Carnival

Unlikely inspiration

The SAW Friday Night Comics series is always good for some new inspiration I wasn’t expecting. This week, Elise Dietrich prompted us to think about what a “carnival” means to us, or memories we associate with it, and to make a comic about it. She was inspired by the carnival across the street from her that she can see from her window, and can hear all too clearly.

I hadn’t really planned on joining the workshop this week. It’s been so hot lately, and it was finally really nice in the shade Friday evening, so I was laying on a towel in the grass out back and reading a book. I came to a good stopping point in the book just as the workshop was getting started, so I half-heartedly tuned in from my phone.

I found myself so inspired by the carnival photos Elise shared that I ran inside to grab markers and my biggest sketchbook. The childhood memories of those bright lights and loud noises came rushing in – it was like I needed to get them all out on the page at once.

So I did!

I drew everything out that I was thinking about – the rides, the games, the food! – in a super light colored marker while listening to everyone talk about their comics, then I colored it in later on the couch while watching TV.

Remembering the game stalls was a lot of fun. There’s always that water pistol game, either with ships or a cowboy on a horse (the ship was easier to draw). And always something to be thrown…like darts at targets or balloons, and baseballs at clay pots or bowling pins.

And there was always some kind of way to win a goldfish.

I know my mind was jumbling together a few different memories, which I think is why I felt compelled to get it all out on the page at once. I think my favorite part was incorporating the colors and lights. I wanted the page to feel like a carnival – the chaos and noise and excitement. Everything large and exclamatory. I have only happy memories of carnivals.

The food was a lot of fun to remember and draw, too!

I love these free SAW Friday Night Comics workshops. They are super informal and low key, and just a nice little hour and a half of creativity and connection at the end of the work week. (You can see my past FNC posts here.)

Thanks for reading Daydronk!