trying and testing paper for graphic novel, sketching and inking ☁ art studio vlog

I wasn't expecting to take a break this long! I missed you, I'm so happy to be back : .. )

A Fran video about paper? Yes please! When I survey new potential sketchbooks I always think of you and our shared love of feeling paper! It brings me back to one of the first videos of yours I saw.

I think it's great to see the slow process as it highlights the truth about how long art takes to make. So much of our world is speeded up and people get the impression that creating art or stories is easy and fast. That couldn't be further from the truth. It's quite meditative watching you draw at normal speed with lovely jazz. I love it x

The a4 scanner is quite suitable for illustrations of any format, the whole secret is to scan a large sheet piece by piece and then combine everything into one picture in Photoshop. There are a lot of videos on YouTube on how to combine a large scanned illustration into one image. Everything will work out)

thanks for the lovely video, fran! honestly, i really love the "loud" silence and also the "real time" painting sequences:-) those are very calming to me😊

Fran, como bien dices, “autocompassion is the answer”. Es totalmente normal que no tengas los 5 sentidos y estés presente en todo, es un logro que a pesar de las circunstancias estés cumpliendo tus metas ¡Date un abrazo como se lo darías a otra amiga en tus circunstancias! Te mando yo otro ♥️🫂✨

I find sometimes its hard to be consistent on YouTube. But luckily I get to watch some of my favorite creators that keep me motivated to keep going and going... Thanks.

love it when you add grey scales. soothing

I love watching you work in real time, it's both therapeutic and makes me feel much better in my own way of working. Sped up videos tend to demotivate me and make me feel utterly incompetent, I'm so slow it seems by comparison, yet, in truth, we are all slow, but that's what I love about art - it's all about being present and in the flow. Thanks Fran, great video! 🙏

Hi Fran. Big fan of your art. May I share some of the paper using experince: I've use Canson Fanboy Comic Art boards(11x17in-150lb) for Comic making Penciling& Inking. It comes with 24 pages and cost about $24 on amazon&Blick art, which is about $1/per page; There's blue mark for comic grid but you can draw on the reverse side, which is blank. The paper has "Eye protection" feature so it's not 100% white, be aware of that if you mind that. What I like about the paper is the vellum surface feels really nice when you are inking, but the surface never get damaged by eraser, it feels really good if someone have sensibility when inking the artwork; Another good paper for Pencil&Inking is Strathmore Bristol 200 Series Bristol Pad-Smooth-(11x17in, 24 sheets, 100lb) , the paper is super great, and it's brighter than the Canson Fanboy. If you're used to Manga paper, you probably like it. For me it's just little bit too slippy...Strathmore have also Vellum version, which is 300 series(Yellow cover), but the vellum option didn't work very well with the eraser (it's hard to erase the pencil line). Strathmore also have 500 series Bristol bloc, they are acid-free and made of 100% cotton, but they are more expensive....I tried once and I found out the Canson Fanboy is good enough for me. But who knows, maybe you'll like it. They should be great for gallery&archive use. Here's the link for you to check: https://www.dickblick.com/products/strathmore-sequential-bristol-board/ Keep on your works!

Hi, I'm just here for the vibes, but in regards to the time lapse stuff, I've noticed the same thing with my hobbies. Watching someone speed through a project has really given me unrealistic expectations on how long a process can take. So I find myself jumping into things I want to get done "today" that really need several weeks of dedication. So thanks for slowing it down and showing the real grind involved with producing something!

Fran it is sooo lovely to have you back,you have been greatly missed!!! :virtualhug::chillwcat::shelterin:🫂🫖🍵🥧☕🕯📓🖋Warm hugs from Sweden💖

Lo de la velocidad de los videos: Es hermoso ver cómo trabaja la mano a velocidad normal. Me parece además que para quienes te seguimos, que hacemos arte, es un alivio tener de referencia a que velocidasd realmente pasan las cosas. Muchos hermos llegado a sentir que un speedpaint es la velocidad de trabajo a la que deberíamos apuntar. Para quienes no crean, también me parece que es importante que entiendas toda la voluntad y consciencia que hay detrás de cada trazo. No somos una IA, y es necesario que no sea así. Saludos desde Argentina!

Fran, I was just thinking about you yesterday! So glad to see one of your videos again. A pleasure as always and the mixture of editing (fast, slow, music or 'silence') is great and your signature style. Don't change it!

Self-compassion is definitely the hardest because we are our own worst critic. I'm proud of you for working through the things going on in your life - even if it meant a YouTube break. I'm sorry about your Dad but here's a prayer he can be calm and comfortable through what's happening. I also feel you about buying wrong specs or size electronics. We all do it - so don't feel alone. Congratulations for working with what you have. 💖

I'm excited to see you speak at VALS this Thursday. I really love your approach to the inking process. Sending good energy ❤

This was so lovely and cozy Fran! ❤️ I’m looking forward to learn more about your process in creating your graphic novel!

Donˋt feel silly for the scaner incident. It’s normal when your mental health is spiraling. As you Said, be gente with yourself. I truly know this feeling, so you are not alone with this. Wishing you some strenght for your challenges, besides your amazing novel project. As an Illustrator myself, i really enjoy your process and behind the scenes. Greentings from Germany and good luck for everything!🍀

I really thought the real-time "slow" inking was still sped up - your lines are SO confident and smooth! I also feel like short videos have made me question my own art speed, but work I'm proud of takes me a really long time, and it's hard to just relax into the monotony of making marks on paper sometimes. And if you ever wanted to make a video about how you think about greyscale art, I know I'd be fascinated. I love the contrast you still get from your comic pages despite the limited palette!

happy to see you back <3 love your videos!!! thank you for brightening our days with them