A mischievous and avant-garde but critical look at comics illustrations. --- Copyright(c)1983, 2006 by Floro Dery, all rights reserved. Unauthorized use or reproduction, in any manner, is prohibited. --- For inquires, contact my agent Juan at juantabagwang@yahoo.com
The “Princess,” shown above, is one of my 25 colored illustrations and oil paintings from “The Legend of the Flaming Blade.” Notice that the Princess is the primary center of attraction. The colored objects in the foreground are the secondary attractions that pull or redirect the viewer’s attention away but direct it back toward the Princess. Though negligible, other objects in the illustration also direct the viewer’s attention toward the Princess.
The center of attraction of an illustration sometimes creates a single visual directed motion toward it, and this single visual directed motion lacks variation. Thus, to create variation in visual directed motion, at least one of the objects in an illustration must redirect the visual directed motion away and then direct it back toward the center of attraction. For this reason and which is also a consequence of the above drawing, I formulated my FIFTH FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE: “One or more elements in the composition of an illustration creates variation in the visual directed motion if it redirects the direction away and then directs it back toward the center of attraction.”
I also call this principle as “the illustration gravitational rule” because one can think of it as a planet’s outward direction that is countered by the inward directional pull of the Sun toward its center. It’s a crazy comparison, hehehe. But, really, is there a relation between art and science?
For more information about the center of attraction, go to Chapter 13. From hereon, I will be introducing many more principles of comic illustration that are unfamiliar to many comic illustrators.
I know many whose ambitions are to become comic illustrators are diligently following my blog. For their diligence, it is only fair to give them recognition. Therefore, I hereby christen them “comic illustrators,” hehehe. They are now “comic gods” or “comic creators.”
In return, it is also fair that the artists must always remember that “they must not bite the hand that feeds them.”
A warning, this “creator thingy” is blasphemous. The artists or writers might be hit by the celestial lightning bolts from the Heaven of heavens. Initially, it started as “drawer,” then “illustrator,” and then “comic god,” and finally “creator.” In reality, this crazy ambition to become godlike creator is already very prevalent in the world of comics. Just check out the “creator” titles of the artists and writers and the superheroes with godlike superpowers that are idolized in comics. Truly, the comic artists and writers live in the comic realm that is afflicted with FANTASTIC MADNESS! Hehehe.
Usually, every scene of a comic script has a very detailed description with what an artist has to illustrate; the captions, dialogues and sound effects are also included. Pssssst! Only between us, the script writers don’t trust the abilities of the artists who will illustrate their excessively descriptive scripts, hehehe. Actually, these overly descriptive scripts are just facades to hide the failures and frustrations of these writers who want to become comic illustrators themselves. But some of the writer-illustrators are worse, when they write scripts which they themselves are going to illustrate, they also write very detailed descriptions of the scenes. They also don’t trust even themselves, hihihi.
Anyway, many artists and even my friend, Juan Tabagwang, who’s a terrible superhero artist can easily follow and illustrate the scene descriptions of my drawings below which I wrote as guides for the director and producer to make them understand the sequence direction and continuity. The dialogues were written by one of the writers in the studio.
By now I assume that any one of my blog followers is ready to become a comic illustrator. I encourage him if he wants to use my drawings above as examples to follow, but he should use the scene descriptions and dialogues in it as his guides to come up with his own comic version.
Notice, from the first chapter up to this chapter, I am always using the “he,” and I am also always forgetting about the “she.” Indeed, old habits keep coming back. As in comics, the habitual styles of the comic illustrators are reinforced by time. This is the very reason why most comic artists are not adaptable to the changes in style of the changing times. Thus, most of them degenerated or went backward with their obsolete styles instead of going forward. And if one really wants to become a comic illustrator, then he must always make his style innovative to counter the habitual degenerating style that is inherent in every artist. So, do I have to change now and use the “she?” Hehehe! No because I have to change everything starting from Chapter 1.
This chapter is just an extension of the preceding chapter.
Except for variation, many artists have no idea why they use different angles and panels in their comic illustrations. As I have mentioned in the preceding chapter, the angles are symbolic like the symbolic panels and lines. These angles and panels are visual aids that enhance the comic stories. An excellent example is shown below by the comic page with three panels. Notice in thefirst panel, I used the eye level angle in the illustration in the horizontal panel which is associated with a horizontal line to emphasize the uneventful or peaceful long distance travel of the bus along the horizontal road. The direction of the bus is from right to left.
In the second panel, the illustration is in high angle in the vertical panel to emphasize the towering height of the imposing building in the foreground and the wealth of its owner. This second panel is also a neutral shot, a transition shot with neutral direction.
And in the third panel, I used the low angle in the illustration in the vertical panel to show that the woman in the foreground has the courage to dare to go through the wrought iron gate of the high walled fence in dark surroundings. In this third panel, there is a change of direction after the transition, now from left to right.
By the way, what if I use instead an eye level angle in the illustration in the third panel? Then this implies that the woman's emotion or feeling is either composed or not apparent. If I use a high angle, then the woman is scared. And if I use a long angle shot, the woman becomes insignificant and her emotion or feeling is irrelevant.Clearly, different angles evoke different emotions or feelings of the characters in an illustration.
Suppose both the artist and viewer are ignoramuses about the meaning and uses of these symbolic angles, panels and lines, or if the viewer is the only one that is the ignoramus, then it is pointless for the artist to waste his time considering these symbolic things. The artist can do whatever he wants in his comic illustrations and the viewer is a “sucker” who will readily accept his drawings, hihihi. On the other hand, if the viewer is knowledgeable, then the artist must learn how to use these symbolic angles, panels and lines; otherwise, the viewer might think that the artist is “artistically uneducated,"
hehehe.Either way, it sucks. Right?
Comic angle is the viewer’s position viewpoint of a particular scene in panel with or without border, it could be either eye-level, low angle or high angle viewpoint. The eye-level is the ordinary straight look of the viewer that is not looking up or looking down. The low angle is sometimes called the worm’s eye view; or the worm on the ground that is looking up at anything above it. And the high angle is the bird’s eye view, or the bird in the sky that is looking down.
The eye-level comic angle is less dramatic or interesting than the low angle or high angle view. However, it is a good position of the viewer for viewing character in close-up, character looking directly at the viewer, ordinary scene of people in market place or street, factory scene, panoramic landscape, etc. See the 2nd drawing in Chapter 13 as example of an eye-level viewpoint. Also, see the 9th and 10th drawings in Chapter 29.
Low angle view in comics is not necessarily viewed from the worm’s position on the ground looking up at the subject. Actually, the viewer is anywhere below the subject he’s looking up at, either near or far from it. The word “worm” is used only to facilitate the understanding of the idea of low angle. Usually, low angle is used to evoke awe or reverence on religious subjects like God or gods, persons with power and authority, or anything extraordinary and wonderful. It is also used to magnify height, speed of subject moving toward or away from the viewer, violence, or dramatic perspective of any structure. In addition, low angle is used to make a character dominant by drawing it higher than another dominated character; it even dominates the viewer who is looking up at it. See the 4th drawing in Chapter 15 and the 1st drawing in Chapter 44 as examples.
Mainly, the aim of the low angle view is to magnify the dramatic effect of the action, emotion or power of the subject that is viewed by the viewer and also to dramatically enhance the perspective of its environment.
The high angle is also not necessarily viewed by the viewer from the flying bird position in the sky that is looking down; the idea is that the viewer is above, either near or far from the subject he’s looking down on. High angle is used, for example, in military, industrial or commercial installation, city, or any map-like geography of a particular area. It is also used to emphasize great depth or distance, superiority of a character over another; and heavenly authority over everything. Example of a high angle view is the 3rd drawing in Chapter 26; see also the 2nd drawing in Chapter 22.
Another type of comic angle is the double angling. Here, the viewer angled his look at the subject, then tilted it either upward or downward. The resulting perspective of the subject being viewed is very dramatic because of the great 3d effect. A good example is a high angle view of a building so that its front, side and top are seen; if the building is viewed in low angle, its length, width and height are seen. A building showing only its height and width is uninteresting and flat. Generally, any double angled structure or figure is dramatic to look at because of its 3D effect. Examples of multiple double angled structures are the 4th and 5th drawings in Chapter 29.
Tilted comic angle is a slanted or off-balance viewer’s viewpoint. Usually, this is used in horror, forceful or violent scene, or when a character is disoriented or highly emotional. Example is a drawing of a character in a boat that is tossed by violent waves, or a building swaying during an earthquake. Also, see the 2nd and 3rd panel drawings in Chapter 16.
Anything slanted from left to upper right is symbolic of going up; and if slanted from upper left to right is going down. To illustrate, a character hiking up on a mountain trail toward the viewer, usually the mountainside should be drawn slanted from left to upper right. But this rule is not generally applicable if there are two hikers on opposite sides of the mountain.
Contrasting comic angles are two different viewpoints that are viewed from two opposite sides. For example, see the drawing in panel B that is contrasted with the drawing in panel C in the preceding chapter.
Repeating comic angles are series of similar angled viewpoints of the same or different scenes. The similar angled viewpoints of the viewer at the different stages of the manufacturing process of a particular product are good examples.
Progressive or regressive comic angles are series of angled drawings viewed from a position that is progressing or regressing in height. Example, say, progressing from low angle to eye-level, then to high angle; or it may regress in height. The position may also progress around the subject from the front to the side, and then to the back; or it may regress in opposite direction.
The position may progress or regress also in distance which can start from exterior shot to interior shot, or vice versa. For example, in a sequence where the position of the viewer that is decreasing in distance from the subject he’s viewing may start from an exterior long shot to full shot, to interior medium shot, and then to close-up; the reverse is progression. Clearly, there is progression and regression in the image size of the subject being viewed. Actually, the viewer’s position while viewing a particular subject may start from one of his angled viewpoints and then progressively or regressively ends with another one of his angled viewpoints. As example, notice the progression and regression of the angles of the drawings in Chapter 41.
Remember this progression and regression in angle, height, around the subject, distance and image size of the subject because they are very important guides in making comics panels with visual continuity.
The long comic angle shot is a panoramic field that is viewed by the viewer from a distance and higher elevation position. From a much greater distance and higher elevation position, the viewpoint is called an extreme long comic angle shot. Ordinarily, extreme long shot is used in establishing the setting of a vast panoramic field, showing the general environment, weather, atmosphere, and time of a day. For example, the exterior extreme long shot of the city of Manila, its general environment, weather, atmosphere and time of a particular day. Long shot in the other hand shows only a segment of a vast panoramic field. Using the city of Manila again as example, one of its long shots shows only some of the buildings in its commercial center, its immediate neighborhood, the people and the things in it to acquaint the viewer about it.
Full comic angle shot is the viewer’s viewpoint of one or more characters in full figure in a defined exterior or interior setting. Example, referring to one of the buildings of the commercial center of Manila, the interior of one of its rooms has many cubicles, and in one of the cubicles can be seen a full shot of two programmers sitting while typing in front of their computers.
Medium comic angle shot of one or more characters is the viewpoint of the viewer from above the knee or upward. Generally, this shot is used to show clearly the character or characters’ actions and expressions, the setting is still obvious to the viewer. Medium shot is also used most often in two-shot of two characters. If there are more than two characters, usually they are divided into two groups to create a two-shot. Notice in the example of the cavewoman chasing the caveman in the preceding chapter, it is a two-shot. In panel B, visually, the caveman dominates the cavewoman because he is bigger in size, closer ¾ angle and in better position. But in panel G, the cavewoman dominates the caveman because she is positioned higher than the caveman. Referring again to the two programmers in the cubicle mentioned above, the two can be viewed closer in a medium two-shot interacting with each other while typing in front of their computers.
A close-up angle is a shot viewed from above the waist or higher. A much closer shot is called extreme close-up. In any close-up the emotion of a character are very evident as shown by its expression. Again, referring to the two-shot of the two programmers, if one of them laughs, it will cause a reaction from the other. A closer shot of the other programmer’s reaction is called a cut-in close-up. A reaction closer shot of another programmer that is in another cubicle, near or farther away, is called a cut-away close-up. The direction and position of the character in cut-in or cut-away must always be the same as in its previous direction and position in the preceding panel. By the way, cut-in or cut-away is not necessarily a close-up of a single character, it can be a shot of more than one character, or it can also be a medium or full shot of one or more characters.
Extreme close-up is used in subject that is too small for the viewer to see. Example is the extreme close-up of the actions of the ants in their underground chambers, etc. Scheming character if drawn in close-up or extreme close-up should be in low angle shot because it is out to dominate even the viewer who’s beneath it. On the other hand, a sneaky character if drawn in close-up or extreme close-up should be in high angle shot to emphasize that it is sneaking even under the viewer. In addition, character in grief or anguish if drawn in close-up should be in high angle shot or below the viewer to accentuate its dejected feeling.An example of a scheming character in low angle close-up is shown in the 2nd drawing in Chapter 19.
One important thing to remember, an artist must never use close-up for no apparent reason but just to fill up the space of the illustration page, it doesn’t contribute to the comics visual storytelling. Close-up most often is a reaction shot to an action or another reaction shot!
But the most important thing to remember is that comic angles are also symbolic that are similar to the symbolic comic panels and lines; they are used as psychological techniques and tools in comics illustration. And as visual aids, they enhance and exaggerate the comic story. However, the other much simpler and easier thing to remember for any artist to become an effective comic storyteller is that “he must assume that he is explaining and telling a visual story to the viewer who doesn’t know how to read the captions and dialogues.” This is another one of my fundamental principles.
