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@lemayelyse
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8mo
added comment inCompositional Shadows
I am SO GRATEFUL for you calling out the little decisions here like "I'm adding a bit of brick shape to the edge of this building so it's not just a flat line", or "I'm shading the inner edge of this door to show the difference in plane" - never would have occurred to me. I'm taking copious notes on all those little emphasis details that add so much to the feel of a background without drawing an entire wall full of bricks.
As well as pointing out that you can just... MAKE UP a shadow shape to frame your figures! (Me: "You can DO THAT???") Same with not shading the pipes. Honestly a bit of a mindblown moment that you can sacrifice logic for composition and it looks so great.
@lemayelyse
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8mo
You mentioned Brian Hitch as great reference for laboratories etc, but when I Google image search his name plus terms like "Ultimates" or "laboratory" or "backgrounds", all I get is his character art. I'd rather not buy the entire (expensive) Ultimates omnibus just for a few ref images of labs, since superhero comics aren't really my style; but I have no idea how to search for reference for specific things like sci-fi robotics labs (which is a setting in the original comic I'm working on). In particular since I'm not into mainstream comics (again, not really a superhero gal) I don't know all the big names for artists or who to follow for ref. Any tips?
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8mo
Hey @lemayelyse! I like to search whatever artist I’m looking for + Pencils to find the original pages without ink or color, so “Bryan Hitch Ultimates Pencils” will usually get you started with some decent images to begin your research. The Libby Library App will let you download comics to your phone or tablet for free using a library card and The Ultimates series is on there! Jack Kirby is known for his sci-fi technology in comics and there's a ton of it out there to look at. It might seem a bit dated at first glance, but he's a master of suggestion with his work. All of his creations are believable, solid industrial designs, and are built from primitive shapes that seem to connect and function believably. Worth checking out! Manga/Anime is also a good spot to look for convincing tech and sci-fi inspiration. Shirow Masamune and Ghost in the Shell is an essential Manga/Anime for robotics and sci-fi labs. Pinterest is also a great resource for pulling together a ton of reference images that you can use to piece together different elements for your backgrounds. When researching it helps to start with real examples of what you're looking to design. Pinpoint what kind of work your lab does and research images for actual robotics labs like Boston Dynamics, or industrial fabrication facilities/Steel Manufacturing plants, CNC Fabrication or Machinist Shops, etc. Starting from real examples of how these spaces look will help you build your own convincing locations. Also look for real industrial designers or concept artists like Scott Robertson to pull some ideas for how to design believable tech. Simon Stalenhag is another favorite illustrator who uses mechs/robots in a lot of his painting/storytelling. Your reference doesn't have to be limited to comics, so feel free to compile references from anything that speaks to you creatively, it will all make your work more unique to your artistic sensibility. Hope this helps!
@lemayelyse
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8mo
Coming in super late but I'm seconding the gratitude for showing us all the different tries it took on that last panel, since that's a huge frustration for me too. Something I really noticed, though, is how FAST you iterated through those multiple tries - just a minute or two on each one, 10 mins total, whereas for me I can spend hours messing with a rough sketchy pose at the manikin stage. I think the key is you're noticing the flaws much quicker and at a much earlier stage (I know for that first try I was like "WTF, that looks great" before you erased it).
I also notice that, when you're roughing in the figures, you're not always starting with manikins, but sometimes more basic compositional shapes to represent the entire body - like using just a huge cylinder in perspective for the hero on your last try. Great way to focus on composition first before getting into the form - and it seems to make your roughs go a lot faster! I'll definitely be trying different shapes instead of my usual circle-based manikins in the hopes it speeds my agonizingly slow process.
