March 31st - 2022: My Library, Its Purpose - Part 2

After having looked into my more favourite comics from my collection in Part 1, I am now going to take a deeper dive into art from some of those favourites that really stand out to me, and can be of use in the project. I shall start with something well known, and hopefully if you've heard of it, you will instantly recognise it, both art and artist.

Mike Mignola - Hellboy

Hellboy, what a great name for a comic, as well as its anti-hero protagonist. With its incredible story (most of the time, mainly when Mignola is still writing it) and writing by Mignola, the artwork also by Mignola makes the concept and title greater overall.

I was only introduced, well discovered, the Hellboy comics after seeing the two Hellboy movies made in the early 2000s. They were okay, I mean they were successful for its time, but when comparing the films to the comics I can see why the adaptations feel off from its source material. HELLBOY IS TOO RED!

Who ever thought this was a good idea (well it was, it was a massive box office success and warranted a sequel), please get your eyes check... This is because of the art style of Mignola, as it uses a very bright colours with sharp contrasts and little shading, except for when it is necessary and is utilised well.

This is what makes Hellboy stand out in the huge comic publishing, and art, world. You look at the Mignola's art and instantly think of Hellboy, regradless if it is a Hellboy title or not.

The clever use of blacks and bold colours bring a vivid and bold look to the fictional yet fleshed out world he has created, enhancing the engaging and unique story to its maximum. Mignola's style has been kept up and improved over the years, taking on new skills and tricks when creating his artwork, especially since he would have had to do most of the penciling, inking and colouring by hand in the 1990s when the comic was first published, when now most artists have now begun to use or have fully switched over to using digital methods when creating their artwork. It is evident that Mignola has used some digital aspects to help refine and edit his work, but like a lot of things, a computer can only be human to a certain degree, as we all make mistakes with real life objects. You can still feel the time and physical care that Mignola gives into his artwork, and know that it is real, with the rough lines and odd dots of ink or paint that make the pieces he creates all the greater. (I have gone into more detail about my thoughts on the realism and cheating of artwork in another blog post. Link provided here: March 18th - 2022: But it isn’t… (havenmilne20.wixsite.com))

What I found when getting myself reacquainted with the artist and his work, was how it was vaguely similar to the artist style that I was finding and refining for my own artwork. The two similarities that I have noticed first are that:

1. When creating shadows in the pieces, or parts of clothing are black (as well as outlines and detail lines), they are solid black.

2. I am not using a great deal of shading, except for when it is created when printing with the printing matrixes that I create (wood, lino, chin-colle), begin to fade after the matrixes are inked-up (coated with ink) and put through a print press without re-inking, allowing for a gradual fade of less and less ink being transferred onto my desired canvas (paper, card, cloth).

I have felt doubtful of the style that I have been trying to create in my recent pieces for this project, not sure that it would work, even though I have had a few very positive prints. Now, looking and comparing Mike Mignola's work with my own, it has made me feel a lot better, more confident with what I am trying to create with my shadows and designs, knowing that if I keep pushing with what I have planned, I can create what I am imagining in my mind (wish you could look in my head right now as I write this, the mass of images passing me by) and make a successful project.

Bibliography:

• 2004. Hellboy (2004). [image] Available at: <https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNTkxNzkzMDY0OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwOTc4ODUyMDI@._V1_.jpg> [Accessed 1 April 2022].

• 2004. Hellboy (2004). [image] Available at: <https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58d949f82994ca9ba7421dd2/1630702599247-AS95Z6PY22G82JS7Y3XX/intro-1552678673.jpeg?format=1000w> [Accessed 1 April 2022].

• 2004. Hellboy (2004). [image] Available at: <https://img.republicworld.com/republic-prod/stories/promolarge/xhdpi/8c8yjr4qbuslvpje_1608292452.jpeg> [Accessed 1 April 2022].

• 1994. Hellboy: Seed of Destruction. [image] Available at: <https://static1.cbrimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Hellboy-Seed-of-Destruction-by-Mike-Mignola.jpg> [Accessed 1 April 2022].

• 2015. Frankenstein Underground. [image] Available at: <https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UUZzrYCO_vFZzFfEIiuKNBsI874=/0x331:599x730/1200x800/filters:focal(0x331:599x730)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45934242/FRANKU1.0.0.jpg> [Accessed 1 April 2022].

• Mignola, M., 2022. Hellboy. [image] Available at: <https://i.pinimg.com/originals/3b/b4/29/3bb429345e017be7afde0ff2c19fa87a.jpg> [Accessed 1 April 2022].