Chapter 49: SEQUENCE AND CONTINUITY

Comics sequence is a series of drawings that are shown in different angles and in varied panels which covers a single setting or event, or several orderly settings or events. If it is a series coming out every week or every month, each weekly or monthly episode can be considered a sequence with single or several settings or events. To have an idea of what a comics sequence is, see the song sequence with different cuts in Chapter 41 as example.

Every sequence in comics must have logical visual continuity to convey a coherent part of the story. And a sequence has visual continuity only if its series of drawings of the characters or objects in motions have consistent directions or if not in motion must have consistent positions in every panel they appear, except in the neutral panel and if the directions and positions change.

The direction and position in comics are ignored by many comic artists, either because of ignorance in their use or some other reasons. For example, an artist draws a character moving in a particular direction in one panel, suddenly the character changes direction in the following panel, and then changes again to another direction in the next panel without transition connecting panels. This is very confusing to the viewer. Consequently, the comic story can be understood most often only by reading the captions and dialogues. As I have pointed out in the preceding chapter that comics are primarily visual medium, and that the captions and dialogues are only secondary in importance; but because of the confusing directions and positions of the characters or objects, the drawings become secondary instead.

There are many things to consider in comics illustration when direction and position are involved. For instance, for two opposing groups, say, A and B, the directions and positions of A and B should be maintained in every panel they appear provided either A or B does not change direction or position. That is, if A is moving from left to right and if A is shown in another panel, its direction does not change; same thing for B. Closer shot of a character in A or B with dialogue or reaction can be inserted but still has the same direction and position as A or B, respectively. Another example, an airplane taking off with direction from right to left in one panel must land with direction still the same from right to left in another panel.

In a panel showing a drawing of a group of characters, their directions and positions relative to each other must be maintained in the following panel if they are shown in the same or different angle. If one or more characters in the group are shown in another panel, the rule also applies. In particular, if one or more characters are shown facing to the right in one panel, in the succeeding panel, the same character or characters must still be facing to the right. Violating these rules cause mismatch of the directions and positions of the characters that confuse the viewer and cause also the drawings to have conflicting visual directions and to loss continuity.

In general, the principles explained in the preceding paragraphs apply to all kinds of directed motions; they are also applicable to anything that is not moving. The thing to remember is that the direction of the motion of action of anything or the position of its inaction must be maintained in every panel it appears, except in the neutral shot or if it changes direction or position. But the best and simplest guide to follow by any artist is shown in the following drawings, a simplistic pictorial outline I did for comics drawings to have visual directions and continuities.

In the preceding drawings, notice the viewer is looking at panel A with the drawing of the cavewoman with a club chasing the caveman. The viewer can move anywhere on one side of the bottom borderline of the panel, even along the line, but he is NOT permitted to cross the line; otherwise, he becomes one of the comic characters, hehehe. Seriously, crossing the line abruptly reverses the direction of the chase from the viewer’s point of view. In panel B, the viewer moves ahead, he now looks over the shoulder of the caveman on the cavewoman. In panel C, the viewer moves behind and looks over the shoulder of the cavewoman on the caveman.

To repeat for emphasis, remember that the viewer is moving anywhere on one side of the line and he can even move along the line but is not allowed to cross the line. The viewer now moves closer to the cavewoman, his point of view is shown in panel D; and his other point of view is shown in panel E as he looks closer at the caveman. Panel F is the viewer’s close-up neutral look at the caveman’s scared reaction. By the way, a neutral shot direction is neither to the left nor to the right but directly toward or away from the viewer. It is a transition shot because after it is where an artist can change the direction of the motion of the action of his drawing. Also, it is an exception to the rule and it is not necessarily a close-up shot. But is the change of direction always necessary? Absolutely, because comics need variation in directions and positions, comics with only one direction and position are very boring to look at.

After panel F, we can change the direction of the chase; see the Mermaid drawings in Chapter 16 as example of direction change. However, here, I did not change the direction as indicated in panel G, the cavewoman clubs the caveman. Ka-blam! Crazy SFX. Anyway, the cavewoman captures the caveman and makes him her mate, hihihi.

Take note that this cavewoman chasing the caveman can be considered as a short sequence which is also made up of different cuts. Except in the neutral shot, the principle illustrated in the above drawings is applied to every cut. Also, one must always remember that usually the direction and position of the last drawing in any preceding sequence must always match the direction and position of the first drawing in the following sequence, or else there will be no visual continuity between the two sequences. But most often, this is only applicable to sequences with related settings or events, and not necessarily applicable to sequences with unrelated settings or events.

What if there are three or more characters? Is the principle illustrated in the above drawings still applicable? With slight modification, the answer is yes. For any angle shot of the characters that are considered, arrange them into two groups and draw a line along these two, then apply the principle.

But my advice to the artists is not to be so dogmatic in following or applying the principles I presented in the previous chapters and the principle I outlined in the above drawings because they are only some of the many principles out there that they all need to discover, know and master in order to enhance their creativity and then for them to eventually break all these principles. Also, they always must not forget that their mastery of any rule first is a prerequisite before they can break it.

Chapter 48: COMICS PANELS

The reason why I pointed out the different approaches to comics illustration in the preceding chapter, is first, based on the restricting rules of good illustration and composition, second, based on the breaking of these rules, and third, based on obliterating and trashing of the artwork because I have known many skillful old and young artists who can create great drawings outside the confines of these rules but produce only mediocre works when the conditions of these rules are imposed upon them. Others, especially the young artists nowadays, create excellent illustrations within the rules and domain of the constipated superheroes, but amateurs when it comes to other genres, and woefully hopeless when it comes to violating all the rules in comics. Still others are simply devoid of artistic talent but stubbornly want to become comic illustrators.

The truly gifted comics artists are those who are flexible and can adapt to different situations with or without limitation. These different situations can reveal the extent of an artist’s creativity or can also break him.

Since there’s nothing more to know about how to violate the rules of comics illustration or how to obliterate and trash a drawing, then it’s best instead for an artist to concentrate on knowing and mastering the rules because, to repeat, one can only break a rule if he knows it. So, let me elaborate these other rules in this chapter and in the following chapters.

Comics are visual. It follows that the main reason for comics is to tell a viewable story, if possible, without the use of captions and dialogues. Sadly, comics nowadays are dominated by the writers with limited visual abilities, and to rationalize and justify their usefulness, they splatter the comic page with captions and dialogues. And the poor confused artists, without room to show their creative capabilities, use different shapes of panels to accommodate these captions and dialogues, and unknowingly many of them reason that they are for variation. Still others simply don’t know the proper symbolic use of comics paneling.

The different shapes of the panels in comics have proper uses that contribute to the comic storytelling. Generally, the first big panel without borders is called a “splash,” other first panel has borders. This is the establishing shot to introduce the environment of the story to the viewer and reader; it can also be a symbolic shot. As example, see the 1^st panel splash of the 2nd comic page in Chapter 36; examples of symbolic first panel, see the 1^st drawing in Chapter 42 and the 4^th drawing in Chapter 15. By the way, this first panel is not necessarily a big one; it can be also an introductory shot to the establishing shot, see the 1^st panel of the 2^nd comic page in Chapter 28.

Panel without borders is excellent for a shot that evokes freedom, hope, joy, or any unshackled intense feeling. It can also be used for a great panoramic space shot and for any extraordinary thing that is not bounded by space and time. Ordinarily, a panel has borders, but borders imply restriction. So, bordered panel is good for a shot, say, of a character that is in chains, or a character that is despondent, grieving, or in a confined space, etc.

Horizontal panel is usually used for a panoramic eye-level shot, also for a character in action that is moving in horizontal direction from left to right or right to left, or anything moving horizontally, etc. See again as example the 1^st panel of the 2^nd comic page in Chapter 28. Also, see the 3^rd drawing in Chapter 15 and the following drawing. Note that it is simply idiotic to use a horizontal panel for just a close-up of a character and nothing more because it doesn’t contribute to the storytelling, unless the artist wants to emphasize one eye reflecting something and then move horizontally to the other eye showing another thing. Horizontal panel is associated with a horizontal line, so anything calm and quiet should be drawn in a horizontal panel.

Vertical panel is used also in panoramic shot with height, depth, or both; it is also used in vertical motion of a character or object that is moving up or falling down. Anything that is holy, invoking grandeur, or godlike should be drawn in a vertical panel because it is associated with a vertical line. An artist must try to discover the many uses not only of the horizontal and vertical panels but also of the other types of panels as symbolic story telling aids and not just to use these to fill the comic page spaces. Again, see as example the 2^nd panel of the 2^nd comic page in Chapter 28. Also, view the following example of a panoramic shot with vertical height, depth and actions.

The best panel for action is the tilt or diagonal panel because a diagonal line is associated with fast and violent actions, but overuse of this kind of panel is also not proper. By the way, can a diagonal panel be used to depict a holy place? It can but it is not proper as pointed out in the preceding paragraph. To see example of action in diagonal panel, see the next drawing.

Twisted panel is a complicated panel that conveys multiple actions, emotions, varied depths, heights, or distances. See the 3^rd drawing in Chapter 21 as example. But can an artist also use a horizontal panel instead of the twisted panel in the example just cited? The answer is maybe not because horizontal panel conveys also a singular serene emotion, and so it contradicts the varied multiple moods of the characters in the given example. Unless there is a justified reason, the horizontal panel is also appropriate. To illustrate, a horizontal panel can be used in a scene showing an undisturbed figure in the foreground while in the distant background can be seen a noisy group. The horizontal panel enhances and multiplies the tranquility of the figure in the foreground. Clearly, this is another one of the methods of exaggeration, and it follows that the proper use of different panels can exaggerate a comic story.

Ordinary panel is used in an ordinary shot. Generally, ordinary panel is used in a close-up and non-action shot like in comedy, drama, etc. But series of ordinary panels can be used also in action and non-action shots. Since almost all artists know what ordinary means, there’s no need for me to elaborate further on this ordinary panel unless some of them are half-wits, hehehe. However, it is important to remember that a comic page is interesting to look at if it has varied panels.

Conflicting panels are two panels drawn side by side with each other, where the action direction of the drawing in the first panel is opposite to the action direction of the drawing in the second panel. For example, two opposing armies should be drawn in conflicting two panels if possible in a comic page, otherwise one horizontal panel is used instead provided the two conflicting armies are shown simultaneously in the panel, one is on the left side of the scene and the other is on the right.

An overlapping panel with a drawing of a strong character is used to dominate another weak character in the overlapped panel. A panel within a panel is used, for example, in a shot of hunters surrounding the hunted, the panel within is the shot of the scared hunted. Multiple overlapping panels are used to emphasized chaos and disorder. Insignificant panel is used as intermediary between two important panels. Series of panels receding away from the viewer, from left to right, are symbolic of past events and time; the reverse series of panels moving toward the viewer, from left to right, are events and time that are moving forward. Circular panel is used for a drawing that is the point of view of a character that is viewing through a telescope. And there are many more different types of panels which most artists need to know to aid them in their visual storytelling in comics. But all these different panels most often must be readjusted or ignored by an artist because of the limitations of the comic pages, he should not be so dogmatic, unless the panels considered are absolutely necessary, appropriate and effective in the telling of the story visually.

As a final reminder to artists, different types of panels are associated with symbolic lines, and as visual aids, they enhance and exaggerate also the visual of a comics story.

Chapter 47: THE BARBARIC STYLE OF DRAWING

Realistic comic illustration is difficult to master. So, my advice to any artist of mediocre ability who wants to become a comics illustrator is to develop a style that is not only easy to mass produce but also attractive and exaggerated to look at, and also that can be done easily without him even trying to learn all the rules of good illustration and composition. What is the style technique for this kind of artist?

The technique to remember is to come up with an attractive and exaggerated style of drawing that “violates” all the rules of good illustration and composition. Such style of illustration I call the “barbaric style.” It has many variations, and can be created with ease even while an artist is sleepy or drunk, hahaha. See the following drawing as example.

Remember that an artist can only violate a rule if he knows that rule. What if he doesn’t know the rule and he unknowingly contradicts it? Then he is an “ignoramus.” However, if his artwork is attractive, exaggerated and pleasing to himself or the viewer, then to hell with the rule. But still, being an ignoramus, he will be called a “gifted ignoramus.” And his style of drawing is still also barbaric. Hehehe!

How about those people who obstinately still want to become artists even though they have no artistic talent whatsoever? Is there also a style technique for them they have to follow? Yes, there is. All they have to do is to “terrorize” their drawings; that is, they should obliterate and trash their drawings, hihihi. Below is a good example of one such drawing, the drawing of Sik Sikat.

But, like Sikat, these people that are devoid of artistic ability are the ones who are famous and their artworks command a very high price. To know more about the likes of Sikat, read Chapter 5: The 5 Cents Artwork and Chapter 7: Abstraction in “Tales of Two Artists.”

Chapter 46: COLOR EXAGGERATES A DRAWING

An ordinary looking woman enters a beauty saloon. After a while she comes out with a different look. Her raven hair is bleached blond with green and blue highlights, her black eyelashes are changed to brown, her eyebrows slanted, her lips are painted red with lipstick, her face is tanned with make-up, etc. Simply, she’s really stunningly attractive to look at. Indeed, colors change her look, or the change in her appearance enhances and exaggerates her look.

The same thing with any illustration; coloring a black and white drawing enhances and exaggerates everything in it. That is, color multiplies the attraction of a drawing. This is the reason why many mediocre artists color their drawings to somehow compensate for their mediocrities, hehehe, and even a great number of professional artists also color their drawings to hide the inadequacies of their artwork. Seriously, aside from enhancing and exaggerating a drawing, color gives also life to the otherwise anemic black and white drawing.

To see examples, see above my black and white drawing which I inked using kolinsky round sable brush #4, and shown below is its enhanced and exaggerated colored version where I used seven different pantone colored markers. Of the two illustrations, the colored one is more attractive, isn’t it?

Many artists habitually color their black and white drawings, a number of them do not know the reason for doing it. This is what happens when any artist is doing the same thing repeatedly, he forgets the reason for his artistic work; he is like a soldier in a war for many years, he forgets the reason he is fighting for. Unknown to a number of these artists, coloring a drawing is also one of the psychological artistic techniques of illustration exaggeration.

Chapter 45: “DECORATIVE” DRAWING

Consider again the brainless “scribbles” in Chapter 38. Think of it as a twisted or contorted tree trunk with many branches; the prominent shape at the center of the scribbles as a panther, python, lizard, or anything an artist wants as long as the figure chosen is somewhat similar in shape to the prominent shape. One of the flowing shapes in the scribbles can be thought of as a female figure. Why female figure? Well, generally, shapely and flowing female figure is artistically pleasing to look at. But an artist can choose a bird of paradise or a goldfish with flowing fins, or if he wants to, say, a naked, famished and skinny male figure, hehehe. But the viewer will be disgusted by looking at it. Anyway, exaggerating the figures chosen and adding more decorative details, the resulting drawing is shown below.

Only an iota of imagination is used to create the preceding drawing. Sometimes, the more an artist thinks to be creative, the more mediocre his drawing becomes. But should an artist not think at all when doing a creative drawing or any drawing? The point that I am trying to convey in this chapter is for any artist to once and a while throw away all his preconceived ideas that he has before starting to draw a “decorative” drawing, or any drawing, because such ideas are at times very limiting and his resulting drawing occasionally may lack creativity and originality. Using ideas at the spur of the moment and utilizing the brainless created “scribbles,” an artist can sometimes produce a very creative and original drawing that maybe out of this world, but this method can produce also a drawing that is fit only to be thrown into a trash can.

The drawing above proves that a “decorative” drawing is another one of those brainless drawings, hihihi. In addition, any artist must resort to the above described technique only if he’s already washed-out, burned out, degenerated, etc. Hahaha.

Notice the female figure and the panther are the center of attraction which I deliberately drew at the center of the illustration page; also, the layout of all the objects in the drawing are concentrated as a single mass at the center of the page. Is this again a violation of one of the fundamental rules of a good composition?

Remember that the reason for refraining from positioning the center of attraction or concentrating all objects in the drawing as a single mass at the center of the illustration page is because the resulting layout is static to look at , or there is no illusion of movement in the final composition when the viewer is looking at it. But the drawing above is not static. In fact, the eyes of the viewer move along the apparent direction of the motion of action of the female figure and the panther from right to left, then move along the many directions along the twisted or contorted tree branches , and then back again. Clearly, the drawing has an illusion of many swirling motions and directions.

So, is the drawing a violation of one of the rules of a good composition? No, “it makes the rule partly obsolete.” I call this particular rule breaking as the FLOR’S FOURTH FUNDAMENTAL RULE, hehehe; that is, “all the elements in an illustration that are grouped as a single mass and the center of attraction can be at the center of the illustration page provided that there are apparent, perceive multiple directions away from, around and back to the center.”

Below is a decorative drawing of Cuthra, the buccaneer captain from “The Ultimate Quest.”

Chapter 44: DYNAMIC COMICS COVER

This chapter is an extension of Chapter 16 and Chapter 42.

Just like an army that uses psychological military tactics to dominate another army in battle, an artist must also use psychological artistic techniques in his illustrations to impress or draw out the feelings of his viewers. For example, in illustrating an action comic cover, an artist must remember that the most dynamic cover illustration is the one that is a neutral low angle shot with an apparent slanted and downward directed motion of action toward the viewer. The neutral low angle shot creates an illusion of intimidated feeling on the viewer as if due to the effect of a massive object that is falling directly over him, while the downward directed motion of action toward the viewer also creates an additional illusion of a jarring impact effect on him. See the following drawing from “The Ultimate Quest” as example.

Notice the layout of the objects in the preceding illustration is clearly concentrated as a single mass at the center of the illustration page, the layout is not asymmetric and it seems a violation of one of the fundamental rules of a good composition. However, the aim of the neutral low angle shot of the above illustration is to shock the viewer which is achieved by positioning the dominant character with a sword at the center moving forward. Its downward directed motion of action forces the eyes of the viewer to move downward toward the character with a slingshot. Clearly, there is an apparent downward movement in the single mass. Many neutral shots are static shots, neither asymmetric nor symmetric. However, the above illustration, though a neutral shot is not a static shot; it is not a violation but more of an exception to the rule.

From the above observations, I formulated the rule which I called FLOR’S THIRD FUNDAMENTAL RULE: “The neutral shot is not a static shot if all the elements in an illustration that are grouped as a single mass at the center of the illustration page has one or more apparent, perceive directions toward the center of attraction that is not at the center of the page.” By the way, the FIRST FUNDAMENTAL RULE is the Flor’s Fundamental Length L in Chapter 9 and the SECOND FUNDAMENTAL RULE is the Flor’s Symmetry in Chapter 10.

Aside from the one I elaborated in this chapter and the other ones I already discussed in the previous chapters, there are many more psychological artistic techniques in illustration out there. But most artists don’t know how to use these techniques because they are so used to just looking and copying other drawings, they don’t know also the reasons supporting the drawings they are looking and copying; that is, many of these artists are just using their butts instead of their heads to draw, hehehe.

But can an artist draw using only his head? This is possible. But what I really mean by an artist using one’s head to draw is for him to be aware of and to know how to apply all the drawing fundamentals and techniques in drawing and to draw using his hand, of course, hihihi, with a drawing tool in his hand. Well, drawing using only one’s hand without holding a drawing tool is also possible.

To know how to draw using only one’s butt, hehehe, read Chapter 4.

Chapter 43: TWISTING A HUMAN FIGURE WITH DYNAMIC TENSION

This chapter is just an amplification of twisting in Chapter 7 and dynamic tension in Chapter 17. But what happen visually to a human figure with dynamic tension when it is twisted? To answer this question, consider first by twisting a rope that is stretched almost straight with tension. The twisting adds a helical directed tension along the linear directed tension on the rope. It is obvious that twisting is a tension multiplier; also, it is a motion multiplier because the helical directed motion is added to the linear directed motion.

Similarly, consider a human figure that is not in action. To make it in motion with dynamic tension, stretch the figure by exaggeration along the desired linear direction of the motion of its action. Then twist the figure to multiply its dynamic tension and motion. As examples, see “Super Kapre” in the preceding chapter, “Boltaire” and the “Gladiator” in Chapter 6.

Twisting is applicable also in the perspective of a background layout. One thing to remember, any background layout has no dynamic tension; only half-wits believe otherwise, hehehe. However, background layout can be drawn so that it can have an “atmosphere” of tension that is conveyed by the conflicting tense characters and sinister environment in the illustration. See the following drawing as example.

Though background layout with linear perspective and one vanishing point creates an illusion of motion, the motion can be multiplied by twisting the linear perspective to have multiple vanishing points. Twisting also creates an illusion of more distance because the helical distance is greater than the linear distance, and it also creates an illusion of more depth because the helical depth is greater than the linear depth. See the twisted perspective of the background layout of the 3^rd drawing in Chapter 21 as example. Compared to a background layout with a linear perspective, notice that the example cited has an illusion of more distance, more depth and an apparent illusion of more motion because the viewer’s eyes are forced to move more by the twisting. Finally, if there is more motion, then there is more action.

Remember, TWISTING IS A MULTIPLIER OF DYNAMIC TENSION, DISTANCE, DEPTH, MOTION AND ACTION.