So conversation post here (let’s hope someone partakes).
This is the most recent page (114) before I shaded it with pencil. Honestly, to me, this way of inking looks better at this stage than my other way of inking (“shading” like pages 111-113). There is some elements that I really like about the “ink shading” though (pages 111-113), I just feel that I need to do some serious practice with this style.
Any preferences or thoughts???
2 Comments
Disclaimer that I am not an artist nor claim to have any shape or form of an educated opinion. Terms and words that I use to express my opinion may or may not make sense.
However I feel like the way you did the inking on 114 and 115 were an improvement from the last few pages. While you were experimenting in pages 111-113 I think the inking definitely created some cool panels, but also some ones that felt more… busy. Just too much going on in certain parts I guess. You have a very stylized look that creates a lot of texture on its own, and so I feel like a subtle level of inking complements it more. For example I like on page 111 middle right panel how the inking is used to create contrast between the light and shadows as Dayton pulls back the curtains and the light is shed on the room décor. But when it comes to page 113, the first time I read it I had a really hard time following the action. The small panel at the top left and long middle panel left me pretty clueless until I read your notes on the page, and then I could see what you were intending. However, even though I didn’t like 113 as much with the inking, still I thought some parts were super good. For example the extra depth added in the ceiling rafters above the speech bubbles were really cool to me for some reason. The darker shading from the inking just added some extra depth of realism I guess as opposed to the normal pencil style.
To sum it up, I think you should definitely keep messing around with the inking and try different stuff even if it looks bad for a bit or if some of it is unnecessary and doesn’t add much to the specific panels you’re testing it on. At the end of the day I think it could be a powerful tool to have for the comic go forward, as when it worked it did feel like it up’d the production quality and it could add some really cool extra emotion to pages later on where you want the art to follow a darker shift in the mood of the story.
Mostly useless ramblings, but I hope some of the feedback was useful. Wasn’t going to comment, but then you dropped the call out with your page 115 upload… So here’s a guilt driven comment from a lurker. 😛
Thank ya so much for the first comment, and sorry about being first and having to test out this comment system (oh and, that guilt tripping thing) ^^;
I found your input well articulated and very helpful actually! I’d definitely agree that page 113 kinda…uh…fell apart, but there were still definitely some stuff I learned even if I had to learn the hard way. I agree that I need to find a nice balance and keep it from becoming too busy with the extra inking. I’d like the inking to get to a point where it can (hopefully) add some extra contrast and depth to the pages. I’m glad to hear that these inking experiments are a step in the right direction ^^
I do really appreciate the feedback though and it’s really great to get another opinion! 😀