Rene Engström - Anders ♥ Maria book tests

As beautiful as that "coffee wash" is (I've done that, too), and as much as I'd love to see your watercolors ... I will MISS the digital colors of the originals. I think they are as much a part of the strip's charm as your line work and writing. And I, for one, would LOVE to have a book full of them even if the "flow" isn't as smooth as you might like.

Just thought I should say that.

Oh, wow. That's gorgeous.

Is it just a regular brew coffee, or double-strength, or just grounds with a little water in it? I kinda want to try this.

That makes so much sense that I'm surprised that I've never heard of it being done before.
-atrainforty2

I would warn you that if redoing all the published pages (and 100 extra pages besides, plus continuing to keep the comic up) is the only way you'd be happy with the book, it may never get done. That's a LOT of work that would have to happen before even reaching the publishing stage. J.Jacques' has mentioned multiple times how he hates his old strips and wishes he could redo them, and I suspect that's part of why there's no Questionable Content book. Just to warn you away a bit from the perils of perfectionism.

On another note, I had no idea coffee was so beautiful. Seriously, go put that on eBay. I would totally buy it and frame it. Or maybe just smell it all day.

when book come out?

Wow, this is really beautiful. (And damn, painting with coffee, that's pretty hardcore. ♥ )

Any idea how much the book is going to cost and when it might be out, or is it too early for questions like that? I would love to buy a copy.

You

Are

Amazing.

...

Shit. Wow. Shit. That is the best webcomic->book idea I have heard.

COFFEE?! Awesome. Well now all your sketchbooks really will be filled with coffee stains.

That's lovely. I tried painting with tea once, and it didn't work -- the colour didn't show up. Didn't occur to me to try coffee... Probably because I don't drink coffee.

The coffee wash is really gorgeous! Don't know if it'd be right for a whole book, but it really evokes the feeling of your flashback scenes to me for some reason, even though you didn't paint a flashback. It's really nice work.

Beautiful.

amazing. as always, you blow my mind and make me happy to look at pictures!

this is really, really beautiful. i actually like the idea of having a more continuous style for a big. i mean, i imagine the online versions will still be online and available? it'll be nice for the new readers to have that kind of flow and it will be especially nice for old readers to see something a little different. a bigger motivator to buy the book! i definitely will. :)

Yes, of course the online version will stay online. :)

Ha someone's staring at a winky....

Looks great.
I just wonder how you managed to use a bit of blue there in the middle - with just coffee...?

Mystery solved!

Watch out... Light will fade that coffee right off the page.

Love your work, by the way.

I am talking about Anders wang..

Why is Tina such a creeper?
But the picture is very pretty as well. :]

Oh yeah, definitely Gollum-like. 'Ohhhhhh my precioussss' while peering at Anders's naked man meat.

If you are ever hurting for cash do some quick drawings and ebay the shit out of them!!! I would buy!

That's really gorgeous; I especially like the brushwork on the grass surrounding the black swath separating them. Fantastic.

I really love the painting! And can't wait how the story continues.

Hi Rene,

I've just begun to follow your comic, and I just wanted to tell you I think your drawing style is beautiful! I love your work.

Stephanie

Thank you!!

Aw man, that's awesome! Lately coffee has been my favorite medium to do painting/'ink' washes with: http://mandiiv.deviantart.com/art/Drawing-II-class-Coffee-Girl-76505072

Note -- how do you preserve coffee work? I'm worried about its longetivity, and don't know what sort of fixative, if any, to use. Especially as it can get sticky when layered on.

Har, I'm so late to this conversation. But it's a really beautiful image, and so extremely emotional.

I met a man about 10 years ago who used to teach art in a prison. They didn't have money for art supplies, so he taught using coffee for ink and cotton swabs for brushes. You can pull the cotton out and twist it to a point, or you can use it puffy for a broad stroke. He was sketching in coffee when I met him (in a cafe). Yay coffee painting!