Drawing Crowds

ShineDog · Post by **ShineDog** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 3:23 am

The problem with the scene you posted is i have no idea where the focus should be, If thats the intent of the page, fine, but generally if you are putting loads of detail into everything, you need to be playing with focus or line weights to draw the viewers eye to whatever it is you want them to see.

Serenagold · Post by **Serenagold** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 3:53 am

These aren't the full pages, just two panels, plus the word bubbles are removed so nothing is obstructed. The main characters are also supposed to be blending in with the crowd. So I guess its a good thing that you can't pick them out, seeing as how you have no idea who they are anyway and neither does anyone else in the crowd.

ShineDog · Post by **ShineDog** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:08 am

Ok, I understand your points, im not sure i agree with them.

First, the reader isnt an observer in the crowd, and the characters dont need to be hidden from them for the reader to get the impression they are hidden in the crowd.

If you are going for a particular effect by hiding them amongst the bodies, why are you going to be pointing them out with dialogue?

Hogan · Post by **Hogan** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:59 am

Normally I think most readers just give a crowd a quick glance unless they believe it to be important to the story... or if they think a relevant character or cameo is hiding in it, then they'll check out every detail carefully...

ShineDog · Post by **ShineDog** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 4:31 pm

Woops, that went in the wrong thread.