Travis Walton

One thing I took out of Travis Walton's discussion was how there are so many different approaches in comics, that there isn't one way to pencil or one way to ink, that within a single job your creativity can shine through and you can make your mark.

Sorry this one's so short, I kept forgetting to write this. >_<

Standards - Travis Walton

I could go off about how amazed I was with his line process.  I never thought of how that was actually done, but instead, I would really like to comment on Travis's response to Ryan's question about being influenced by his morals in his decisions and listening to the spirit.

I don't know if that is something that I yet understand.  I think I still equate happiness with monetary things, but I was impressed when Travis said that he could be living the high life but instead chose to be happy.  He devided the two and for some reason it just kind of hit me hard.  He was doing what he loved for himself, and though he made a living at it, he didn't let the money define his success.  Its a lesson I have still been thinking about for a while now.

Travis Walton - Adam Borgia

Having Travis Walton come and give a short presentation was great. I liked hearing him talk about the collaborative process involved in all the stages of making comics. I imagine that it's similar to other artistic projects, which is why I found it so relevant considering the projects I am currently involved with. It brought up in my mind a dilemma that I wonder if all artists encounter--how much do you sacrifice your vision in favor of just getting a job done, and what's more important to you, getting paid or having something you're proud of with your name on it?

He continued on this idea of "balancing" and the "give-and-take" by bringing up or mentioning little things like how important it is to listen to your gut (or the Spirit for those of us who understand the context he was using) versus simply following what looks good on paper. I don't know how many other professional people would make that kind of statement, so it was nice to hear.

Travis Walton - Brandon Pedersen

Most interesting to me, from Travis Walton's presentation, was the history of the graphic novel itself. I've been purchasing graphic novels and trade paperback collections for so long I began to forget the distinction between the two. Rather a graphic novel is a story in its own right, a comic book in long narrative form, not a collection of several issues under one cover.

I was surprised to lean the graphic novel was such a recent innovation, the first being published by the Godfather of graphic storytelling, Will Eisner, in 1978. More surprising still, and what I cannot believe I was unaware of, that many of the classic Marvel storylines I enjoyed growing up were graphic novels. I had retroactively, and subconsciously, begun to think of them as trades rather than true graphic novels. However, once Travis re-cemented the distinction in my mind it was fun to go back through my collection and firmly identify what was and was not an actual graphic novel.

Travis Walton - Penciling

Travis Walton gave 3 specific points when it comes to penciling:

1. Pre-visualization - You need to determine the details, like how will I draw this characters nose from every angle? How will the texture on this costume look? How long will this character's hair be? This is where you lay down the ground rules and figure out rock solid character designs that will look consistent in every panel.

2. Clarity - Obviously the reader needs to know what is going on in your image, so make things comprehensible

3. Continuity - Your character has to look the same in every panel, props have to stay in their given location, we have to feel like everything is grounded in a real place.

Travis Walton - Great Comic Book Reference Material and Important Comic Books Throughout the Years

Here is the list of Art Reference Material Travis talked about in class and from the list he gave us in his presentation.

Comics & Sequence Art by Will Eisner


Graphic Storytelling and Visual Narrative by Will Eisner


The Art of Comic Book Inking by Gary Martin


Rendering In Pen and Ink by Arthur L. Guptill


DC Comics Guide to Inking by DC Comics


DC Comics Guide to Coloring by DC Comics

Here are a couple more that I found that might be of so use as well!

DC Guide to Penciling Comics by DC Comics


DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics by DC Comics

Here is the list of famous and ground breaking graphic novel and comic stories that Travis told us about and that were on his list of favorites.

X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills by Marvel Comics


Uncanny X-Men: The Dark Phoenix Saga by Marvel Comics


The Dark Knight Returns By DC Comics


Maus (The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale) by Art Spiegelman


Batman: The Killing Joke by DC Comics


Daredevil by Frank Miller


Thor by Walt Simonson



Superman Graphic Novels by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank

I hope this helps! Enjoy!

Ryan S.

Travis Walton - inking

One thing that Travis Walton talked about was the inking stage of a comic.  He explained that inking isn't just tracing.  If you just trace the pencil drawing when you ink, then you're doing a bad job of inking.  

He explained that when you ink you have to be able to separate the foreground, middle ground, and background.  To do that you use line width, detail, and treatment.  

When you ink you have to make decisions about how you are going to texture things and you shouldn't texture and treat everything the same.

When you ink you need to give things weight.  You can do that by making the lines on the bottom of the form thicker. 

Basically when you are inking you still need to be making good design decisions that help tell the story and make things very clear to the reader.  You can still ink with your own style as long as that style isn't a hindrance to the clarity of the story.  You shouldn't use style as an excuse.

Travis Walton - Professional Comic Book Artist

Travis Walton has been working as a freelance commercial artist for the past seventeen years. In that time he has had the opportunity to work with a variety of companies on a wide range of projects. Including designing toys for Star Trek, Batman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and many others. Some other projects have included: textile design, character design, web site visualization, logo design, book and game illustration, and, of course, comics. His love for the Comics medium has led him to do everything from penciling, to inking and coloring. He has even worked as an assistant to a small press publisher where his duties led him to several positions, including working as a production head and editor. The majority of his work in the field of comics has been as a colorist and/or inker.

Some of his past clients include:

Upper Deck/Marvel Entertainment, Avatar Press, IDW Publishing, Kenzer and Company, Scholastic Books,

Dynamite Entertainment, Heroic Publishing, Layne Morgan, Breygent Marketing

Hurricane Entertainment, Nimbus Studios, Alias Entertainment, Impact Studios

3J Productions, Digital Webbing Presents, Morpheus Forge Entertainment

Shades One Studios, VH Comics, Pariah Productions, Fantasy Flight Games

Playmates Toys, Spartacus Publishing, Bronze Man Comics

Some of the comic titles he has worked on for the above publishers include:

Stargate, Emma, Wake the Dead, Friday the 13th, Medieval Lady Death,

Dungeons & Dragons, Stranger Than Fiction, Flare, Nukes, Red Sonja

In 2004-2005 He once again worked with Nimbus Studios on several titles for Avatar Press. Including covers and pin-ups for Lady Death, Medieval Lady Death, Friday The 13th and Belladonna. As well as covers and interiors for Stargate.

In 2006-2007 He worked on Red Sonja projects for Dynamite Entertainment. He also worked with Heroic Publishing, Layne Morgan, Breygent Marketing, and worked on a new set of cards for Fantasy Flight Games. At the end of 2007 He worked on two new sets of illustration cards for Breygent Marketing.

In 2008 - Present he has continued to stay busy. The Breygent cards came out as well as some new sets for Fantasy Flight Games. He also produced card illustrations for the Warlord CCG. He has become an inker on The Phantom for Egmont and Frew with penciller Sal Velluto. Sal and he have also collaborated on several magazine illustrations, some still to be published later this year (2010).

He recently produced 300 illustrations for the Iron Man 2 movie card set for Upper Deck and Marvel Entertainment. He has also contributed to three new collectible card sets for Breygent Marketing. Including a set of over-sized San Diego Comic-Con exclusive cards for the 2010 Comic-Con.

He has been working with Hi-Fi Design from Oct. of 2007 to present. Through Hi-Fi He has had the opportunity to work on a wide range of projects for both book and comic book publishers, with a variety of rendering styles. Some of those projects include these titles for DC Comics:

Action Comics, Superman, Superman: New Krypton, Worlds Finest, Magog,

Wonder Woman, Justice Society of America, Blackest Night: Titans

Titans, Oracle, Nightwing, Booster Gold, Birds of Prey,

Solomon Grundy, 52 Aftermath: The Four Horsemen, Countdown to Final Crisis,

Some titles for other publishers include:

Angel, Spectacular Spider-Man (UK), Transformers (UK), Marvel Super Heroes (UK)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (UK), WWE Summer Smashdown (UK)

Ben 10, Kung Fu Panda, Monsters vs. Aliens Movie Adaptation

He is a classically trained artist with a full traditional studio as well as a modern digital studio.

This is my synopsis of Travis Walton's experience while working in the graphic novel, comic book and commercial art fields.

I hope this is helpful.

Travis Walton - Upcoming Guest Artist (June 1st)

We have another cool artist set to visit our class on June 1st.

We need to become familiar with Travis' work, so check out his web portfolio.

Travis' Upper Deck/Marvel Entertainment Cards:
Thor
Marvel Universe
Captain America

Responses to Travis' lecture due June 3rd.