The last week I've had off work as long service leave - my first break since coming back from secondment to a different University last year, apart from Christmas/New Year, when I was sick with whooping cough. They weren't happy with me taking a week this time of year though.

I've been drawing nearly all week, concentrating on the Pirate story, but most of all on a major continuing story by another writer/artist. All going well, I'm hoping to take over the drawing of this strip, with him continuing the writing (and colouring, at this stage). I love these characters! I'm looking forward to telling more about this here, as soon as I can...

It's been fascinating working in another artist's style - and he's one of the best! To try to maintain the authentic feel of the strip, I've even been using the same pens, though my style does show through in places, I think. Fortunately, I think the way I work is compatible, and I currently work in a number of different genres and styles anyway.

What most strikes me is how clean and geometric these pictures are, which can be pretty unforgiving :). It's been strange working back and forward between this, and the Pirate story, which is a wildly loose style, with lots of swirling linework and sloppy spot blacks. Needless to say, I play very different music when I'm working on these two pieces.

I also finished reading The Four Wise Men, by Michel Tournier, recommended by my sort-of-brother-in-law. It's really good, and similar in tone and concerns to Life of Pi given that it is very imaginative, often told in the first person (several different narrators), but also with various perspectives, and grapples with religious concerns, along with several animal characters along the way. Apparently, one of his other books is truly horrible, so I don't know if I'll seek out further work by him.