Flat Perspective

Well, this worked out well. 

I had bigger ideas for this drawing. I wanted more people around the table, but I knew more people would obscure Doug (the caveman in the middle) eating. I wanted to put other people in the background reacting to him and I still could, but too many people might again pull the viewer's eye from the main action. Recently I've been adding background things and people in a grey tone which pushes them back but still makes them sufficiently present. Technical tip - I draw them in black like everything else, but then drop the opacity down on that layer and voila! They recede into the background.

I think the "breakthrough" in this one came about as I was struggled with the roundness of the table. I thought about other drawings in this series and remembered the the flatness of the perspective and thought I should try that sort of perspective in this one. 

And there (on the right) you have it. Kurt (on the left) looks sufficiently amused, the composition is nice and tight. Brian (on the right) could have been leaning further away as if more disgusted. I I was concerned about how to not draw Doug's... er... well... unmentionables, and so the lighting helped in this case. There are some fine lines which are the original pencil lines which really help define the forms. Kurt could have used a few more on his legs and knee areas to enhance the foreshortening and Doug's knees are also kind of formless, but I'll know that for next time.