The Cull - Chapter 2 - Page 1
Singring on Nov. 2, 2014
Chapter 2 begins with our stranger. We still don't know a lot about him…but maybe some more clues will emerge in this Chapter? At least now you know what he looks like clean-shaven.
I enjoyed doing the ‘aspect to aspect’ panels (as Scott McCloud would say) on this page, giving a sense of place and pacing.
I'm also very pleased with the last panel - I achieved what I wanted to with that page, giving an interesting perspective but also going in close on the character in a contemplative state, which is what this page is all about.
This is also the first page in the comic where I actually had to refer to photographic reference material - I still haven't quite firgured out the back muscles yet.
I promised more nudity - and here it is! Before some of you start worrying that this will turn in to some sort of Beefcake comic, don't worry, I hope you can see that this is entirely gratuitous and since Saphyr showed some skin in the first Chapter, it is only fair that a male protagonist gets the same treatment in this Chapter.
My approach to this comic is that I will not shirk away from violence or nudity or draw neutered characters - but it will never be purely gratuitous.
fallopiancrusader at 7:26PM, Nov. 3, 2014
For my commercial work, I make a lot of stuff up, because it's mostly inanimate objects. For comics, about a third of my production time is spent finding proper references, because it's mostly people. Ideally, I would like to draw a comic where every panel is staged with models and photographed, then used as a reference, but I don't have those kind of resources (yet!)
tupapayon at 5:57AM, Nov. 3, 2014
Enjoying your comic... you have talents and skills I don't have... about ratings... it allows for interesting things to happen...
KimLuster at 2:34PM, Nov. 2, 2014
@Singring: No... I'm not really worried about losing readers, but I do have some mid-teens I personally know reading it... And I'd said from the beginning I wanted teens to be able to read it, feels wrong to change now...
Singring at 1:50PM, Nov. 2, 2014
@KimLuster: Thanks! I knew from the start this comic would go certain places so I chose the M rating - but I'm sure you can change it after the fact? Or are you worried about losing readers? @fallopiancrusader: I actually agree with you - the most I ever learned about the human form was in life drawing classes. The reason I don't like using reference material when I draw is that I don;t have the patience to seek out the right reference material, study it and then translate that onto the page - so unless I'm stuck, I'll go with my basic skill-set, maybe use my hands as a quick reference. Totally agree on the objectification - either do it properly for both sexes or don't do it at all ;)
fallopiancrusader at 1:27PM, Nov. 2, 2014
Reference material is a good thing. I believe that as artists, we can never learn too much about nature, and that learning only comes from careful observation of and copying from the world around us. I rarely put stylus to tablet without having a photo or real object in front of me. I'm liking the male nudity. I'm a big fan of equal-opportunity objectification.
KimLuster at 12:28PM, Nov. 2, 2014
Absolutely gorgeous. Yeah sometimes I wished I'd went with a rating where I didn't have to censor myself too - sure makes the creation process more challenging....