Last post here / moving to the main blog!

Hi everyone.
As you can see I gave my (other) main blog a much needed face-lift. Not a big deal, but enough to make me feel its design and contents are much more complete now.
It does have new features as well, such as direct links to 'Framed Ink' in Amazon, links to reviews and interviews related to the book, etc... (besides of course the usual personal artwork updates).
Being this the situation I'd rather close this one shortly, and focus one hundred per cent on the other, but not before very much appreciating first all your visits and comments since last June 1st.
Guys, thank you again, and I can't wait to meet up with you soon at the other venue!
All the best now.

Marcos

2 more reviews

Two more reviews on the book came up recently on line by Fernando Caire and Daniel Caylor in two fantastic blogs specialized on film and animation: CG Channel, and On Animation. Thank you both!

Academy of Art University lecture (San Francisco)

It was great to be there last Friday 15th from 4:00 pm on (...we went all the way up to 8:00!).
A few weeks ago I got a nice invitation from teachers Daniel Cooney and Chuck Pyle to give a 'Framed Ink' lecture on composition for the pupils of the Center. I had heard of the Academy so many times but never actually been there, so I was certainly not going to miss on the opportunity. Great turnout on such a great theatre on a Friday night. Thank you guys again.
(In the pictures: Daniel, the wild group of pupils that actually stayed until the last minute, and the location).

New reviews

I very recently got two new reviews on the book, from 'Parka' and Charley (Lines and colors). Thank you guys!

LAAFA sessions

Just finished a five sessions course at LAAFA on composition for visual storytellers yesterday based on the book. It was a really cool group of students, some of them already professionals, which were a pleasure to interact with!
I'll be starting another set of (8) sessions on October 9th on the same subject. Hope to see you there!

Email from Carl Potts

Hi everyone. I just received this nice email from Carl Potts who, as you'll see, is now teaching visual storytelling techniques at the State University of New York as well as other academies. He regularly updates his own blog on the subject as well.
Thank you Carl.

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"Hello Marcos,
Just read your book and was suitably impressed!

I occasionally give a presentation on the principles and techniques of sequential visual storytelling for comics and storyboards at SVA, Parsons/The New School and R/GA. In the spring I'll be teaching classes on creating comics at SUNY, Purchase and will highly recommend your book to my students.

I'm very glad that you are educating visual storytellers about maintaining action flow continuity ("Staying on the Same Side of the Line"). This has become a lost concept to many of today's comics and film storytellers. Part of the reason is that many of these creators were raised on music videos created by directors who either didn't care about the "Staying on the Same Side..." concept or were only interested in the energy and visual splash they were making. Some of those directors went on to feature films and continued to ignore action flow continuity.

Now, years of playing in 360 degree video game environments have much of the younger market used to not having a consistent action flow direction. I still feel strongly that, unless there is a specific storytelling reason to violate the "Staying on the Same Side..." concept, visual storytellers should keep the action flow continuity consistent. Your book provides clear examples and reasoning to help me drive that concept home to my students.

In case you're interested, I've written about this and some related subjects on my blog, General Eclectic:

http://generaleclectic123.blogspot.com/2008/08/using-map-orientation.html

http://generaleclectic123.blogspot.com/2008/09/frame-formats-and-visual-storytelling.html

Thanks for producing such a fine book!

Carl Potts"

Shipment on the way -UPDATE-

I just got this email from Amazon. Exciting! (I ordered my own copy of the book so that I would know exactly when people started receiving theirs)

"We have good news -- the order is now being shipped! You should receive a shipping notification shortly, within the next business day, for the following item(s):
"Framed Ink: Drawing and Composition for Visual Storytellers"

Rock 'n roll! :D
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-UPDATE-
As Brian (cromasketch) is mentioning in his comment the shipping of the book to the people who ordered it from Amazon slows down from time to time. I apologize for this fact, which in itself implies good news as the book is selling fast and they run out of it intermittently, as I see after talking to Amazon last night.
I want to thank you all again for your understanding of the situation. If you guys have the chance, please let me know when you start receiving the copies.
Thanks a lot!