HEROES: Past Experience page 2

Sorry about the interruption to our regular programing. I just didn't plan some deadlines very well and they all came crashing down on me. And while I love blogging, it's not my "job" per se.

Anyway, let's get back to HEROES: Past Experience.










LAYOUTS

This was a fun page. The key thing for me was to make sure that there was no problem reading that this part was set in a picture book or within young Hiro's imagination. The writer, J.T. Krul suggested in his directions that this sequence could either be drawn like the picture book from the show or in the style of the tapestries:






I'm a fairly flexible artist, and while I could do this, I knew it would take a while. I opted instead for a more cartoony colouring style inspired by Josh Middleton.





LINE ART

Obviously Kensei is asian in these pictures as no one knows that it's really David Anders. I used the samurai armour from the tv show as I believe that the illustrator or Hiro's imagination would have used the real armour as reference.

My only other vague sort of Easter Egg is that the two samurai are loosely adapted from my favourite Kurasawa film, The Seven Samurai. If you haven't seen it, it's a true classic that has inspired so much modern cinema. Here's the reference I used:





You can see that at this stage I'm still deciding how best to make the storybook stand out from the rest of the story.

My young George Takei was fun, but I think he really comes alive at the toning stage.

TONING
I knew that I was going to colour the storybook sequence differently. I knew that if I did that it would help separate the two scenes. So the toning here is really only on the final panel.

It's amazing how it goes from well, some dude, to being George Takei! I'm so happy how I can trust myself these days to be able to do this and know which stage will best achieve what I want it to.

I know some people weren't happy with my George Takei likenesses, but I thought this one was particularly good. Maybe they're just not used to him smiling?



COLOUR
It was so much fun to play with a different colouring style. I hadn't used this style since I coloured "Killeroo: book 2" years years ago! I dig the heavy shadows and harsh fill lights. I also got to play with a really bold colour palette.

Listen to me, "a bold colour palette"?! I really need to get the hell out more. I'm getting all excited over colours! Time to check my testicles at the door, I think I've just disowned all right I have to any manhood whatsover.




MY, WHAT BIG SCROLLS YOU HAVE...

So inspiration finally struck! My idea was to change the panel borders (or boxes) to scrolls. I wanted to give the feel that this story was very old and add a mythic element to this enjoyable fable.

It totally comes alive!

I was very happy with this idea. I was totally convinced that every reader would find this easy to follow and read because of this storytelling device.

I literally had to think outside the scroll.

Sorry, I couldn't resist that pun. =)




FINAL TOUCHES

I placed a faded out version of the raining arrows Kensei tapestry as my backdrop. The harsh white was too startling for me and I needed a texture behind it.

Some subtle airbrushing and colour mixing and the page was done! I was very proud of the storytelling on this page.

While it seems that this page was all fun and games, my computer was starting to seize up like a wet fish in a snow storm. I remember my satisfaction at finishing the page being tarnished by how long it took me because my computer was slowing down like some sort of cheap-ass bullet-time effect.

My frustration was building and I could feel my pants going purple and my skin green...