Update: Ahh, much better. This is the second step: more refined, detailed pencils. The work done early on in this stage helps set the stage for the final inks. As you can see, I made changes to panel 3 by focusing more on Tundra and I also changed her sitting position after reviewing some more polar bear photos. In addition, I finalized the lightsource (sunset) and tried to adjust the shadows accordingly. I’m much more pleased with this direction.
I think when this week is over, I’ll archive these particular strips in “how it’s done” section. I realize this is an unusual way to post a comic strip page. Thanks for sticking with me. Hopefully, you’ll just be getting final product after this week though.
I really must apologize to anyone who may be popping by on Monday’s looking for the pages again. I personally do not like late updates, but I think that I might have started this project with not too clear an idea of what making a comic page takes. As I said elsewhere, I think I’m stuck in a four panel, comic strip mode and wrapping my head around layout, dynamic posing and everything that makes up a comic page (including the dreaded backgrounds) it a bit more overwhelming than I thought.
I am devouring books on landscapes and animals and general art knowledge to try to get up to speed on making quality comic pages, but it’s just coming down to … I don’t know what. The pages are in my head, but aren’t coming out quite the way I want. Or at least, they are, but then when I am done, I am dissatisfied. They feel forced and stiff.
Yea, I nailed that tough line weight I was trying for, and I got that tree trunk pretty much spot on. But I am loosing the overall page in the details. The virtual forest for the trees, as it were.
Above I have posted my page thumbnail, a quick sketch of what I am going for on this page. I’ve already scrapped two other layouts and finally decided on this one. Over the week, I’ll be updating the page, in layers as it were, as I work though this process. I hope to not have to do this regularly, but as loathe as I am to miss updates, I am even more loathe to post art that I am unsatisfied with.
So, hopefully you’ll check back during the week, watch the progression of the page and perhaps see something I am missing. Or I might nail it.
Or you will most likely tell me what I’m missing.
Feel free to hit the Stratics forums to discuss the comic so far, critique the page(s) and give me feedback on what works and what doesn’t. As with most things I do, I post my baby steps in a hope to teach others while I myself learn.
Hopefully by the time the story is wrapping up, art will be the least of my worries.
*goes to read up on how to end stories*