So after finishing my last sketch book more then a year ago and an age-and-a-bit of total artistic lethargy I finally broke out the new sketch book about four days ago and started doodling.

I got the scanner working on vista, drew up some concepts for a comic that seemed to be coming along nicely, scanned them in -

- And then my tablet died...
...damn.

Its amazing really; most of the old stuff I did (the bits that get the most comments ironically enough) were all done with naught but a humble mouse and clever PS7 tools. Yet since buying the tablet more then two years ago I found that those skill had almost totally left me. If you use a tablet for most of your work try this now; get your spouse or sibling to take the thing and hide it for few days and try to manage with just a mouse for the first time in years, I guarantee you'll see the same results I am experiencing at the moment. I'm almost surprised by how much I've come to rely on a no-fuss 'pen to screen' interface. Now I'm without it and struggling with even the most basic line art. Who'd have thunk.

Ah well, I've still got the ol' RL-sketchbook at least and this lil' hitch doesn't seem to have stemmed the concept drawings any, which is odd as I'm usually a bit of a defeatist. I supose revisiting these skills isn't such a bad thing either considering how much they have begun to dwindled in my complacency. Either way I get paid next week so I'll be back in the game within a fortnight with any luck.

Hopefully over the next few months this page should become a little more active again.

...

...

Wonder if anyone actually reads these things?