Christopher Yao this time around…an alumnus of the Holmes Incorporated comic books I put out every year with the Toronto Cartoonists Workshop.  You can read the story here, and pick up the comics at local YMCAs in the Toronto area.

Just so you don’t think I’m a completely lazy sod, I have an issue or two of Ultimate Spider-Man Adventures coming up that I’ve done script and art chores for a story, as well as an issue of the Simpsons I wrote and drew, due in stores any time.  And my OWN Heroes of the North 12 pager in the pipeline for early summer.  Oh, and don’t forget tasty, tasty BACON!! (more on this as it crisps and develops).

But you guys get enough of me around here.

Check out the work of my own personal comic book colourist (her deviantART site), and let her know she’s pretty good at this gig.

Ty the Guy OUT!

Here now, your Keiren Templeton-Smith Bun Toon Bonus Moment:

One of Keiren's first appearances as a bunny in a Bun Toon from the early 90s!

2012 Convention Schedule and more…

Ty promised himself that he was going to be posting more on the blog this year and was getting frustrated that he hasn’t had the time–until I pointed out that it’s that he has so much work to do, all of which he’s excited to be doing.  But I did promise that I’d pop in to mention a few things, so here ya go…

The official start to Ty Templeton’s 2012 Convention Season is next-next weekend. Usually, Ty only does the Toronto shows but after doing the wildly-successful wildly-enjoyable Montreal Comiccon last year, he’s agreed to do more for 2012.  There might be a few additions to the list later in the year but for now, this is it:

Formerly known as Fan Appreciation and now Toronto ComiCon as presented by Fan Expo. And expanded to two days– Saturday March 10-Sunday March 11.

Toronto Cartoonists Workshop will be there, sharing a booth with The Comic Book Lounge & Gallery. (You might be able to register for the upcoming workshops at the show…but classes will begin the Monday after the show, so best to not take any chances and sign up now for WRITING FOR COMICS LEVEL TWO and Ty Templeton’s COMIC BOOK BOOTCAMP PART ONE.) If you’re not able to get to the show, but need to get some comics, make sure you check out The Comic Book Lounge & Gallery in it’s permanent space (shared with TCW) at 587A College Street West. Our oldest son will be holding down the fort.

Been waiting for Calgary Expo to announce this–now, we can confirm that Ty will be attending, for the first time, the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo. The show runs Friday April 27-Sunday April 29, and features an amazing list of guests.

Our buddies, Heroes of the North will be there as well, showing off all their books, posters, figurines and some of the actors! Artist Gibson Quarter (Holmes Incorporated, Undertow #2) has finished pencilling a new 8-Ball story for HoTN and will be there, too. (Ty just finished a script for HoTN, to be pencilled by Richard Pace. Like Ty, Richard divides his time between teaching and drawing comics. He’s an instructor at Durham College, and is currently hard at work on Ashes written by Alex de Campi. AND he just announced that he’s drawing a 3-part adaptation of a Robert E. Howard story for Dark Horse’s SAVAGE SWORD (#5-7), written by Ian Edginton.)

In June, Ty will be off to Austin, Texas…but that hasn’t been “officially” announced yet, so I’ll wait to put up all the info.

In August, it will be The Big One–the biggest comic convention in Canada, that is. Fan Expo Canada runs Thursday August 23-Sunday August 26 this year. It was wildly busy last year–slightly overwhelming by the last day, butgreat to spend time with so many other creators and to talk to so many fans.

Toronto Cartoonists Workshop and The Comic Book Lounge & Gallery will both be at the show as well. Heroes of the North will put in an appearance as well. Their second omnibus collection will be published by then. And the HoTN comic story drawn by David J. Cutler (artist for The Northern Guard) will be out by then as well.

Montreal Comiccon is the little comic book convention that didn’t so much grow as EXPLODE!! It was such an enormous, unexpected success that they’ve moved to a bigger location this year, Friday September 14-Sunday September 16. Ty and I really really enjoyed the show last year…had a very brief twenty minutes when we thought it was going to be quiet, when we first arrived at Ty’s table. That was the last twenty minutes of peace for the entire weekend! Got to meet Dan Parent, have dinner with Dan, Gibson Quarter and the Heroes of the North crew.

That is currently the extent of Ty’s convention schedule…

At the same time that all this fun is going on, and as Ty is busy working, he will be continuing to teach at Toronto Cartoonists Workshop.

WRITING FOR COMICS LEVEL TWO begins Monday March 12, 7-10pm. Completion of Level One is a requirement.  Wednesday March 14, Ty starts COMIC BOOK BOOTCAMP Part One 7-10pm.

Rob Walton will be teaching CREATING YOUR OWN GRAPHIC NOVEL starting Thursday March 15, and Walter Dickinson will be teaching CARTOONING RODEO for kids 8-12 years of age Saturday mornings April 14-June 16.

                                                                                              Keiren

Comic Book Bootcamp–A look at some of the ‘graduates’

It’s time to register for the next session of classes at TCW!   Writing for Comics Level Two is only available for students who have finished Level One. New and returning students can enroll in Ty’s Comic Book Bootcamp Part One!! Yayyy!

When Ty created Comic Book Bootcamp, it was  such a popular class that the first group of students begged him to continue–and he created Part Two.  After a student finishes Part One and Two, as Ty tells them, they’re able to take all the skills he’s taught them,  go off and create on their own.

Holmes Incorporated by Christopher Yao

Ty is helped in this belief by a lot of evidence…over the years, many local Toronto creators have taken his Bootcamps. They came in with varying abilities and backgrounds but with an enthusiasm for learning, and a drive to practice practice practice until their skills got to where they could look for professional work, or start creating on their own.

Eden Bachelder was one of Ty’s first students. She’s an artist who works in oil and acrylic paints, leather and many other mediums.  After taking Ty’s Bootcamps  she participated in  Bootcamp Comics (writing and pencilling The Three Kinds of Sex), and  Holmes Incorporated #1, (pencilling Nightclubbing with writer Kathleen Gallagher).

Holmes Inc. #1 Nightclubbing pg 7, by Eden Bachelder

Eden does other freelance work (she illustrated a government colouring book I lettered for her!).  Here’s a sample of Eden’s cartooning work (this one is called Citizen Chauvelin Adjusts Himself“).

Eden Bachelder

Christopher Yao is at work on his creator-owned comic Fauntkin. He has participated in both Holmes Incorporated comic books,

Holmes Inc. #1, Welcome to Holmes Incorporated, art by Christopher Yao, story by Greg Dunford, letters by Keiren Smith

and recently, drew The Adventures of Y Guy, a mini-comic that Toronto Cartoonists Workshop produced in-house for the YMCA of Greater Toronto (which is currently being reprinted).

The Adventures of Y Guy, pg 3, art by Christopher Yao, script by Kathleen Gallagher, colours/letters by Keiren Smith

3

The Adventures of Y Guy is the first paid comics work of another former Bootcamper—Kathleen Gallagher. Kathleen wrote stories in each of the Holmes Incorporated issues (Night Clubbing with Eden Bachelder on art, for #1, and Eight Seconds to Mayhem for #2 with Danny Setna on art).

Adam Gorham was an artist on Holmes Incorporated #1 after taking classes with Ty (The Fingerless Prince with writer Heather Emme).

Holmes Inc. #1, The Fingerless Prince pg. 3, art by Adam Gorham, script by Heather Emme, letters by Keiren Smith

Adam’s first work was The Vampire Conspiracy and he is currently working on Teuton, an ongoing comic series he co-created with  Fred Kennedy.

Teuton, Vol. 2 Trolls attack, art by Adam Gorham

Daniel Wong took Ty’s Bootcamp a couple years ago and signed up for Fit to Print’s Holmes Incorporated when he was finished. His story, The Family Name was chosen as the first story for the issue. Pages like this were the reason why:

Holmes Inc. #2, The Family Name by Daniel Wong, script by James Cooper

Daniel is busy working as a freelance illustrator, recently finishing a commissioned story written by his Holmes Inc. collaborator, James Cooper (who is continuing to write comics, write and direct short films and writes Bagged and Bored for Tdot Comics). That work isn’t published yet–but I’m sneaking in a page here.

Old Haunts pg 4, art by Daniel Wong, script by James Cooper

One of the hardest working students to ever grace a Bootcamp has to be the one, the only Gibson Quarter! When other students were asking how to find their first work, Gibson was busy networking and finding his own here and abroad. He’s worked with Alan Grant for his Wasted Magazine, pencilling Grant’s War on Drugs. (Grant started Wasted Magazine through his company Bad Press; sadly, it’s now defunct).

Wasted, California pg 5, pencils by Gibson Quarter, script by Alan Grant

Gibson was one of the first students to take a Bootcamp course, and one of the very few who got to take all three versions. Having finished Parts 1 and 2, he was able to join in on the fun with Holmes Incorporated. He pencilled Flight Plan (for writer Robert Pincombe) for Issue 1, and Polarized for Issue 2 (written by Sam Ruano).

Holmes Inc. #2, Polarized, art by Gibson Quarter, script by Kathleen Gallagher

Gibson is a workhorse, so I couldn’t possibly list everything he’s done.  He’s worked for FutureQuake Magazine, producing both a cover and interior work for Issue 15. He pencilled The Gutters with Ryan Sohmer, drawing #244. He’s in the current issue of Undertow #2 from 7th Wave (which is on the stands NOW. Review HERE. You can buy a copy from The Comic Book Lounge & Gallery, the comic store sharing space with…Toronto Cartoonists Workshop!). Gibson’s currently finishing up the pencils and inks on a story for Heroes of the North–to find out what’s next for him make sure you check out his art blog.

Deadpool Breaking Bad, pencils by Gibson Quarter, inks by Guillermo Ortego, colours by Keiren Smith

You’ll notice that all those mentioned have participated in one or both issues of Fit to Print’s:  Holmes Incorporated. The next Fit to Print will be starting up soon (looking at end of April/beginning of May?); in order to participate students have to completed at least Comic Book Bootcamp Part One.

Holmes Inc. art by Gibson Quarter, colours by Keiren Smith

This is just a quick list of some of the creators who’ve taken Ty’s classes–just think, next time I write this list up…YOU could be on it.

Keiren

FIGURE DRAWING FOR THE COMIC BOOK ARTIST

Ty really wanted to put together a blog post about his new class FIGURE DRAWING FOR THE COMIC BOOK ARTIST but he’s been too busy teaching his other classes (Writing for Comics Level One, Inking for Comics) writing a script, sketching, sleeping, and occasionally talking to his children. So, I’m here pinch-hitting…

Figure Drawing for the Comic Book Artist is a brand new class which starts tomorrow, Wednesday January 25, at TCW. The school has had Studio Life Drawing classes with Geordie Miller, and recently ran some Open Session Drop-In Life Drawing Classes. But Figure Drawing is being taught by a comic book artist with a focus on learning what other comic book artists need to know. Before this, Ty has taught Drawing the Human Figure from Memory–this obviously helps put those lessons to use! With a model in front of the class, students now have the ability to clearly see what Ty is teaching and the muscles and bones he’s trying to get them to pay attention to and learn.

As he was packing up for his Inking class tonight, I asked Ty to quickly tell me why he thought this was a good and worthwhile class. He said, “Most comic book artists learn anatomy, learn the human figure by imitating other comic book artists. While not a bad thing, it does mean that you end up making figures that look like Neal Adams drew them, or Ty Templeton or whomever you imitate. (Sometimes, depending on the artist, that means you learn to draw their mistakes!) What you need to learn is to draw from life, to draw the human figure as you see it in front of you. It helps you to know the figure, to be able to draw it out of your head, and to have your own style, your own way of drawing.”

(photo by Geordie Millar)

A couple weeks ago, Ty ran a Sneak Peek workshop for Figure Drawing for the Comic Book Artist. Every one who attended came out raving about it.

Ty Templeton teaches his Sneak Peek Workshop FIGURE DRAWING FOR THE COMIC BOOK ARTIST (photo by Geordie Millar)

Artist/animator Karly MacDonald was nice enough to send me scans of some of her drawings from the night. Ty was particularly impressed with the model, Rubie Laframboise, as she actually is eight heads high–although that’s always touted as the standard to follow in figure drawing, it’s unusual to see someone who actually fits that perfectly.

There’s still a couple of spots left in the class if you’re interested…check out the information on the Toronto Cartoonists Workshop site and reserve a space. This workshop probably won’t be offered again for several sessions after this.

(photo by Geordie Millar)

 

Keiren

The Convention Sketches Came From My Basement!

A couple of weeks ago, I put together a sketchbook for an open house/gallery show at the Toronto Cartoonists Workshop.    (click on Sketchbook by Ty above!)  We printed up a bunch of ’em, and had a dozen or so left over after the event, so we offered up em through our little website here.

Each sketchbook has a first page left intentionally blank, so that I had a space to scribble a doodle and signature and a message for the person getting it at the open house.    I can’t remember what I sketched in those books, as my brain forgets the image as soon as it’s drawn.

But when I did little front-page doodles for the fine folks who ordered copies  through the website, there was a scanner handy.  So I’m posting a bunch of them today.  While you guys are looking at them, I’m busy finishing up a script for Heroes of the North, and designing a giant killer robot for a project I’m doing with a fairly famous pal of mine at a fairly major comic company.  (What a tease I am!)  I’ll keep you posted.

This last sketch below comes with a small story.   On Tuesday I got into a conversation with someone about what is the “right” tool to ink with, and responded with the advice Joe Kubert once said:  “grab anything and use it.  If you need a specific brush or pen,  you’re not making the line, the tool is.”

Within reason, obviously. Kurbert didn't mean for anyone to ink with one of these.

Well, just for the straight up hell of it, I tried inking a sketch with the giant fat marker pictured above.  A really beat up, half dry one, too.  In fact, I searched for the skankiest marker in my studio.  This is what I got.

I wasn’t particularly trying to ape Kubert’s style when I did this, and pulled the Tarzan portrait out of my head, but there’s an eerie hint of Kubert-isms in the final sketch.  I think that’s the secret of Joe’s style.  Ink with the most awful piece of shit tool in your studio, and the constant awareness that you’ll never get a line you’ll like, that you stop looking at each stroke and focus on the whole drawing.

I’m going through the garbage and rescuing all my horrible dead brushes and gnarly markers.  That was fun!    Next sketch I do gets inked with a spray can.  I’ll show Kubert there’s tools you can’t use!

I think we have one or two sketchbooks left.   You’d have to check with my wife by going HERE.

Ty the Guy OUT!

PS:  BIG events at the Toronto Cartoonist Workshop tonight.  I shall speak of them tomorrow.

———————————————————————————–

Here now, a BONUS sketchbook page, left out of the printed collection for space.   I learned to draw the WildCATS: Animated style from back in the 90s…

Inking for Comics. I wish someone would teach people how…

Inkers.   HAH!  They are to laugh!

I inked this. I'm sometimes a professional inker.

There’s a character in the Kevin Smith film CHASING AMY who inks comics for a living, and his friends call him a professional tracer. He complains that he’s not, but convinces no one, and the movie was a minor box office hit, so it left that defining moment in America’s brain.

Banky Edwards during a moment of self-loathing

When it first started up in the 90s, the inkers at Image Comics, were working with prima donna pencilers who insisted their work be reproduced as faithfully as possible and forced their inkers to actually BE “tracers”. This further convinced a generation of comic fans that inkers were barely trained monkeys with a sweatshop tool in their unskilled paw.

un-inked pencils by Erik Larsen. The inker better not get "creative".

And of course, there’s always just running the pencils through a photoshop filter. Screw the inker, who needs ‘em? They’re only messing up my work.

But the inker is the essential last hand on the drawing. He or she is the one that makes the artwork lively, or bold, or personable, or slick, or capricious. They are the singer of the song. The human hand. The Deus Ex Machina: The creator emerges from the machine.

Consider your favorite comic book or graphic novel: A CONTRACT WITH GOD, MAUS, WATCHMEN, BATMAN YEAR ONE, RED HULK POUNDS HIS ENEMIES TO DEATH, BLANKETS, SIN CITY, V FOR VENDETTA, or Name Your Own Favorite…

pictured above: Knowing what you're doing.

Every one of these magnificent examples of the form has a distinct and memorable kind of line work. It’s built into the character of each story, inseparable to the experience, and to treat this essential skill with little more than a backhand slap is to misunderstand what makes comics the appealing form of media that they are.

Ty Templeton inks Tom Artis on Tailgunner Jo.

I’m teaching a seven week comic book inking bootcamp at the TCW this January, starting on January 17th, on Tuesday Evenings. (spaces are still available in Inking for Comics. –kts)

click here to visit the TCW online and find out more

Come on down and learn to know what you’re doing.

Click here to find out more.

Ty the Guy OUT!

PS:  If you’re in Toronto tonight, drop in for my “Drawing the Figure” drop in class.  25 bucks at the door for three hours with a live burlesque model, and an instructor who knows anatomy!   Who says this isn’t the TCW Age of Learnin’?

587A College Street (at Clinton), Toronto, On, Canada, M6G 1B2 • Phone: 647.328.1656 • info@cartoonistsworkshop.com

(AND Ty is teaching Writing for Comics Level One, Mondays, starting January 16, 7-10pm. There’s still some spots available. And there’s a special deal if you’ve taken Level One before, and you’d like to repeat it before taking Level Two in March; 50% off of Level One. contact Sean Menard  through info@cartoonistsworkshop.com for details.

AND Ty is teaching a full course for Figure Drawing for the Comic Book Artist.  Featuring a different model each Wednesday evening, beginning January 25 7-10pm, with instruction from Ty. Spaces still available, but they are limited for this course.  Keiren)

Here now, your bonus moment.

While the inking is competent, it looks like it was "traced". Sigh...

NEW YEAR, NEW CLASSES!!

It’s January, and we’re counting down the days until Ty starts teaching his next set of classes at Toronto Cartoonists Workshop.

Before he does though, the one and only Leonard Kirk is teaching a SNEAK PEEK WORKSHOP on DYNAMIC PAGE COMPOSITION. That class will be THIS Saturday, January 7, 1-4pm. Click through to book a spot; it’s $25/+HST.

Next Wednesday, January 11, it’s Ty’s turn for a SNEAK PEEK WORKSHOP, FIGURE DRAWING FOR THE COMIC BOOK ARTIST. This will be a three-hour look at what is a brand spankin’ new class. There will be a live model and instruction from Ty.  The class runs 7-10pm. Click through to book a spot; $25/+HST.

Classes “officially” begin the week of January 16. First up will beWRITING FOR COMICS, LEVEL ONE. Immediately following this session, Ty will be teaching a brand new course which will be WRITING FOR COMICS, LEVEL TWO. Level One starts Monday January 16, 7-10pm. Click through to book a spot. If you’re interested in Level Two, but it’s been a while since you’ve taken Level One, talk to Sean Menard, TCW director–he’s offering an AMAZING DEAL wherein you can get a 50% discount off of the first course.

On Tuesdays, beginning January 17, 7-10pm, Ty will be teaching INKING FOR COMICS. This is a brand new course; previous versions involved four different inkers teaching their methods and ideas. This course will be taught solely by Ty, and will involve lots of in-class work so that you can get immediate feedback on your techniques. Click through to book a spot.

Starting on Wednesdays, the following week, Ty will be teaching the full version of FIGURE DRAWING FOR THE COMIC BOOK ARTIST. This class will involve a different live model each week, with ongoing instruction from Ty.

Check out the Toronto Cartoonists Workshop website for all details and for all the other courses available. There’s also a course about watercolour painting, Life Drawing with Geordie Miller, and–yayyy!! Dave Ross will be teaching a class on Designing Environments and Props for the Comic Book Artist.

Learn how to do this from artist Dave Ross

Keiren

Ty Templeton’s Sketchbook! Yay!!

Ty had this idea that he was going to have lots of free time once he finished up his last assignment–ha! He forgot that it’s “that” month. He’d started drawing up a great Bun Toon for last Saturday but he had to finish work on the sketchbook he’s having printed up, so he posted a sequel to Son of Bun Toons instead (and there’s more! Taylor had a lot of comic book ideas in him at the time…these days, he’s much more about the video games).

But the good news is that Ty finished all the work he needed to do putting together pages for the sketchbook, and I finally finished all the work I needed to do prepping it for print.

And all for what? For this Friday December 9! Toronto Cartoonists Workshop is hosting a Faculty Art Show for its very own staff members. Ty will be there, with Leonard Kirk, Dave Ross, and Eric Kim. The guys will have artwork for show and sale, and will be answering questions about their upcoming classes.

587A College Street (at Clinton), 7-11pm. $4 suggested donation ($$ go to the Toronto Public Library), and a cash bar.

(I’ll be the woman at Ty’s table–stop by and say hello!)

Keiren