astridv | (no subject)

Uh, yeah. I'm way behind on commenting and all things internet. Two weeks ago I, I dunno, pulled or twisted my back and as a result walked around with a knot of steely ropes where once were muscles. It kept me mostly in read-only mode. On the upside, the gordian knot seems to finally slowly un-knot itself, but it's been really distracting and I got only half my planned work done. On top of that, the format of the book I'm currently working on is a few centimeters longer than A3... doubtlessly just to annoy me. I have the first four pages pencilled and need a way to transfer them onto the watercolor paper. I've been trying to coax the copy machine at my favorite Xerox place to do just that. Four failed attempts so far, each time a different problem. Now I'm debating whether I should try one last time with slightly lighter paper (risking that the copyshop owner will get an aneurysm the moment he sees me walking in) or bite the bullet and trace the drawings on my lightbox* like our forefathers did and their forefathers before them (I guess they didn't even have lightboxes before that). There's one whole stage that I'd practically eliminated from my work process, back. Meh.

So, aneurysm or lightbox, that's the question. I'm actually leaning toward tracing; I could ink it with sepia and make it look extra shiny so the extra work wouldn't be entirely pointless.

*but speaking of lightbox, lookit this baby. We went to IKEA where I got it: a desk with built-in lightbox.

And these past three days I colored three double spread pages of the historical book so I'm no longer feeling like I'm making no progess at all. And I got word that our 'Nanuk will fliegen' got licensed out to a US publisher, which makes the author and me pretty ecstatic. And I read some awesome fic, but I'll make that an extra post, or several...

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You make me dream... You've got one of the coolest jobs in the whole universe.

the format of the book I'm currently working on is a few centimeters longer than A3

Oh, my gawd, how aggravating! What a spot to be in. You've given it a good try with the xeroxing, but... hm. Maybe it's time to bite the bullet and trace? I hate to say it, but it probably won't take as long as you think.

I'll cross my fingers for you re the copying, though.

And I read some awesome fic

Oh oh oh, lemme guess. this one! (http://www.rhymer.org.uk/sga/pirate/pirate.htm) :) I noticed from our comments we were reading it at the same time (unless you waited a couple of days to comment - I usually jump in like a crazy woman in case I forget altogether. I think I used the word 'amazing' six times in two sentences. *has such a way with words*)

Congratulations on the US interest for 'Nanuk will fliegen'! Toll!

Yep, that's the one. Well, there were more great fics I read, but this one's currently at the top of my must-rec!! list. I went back to read your comment and the part that you quoted is also one of my favorite moments in the story - among many others. It says so much, in so few words. 'Amazing' about covers it. :)

Congratulations on the US interest for 'Nanuk will fliegen'! Toll!

Thanks. It's the first of mine to get translated into English. I had stuff come out in Finnish or Chinese and a few other languages, and it's always neat to see that. But the English market is so much larger, harder to crack too, I think. So we're pleased.

Maybe it's time to bite the bullet and trace? I hate to say it, but it probably won't take as long as you think.

You're probably right. I might still make this one last attempt, but at this point it almost seems to be less hassle to do it by hand. Well, it might make an interesting change.

It is a cool job, yeah. I mean, it can be a tad frustrating at times, when you see the kind of money they make in many of the other graphic professions. We're like the red-headed step child, it feels like. But OTOH the kind of freedom we get is pretty near priceless, and when I read blog entries by folks who work in the tv or movie industry (advertising too, but I've never been interested in doing that anyway) sometimes I don't know if that kind of stress would be worth it.

Though I'm also toying with the idea of trying my hand at storyboarding some time, should the opportunity presents itself. High-stress or not, that area has always fascinated me.