1. Bring caffeinated beverages. This is fairly obvious, but if you don't plan ahead, you could find yourself dead in the water
2. If you think you have the time, and maybe even if you don't, you should probably get up and walk around. Going to the bathroom is a good excuse to leave the room for a minute
3. People will complain while they work. This is expected. You should complain too.
4. Have nothing planned for the next day. Maybe not even the day after that.
5. Greasy or sticky snacks are bad news bears. You do not have time to waste in cleaning your fingers.
6. The right drawing and inking tools make all the difference. It takes me most of an hour to do with an unfamiliar pen what I can do in twenty minutes with my pentel brush pen.
7. There is no such thing as planning ahead.
8. Work small. Both times I have done this, I have worked fairly large. It has turned out to have been a bit of a mistake. And also a marker eater.
9. Bring more ink than you think you'll need. You probably won't run out, but if you do you're screwed.
10. Sell the resulting work. There are very few other times in your life where you'll be able to answer the question of what it's about with "I don't even know, man" and have it be a selling point. Also, it's a great thing to trade with other comic artists
11. Get as many people involved as possible. This includes non-comics people. At the very least, even if they don't participate, they can bring you emergency supplies. And if they do participate, then even better.
12. Chances are, the result will not be a masterpiece. If it is, you are a freakish monster and I would like to give you all my money.
13. Give yourself an art-break the day before. Put your feet up, watch some movies, go for a run.
14. Get some sleep, if you can. Most people I've talked to have trouble sleeping the night before because they're too excited.
15. Have fun, dammit!
But of course, that's a small list of things I can think of off the top of my head (because I am simultaneously sleepy and obsessing), and for a more complete list, you should try it yourself.
I plan to post the completed work ...somewhere...on the internet soon. Just as soon as I scan, edit, and find a place to stick it so that it's readable. Possibly here, now that I think of it.
I will also soon post my paintings from Italy (I still have to get good images of them. It's mostly an issue of light, unfortunately. It has to be really perfect, or some of the more conceptual elements of the later ones won't come through.) When I get those up, I'll talk some more about the trip. I'm still digesting it a little bit. It was definitely one of the best times of my life.
I'll probably also spend a post talking about books, which I have been reading plenty lately. Man, I love the summer.
But for now, it's time to hunt down the wild dinner.
