Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes | Comic Update #5
A Look At Page 8
I don't know about you guys, but today just flew by. One minute it was the afternoon and I was making good progress on my work and then the next minute it was 10pm! I hate it when that happens...
Anyways, I have one more page of my gothic comic to share with you guys before I go back to page one to ink & color everything. You'll have to wait a little while until I start working on the rest of the comic.
I wanted to share the thumbnails for this last page, as things changed a lot from the original sketch, but I drew them on loose piece of paper which I then must've thrown out because it is currently MIA. I have a bit of an issue with leaving "future Theresa" to deal with the consequences of my actions. I often draw things on loose pieces of paper that either get thrown out or lost amongst other papers but instead of putting this habit to an end I continue to do it and just say, "Future Theresa can deal with that." Past Theresa can be a dick sometimes.
In lieu of thumbnails, you'll just have to imagine for a second: in my original thumbnails, I had the man in the previous pages bringing the main character to her room and had a blank panel at the end of the page because I had no idea how I wanted to end that moment. Then in my redo thumbnail, I wanted the 8th page to be a little bit of a breather page where we are alone with the main character and her thoughts only to find that at the end of the page, she isn't quite so alone.
I was on the right track but wasn't totally satisfied with the pacing and composition of the page. I felt the eye needed to linger a little bit more on the main character before the ghostly figure was revealed. I also found that panels 5 and 6, while initially were done to build anticipation, were too similar in framing and thus repetitive and boring.
I was much more satisfied with the pacing and panel compositions in the tighter sketch. For the first three panels, I wanted to spend some time to show how involved 19th-century wardrobe was for women ( I haven't done research to the undergarments for men of the time so I am not sure if it's as cumbersome). In my research, I actually found a whole community on Youtube that creates their own Victorian clothes so I was able to see exactly how a woman of that time would get ready every day. Since the main character isn't an upper-class woman, she doesn't have nearly as many layers to deal with but even so, it's still a lot of work. But I thought it would be an interesting sequence to frame as she's thinking to herself.
I also chose to make the panels slanted once the ghost lady comes into frame to add to the sense of unease and mystery.
Hope you've enjoyed this sneak peek!
My ending questions are: Choose your favorite!
- Everett, Cecil, Victor, or Samuel
- Emil or Ira
- Any favorite victorian-era names? I have a lot of characters I've yet to name...
You can check out my previous comic updates here:
Update 1
Update 2
Update 3
Update 4
If you'd like to keep up with more of my work you can check me out at the following:
Instagram: @la.fumettista
Tumblr: http://la-fumettista.tumblr.com/tagged/art
Twitter: @TheresaChiechi
Website: https://www.theresachiechi.com/
i need to start using the trim/bleed/live templates for mine... guesstimating is not good enough haha where did you find yours? i'm searching for a good res version
I used the template Kablam supplies and remade it in Photoshop but with a bigger bleed because I'm paranoid about weird cropping lol.
yesterday flew by for me too!! I woke up, then it was in the middle of the night and I still couldn't decide on clothes for my character to wear, eventually I did but I think it's called being in a state of flow.
anyway, good instinct on keep working it until you got something you're happy with. it creeps me out how the figure moves from panel to panel and she doesn't even know! nice dramatic irony!
Stupid "flow, making my days go by too quickly lol.
Glad my choices were effective :) Thanks for reading.
Wow! Each layout and perspective is so diverse, pushes the narrative forward and is just so beautifully drawn!
Thank you!
really nice * __ * i love all the details and the planning that goes into this page <3 those two last panels is AMAZING <3
upvotes
Yaaay! Thank you :)
I love the perspective and the slants you added to the panels really add interest. The spooky face with the veil...gave me chills, which is good. The historical girl in me thought, "a corset is tied in the center laced from top and bottom" but maybe that is just for particular types and only I would think that ;)
I love seeing petticotes and corsets, it really adds to the ambiance for me. Another amazing post of great progress. Well done you!
Thank you! I'm glad the face scared you; I feel like pulling off scaring things is especially hard to do in comics as opposed to film where things just feel more "real". And thanks for the tip! I didn't have my corset reference in front of me when I penciled that panel. I was gonna leave that for "future Theresa" to deal with. Although I do own a costumey corset, which I think does tie in the middle...I could be remembering wrong. But I'd rather go for the more historical version.
It's crazy how many layers they wore! I don't know how any of them went to the bathroom.
I do: Split Bloomers (basically crotchless big pants) Isn't that funny?
I think the reason for the tie in the middle of the corset (that is laced up from bottom to middle and from top to middle) was for two reasons 1)if you were poor and didn't have a ladies maid you could put it on (it stayed laced when you took it off, as you undid the front closures) yourself and just hook up the front. 2) if you had a ladies maid it went on the same way but if you wanted a tighter waist it's easier to get if it is lace to the middle as one person can pull both sets of strings as they are both meeting in the middle. Far more than you ever cared to know I am sure. Basically no one really undid the strings each day, you just put it on like a front closure bra but with more buttons. Hollywood invented the putting the foot on the back and pulling the strings. ;)
I was mostly joking, as it hardly matters and I am SO excited for your comic. I can't wait to see it all together!
Oh and question. Everet and Emil. I always like names like georgianna or ermentrude, but not sure they are specifically Victorian. :)
Oh yeah, I saw those. But like how does one function with a hoop skirt???
Everett is looking like it's going to win. Still a tie between Emil and Ira. But oooh I'm definitely using Georgianna.
A hoop collapses on itself. I've worn various period dress, including hoop skirts (1860s) and Bustles (1870s -80s) The 1870s lower bustle gather is one of my favourites but the full high butt late 80s bustle is interesting too. And of course I have worn a fair share of corsets. I even had handmade victorian lace up boots made in this old factory that still had the patterns from the Victorian age, I don't think they exist anymore, but it was before there were right and left shoes so you just drew your foot impression and they made each shoe to fit. I love clothing history...well I'm a history nerd for many things :)
Yeah, it sure is a pain in the ass to have to deal with all those layers of clothing and laces every morning and every night! I had never before thought of a woman doing all this alone, as in movies the whole process is usually depicted to be done with the assistance of servants, etc.
If I may say so, the previous layout works better for me. I know it is used a lot, but I like the layout where along the panels there is a constant subject (the bed & woman in your case) and a "moving" one (the ghost); it gives a sense of movement and increasing tension. Anyway, the new layout is good, too -- no worries!
As for the names:
Great work with this comic, I am eager to see more!
It's crazy to research how they used to dress. And yeah upperclass women usually had servants to help them out but, from what I interpreted in my research, the fancy in-style clothes were modified so that the everyday woman could wear them and dress herself.
Yeah, absolutely! Everyone has their own take on things; I think I stay away from setups like the original because I used to do things like that a lot in college and my art professors would always make me change it. But in the end, it's art and art is subjective. So no two people are going to interpret the same piece the same way.
Okay, so far that's two votes for both Everett and Ira! And those are all good names, I'll definitely use some. I love Camilla.
Thanks so much for reading and for the feedback! It's always appreciated :)