Alex Fellows Blog

Flower Power!

2011-01-27T18:19:00.002-05:00

Spain & Morocco t-shirt

2010-11-30T17:14:00.003-05:00

Hello! You can vote for my t-shirt on Threadless! Voting is open for one week. And you have to be a member, which is more elaborate than electoral voting in many parts of the world, but hey, c'mon this is fashion we're talking about.

Page 47 of Spain & Morocco, step-by-step.

2010-10-15T21:29:00.016-04:00

A) Scribbling, writing in the margins, trying out ideas, working out the dialogue.

B) Settling on something more concrete, picking out "anchor" panels; they will not change, while the remaining panels, "floaty" panels, could change a few more times.

C) Tightening the whole page up, making more changes as I see the overall layout. In this case, I got worried because of the floor tiles in the bird's eyes view (panels 1-3-5). They seemed jarring when placed close to each other, like they should somehow be connected, but were not (like some bad trompe l'oeil). I toned down the lines, which helped. Is your heart racing? Mine is.

D) Step D, inking. I love inking, but I have to force myself to take breaks. I can ink a page in one hour, but I force myself do housework every twenty minutes or so, or else it starts looking too rushed and sloppy... although some people might argue my work always looks like that.

E) More inking.

F) Inking finished. I now erase the pencil lines. This is always a bit of a downer because I feel the pages look better with that smooth gray sheen.

G) I start putting down the watercolor. "Code" color usually comes first, meaning I paint in the colors that don't change. For example, Dan's shirt, which he's been wearing for 20 pages or so, is Japonica Scarlett Red. Write that down, scholars.

H) Putting in the green.

I) Now I start putting in washes. I have to be careful not to put too much, or else the paper buckles. I work on simple Strathmore Bristol board, which isn't really meant for watercolor, but is perfect for inking. Also, it prevents me from getting carried away and putting ten washes of color on every panel.

J) Last step, blue washes. Finished? I guess. I'm tired of looking at the page at this point, so I put it away for a day or so while it dries. I do a few more touch-ups before scanning, and that's it!

Baby Sketches

2010-04-21T21:51:00.004-04:00

Thomas, born January 23rd 2010. He likes to kick it.

Vintage Fellows

2010-02-25T13:55:00.003-05:00

Brochure I drew at age 7, promoting forests. I asked my parents to make a photocopy of a picture of a forest, of which I cut out an area for the little man.

Life Drawing-ing-ing

2010-01-10T15:12:00.003-05:00

Spain & Morocco

2009-10-25T09:08:00.000-04:00

I've slowed down on the blog posts recently, partially due to my computer dying, but mostly because I've been working on serializing my brand new graphic novel 'Spain & Morocco'.
It's the story of two disgruntled guys traveling abroad, and the parade of follies that comes with such a journey.

You will get one page a week, for free of course... And I will keep posting on this blog, too.

Metro Sketches

2009-09-23T23:30:00.004-04:00

Back from Vacation

2009-09-20T21:16:00.007-04:00

More Life Painting

2009-06-20T21:18:00.003-04:00

Life Drawings slash Paintings

2009-06-02T08:30:00.000-04:00

Fishman!

2009-05-31T22:08:00.001-04:00

Action Comix

2009-05-09T18:45:00.001-04:00

Fish Man Vs. Baseball

Hot Air

2009-05-04T21:52:00.002-04:00

Sketches for the jobless

2009-05-01T08:00:00.003-04:00

In honor of May Day, worker's day, I am posting sketches about the pitfalls of searching for employment. And in this current ______ _______, we all know how difficult it can be to stay optimistic.

Tonight's winning lottery numbers: 13, 24, 30, 2, 10, 46.

MM Boat

2009-04-26T10:07:00.001-04:00

Sketches (model)

2009-04-19T22:08:00.004-04:00

These were done at Dr. Sketchy in Montreal. Apparently, they have branches all around the world. Fun place to do live-model drawing.

Juice

2009-04-14T19:26:00.002-04:00

Sketches (bus, subway)

2009-04-13T18:19:00.003-04:00

Happy Easter

2009-04-10T11:20:00.004-04:00

Rain guy

2009-04-06T20:29:00.002-04:00

Sketches (random)

2009-04-04T13:44:00.004-04:00

Art School

2009-04-01T21:36:00.003-04:00

Meet the Monkey

2009-03-31T11:48:00.002-04:00

Sketches (writing)

2009-03-29T11:39:00.004-04:00

clap clap clap clap

2009-03-27T11:58:00.003-04:00

Sweep it Under the Rug

2009-03-24T17:23:00.003-04:00

This is a commissioned strip I did, with only the title as inspiration. Everything else, the raccoon, the bunk bed, Bart, was all my recipe.

Spring Break

2009-03-23T22:07:00.005-04:00

And hey, thanks to The Ephemerist, a really great site to blow time, for featuring me today.

Club

2009-03-22T21:29:00.003-04:00

oooooo

2009-03-20T21:46:00.005-04:00

A page of doodles from my desk, scanned, then doodled over in photoshop. So now YOU can print it out and doodle all over it! Hellooooo springtime!

Birds

2009-03-18T11:25:00.002-04:00

Readin' the obits'

2009-03-17T21:50:00.003-04:00

Sketch (coffee break)

2009-03-14T12:50:00.002-04:00

Cat on chair

2009-03-11T16:38:00.003-04:00

...once again.

La Soif 2.0

2009-03-09T11:06:00.005-04:00

Here is a 'tribute' to a great David Mazzucchelli comic for the always entertaining COVERED blog:
http://coveredblog.blogspot.com/

Computer troubles

2009-03-07T11:53:00.004-05:00

jdsfhjknlasy98epf poidsu-meew3 yhgtfrfdrstj fisstrgtttttttrdcdjydtytkydcdkilll765 v7643 -- cvcc4cc44yccvtreyctr99eyvv trhhhhhhhooorthhhhcvuy5eyt4ewcy4w5764w2u;p^èĥghggfaa

Sketch

2009-03-06T15:17:00.003-05:00

Absent-minded penciling over unfinished sketch done on bus. I just like the feel of a sharp pencil on smooth paper. Realxing...

Symphony

2009-03-05T13:14:00.001-05:00

Big ol sun

2009-03-01T20:10:00.002-05:00

Ripped

2009-02-21T17:47:00.002-05:00

Ripped section of unfinished illustration. I still throw tantrums when the paint doesn't do what I want it to.

Sketches (reading, sleeping, listening)

2009-02-18T10:21:00.003-05:00

More freeway

2009-02-15T10:58:00.002-05:00

More from an old sketchbook (2003-2004).

Piglets

2009-02-11T23:52:00.001-05:00

Sketches (public transportation in winter)

2009-02-06T20:24:00.004-05:00

Everybody puffy and sad.

More waves

2009-02-04T19:06:00.004-05:00

Waves

2009-01-31T11:40:00.005-05:00

These are select areas of a bigger work in progess.

Dying Pets

2009-01-28T19:34:00.003-05:00

Crows

2009-01-24T16:32:00.000-05:00

Oil on Canvas, 10 x 15

Big Baby Bird

2009-01-21T18:52:00.004-05:00

Sketch (knitting)

2009-01-15T21:09:00.004-05:00

The sketches you see here are from a sketchbook that mysteriously dissapeared from my life a few days ago. I did not leave it anywhere (because I haven't really been anywhere for about a week), and I searched my place high and low (I can understand losing a business card, but a 4x6 inch sketchbook?), so either I threw it out my window while sleepwalking, or somebody stole it from me, both of which are unlikely. I just wish I knew the answer. It's mighty frustrating to scour every inch of your home, looking under the sofa, behind the litter box, through the stupid bathroom magazine rack, cursing up a storm, mentally rounding up suspects who could've stolen your goddamn sketchbook (the landlord? of course! he has the key!), while knowing that it just has to be somewhere.

Random Illustration 1293702

2009-01-11T19:54:00.002-05:00

Painting

2009-01-09T14:31:00.002-05:00

Oil on Canvas, 2 by 3 feet.

Sketch (profiles at the library)

2009-01-06T20:09:00.002-05:00

Sketch (reading)

2009-01-04T20:00:00.001-05:00

X-mas

2008-12-22T21:20:00.003-05:00

A Christmas illustration I did for my old pals at Face3Media.

Pammy pt.3

2008-12-19T23:24:00.003-05:00

Sketch (Cat on a Couch)

2008-12-15T20:45:00.001-05:00

Right where they fucking belong.

Sketch (sandals)

2008-12-14T16:17:00.002-05:00

Remember sandals? Me neither.

Random Illustration 14

2008-12-13T13:47:00.003-05:00

Don't piss off God.

Random Illustration 13

2008-12-11T22:46:00.001-05:00

What's the joke?

Art Sale

2008-12-08T21:25:00.004-05:00

The AIIQ, an illustrator's association I belong to, is having a big sale of original art here in Montreal. The opening is this Thursday, December 11th from 5pm to 9pm. 372 St-Catherine, suite #123 (BELGO Building), Metro Place-Des-Arts. Good X-Mas Gifts!

Business Cards

2008-12-08T12:43:00.002-05:00

Samples of handmade business cards I did for myself. Last time I had cards, I gave out about 2% of them. Better to make a small amount this time around. Also, I figure the reciever is less likely to throw away a card if it's "unique".

Random Illustration 12

2008-12-07T14:16:00.002-05:00

Sketches (heads!)

2008-12-05T22:17:00.004-05:00

Random Illustration 11

2008-12-03T11:32:00.002-05:00

Sketch (library cruising)

2008-11-26T19:33:00.001-05:00

I sketched this at the library. The guy on the right kept trying to start conversations with the girl on the left. She was polite. She would listen to whatever he was talking about, then put her headphones back on. After a while, he got up, walked away and came back a moment later, looking pretty nervous. He stood beside the girl, pointed towards the exit and mentionned that he was leaving. She looked back down at her book and quickly shook her head like she was trying to shake a fly away. Can't blame a guy for trying, but from the look on his face, he won't be trying anything again soon.

Sketch (haha)

2008-11-25T21:28:00.000-05:00

Random Illustration 9

2008-11-24T22:59:00.001-05:00

Evil flower shop lady. They're not all like that.

Random Illustration 8

2008-11-23T15:54:00.001-05:00

22 by 30

Multischmedia_01

2008-11-22T13:12:00.000-05:00

Random Illustration 7

2008-11-20T10:34:00.001-05:00

The sketch and final product of my 'Frog-Duck' illustration.

Sketch (metro)

2008-11-18T22:52:00.000-05:00

Sketch (poolside)

2008-11-17T21:17:00.000-05:00

It's SNOWING now, so what better time for a stubborn, contradictory guy like me to pull out a poolside sketch from this summer.

Random Illustration 6

2008-11-16T15:26:00.000-05:00

I never finished this one... not sure why.

Random Illustration 5

2008-11-15T12:22:00.000-05:00

Freeway. FREEWAY!

Pammy, pt.2

2008-11-13T08:59:00.000-05:00

More Pammy adventures.

Sketch (evil moon)

2008-11-12T18:12:00.000-05:00

Full moon tonight. Watch ya back...

Sketch (cat)

2008-11-08T12:48:00.000-05:00

Random Illustration 3

2008-11-08T11:54:00.001-05:00

These are a series of illustrations from three years ago for the satirical band 'Fire's Manifest'. Don't feel bad if you've never heard of them.

Sketch (conference)

2008-11-07T18:29:00.000-05:00

Random Illustration 2

2008-11-07T10:54:00.000-05:00

Color sketch proposal about how choosing a Health Care provider is like choosing a spouse. It was painted on cheap paper, which gives a nice rippling effect to the background.

Sketch (o sole mio)

2008-11-06T12:38:00.000-05:00

Sketch (sleep)

2008-11-06T10:51:00.000-05:00

Pammy, pt.1

2008-11-05T14:11:00.000-05:00

Comic strip about a fat girl, Pammy.