Hi Kev,
Welcome to the board. I hope you'll forgive me for going hot on the heels of PJ; I'm pretty much in the same boat as you as I'm only just finishing up on my first 'proper' strip right now. And, in the interests of full disclosure, my submission to 2000AD was squarely and soundly rejected.
So I'm certainly no expert, and I can't give nearly the same level of expertise as PJ.
That said I have come to attempting to draw comics having worked as a commercial artist for a few years, and there are one or two basics that I feel until you overcome are making the whole thing difficult to appraise as a whole.
1. Consistency. Your approach seems to veer a little from realisticish to cartoonish. The shot of the child particularly in panel 1, page 2 feels a little Muppet Show.
2. Perspective and grounding. A couple of examples where this particularly stands out. Page 2, panel 4 in the cubicle scene - it feels a little like he's being accosted by a dwarf and a giant. Likewise page 3, panel 4 and page 4, panel 5 - those street scenes just don't quite sit right, and the perspective feels very harsh, almost fish-eye in the first. That may be what you're after, but even so, a second look probably wouldn't go amiss.
3. Details. Page 1, panel 5. Dredd's gun barrel seems a bit limp? It's an easy fix, and it would help no end. Also the legs of the Academy of Law seem to hang over or obscure the steps. Would the architect have intended that? Again, I think a second look could help here.
4. Lastly - anatomy - and man, will you get sick of hearing this! But it's eternally true for anybody who wants to produce figurative work, and you'll probably never stop learning (and making mistakes). I think you still need to do quite a lot of work in this area as at the moment it really just doesn't come across as something you're completely comfortable with.
I sincerely hope none of this comes across as unduly harsh. There's clearly ability there, I think you just need a little longer to refine it. Rather than diving into inking I'd be tempted to use what you've got as preliminary boards, and maybe redraw the lot. Really look at each panel, and make sure that what you want to convey is there. Is it the best POV? Is it clear what's happening? And with some of the more difficult poses try and find some reference that's as close as possible to what you've drawn to double-check against. Failing everything else, photograph yourself. If nothing else, it's a useful exercise.
One thing I've found enormously useful is to get in touch with some of the writers/ artists and small-press guys here, and see if you can do some work with them. You get to work closely with the writers and really make sure you're both agreeing on what's been put across. The one or two I've worked with so far are especially shit hot and the story-telling side of things, and will really help you get the best out of panel placement, action and making sure you can get the sodding speech bubbles in. And, you know, you get your work seen in the mean time.
Anyway, whatever you decide, all the very best with your endeavours. Look forward to seeing your stuff develop.
Welcome to the board. I hope you'll forgive me for going hot on the heels of PJ; I'm pretty much in the same boat as you as I'm only just finishing up on my first 'proper' strip right now. And, in the interests of full disclosure, my submission to 2000AD was squarely and soundly rejected.
So I'm certainly no expert, and I can't give nearly the same level of expertise as PJ.That said I have come to attempting to draw comics having worked as a commercial artist for a few years, and there are one or two basics that I feel until you overcome are making the whole thing difficult to appraise as a whole.
1. Consistency. Your approach seems to veer a little from realisticish to cartoonish. The shot of the child particularly in panel 1, page 2 feels a little Muppet Show.
2. Perspective and grounding. A couple of examples where this particularly stands out. Page 2, panel 4 in the cubicle scene - it feels a little like he's being accosted by a dwarf and a giant. Likewise page 3, panel 4 and page 4, panel 5 - those street scenes just don't quite sit right, and the perspective feels very harsh, almost fish-eye in the first. That may be what you're after, but even so, a second look probably wouldn't go amiss.
3. Details. Page 1, panel 5. Dredd's gun barrel seems a bit limp? It's an easy fix, and it would help no end. Also the legs of the Academy of Law seem to hang over or obscure the steps. Would the architect have intended that? Again, I think a second look could help here.
4. Lastly - anatomy - and man, will you get sick of hearing this! But it's eternally true for anybody who wants to produce figurative work, and you'll probably never stop learning (and making mistakes). I think you still need to do quite a lot of work in this area as at the moment it really just doesn't come across as something you're completely comfortable with.
I sincerely hope none of this comes across as unduly harsh. There's clearly ability there, I think you just need a little longer to refine it. Rather than diving into inking I'd be tempted to use what you've got as preliminary boards, and maybe redraw the lot. Really look at each panel, and make sure that what you want to convey is there. Is it the best POV? Is it clear what's happening? And with some of the more difficult poses try and find some reference that's as close as possible to what you've drawn to double-check against. Failing everything else, photograph yourself. If nothing else, it's a useful exercise.
One thing I've found enormously useful is to get in touch with some of the writers/ artists and small-press guys here, and see if you can do some work with them. You get to work closely with the writers and really make sure you're both agreeing on what's been put across. The one or two I've worked with so far are especially shit hot and the story-telling side of things, and will really help you get the best out of panel placement, action and making sure you can get the sodding speech bubbles in. And, you know, you get your work seen in the mean time.
Anyway, whatever you decide, all the very best with your endeavours. Look forward to seeing your stuff develop.
