Breakdown: Lookback, page 1
Added 2014-05-22 03:14:33 +0000 UTCA reverse-engineered walkthrough of the very first page of NTO (I didn't actually record the stages of drawing this; I just abused my many-layered Photoshop file). I hope to keep doing these, with varying degrees of shop talk and historical context (in terms of my life, I mean; what shirt I was wearing, etc.) ... although I kind of doubt I'll do every single page. So by all means, let me know if there's a particular page you'd like to see. I may share this first one with non-Patrons, just so they can see what they're missing. We will see. This image is huge; fullview the attached version to actually read the text and see the actual goings-on. Thanks again, guys!
Comments
I am finally getting to take the time I wanted to really get into this description of your process! I found this fascinating. What your explanation leaves out are maybe things that seem simple or natural to you, but puzzle me a great deal. For instance... How did you end up with the clergyman looking this way, precisely? He (and the man who hands him the torch) look like quite specific people, and they hold their character through the panels. This is true throughout NTO, and has gotten better with every chapter. Do you have real people in mind? Do you practice with your characters (even minor ones) to give them this consistency across many poses and expressions? I think about your latest chapter and the railroad personnel and guards and they're nearly as distinct and well conceived as your main characters. And how do you know how to frame the action or the specific detail as dramatically as you do? I see some of that thinking in the "script" but there is SO much more to each of the panes. Does it just come to you? Do you picture them in mind's eye and then draw them or do they evolve on the page? Do you do any prelim sketches of individual panels, or is all the work done on the entire page from start to finish? The sketch in "B" leads me to think it's the latter - and that helps explain why your pages are so well composed in their overall effect, as well as composed cell by cell. Your work always reminds me of camera direction on classic movies, with the director knowing when to do a close-up and precisely how to light and crop that close-up...
2014-07-02 03:19:00 +0000 UTCI was replying to "I may share this first one with non-Patrons, just so they can see what they're missing. We will see. ", Doug.
2014-05-22 22:04:25 +0000 UTCnon-patrons can't see it, I don't think
Doug
2014-05-22 03:29:55 +0000 UTC
