The Importance of Proof Reading
/Sketch for front matter
I’ve been staring at this book for so long that I no longer see it as a whole — I see it as a pile of disconnected pictures. I can’t see the forest because I’m always single-mindedly focusing on a single tree. I came to this realization today as I was going to my final proof. As I was reading the book on my iPad, I realized that I had left out the names of the characters. I know them all very well, but anyone reading the book would be scratching their head and thinking, “Who are these people? Don’t they have names? It’s so confusing.”
I decided to use one of the blank front matter pages to introduce the main characters to the reader. The rough sketch above shows them hanging out together. These group pictures are a big challenge for me — managing a composition with 16 arms and legs is tough.
Besides watching The Boys, I’ve been binge watching Alex Tzavaras’ massively instructive oil painting videos. You can watch them on his web site or watch them on Youtube. He’s an awesome portrait painter and teacher. I don’t intend to do any oil painting, but I feel that what he teaches will help me become a better digital painter.
