I disagree, yes we can!

Groan. Why is it our Loyal Readers are such a pun-happy bunch?

No, we can’t agree.

I post quite a few sketches and behind-the-scenes glimpses in our Patreon activity feed. The thing is, you have to be a patron to see them.

Metzger is the German word for butcher (nomen est omen). And yes, it seems like that a very bad time is coming in his direction. But I guess that there is also a surprise waiting for Hartman – how about facing his enhanced brother?

BTW : Forgot to mention that i absolutely love glimpses at production stage sketches alongside the finished pages. Hartmann looks awesome in the sketch.

Panel Four is the one most in need of reworking.

Can we agree that Hartmann works better with a rougher style?

It makes cleaning up the scan easier, but the process of drawing itself remains as difficult as ever. Since I don’t ink, any construction lines or unwanted sketchiness is time-consuming for me to remove from the pencil art.
Drawing with non-repro blue is one solution that I had been meaning to try for awhile and finally took the plunge.

But technique is like a fingerprint I suppose. Especially if one develops it over the course of a few years–or a lifetime, as the case may be. What works for me won’t work for a lot of others, and vice versa.

I found working with a blue pencil not *that* much easier but whatever floats your boat. Using Hergé’s “clear line” (whatever “Ligne claire” really is called in english) technique, drawing thin lines over each other until it hits the “perfect” outline, I simply ink over the pencil with a fineliner and then erase everything pencil around it. It has one flaw : sometimes it looks way too technical. Hergé managed to let it look easy and light.