this is still a work in progress. my points are subject to change^^/
nowadays, i feel like something is missing with art and character design. moreso, i feel that
the lack of artistic context drains the true meaning of art and self-expression- especially
with aesthetics in internet-culture currently thriving today at large. although this enables the
act of appreciating art for its beauty, i feel that we have lost the concept of
personal style.
there is also a notable rise of people trying to fit into a specific style- as if it has a name similar to
aesthetics (e.g the -core genre).
ther e is so much overcategorization and a lack of recognition for nuanced art styles. attributes don't
necessarily have to be labelled but recognized as a mere
aspect of one's artistic context.
my art style as of now isn't exactly 'anime' but more inspired, solely due to how i've been
influenced with anime all my childhood-- but i don't call it anime. artistically and subconsciously
it is an aspect of my style.
artistic context is a very understated term. when the artist applies themselves into their creation,
it automatically makes the artwork more unique than the rest. [and yes, i do acknowledge that
there are other ways of making an artwork one-of-a-kind, but for this topic specifically:] from the
act of separating the art from the artist, we tend to see the artwork in an aesthetic lens.
on the internet, as of now, there is this urge to define yourselves and state your own identity;
such as those pretty pinterest boards that appear in your personalized feed, or those
quizzes that help you identify what 'aesthetic' you are. even if the urge to find yourself has
been fulfilled- through what the algorithm has shown you, it's like putting yourself into another
box- after you have already been broken free. i adore Anna Howard's podcast series (Wild Geese) of delving into
your own identity, and this is one of the readings she included in the episode, 'how to fall down
a curiosity rabbit hole & reconnect to your creativity':
"They entertain these strange, unjustifiable, seemingly
arbitrary endeavors
that no [Al] would ever think to combine."[1]
there is a lack of style that clashes, things that we will never think will go so well together
until we see them collide. [Al] can never replicate details. it can never mimic artistic context.
and even if it could, it'll only be counterproductive, simply because it cannot experience.
and that the key reason to be more than what an [Al] gives you is to be "confusing"
[1.1],
it is to avoid being easily summarized into one sentence, to be multi-faceted.
"Real humans are weird and contradictory. They have random obsessions that don't fit their "brand."
They go through phases. They abandon hobbies and pick them back up years later."[1.2]
i learnt a lot with drawing panels for comics/manga. but i thought of many things to consider and improve.
these notes are for me, but if some seem to speak to you, do not be afraid to add these to your usual process!
i'll be noting this from layers
- sketch: should be more blocky so that the lineart could refine the expression
and pose.
- lineart: consider turning off anti-aliasing to match the texture and panels.
the whole purpose is to refine and make the form clear, not complicated (unless it is for whole-page
panels)
use splatterbrush or airbrush on 8-bit layer for blush/dark tones ect.
- 'coloring': fill the character with white/panel color, clip with a folder then shade with half tones.
varying from black, dark/light grey to white. everything should have no anti-aliasing.
if the background/lighting is bright, don't be afraid to twist the characters palette to
match the lighting (e.g a dark-haired character should be colored with light grey or white
if they are surrounded by a bright background)
- backgrounds: [i haven't made any physical/real-world backgrounds yet but] the main
focus is the character and the tone of the story. should only be shown in one panel. unless the world is important to the plot,
do not overcomplicate it.
here's the 'meta'-type layers aswell + overall way to layer everything:
- panel lines: consider making the panels textured like the default lineart. they don't always have
to be straight lines, break or twist the panels if it adds impact. but also be considerate of its readability.
- page background: i'd avoid using built-in tool gradients. (it doesn't match with my lineart imo) use an airbrush/watercolor brush instead.
- fx: turn off anti-aliasing and make it match the lineart texture.
for the
glossy-airy effects, don't be afraid to add texture. especially for those shoujo-aah bubbles
sometimes you can put the actual background behind the panels too
- dialogue formatting: should be about 11px-15px, vary depending on panel size itself
change the shape of the bubble to put emphasis emotion-- dropshadow for important dialogue
- lastly: the way i do my layering should be:
- panel lines
- characters CLIPPED
- lineart
- half tones CLIPPED v
- fill
- panel fill
- page background
'characters' is clipped as a folder onto 'panel fill' (unless the effect is for the character to 'pop out' of panel)
'fx' layered over 'panel lines' OR 'page background' (optional)
'dialogue formatting' should be over 'panel lines'
i also learnt that i should be quite strict with how i sort out the tone for characters.
it's slightly more about clarity than matching the original color values.
if the character is smaller in scale, don't halftone, simplify. just solid grey-scale.
i feel like i underused directional lines- but just use them for panels with more action
