Bottom Line Art Skills

Everyone has a baseline skill level for every endeavor. My base level for painting is represented in this storyboard cell showing the Moai family waving goodbye to Dylan Dolphin, Betty Burro, and Jimmy Jay.

Yes, this is where I start with every picture I draw. I’m starting from the level I achieved as a fourth grader at the age of nine. It’s funny how the basic skill level emerges when I’m in a hurry to get an idea down. The funny thing is, this simple image has enough information for me to reclaim my original idea for this scene. There are the foam-tipped waves lapping at their feet; The moai are no longer grey rock — they are colorful flesh and blood; Behind them is the sparse windblown beach grass, and in the background is Terevaka, the extinct volcano that is the highest point on the island.

I will work on this picture everyday, one inch at a time.

Page 44 Complete -- 44 Pages Down, 2 to GO!

In the distance, Buddy heads North while Jimmy and Betty are stranded in Mexico.

Today’s good news is that page 44 is complete. Today’s other news is that my employer just told me that my part-time hours are going to be cut in half. I actually expected this news. The bright side is that I’ll have more time to work on my third book.