Monday, May 21, 2007

HANA PART 1: It's damn cold on page 5

One of the reasons this script was so much fun, was because it keeps changing scenes. Every second page I got to draw something totally different. "War Buddies" was really tough as I was stuck drawing the SAME stuff for 9 pages. I know that doesn't sound a lot to you, but that's about 90 hours of me stuck drawing the same army greens, jungle, huts and M16s. It gets tedious after a while.

So as the old joke goes, the easiest thing to draw is two polar bears in a snow storm. So while I was doing layouts, my friend Mitch (see page 8 - big guy in the background) goes, "Why don't you just draw it all set in a snowstorm?"

I turn to him and grin, "It's funny you mention that, cos 2.5 pages are in a snowstorm."

Unfortunately truth didn't follow fiction. These pages took me as long as any other page to draw. Because it's so minimal, you tend to make sure that what you have drawn is perfect. The only thing that's contrary to this is the picture of Hana on the bottom. It's my second weakest likeness. Probably worse than the one on page 3. I just had to cut my losses there and move along. I figured the establishing shot of her at the top was pretty good, and you're not going to confuse her for Mr. Bennet.

As a subtle background element, you can see the techno noise building up heavier and heavier as you get to the bottom of the page. I wanted to simulate the pressure that Hana was feeling.

COMPETITIONS: They're all still going. Good luck to all entrants. Once I announce the winners I will get them to email me their requests. I will work with them, then post the results. After the con, anyone who wants one, I will work something out for shipping/photocopying. In the meantime, I'm uploading tiny preview versions. Good luck!

9 comments:

Unknown said...

This wins for funniest post title yet. :)

Anonymous said...

Seriously? You're happy you have an establishing shot of Hana because you're worried somebody is going to confuse her with Bennet? My goodness, boy, you sure do obsess! :)

Anonymous said...

Dude. You used someone's real email address in the techno-background. Brent Simmons? Hope you asked first...

Kelly J. Crawford said...

RE: the pic of hana in the bottom panel...I think you're being too critical of your efforts, here, Jason. I thought it was an excellent likeness.

Also, that snowstorm? Brrrrr. I had to reach for a blanket when I started reading that page. It looks so friken cold!

KJC (who lived a one-hour drive from the North Pole when she was a kid)

Rinibini said...

Dude you need to stop beating yourself up over likenesses that you think don't look good because honestly, I think the ones you think aren't good, are still much better than some of the other artists have done in the comics.

As for the snow... I can totally feel the cold... it reminds me of the the 23 inch snow storm we had here right after I went into labor with my daughter and having to get to the hospital.

jasonb said...

polsons: lol!

ryan: You'd be amazed. Some stuff I thought was really straight forward gets confused by some people.

anon: really? who? wha-?

kelly & rini: Thanks, guys! I've never been to or touched snow in my life. I'm just guessing here. But cold is cold!

Flit said...

I always felt sorry about those two polar bears in that snowstorm, forever having jokes made up about them, and they're sitting there freezing their furry butts off while people laugh.

I loved the layout of this page, the floating panels and background. It gave a really good sense of scope with that middle panel not being boxed.

I'd say stop obsessing, but every time I put a story in I spend hours simply chewing my nails and obsessing about every last word. So it's the whole black pot kettle thing, which is like the poor polar bears, but I don't feel as bad victimising inanimate objects.

Anonymous said...

Re: Part 2

OMG. OMG with a capital wow.

Once again, I sleep now. But tell me, you ARE doing some of these over the summer, right? RIGHT?

-Leshia

Rinibini said...

Jason, Part 2 is AMAZING!!!!!!!! The last page was beautiful and it must have taken you forever because everything is spot on!!! I see I was pretty much wrong about all of my predictions but hopefully other people's suggestions will be fantastic too! I really hope that you will be doing these over the summer as I can't imagine another artist coming close to your artwork.

GREAT GREAT GREAT JOB!!!!!!!!!!!