Leo Grewcock

What’s going well during quarantine? 

If anything, I have been able to have more of a personal connection with my final major project with the theme being on Coronavirus. Being at home, I can have easy access to the news and updated information about what is happening in the world. This primary experience creates a stronger attachment to my comic work as time continues, I have the chance to change and update my comic to make it as current as possible. For example, documenting the fact Boris Johnson tested positive for Covid-19 and that he was in intensive care at the hospital. Keeping things refreshed and updated I feel will document the events of the pandemic well too.

I have added more influences and visits into my sketchbook, in particular using the photography work from my trip to New York. I’ve linked the location of the city to comic books as many pre-existing well known comic book characters originate from America but New York specially. For example, Spider-Man, Fantastic Four and Daredevil. I also documented the life drawing sessions within my work. From these sessions I put into practise drawing the human body and anatomy. This was a crucial practical especially relating to my comic book work, as comic characters have very dynamic figures and body structures.

I’ve been able to get on with my digital work for my comic. I already have the software available on my own laptop and my digital drawing tablet at home. I didn’t need any other resources or materials from college. This bypasses the issue of not being able to work in the studio as when deciding on my final outcome, I made sure I could still produce something at a high standard even though I’d be working at home and not have any access to college art facilities.

What things am I struggling with during quarantine? 

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed and consumed within the theme of Coronavirus as of it still being a very current and serious world issue, I can lose motivation and feel depressed not wanting to work for a few days. I particularly felt this way at the start of self isolation as I was still trying to adjust to how new living conditions and how things would have to be for a while. Once I had planned and figured out more of the prep work I usually don’t feel too overwhelmed, but it just occasionally happens. I try and channel that emotion into how I could portray it within my comic.

The main struggle I have with working at home, is not having physical contact with my peers within art foundation. I miss having group crit sessions, as I usually enjoy seeing the progress and different directions everyone takes their work projects. I enjoy giving, receiving and sharing ideas and advice with the group. As we’re a tight knitted group of students in foundation, I feel like we can all bounce off each other positively when we have these sessions. The overall consensus after a group crit is that we all feel more reassured and motivated to develop work, and that there is a clear understanding of where to go next. I don’t feel mislead however but I still enjoy the collective activity. I also miss the regular routine of college life and my work routine. I don’t really have that separation of work and home as I’m having to stay in the same place everyday.

As I am creating my comic for my final major end piece, I wanted to create something that I would personally want myself. Due to this, I don’t really find the work I’m doing to be challenging. As I’m creating the comic for myself, regardless the demand for work for the foundation, it’s enough motivation for me to stay focused and to keep developing the work on my project. With the link to Coronavirus, working on the comic book will almost be a strange reminder of the time period and state the world was in during that time, almost documenting the events of the pandemic but in a creative way. Producing a comic book is a lengthy process and by creating this project for myself, it is giving me more of a purpose during the quarantined lock down, self isolating at home.

Follow up on Leo's blog : https://captaincoronacomic.blogspot.com