Comics: the mechanics of the medium

[Jim_Campbell]

Beginning with: time in comics.

Picking up from the discussion with Steven Denton which starts roughly here about how time passes in the comic medium and whether a panel is a 'frozen' instant or not... Steven argues, via Scott McCloud, that a panel is a snapshot and the time passes between the panels, I argued (with illustrations in the linked posts) that this ignores the fact that there are many ways that time can pass within a panel.

Putting together the Dept of Monsterology TPB, I came across this rather nice illustration of my point:



The comedy in the PAF derives from the passage of time within the preceding panel, which is created by the TSSSSSSS sound effect. Without the sound effect, we have no way of knowing whether the image is intended to present us with an instantaneous reaction shot from the vampire or a longer moment of puzzlement. PJ could have repeated the panel, or repeated it with a push in or a pull out, but that's a wasteful way to demonstrate the passage of time when it can be achieved in a single panel with just a long sound effect.

I'll reiterate for the sake of clarity that I don't dispute that time generally passes between panels in comics, but* the use of the form is enriched by also thinking about how time can pass within panels.

Cheers

Jim

*And I'm not specifically taking issue with Steven, here — I'd had this exact argument over on Sequential Workshop a couple of years ago and hadn't realised that the contrary view was being rigidly adhered to because it was coming from McCloud's book.

[Fungus]

Think flexibility is the way to view points like this; panels and the space between could show any number of things and if you have to work a bit then that's no bad thing, innovation is rewarding. Avoiding confusing or muddled, of course.

The example of  characters using a twisting staircase is one that cropped up again, and I'm wondering if people find that as jarring as I do. I can see what's being attempted and I know it's one character rather than several, but it feels muddled. Most artists draw the splash page and superimpose panels to show snapshots in time. I prefer that, but can see it's personal preference. Interesting stuff.

[CrazyFoxMachine]

I flatted a bit of Millar's MPH recently and that has some breathtaking Fegredo examples of time elapsing within panels. It has been done and it can be done and when done right it's phenomenal.

[Jim_Campbell]

Fegredo is an absolute master of the medium -- I've thought that since Kid Eternity, and I have no idea why he isn't the most sought-after artist in the industry.

(Also: flatting Fegredo for Peter Doherty? Almost certainly sounds a lot cooler than it actually was (I've done some flatting; exciting it ain't) but well done, all the same!)

Cheers

Jim

[Frank]

Okay, I'll be the one who makes himself look dim. What's flatting? Is it just making layer after layer of solid colours of the right sizes and shapes, so that whoever's doing the colouring can come along and have fun doing all the exciting lighting and grading stuff without having to worry about staying inside the lines? Is it staying inside the lines? Is that what it is - staying inside the lines?

[Jim_Campbell]

What's flatting? Is it just making layer after layer of solid colours of the right sizes and shapes, so that whoever's doing the colouring can come along and have fun doing all the exciting lighting and grading stuff without having to worry about staying inside the lines?

It's precisely this and it's so dull that most colourists subcontract it out.

There's a couple of Photoshop plug-ins that are supposed to make the process easier but I've never managed to get a usable result out of them. Basically it's a case of going in with the lasso tool (not the magic wand, because that leaves you with white areas where the linework is) and creating flat areas of colour to make the process of selecting and rendering easy for the actual colourist.

Flats look something like this:



It's not even important what colours you use, just that the colourist has the page broken up into easily selectable areas that correspond to the objects in the panel s/he will want to colour.

Cheers

Jim

[The Enigmatic Dr X]

That explanation makes no sense to me. Even with the pictures.

If a colourist colours, then why would someone else start it off for them? That's not a facetious question. It seems to me that it is double the work.

Or is it a computer-related thing?

[Jim_Campbell]

If a colourist colours, then why would someone else start it off for them? That's not a facetious question. It seems to me that it is double the work.

Because there is a very mechanical process at the start that is simply breaking the linework up into areas of flat colour without leaving white gaps where the actual black lines are. This is in order to make using the the magic wand to select a specific part of the image to work on quick and easy — the actual colours used in the example above likely bear no relation to the ones in the finished page.

Think of it in terms of preparing a canvas for a painting, which is often done by a studio assistant. It's boring and time-consuming, but in most digital workflows, flatting is usually necessary.

Edit to add: here's an excellent illustration of what flatting is, in relation to the finished page.

Cheers

Jim

[The Enigmatic Dr X]

So, the black lines are dropped back on top of the blocks?

Just say it's a computery-arty thing.

[Jim_Campbell]

So, the black lines are dropped back on top of the blocks?

In Photoshop, you work in layers — the black lines sit in a layer of their own above the colours and you work the full colours up from the flats beneath the linework.

Just say it's a computery-arty thing.

It's a computery-arty thing. :-)

Cheers

Jim

[CrazyFoxMachine]

There's a couple of Photoshop plug-ins that are supposed to make the process easier but I've never managed to get a usable result out of them. Basically it's a case of going in with the lasso tool (not the magic wand, because that leaves you with white areas where the linework is) and creating flat areas of colour to make the process of selecting and rendering easy for the actual colourist.

Yup - and it takes much longer than it should most times  - there are rumours that MangaStudio is better for it but I've not a copy and haven't really had time to investigate.... but if there's anything that makes the flatting part of colouring easier (and quicker) I'm up for it!

[Banners]

but if there's anything that makes the flatting part of colouring easier (and quicker) I'm up for it!

But then you'd have to charge less...(!)

[Frank]

here's an excellent illustration of what flatting is, in relation to the finished page

It's probably a sign of my immaturity, but I much prefer the cheerfully psychedelic My Little Pony colour scheme of the flats and the Viking example you provide above to the tastefully muted palette of the finished Lobster Johnson art. Looks like John Higgins's palette on Watchmen:

[Jim_Campbell]

there are rumours that MangaStudio is better for it but I've not a copy and haven't really had time to investigate....

I think you can use MangaStudio's Fill/Paint Bucket tool in a way that you can't with Photoshop because you can:

a) tell the Fill tool to ignore breaks in the linework below a certain number of pixels

b) specify an option for the filled area to be larger than the originally selected area (so it overlaps the linework and avoids the white gaps).

I'll confess, I've been so busy for the last year or so, I've barely drawn a line, traditional or digital.

Cheers

Jim

[edited for broken quote—IP]

[IndigoPrime]

Edit to add: here's an excellent illustration of what flatting is, in relation to the finished page.

The first coloured version (i.e. the flattened one) could (blue skin aside) almost be right out of the first Hellblazer book.