I hope you all have been enjoying this somewhat experimental week in Astray3. Please, feel free to let me know what you think about the comic so far and how you would like to see it proceed. I have a good feeling about where to take the visual style from here, but your input is important. Also, thanks to all of you for being patient during this somewhat awkward transition to a full digital format.
In other news, Friday’s comic will be late. Look for it to post either late Friday or early Saturday. An acquaintance of mine has asked me to be a Zombie extra for a movie. Needless to say, I can’t resist the opportunity to run around town late at night all gored up.
Thank you for reading Astray3.
-Eldon.
Your zombie image is from Dawn of the Dead- elevator in shopping center- retail store scene right? Gonna have a watch to see myself this evening
I believe that is correct. It maybe the scene after flyboy gets bit and turns in the elevator.
Looks fantastic, Eldon! I was gonna throw in my two cents for colors, but it looks like everyone else beat me to it.
Yup, things are in color now.
Thanks for all the feedback! I have definitely taken your comments into consideration.
Astray3 will definitely be in color from here on in.
I love the color comics!
I have liked the color comics from the first page. This weeks are much better. More mature art. Less comic bookish. Todays page is certainly brighter. Personaly I like the three less bright pages. Though the brighter page more likely fits the world.
I absolutely love the strips 221, 222 and 223. The use of colour gives a greater sense of solidity and depth to the pictures, and also makes the scenes easier on the eye – more accessible. It’s easier to pick out and interpret the distant details, and distinguish them from the fine foreground details. And the pictures still keep the fine penwork and ‘scratchy’ feel that are so distinctive.
I’m not quite so sure about strip 224. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great picture, full of movement. But the reduction in penstrokes and the greater use of colour to hint at detail has made the whole image rather soft and (to my mind) slightly lacking in energy and urgency. It’s perhaps a little more ordinary, a little less unique.
If it’s faster to produce, then that’s a powerful argument for shifting your style. If not, I really think I prefer the earlier coloured strips for this week.
Hope these vague ramblings from someone with no artistic talant at all are useful
I have to agree to an extent. I don’t know what it was exactly but 224 just felt a bit empty or something. Maybe I’m just too accustomed to the much more “busy” backgrounds you’ve had which always seem to show all sorts of details. *meh* Don’t bother looking back, just move onto the next page.
But you’re just starting this so the important thing is to experiment and mess around with it and see what you and the audience likes. Over time both the process and the art will improve and you’ll probably figure out all sorts of new tricks and things you can do with full digital.
I’m also for the colour. I think the recent sequences with Emily’s striped shirt and Umway’s black and white appearance has shown the difficulty and limitations of the B&W arena (heck, the epic part was that you were full B&W, not even gray tones). I’m betting you’re finding it much easier to portray the scenes correctly with colour.
The color rocks Eldon. As nice as your B&W stuff is, the color stuff seems to read so much clearer, and it’s sweet looking on top of it.
I don’t know how l onger it takes you for colors but man, this week was plainly amazing.
You know how I like European Fantasy comics and the colors are great, I love them. Last Strip was the best in my opinion. it has a great balance of black strokes and color strokes into it.
Finally, It makes the strip easier to read.
Kudos to you Eldon, it is great!!!
The inclusion of color is a no-brainer now. I’m still looking for a way to integrate it into the strip without detracting from the lineart. Friday’s comic should be the prototype for the final version.
Keep your fingers crossed.
If you’re after more readers and the ability to still show off your lineart a bit, you could always include a “Top Web Comics” voting icon and use the uncoloured strips for vote incentives.
i’d very much like colours.