Twists & Turns

Good-day, Faithful Readers!

Thanksgiving be... oh, and to help us all be more thankful, here's the next instalment.

Page 10

For some reason, I found it tough to draw the planes on some angles.  The top left jet looks too wide, and the bottom right one doesn't quite show the turn as I'd hoped to describe it. 

Regarding the jets in the bottom panel, specifically the one on the bottom right, I did try to turn it more nose up, but that didn't work because I want to to appear to be cutting off the lower left jet, not that it was tilting up. I also tried overlapping the jets slightly, but that didn't work either because I needed that interaction to happen a bit later. Again, this sort of problem should be easily sorted if/when I make CG models of the jets and then can place them and turn them as I need... if I ever get there!

I'm not a a big fan of "chatty" comics because I find I read them too much and spend too little time looking at the drawings, which seems to me to defeat the purpose of an illustrated narrative (graphic novel / comic... take you pick of name!) In this case, I found the dialogue fun, not too much and helped show character of the pilots. I think I have been able to make each a distinct character even though we haven't seen their faces yet. 

 

Going Up, Coming Down

 Hello, hello!  

I know, I'm late on posting! But here it is...

Page 9

I knew when I was doing this page that the flight paths of the planes was going to be confusing, and perhaps hard to know who's who. I still hope the shapes of the planes are recognizable and when doing the finished drawings, colour and decals on the wings/tails will also help. I look forward to hearing if you can interpret the action or are lost and if you have suggestions for how to make it clearer.

I really like how the rock and rock slide turned out - those little lines that suggest the rock formations are really nice.

The planes also look good, graphic and solid. Having said that, the first panel where the enemy get gets caught in the rock slide was really tough - I had to do it a few times (thus the smudges). I wanted a good silhouette of the plane getting crunched, but then again, I had to have the crunch happen well enough to the right so that it wouldn't look like I was drawing the same plane twice in two different moments on the same panel and that the rock face was tumbling down in the correct direction.

These bits where planes are blowing up are really going to be improved when I do the explosions and smoke with ink,paint, digitally or whatever. Right here there isn't quite enough impact. When I drew these, I suddenly realized... "I'm not sure I've ever drawn an explosion!"  BAM!

Shifting Sands

 Hello Dear Readers!

Guess I'm a bit late on my posting here. Sunday got away from me - darn work!  But here it is... 

Page 8

On a previous page, when Fancy radioed the base and asked for permission to engage, I have changed the text a bit so that they say "Permission granted, but we're guests here, no weapons" (some day I'll revise the image on this blog).  That revision makes the top bit of dialogue a bit more understandable. That directive to not use weapons is why Capt. Fancy doesn't just shoot down the enemy jets right away.

The first two panels of the hand on the stick were pretty challenging and I'm still not quite happy with them. The angle feels off. Anyway, if I ever get to doing clean versions which will necessitate CG models, I'll model a cockpit so I can get this sort of thing right.

I like the movement from 3rd to 4th panels - I feel you get a sense of the jet coming in hard and fast from above. I'm not wild about the gun sounds ("Baka baka"), but... small details. I like how the pilot of Cardy 2 still seems a bit gormless.

Hope you like it!

Landmarks

 'Allo Faithful Readers!

A turbulent week it has been, but yet, I give you... Flight of Fancy, Page 7!!!

Page 7

Before beginning this page, I knew I was going to need some sort of landmark, something about which the action could happen so the audience (I.G.) could understand who's who and where they are in the environment and in relation to one another. Thus, this mesa that was introduced in the previous page and continued here and in the next pages too.

I like the 2nd panel (bottom right).  I hope the multiple images are clear that they are of one jet seen at various points in time, not 3 different jets.  Looks dynamic and exciting. I also like how that jet's motion connects to the next panel.

Incidentally, this is the second version I did of this page. I don't think the other version worked because I was trying to shoe-horn in some action that I couldn't make clear. It is interesting to come up with ideas and try to make them out. If they work, great, but if they don't, well, I just roll with it and alter the story around it.

Keep You Guessing?

 Hello my good friends - I.Ghost...

Here it is, page 6!

Page 6

The third panel (the long one in the middle of the page) was pretty tough. I drew it a few times before deciding it worked well enough. The impact of the enemy jet into the rock face doesn't have the punch or force that I wanted, but I thought I could re-work it if/when I ever clean it up.

The bottom panel is another example of some nice rock / environment drawings.  I really like how the mesa - the large, flat topped hill - turned out. You can see and understand the terrain. I think the shadows also really help.

Again, the flow of the jets through the shots looks clear and understandable to me, but if they don't to you, let me know, hey?!

One big challenge I had with this sequence is that I wanted to make it interesting and fresh, novel, but having never flown a fighter jet and not knowing anything about aerial combat tactics, I didn't really know what would be likely or even possible and I kept worrying that the action I was drawing and what might come next would be obvious to the viewer, but I think (I hope) I have been able to surprise you. 

Unfortumately, you'll have to wait for the next instalment (pages) to see if indeed it was predictable or not!

Anyway, I hope you like it.