From the looking back part, here is a small series I made for a Haven contest in May 2008. I had been captioning for about 3 months or so I think at that point. I hadn't even gotten my official font yet, but it looks like I was starting to evolve back then to a path I am still on now. Back then, I was doing much more with sets of pictures and trying make actual stories with them. For me, it was time consuming, and not only that, my ADD would kick in and I'd just sort of drift off. This caption set is definitely from when I was learning how to make captions. I am not ashamed of it, but I think I started to hit my stride as a Captioneer later on that year as I got more comfortable letting the real Dee come out and play with others. I've also decided that I am not going to "Lucas" any of my old captions if I can help it. Han will always shoot first in my world!
Now over a thousand panels on, I think I've solidified exactly what I do into what I like to call "The Dee Aesthetic" that pretty much identifies any caption I make relatively distinctive to me. However, I can and will evolve more if I think I can. At this point though, it seems only like baby steps on that path. This year, I think I might try to look at some of my favorite captioners and see what drew me into their work, and if somehow I can reflect that more in my future work. It'd also be fun to find a few new people I haven't been exposed to that would just KNOCK my stockings off!
DISCUSSION QUESTION: With the new year upon us, is there anything new you wanted to try doing in the TG realm? Does looking at your old work ever spark something to try in your latest pieces? Have you ever thought about going back and redoing some of your earliest work to make it better?
Happy New Year Dee!
ReplyDeleteAbout the only thing I want to try in the TG realm is try out a full fledged story (thanks for planting that seed!). I'll be honest that I'm a little nervous about taking that step. I'm afraid that I won't have it in me to do it, and I just hate trying something and failing. I guess it is telling that I let the POSSIBILITY of failure stop me from embarking on new things. I'm also afraid that I will find that I can write in long form, and enjoy doing it. If that is the case, it is something else that occupies my TG time, and may move capping completely off my desk. I have no plans to make that push... I'll let it fall organically like I do caps. If I feel that I have the right story idea (that won't work for a longish cap) and the time to invest, I'll take a swing.
I don't draw much inspiration from my own work. It never gives me that spark to try something different. Once the work is done, it's done. That is why I never think about going back and redoing some of my earlier work. I'm sure design wise, I could improve on many of my earlier works. Even story wise they could all stand a re-fresh, but then I'd be walking a path that I've already walked. I would rather leave myself open to new paths. About the only thing I consider doing is fixing the typos and obvious spelling errors. But that would be a full time job!
I've only thought about and have gone back to older work to fix typos and mis-spellings.
ReplyDeletethere is one cap I would like to redo, but it's not a big deal. it was one of my first caps in Ms paint, so I would have to just make it all over again. not a big lost.
But, as for my newest work, I've done lots! of new stuff. I've told you all about it, but I don't think you have seen any of them.
I'm still very proud of them and plan to keep going with it. new layouts in comic life, new methods to use in story telling, even one caption that was written to the rhythm of a song! So I've really stretched out as an "artist " lately. having a blast doing it too!
I've tried to emulate other artists with my own little ideas,(like my Smitty caps) and am still writing up two story's! heh, one in caption's, and one that will be made over into both mediums.