#darrylayo

Really makes you think.

The cool thing about tumblr is that you can draw pictures or take photographs or type off your thoughts. The world is yours. What are you up to? My current task is rebuilding my drawing practice. I always prefer to draw on paper with simple pencils and pens. However, due to circumstances of my brain’s personality, I have an easier time establishing and keeping habits on computer tools. And so I use the iPad. For some reason, I find it easier and more natural to say to myself “time to draw” and then work on my iPad for a spell. Perhaps because my chosen drafting program, Procreate, has all kinds of tools and all of my drawings in varying stages of completion. If I’m not feeling particularly creative or inspired, I can just doodle for a moment or work on detail hatching, textures, patterns. You’ll notice that patterns are important in my art. Why do I do so many fussy patterns? Because I can relax myself and undertake a soothing, repetitive task. I enjoy that. For example:

Okay my friends,

Remember to always post on tumblr. I love you

Reproductive freedom 💃

Free Palestine 🇵🇸

Polyamory 👯‍♀️

Cats are beautiful 😻

Black Lives Matter ✊🏾

Reading fantasy 🐉

September 14-15, 2024; SPX in Bethesda, Maryland

Find me at table C7B

doodling every now and then on my computer (iPad Pro + Apple Pencil, with Procreate)

One of the best aspects of drawing digitally is that I can finally get the little fiddly bits drawn the way I like them. All of the fingers, placed where I like, not just where my pen can fit (like when I draw on regular paper). That alone is a major factor for digging deeper into digital drawing. But make no mistake; I still love/crave/desire the tactile process of drawing on paper with pens. Sometimes I wonder if I won’t split the difference by keeping a nice paper sketchbook while moving my “professional” work to the digital realm. These are just musings.

The drawing above is a sketch of a warrior who has some kind of superhuman power. Maybe I’ll get into it, maybe it’s just a doodle. Time will reveal all.

Before I close this post, my strong belief is that comics should be drawn at a slow and steady rate of one page per week and comics artists should be paid an absolute bare minimum page rate of one thousand dollars (USD) per page. The quantity of comic books produced is supported by the torturous conditions by which comics are produced. And I truly believe that the audience does not even want that many comic books; they’re simply trying to keep up with their stories.

If the comic book publishers released one forty-eight page graphic novel of each character, each year, I believe that they would be more accessible, easier to sell to people outside of the fan community, and most importantly, they would be produced in a manner that allows the artists to live well.

Thanks for listening,