It's tempting to soften the edge of every shadow with hatching. Stark edges force us to commit to shadow shapes which might be wrong, and we don't want to risk being wrong; we want to waffle.
However, undue hatching looks noisy and lacks clarity. Choose carefully when to hatch.
However, undue hatching looks noisy and lacks clarity. Choose carefully when to hatch.
When should you soften the edge of a shadow? When not doing so would mislead the reader about the shape of the portrayed object.
Had I not hatched Tinkerbell's ribcage, it would likely have appeared too flat; the tortion would not be evident.
Had I not hatched the fog beyond Nightwing, it would not have read clearly as fog; the building beyond him might look like a floating object, its distance unclear.
Had I not hatched the fog beyond Nightwing, it would not have read clearly as fog; the building beyond him might look like a floating object, its distance unclear.
Conversely, had I softened ALL the shadows' edges in each drawing, the art would have less punch, requiring more attention than necessary to absorb.
Note how much more quickly we absorb Hugo Pratt's art (left) than Virgil Finlay's (right). Fitting for the brisk pace of comics.
Note how much more quickly we absorb Hugo Pratt's art (left) than Virgil Finlay's (right). Fitting for the brisk pace of comics.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
