Y’know I think I’ve attempted something like this a few times before but this time I was a bit more persistent and I’m pleased with the result so far.
Here’s the “thumbnail”.
I had fun with the scratchy shading.
Next: to work out the background! While I’m in a persistent mood I’ll tackle that important element I always avoid…
Naked suicidal jumpers make me happy
If you have problems with backgrounds it’s probably because you start with a character first and only add the background as an afterthought.
You might want to try doing the background first and situating the characters into it in some kind of logical fashion. You shouldn’t think of the background as just an element among others, but the setting where the ‘lesser’ elements are situated. Work in a hierarchy where the background is the groundwork from where everything else branches out. Try to make the characters meaningfully interact with the backround and to be a part of it. In this image just as in the last one the character is a separate object quite literally just floating in space, with no solid connection or rooting with anything else. You could create a more tense and interesting image for example by showing the person standing on the ledge as if intent on jumping, or already in the act of jumping, with one foot still touching the ledge. Or just hitting the ground if you want to be real morbid. In whatever way you do it, establishing a physical connection between the character and the background always helps to bring solidity and tangibility in an illustration.
Of course if your specific intent is to show the feeling of free falling and being separated from anything solid it’s perfectly alright.
- Proairesis
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