A few months back, I wrote about erasures as a metaphor for making life changes. ( Life’s Erasures ) Because every once in a while we all need to re-trace or re-draw our path.

This time I am writing about erasures literally –the kind that help you with the crossword puzzle.  I have insisted since the beginning of my venture as a comic artist that I would ‘keep it raw’ ( Keeping it Raw ), because I wanted to do everything by hand.  I enjoy the paper, the inks, the watercolours and even the struggles that these have brought. 

A friend of mine who has taken up painting in retirement admitted to experimenting with painting on line.  Her comment that inspired this post?  “It freed me up to experiment.” 

I have to admit, there is something to be said for a digital process.  A digital drawing is so easy to edit and change.  Erase only a portion, or move your dialogue bubble, or a whole character to the other side of the page… Like it? No?  Move it back…   

I get it.  A swipe with a cursor and you are free to try again.  A real erasure demands a bit of labour, elbow grease, as does drawing with a pencil.  I will admit to harbouring the temptation to download a drawing program and have at it… but I will continue to resist.  I like my pencils and paper.  I will stick with my old friend the erasure.  I always say, never say never, but for now, I will continue to keep it ‘raw’.

www.contentmentisforcows.com This week’s scene has been uploaded, in the raw.

The Facebook page eagerly anticipates your ‘LIKE’ at https://www.facebook.com/contentmentisforcows

Enjoy!