After producing that teeny tiny cluttered noodley mess of a panel in the last post, I’ve decided to redo the whole thing!
The original:
Mock-up of the fixed version:
I took the panel and just enlarged it. I might redraw the whole thing since the linework is all blurry/pixely now from being enlarged, or maybe I’ll just threshold/bitmap the linework (which turns something into pure black and white with no grey pixels) and see how it looks. I’ll have to draw in the rest of the background as it is so maybe I’ll redo it and really try to keep in mind what size I’m drawing at/zoomed in at. A learning experience!
AND THEN the other panels on the original version of the page would get bumped to the following page (below), which actually works out better for Kyisha being surprised by the Shadowbabies, since this is an even-numbered page. Even-numbered pages are always on the left side, so if possible it’s good to have surprise moments on even pages so the reader doesn’t see it until they turn the page. It doesn’t always work out that way, sometimes you just can’t pace a comic out that way, especially in monthly comics where the space is so limited, but it’s nice when it does line up that way. I’ll probably draw in the babies peeking out from the background in the last panel of the previous page, setting up this “AAAH” moment:
Here’s a mock-up to show what I mean, using the original/current layouts, with the red line down the middle being the spine of the book when it’s open (books are always laid out this way, with the two facing pages being one single spread).
A mock-up of how the sequence would work now:
Whew! This process isn’t all that unusual for when I’m doing books I’m both writing and drawing myself, I’ve done much bigger overhauls on some of my books in the past. Back when I used to do thumbnails on paper, if I was having a tough time with a sequence, I’d lay all the pieces of paper out on the floor so I could see them all at once, then cut them up with scissors and rearrange them.
GOTTA FIX THIS PAGE
I’m really loving the new layouts and how it all works together now! I also love to see other people doing this and it’s not just me, haha.
yeeeeeeeeees!
loving the behind the scenes process on this too. it's fascinating. i swear someday i'll make a comic like i wanted when i was a teen.
sophie, you've been inspiring me since high school. i am loving the shit out of this blog!