head-desk Why an action scene?

serenitysquirrel 2015-07-20 19:07:46 UTC #1

Now granted, it's my first comic and I am doing it to learn and challange and teach myself but why oh why did I have to put SUCH a challange so soon? wimper

Will get through it, somehow. >> And if anyone who's good with action scenes would like to help, I'd be happy to PM the sketches. Having trouble keeping it all animate and make sure it's flowing nicely all the while keeping it short.

On a side note, what was your first big challange with comic making?

futureboundentertain 2015-07-20 19:16:55 UTC #2

I know that feeling, I made a similiar mistake with Forgotten Mars.

I am sure you will find a way

Got a page here n tappy-doos? so I can subscribe?

joannekwan 2015-07-20 19:17:46 UTC #3

lol, yep, action scenes.

I have a long-term project collaborating with a guy (he writes, I draw) and his stuff always has intricate fight scenes. Sometimes fight scenes just don't translate into still images, unless you want to devote 10+ panels to a single sequence. So I use a lot of speed/motion lines to indicate the flow of action for a character. Still, I don't think I'm good at fight scenes, but hey, it's all part of the process in improving.

Spitfire 2015-07-20 19:19:08 UTC #4

I recommend reading Scott McClouds Understanding Comics and Making Comics (2 books) also I've heard good things about Framed Ink by Marcos Mateu-Mestre. Also reading Animators Survival Kit by Richard Williams helped me a lot with drawing action.

I hope I helped and not just created you more presure I have lots of action coming up on my next page and I think I've done one of my best works in it so far, so during this week you can see from my effort how reading those books has affected my action drawing ability

Page 98 of Sandbox Drama I finished early

kotaotan 2015-07-20 19:36:10 UTC #5

Second vote for Scott McCloud's books here. Also do the hard stuff anyway! The best way to learn is by doing. ESPECIALLY when you're first starting out. When I was young I could do things on the first go with no hesitation. I was too naive to know I couldn't do it! So yeah, read up, study, but do it anyway knowing that you'll mess up and learn from it!

punkarsenic 2015-07-20 19:39:09 UTC #6

well, youre gonna need dramatic angles to make it work well. senshistock will help you, they have tonnes of poses (read their T&C tho)

jessiepolfliet 2015-07-20 19:43:41 UTC #7

Draw the characters in 3d shapes(like spheres, squares etc.) It helps you put them in perspective wich works great for action scenes. And also look at a lot of references(comic books, watch a action movie)

novakillustration 2015-07-20 19:49:32 UTC #8

Currently working on putting together 28 pages of straight action scene. Gotta admit. I'm kind of loving it.

igneriss 2015-07-20 20:08:59 UTC #9

Ohh I feel you here! I have love-hate relationship with drawing action scenes, haha~ I can't wait to draw them while planning out the chapter, but when the time comes, they are so hard to draw!
Good luck! C:

Cairas 2015-07-20 23:48:22 UTC #10

I can't tell you how many times I have looked at my story, seen how many action scenes I have planned, and thought "fuck it, I'll make a Romance story instead!" lmao, but my biggest challenge when I first got into comic making was making on character look the same. I had to give extremely distinguishing features just so you could recognize them lol

serenitysquirrel 2015-07-21 00:32:30 UTC #11

http://tapastic.com/series/Hearthwood

serenitysquirrel 2015-07-21 00:38:09 UTC #12

Thanks for all the support so far, guys! For sure this comic has helped me improve alot since I started, but there's still alot to learn and a ways to go!

Part of the trouble with the action scenes for me currently is to decide which pieces to draw. To make sure there's enough to show the characters intentions and reactions to the situations. Dynamic angels and fancy POV shots are a bit out of my scope, but will look at 'em more later. ^^

ErithEl 2015-07-21 02:55:42 UTC #13

People have already made some good suggestions here, and I may be reiterating but the simplest way of making it look "action-y" is by making perspective work in your favor. Simplest way of doing that is making panels either look down on or look up on a character: You draw a character from a point above their head looking down on them and they will appear more vulnerable. You draw a character from below, looking up at them, and they will appear more intimidating and powerful!

I had a similar moment of annoyance with my comic when I realized sooooo many of my characters have wings. I can't draw wings well at all lol

AnnaLandin 2015-07-21 05:41:41 UTC #14

I feel your pain! I find action-scenes really challenging - not really in terms of choreographic them, or drawing the actual characters, but in how to panel them effectively. How to communicate the flow of action and lead the readers' eyes across the page in a way that makes the sequence feel exciting and explosive.

... So of course, I'm drawing a comic that willl be at least 50% swordfights. The only way to learn is to do.

Aside from the Scott McCloud-recommendations (which I heartily second), I recommend finding some of your favourite comics that have action-scenes in them, and study those action-scenes. What choices did the artist make with their angles, poses and use of speedlines, and why do they work? How did they layout their panels, and why? Really break it down and analyze them, figure out what works and why it works, and then take your newfound knowledge and apply it to your comic.

GFalconDX 2015-07-21 05:50:06 UTC #15

It also helps to also watch any television series, either live action or animated, to see how fight scenes or any action scenes are choreographed.

zelkats 2015-07-21 14:49:42 UTC #16

I have to figure out action moves and the camera movements and angles for them while animating Japanese 3D arcade game characters at work, so I have a rough idea on what probably works for fight scenes. It helped that I read a lot of Vagabond by Takehiko Inoue -- which I highly recommend. They say it reads like an Akira Kurosawa film on paper and for good reason.

These are some tips and tricks that might work:

1) Slanted borders for panels instead of them being perpendicular.
2) Tilt the camera diagonally instead of upright.
3) Avoid having panels with similar angles, zooms and character poses situated side by side. The more variety the better.
4) A full-bodied side view of the two battling characters to show a defining moment. Suitable for sword fights and duels.

These are examples shown in Vagabond:

5) The 180 degree rule may be broken because of all the action going on and that's forgivable. But it still applies even after they switch places. The characters don't have to be in the centre:

Sword of the Stranger has one of the most beautiful sword fight scenes I've ever seen. It's definitely worth watching and studying:

There a bunch more ways to deliver an action scene. ErithEl has mentioned a couple of good ones: overhead view and view from below. There are also ways of making your character look increasingly outnumbered, and ways to make your character's foes look like chumps even before delivering a blow. It all depends on the intent of each panel because really, the action does all the talking.

(I'm so sorry that I'm mostly using sword fights as examples ;A; )