Alex Eckman-Lawn: The Artist at Work
When Nick Tapalansky and Alex Eckman-Lawn’s Awakening debuted in 2007, it quickly became one of the most talked about new projects around. Its young creators took the standard “zombies attack a remote town” theme and turned it around, making it more about the investigation of hard-living detective Derrick Peters. No zombies are ever seen (at least not yet), and there’s no guarantee that we ever will. No matter. What we do see, and relish, is Eckman-Lawn’s magnificent artistry on every page.
The edgy illustrations are simply incredible, so we asked Alex to walk us through the creation of one of the pages. He politely obliged. Read on to see his account of how he created one of the pages of the book, but first learn more about this talented artist in his interview—you’re going to be hearing a lot more about him soon. And then check out the first volume of Awakening, which has just been released from Archaia.
What’s your background as an artist?
I have a BFA in illustration from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Beyond that, I’ve been drawing since I was a kid. I have a box in my attic full of really embarrassing (and awesome) comics that I drew in middle school.
Who were some of the comics artists who influenced you?
Back then, it was a lot of the Silver Age guys. I took out a copy of How to Draw the Marvel Way from my library and then had my dad photocopy as many pages as he could for me. Nowadays, I’m way more influenced by the kind of “fine-artsy” kind of dudes: Ashley Wood, Dave McKean, Phil Hale. I'm a big fan of Mike Mignola as well, though it probably shows less. Also, I went through a pretty big manga phase in my youth. I still have a ton of respect for certain books and artists.
When did you determine you wanted to illustrate comics?
When Nick convinced me to try it. I honestly had no intention of doing sequential work until Nick found my work and basically bullied me into giving it a shot. So I owe him big for that.
What are some of the first comics that made an impression on you? What impressed you about them?
I was an impressionable kid in the ’90s, so I loved the X-Men and Spider-Man, Batman…and to some degree Spawn and some other Image books. I don’t think I really even liked Spawn; I just bought it ’cause my friends told me it was intense. Sorry these are such standard answers. I’m a little disappointed in myself!
How would describe Awakening?
As a zombie noir that may not involve zombies at all. That’s the standard pitch. It’s a mystery, and that’s what I really love about it.
How did you come to the style used for the book?
Well, I guess, luckily for me, the book kind of came to my style. Nick had an idea of what he wanted and I was perfect for it, or so he tells me. So I’m just doing what I do! It’s the perfect situation for me.
Who does the coloring for the book?
I do the coloring. I do all the art for the book.
How did you, Nick, and Thomas all work together to determine the overall look, tone, and feel of Awakening?
Hmm… Well, Nick had a really pretty clear idea of what he wanted the book to look like. I brought my aesthetic sense to it, and tried to incorporate all the stuff I’m really into where I could (lots of power lines everywhere), but as I said, it was a pretty easy fit. My work is pretty dark, and it’s a dark kind of story. There’s lots of room for me to kind of run wild and do what I like, so I’d say the look of the book evolved pretty naturally from what we both were interested in seeing. Thomas does some kind of crazy voodoo with letters that blows me away. He’s so dedicated to what he does, it really is amazing, and I always know he's going to do the right thing for the book.
The Making of Awakening, Chapter 4, Page 5
by Alex Eckman-Lawn
Hello, all! Hope you’re not looking for pointers here because, as you’ll soon see, I have no idea what I’m doing. It’s a miracle this page came together at all! I’ve chosen a splash page from Awakening issue #4 [also included in Awakening, Vol. 1] ’cause it actually started with a pencil drawing and I thought it’d be fun to show the madness that happens between pencils and finished page.
So here’s the sketch. Nothing too refined, as I’m planning on doing most of the work in Photoshop. It’s just sort of a loose roadmap of what I want to do.
Now, I just throw some simple color behind it and build my initial texture. I’m going for a pretty “painterly” look with this page. I’ve used some scanned oil texture and stacked panels. Also, I’ve given her a bright red nose. She looks like a drunk.
More texture and refining! I’ve started to add photographic elements like her hands, clothing, and teeth. I’ve also worked into the background some more, adding more panels and some scanned paisley pattern. Things are coming along nicely, but it’s looking rough and a bit flat.
I’ve done a fair amount of color adjusting and building. The piece is at a point where I’m willing to call it finished. Now Nick and I have a decision to make. I’m fairly satisfied with the piece, but the face doesn’t really fit with the style of the book or the previous pages in this issue. Time to make the tough choice to work back into the page and get a face that works better for the book! Looking at it now, this face looks ridiculous to me. There are things I like about it, but it looks like a cartoon.
I’ve completely painted over the old face with a more realistic and way more modeled one and I’ve done some color adjusting as well to warm up those emerald greens I had. Ahh, much better. This looks and feels more like Awakening, and technically probably a better face. Revisions can be rough, but when they’re for the better, you really can’t be mad.
So there you have it! The entire terrifying journey from sketch to completed page. Hope you guys enjoyed the peek behind the curtain and if you want to see more, check us out on the web:
http://www.archaia.com/archaia-titles/awakening/
Or better yet, order the book for the full experience.
Thanks, all! Keep it brutal.--Alex
-- John Hogan
