Webcomics: Concept to Finished Page

I thought this might be interesting to share. When I’m working on a page for WCTG, I usually start with a hand drawn sketch. This actually goes for pretty much everything I do. The sketch concept can be anywhere…on a notebook margin, or on the back of a set of meeting notes (XD) or officially in my sketchbook. For the comics, I like to outline the flow of action and frames. The final touches happen in Illustrator, but for the most part, I follow the general outline I’ve already done by hand.

Concept:

I decide the break and flow of frames in the concept sketch. As you can see above, I originally had the entire series contained WITHIN frames and balanced against each other through the grid. Something didn’t feel right about it and so I then decided to take a bit from my previous comic, The Nightmare. I really liked having Mo’s final wake-up frame out of the box of the rest in that one. Not only did it echo her moving from the containment of the dream, but I used the white space to reinforce the shock and sudden ‘jolt’ of waking up from the nightmare she was having. I filled the space with the sound of her heart thumping. Applied here it’s pretty much the same concept. Her actions up to eating the cookies are contained and measured and very patient…but FINALLY the cookies are done and her actions are rewarded. Thus the frame is removed much the same as her restraints and she chows down.

Also during the concept stage I fill in and note the sound effects and some of the visual effects I want in each scene.

Finished Page:

In the transition from concept to the final page, I usually make some small changes in the final edits stage or even while I’m drawing each frame. For example, in my concept I had Mo sitting in front of the oven with the ‘…’ ellipse. I took that out in the final and instead showed her tail wagging to indicate her excitement building. That’s how cookie baking goes for me at least! I start to get really excited once they go into the oven and start baking, especially if quality testing has gone well. LOL In the final two enclosed frames I switched her from holding the spatula to just patiently waiting and waiting…until the cookies are finally cool. I felt the stark contrast of her patience up to this point would make her release to cookie gluttony all the more amusing.

So that’s a bit of a look into how I go about making comics and illustrations! *^__^*

Where Cute Things Go

I cheated a bit for yesterday’s post. Ooohohoho !!

I forgot to submit it last night and so I backdated it to make myself feel less like a gomer. Today I finally got the webcomic rolling again, so if you’ve not read it in a while please do check it out! I also took down the Christmas decorations off of the BeKyoot tree and added some snow. I’m also working on a really cute Valentine’s Day inspired tree too.

Gosh what’s next? I did a yogalates fitness cross-over thing the other night and my shoulders are still stiff and sore. The instructor had me going from a pushup to a plank and then a dog/cow/giraffe pose with several variations and holding each forever…one set for each leg/side of the body. She was all about how the shoulders were lining up and I was thinking, ‘Flake, I’m just trying to keep my arm from collapsing! >_<’ It hurt like a boot to the head. My back was popping like popcorn too. I thought it was pretty funny actually.

Keeping up on the drawing. I started early tonight because I felt inspired.   That’s always good.  And for tonight’s post I give you Sly Happi. I’m not sure I want to know why he’s looking sly or what he’s looking AT….hehe. But he’s still cute as a button.