Sunday, August 09, 2009

Eyes 2: Eyes, Eyelids and Eyebrow Theories

Here is Kelly's interpretation of my rough scribble. She kept the guts, but needs to make the hierarchy of details make more sense. Let's look at the eyes.

Eyelids need to wrap around the eyes from the direction we see the eyes; in this case, we are looking up at them. Kelly has drawn them as if we are looking down on them. The curve is upside down. It's a misinterpretation of my scribble that has extra rough lines that are accidents or mistakes and don't mean anything.

The trick for a layout artist to tighten up storyboard drawings is to be able to tell what is essential in the rough and reinforce that, but also be able to see what are just scribbly extra accidental lines that mean nothing.

Eyebrows should never be just single thin lines. They are shapes that border an area of hair above your eyes, so make those shapes distinct and make sure you use them to reinforce the expression.

Eyelashes. I like to take the top line of the eyes and make it thicker in the middle. This suggests eyelashes using simplified cartoon license. This is an old Disney trick that helps draw your attention to the eyes, and thus the expression. It is also appealing.

Everything to do with the eyes needs to follow the same physics of the eyes, not contradict their position. If they don't, they distract from the expression.
I'll go over the whole drawing, bit by bit in different posts. (If Kelly doesn't mind)


Forbidden Hippo said...

Thanks for all of this. I have been doodling since I was a child. But that was it. Doodling. I have recently been inspired, mostly by you, to learn how to actually draw good looking cartoons. I am trying to absorb all of this great info you keep posting, but is their any websites or posts you recommend for beginners? I took your advice and started copying images of Elmer Fudd using simple techniques, and although my drawings were extremely rough and amateurish, I kind of surprised myself, it sort of looked like a cartoon! So I will continue to practice and look for inspiration in real life and others drawings, but if you know of a great website of blog or book with the beginner in mind, I would greatly appreciate it if you filled me on on it.

Thanks a ton,
This is an amazing website

Kelly Toon said...

I don't mind at all!! Thanks for the critique!

Niki said...

Wow so her only mistake was your mistake? That's a weird way to say good if I've never heard it!

afdumin said...

In terms of character poses (which I know you haven't covered yet), they don't seem extreem enough. I'd give Spacely a heavy forward lean and have him bearing down on Jetson even more and much closer, nearly toupling over onto him. In turn, George should be forced to bend backwards in a comicly exagerated manner just to keep from being engulfed by Spacely's "towering" form. Also, Spacely's right arm looks too stiff. Perhaps give it more of a rubbery backward bend to suggest some motion.

Raff said...

This is really good; no book I've seen talks about this.

I'd try it but my whole place is in turmoil right now and I don't wish to discuss the hell I'm going through.