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Happy Thanksgiving!
I know I shouldn’t be updating on holidays…but I’ve got a 4 page buffer. So let me enjoy keeping the 5 day a week schedule while I can.
In today’s page…I added some “atmosphere” to the scene. So it gets lighter towards the distance.
Compare to yesterday’s page.
What are your thoughts?
Keep it?
Yes, I like it!
Definitely makes the forest seem a little less dense. I like the effect. I guess it depends on if you want the forest to be a little more scary with someone watching Alexander.
In any case, thank you for continuing to show your art. Have a happy Thanksgiving!
Oh Alex, you doof. X3
Personally, I’m surprised he can tell which way ‘south’ is. o_O
Hmm… He seems to be kicking his leg out in the third panel. Nothing major, just kind of odd to me. I guess I’ll attribute it to his goofiness.
Wait, this is silly. Alex can FLY for crying out loud! Why doesn’t he just fly up high, get his bearings, and go join the fray? Why would anyone WALK in an uncertain direction if they commanded the power of flight?
So…. he is going North right now, right?
Well, the effect looks a bit like fog. It increases the perception of distance, hence makes the forrest lesss oppressive.
Now it’s author choice: just a normal happy forest to walk through (today’s better) or dark forest full of dangers you need to (but would prefer not to) cross (yesterday’s better).
My 2 cents.
And I agree with Mason: unless there is an explanation (e.g. flying costs “mental energy” and it may be the smart thing to conserve your “magic power” for the fight), it is silly to walk in a semi-random direction when flying will bring you quicker at the correct destination.
The atmospheric changes are much better!! There is much more depth in the panels now.
I love the third panel, something tells me he is not going south….
I agree with Mason though, if he`d stop and thing for a moment he`d go: oh yeah, I can fly….is much faster also
The Atmosphere certainly adds to the realism, and makes the forest look bigger and lighter. However, I have some experience in 3D animation and rendering and the Atmosphere can make you render time increase significantly. So as long as you have the time, keep it! If you’re in a hurry, you choose…
Totally agree
Keep it 🙂 It’s really good 🙂
I say west, or west by north-west… the more absurd the more likely with him.
I find it makes the forest look foggy. Without it, it seems a lot more sunny, or at least a clearer weather.
Depends on how you want your dreamland to look like. I’d go without atmosphere, personally.
Looks a bit like Oblivion now..not a bad thing..
I am not sure of the stated logic in flying. Fying does not assure you will go in the correct direction, but it does assure you could get a lot farther away in the wrong direction. Kinda remindes me of my brother and his 4X4 truck, it did not stop him from getting stuck, it just allowed him to get stuck in a much more difficult place to get out of.
But, what do I know?
There is glare on the metal of alex’s armor and sharp shadows of leaves. Direct sunlight tends to burn through mist and fog. Fog dims the sunlight. Fog also scatters sunlight. Scattered light would create less glare and the shadows would be less sharp. In the rare cases where I have been in fog and direct sunlight at the same time the shadows created a 3D effect in the fog.
The glare with sharp shadows and the mist/fog look good independent of each other.
The “sun” is low on the horizon. It is reflecting close to the center of Alex’s arm when he is pointing horizontal. The sun is also behind us, because of the reflection and the shadows. If dreamland is misty in the morning and if the sun rises in the east then Alex is not pointing south.
Thanks all!
Great advice.
Does he REALLY know which way is South, or is he hoping that the Sword will correct him if he’s wrong?
Look at the shadows folks! He’s NOT walking South!
Well, he could slowly fly straight up (we know he can) and take a look around first. Astoria’s a target big enough to spot withing a few hours’ walk once he’s above the treetops.
Darn, I was hoping we’d learn the identity of the spy. Hopefully tomorrow. Alex, you’re not much of a commander if you can’t identity where south is.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
I definitely prefer the atmosphere.
I love this page. I just really hope that those eyes from yesterday’s page happen to inform him that South is the other way. 😛
It’s not mist or fog, it’s just atmosphere. Albeit, the atmosphere is very thick, but it doesn’t cause the same effect. If you go to a high place and look out, even on the sunniest days, things in the distance appear foggy due to the atmosphere.
Oh dear. We are so doomed right now it’s actually quite funny.
Well he could be checking the sun. From the looks of things, assuming that this is sunrise in dreamland and that greenish glow to the right is the sun, the solar positioning would mean he is now heading in a Southeasterly direction. Possibly eastsoutheast.
I rather like the Leg-Kick. A rather common way people use to reassure themselves that they are in the right.
I love how this page looks! It does feel much more “forest-y”!
Fly Alex fly!!!!!!!
Is Alex trying to get a grant from the Ministry of Silly Walks in that third panel? 😛
From the shadows and assuming that the sun will rise in the southeast in dreamland as it does on earth ( at least around the 42nd parallel line of latitude which crosses the USA), then Alex is headed roughly northeast. However the question that popped into my mind when I saw the panel was “SOUTH from WHERE?” Perhaps Alex is standing on the spot where Natasha told him to go south, but maybe not. The only way he will arrive there is to be captured by the enemy or get help from a friend. The watcher will help him get there one way or another. 🙂
PS Oh yeah, almost forgot. Congrats Scott on the nice use of aerial perspective to make the forest look 3D.
Or maybe he’ll be “captured” by a friend. ^_^
yes, i like it, it gives some depth to the panels in the comic. makes the forest look more like a forest.
I like the effect … and Happy Thanksgiving
Alex looks like he’s… goose-stepping? o_O
Well, I guess it’s acceptable, seeing how he’s a “silly goose” and all…
That way, when he realizes that he is going in the exact opposite direction, he won’t have gone as far.
I may have to agree with Nicole: “They are so screwed!”
but wouldnt the bad guys notice him in the sky?
And the lizard wraith guys have stinger missiles. Hey, when they can slip between worlds unnoticed, they could raid an armory or two…