Talking Heads

Hi, folks:

The late, great Wally Wood had a trick: making one panel on a page the dominant one. I call it the "glory panel"; I don't know what if anything he called it.

Here's an old page of mine that has aged better than a lot. I'd been drawing comics for ten years at this point.

It's basically a "talking heads" page: almost all dialog, more emotion than motion. The glory panel (panel 2) serves as an establishing shot. So it created an opportunity to not only reveal the characters' world, but to give a sense of depth to the page.

Many, many students aren't comfortable with perspective. They see it much as I saw Photoshop back in the mid-90s: as an approaching, inescapable monster that must either be eluded or struggled with.

But almost everything's worse in the dreading than the doing. I made friends with the Photoshop ogre in a adult-ed course in '97, and it vastly expanded what I could do to make a story better--in countless ways.

So it goes with the perspective beast. You best it by knowing it and making nice. And like Photoshop, you can enjoy it at many different levels of expertise.

So why mention perspective?

By being in a comics class, you are declaring that there is a world or three within you which you want others to see. Perspective is one way that you can make that world more "buyable," more engrossing. And I think I did a pretty good job on that glory shot (though it's more than a tad suburban *wince*).

This is from a title called Doll and Creature, published 2006, written by powerful Rick Remender, inked by talented Mike Manley, editor of Draw Magazine, penciled by me.

To wrap up,  proper perspective is something you don't need in every style, but it can be a great plus. Better to know it and not need it, than vice versa.

JH

P.S.:
There's a simple trick in panel 2 I highly recommend: dropping a triangle of black shadow across the background, allowing nearer objects to visually break up the shape. I think it pushes the nearer stuff closer! It's even more effective when object in front is a character. Great attention focuser. And no perspective needed.

Andy's Exemplary Art

• Exciting
• Variety...
• ...in figure size
• ..in tightness/looseness of cropping
• one open panel (no borders)
• Diagonals for energy!
• Energetic, jazzy, confident inking! Non-fussy!
• Clarity
• Clean silhouettes, minimal BGs
• Action cropped just close enough--art "breathes"
• Staging is consistent--reader doesn't lose their place in the action. (Monster keeps coming in from left, robot from right)
• Robot who comes in to save the day is established in first panel, so it doesn't seem he's coming out of nowhere.
• Consistent light direction, bold shadows make characters "read" as physical objects in space

JH

Art by Andy Kuhn

Expressions, Etc.

Hiya, folks,

We're going to return to facial expressions in the next session. Here is something you may find helpful.

If you get a chance, please print out this 25 Expressions sheet, try it, and bring it to class. I'll try it too.

Here below are some examples.

Also, I'd love to see your work or recent drawings next time.

Here are some expressions. See what they say to you...

Notice the brows pressing together a little? What feeling do you get from that?

 

 Notice how the shoulders rise in the two laughing poses above.

Triumph? 

Serious or angry?

Worry, sadness, exertion, or just the standard handsome-guy expression??

WOW. A lot going on here, none of it happy.

P.S.: Here's a drawing I promised last time. Do not underestimate it. It is powerful. 

See you in class.

Let's Get Going!

Hello, new students.

Thanks for taking part in this class. You're interested in making comics... this class might just be the best deal in town. 

The best work you do is the work that's fun for you, I believe. So please let me know if I, or anything, or anyone, is making the class less than fun for you. You can email me at the address I gave you on the handout in the first session.

Drawing is personal. I will not tell you how to draw as much as help you strengthen what you're doing.

Please feel very free ask questions in class, or confidentially via email. I want to make this class work for everyone in it. I want it to be both democratic and individually tailored. We'll see if that's possible!

Off we go.

JH