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Earnestly-Part 1
by-nc-nd
Published: 2011-06-02 04:57:26 +0000 UTC; Views: 19401; Favourites: 1139; Downloads: 0
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Next:[link]NOTE: I spent a long time on this comic. If you may, I would really appreciate it if you could tell me what you liked/didn't like/how I could do better instead of just saying "nice" or something like that. EVERYTHING is Β© ME.
Whew! I finally got around to actually drawing and painting this comic about my little Leaf Creature named Earnest! (indirectly) thanks to . Seeing some great watercolor comics gave me the encouragement to do my own. This is just the first part, so stay tuned for more! (that is, once I go buy a new watercolor pad.)
I think I've mentioned that I use a lightbox nowβthat is, I took out a clear drawer from a plastic chest and tape my first paper on top and my watercolor paper on top of that, and I hold my desk lamp between my legs for the light while I ink it. It's a bit complicated, but it works and I don't need to worry about erasing pencil lines!
Hope you enjoy this, and PLEASE crit and comment! As I said earlier, I spent a lot of time on this and it would be appreciated!
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Comments: 258
Thank you so much for the critique! I really appreciate it, and I will keep your advice in mind as I prepare the next section.
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β₯ No problem! I'm always happy to help out and I'm totally looking forward to the next section! I'm sure it'll be glorious. ^__^
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I haven't seen many fair critiques so well done
but I think the artist deserves more then 4 stars for the originality
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I would've given five stars, because personally, I /really/ do think they do deserve five, but this really isn't the first time I've seen a cute character traversing a silent, watercolor world. However this story, Earnestly, seems to be continuing, and I really won't be surprised if it gets even more original as things proceed. It'll hit five stars, probably soon too. I believe this. β₯
Glad you enjoyed the critique! I hope to bring some more as more parts of Earnestly come out. I'm going to be watching it like an avid fan. ^__^
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I rather like the color palette for this, the way you go from more faded colors to really deep/vibrant hues in the last few sections. The blues and orange in the last little panel are particularly vibrant. The blooms in areas work very well. I would have maybe liked to see the blooms appear even more in the first and last shot of the whirlpool.
The little story going on has piqued my interest, even without having dialogue or narration. The pacing is smooth and flows- which is always a plus. e.deviantart.net/emoticons/b/b⦠" width="15" height="15" alt="
Other than that, seems like a promising beginning. Congrats on the DD!
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Thank you so much for the critique! I really appreciate it, and I will keep your advice in mind as I prepare the next section.
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You're very welcome!
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First off, the watercolors and texture of the paper make this come alive. Not another "and then I colored it in Photoshop". e.deviantart.net/emoticons/s/s⦠" width="15" height="15" alt="
To me, wordless comics are the purest form of the medium and I applaud you for attempting one. Everything's very clear (except for the reason for the journey) and I'm invested in the main character's adventure, even without a name or backstory.
The panels growing larger helps raise the intensity of the action, as does the increasing saturation of the colors. Nicely done.
The stretching after your (very cute) character enters the vortex really sells the strength of the suction and the speed of the swirling. My favorite part.
I'm intrigued by what's actually in the suitcase that generates the glow and how much danger your character's actually in. I look forward to seeing the next part of the series and follow the adventure.
One quibble is that I'm not sure what the yellow tendrils following the boat are. The sun is setting, so they could be reflections, but their swirling nature and how they "reach" for the boat makes me think more of a octopus. Your character appears a bit distressed by its appearance, as well.
Overall, a great success. More please! e.deviantart.net/emoticons/s/s⦠" width="15" height="15" alt="
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Thank you so much for the critique! I really appreciate it, and I will keep your advice in mind as I prepare the next section.
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No problem. Keep pushing the envelope!
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Skillfully made, the colors fits the image nicely. Simple art work, but it means so much. I like the green for comfort, the brown-grayish for a homely-trite atmosphere, and the blue for adventure. I guess it can be interpreted in many ways but, LOL... this little guy represent me in a way, because of what I am going through.
He decides to "take a chance," "live his dreams," and see what is out there. To take on life's adventures!
So he chooses to leave his comfort zone. Suddenly things change for the worst, entering the darkness, not knowing what to expect, not prepared to deal with the unknown. As on DA artist said "No one is afraid of the dark, they are afraid of what's in it." Now he is facing peril; was worth it? Would it have been better to live life in his comfort zone forever, doing as he is told?
I hope I don't influence part 2. But which would you choose:
knowing or not knowing?
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Thanks so much for the critique! I'm glad you were able to appreciate this comic, stay tuned for the next part!
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Intriguing! The strongest part of this is the whirlpool: the spiraling motion shows well through the stretched-out character and the swirl of color, and I like the transition to dark colors to convey depth.
You have a good mix of closeups and wider views to draw the reader into the world of the story, and the action flows well from panel to panel. The only exception (it's so tiny that I feel like a nitpicky jerk just pointing it out) would be the third panel, where the character's arm was not very noticeable, so it's not quite clear that he's walking out of the scene.
The coloring is very strong, especially in the eleventh panel with the character facing the light. There's a lovely texture to it all. However the reflection of the sun in the water is a bit unclear--the lines seem a bit over-stylized compared to how you rendered everything else.
Your character is cute! (Is the name in any way a reference to Oscar Wilde's play?) I'm curious to see more of his personality and what he'll do. But as the hero of a silent comic, I think his expressions and body language could be exaggerated more. His mood doesn't seem to change much between setting off in the leaf and getting sucked into the whirlpool. Don't get me wrong, this works great if you were going for a storybook feeling where the reader sits back and watches it all unfold. And anyway, his calm acceptance of the crazy situation suits the dreamlike coloring.
Since there's no words, though, a strong visual personality is gonna be the only way for the reader to really feel connected and present in his adventure, rather than simply watching. Again, nothing wrong with the way it is now! Just something to possibly keep in mind for more emotionally invested situations that might come up later.
Anyway, I hope concentrating on all these details doesn't give the impression that I didn't enjoy reading this piece! Overall this is a well done beginning batch of pages with a whimsical quality and the air of a storybook adventure--amen to everyone who's getting Dr. Seuss vibes. Keep going!
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Thank you, thank you, and thanks again for the great and insightful critique! I will definitely keep those points in mind as I thumbnail out the next set of pages. Yeah, the sea does look a bit over-stylized...I tried to make a transition between the "real" sea to the lotsoflines sea, but it didn't turn out as well as I would have liked. 
As for Earnest's name, no, it has no connection "The Importance of Being Earnest." He was actually inspired by a one-time character in a story from Tales of Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan. (an anthology and a very good book!) There was a little sprite-like character called Eric in that story on whose appearance I based Earnest's. The name itself is just one that came to me, really.
Thanks again for the critique!
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Hmm, I see. Might just have to look that up, summer reading ahoy~
You're very welcome, it's the least I could do. Good luck with the next set. :]
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Heh, thanks! And it's not that long, so it doesn't take up THAT much time.
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Your very welcome.
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what...? is awesome!!!!! can I share you comic???
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As long as you credit me and everything, yes!
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The last part kinda remind me for Pandora's box on how she open it.. and instead of misfortunes, it's random things
I definitely love it...
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i love the colors, the curves and the way each panel kind of blends together, its really beautiful - im a bit confused about what the yellow is behind the little guy - is it the sun?
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I'm revealing about it later-
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So simple and so lovely. Congrats on the well deserved DD
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WOW! Very wonderful! I'm an aspiring watercolor artist, and I've always been interested in making a watercolor comic. How hard was it to create such a thing, I wonder? Always cheers me up to see good watercolor art, and see how differint people use the medium.
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I really enjoyed the contrast between the warm/cool colors once he was underwater. The orange/red isn't tainted by the dark blues around it, and it's cool how you pulled it off! I'm a little unsure of the yellowy green swirly stuff following Earnest's leaf boat in the middle panels. Is it supposed to represent movement or something magical? (Or is it supposed to be our interpretation?)
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I'm speechless with amazement, literally, I can't think of anything to say about this. It's so, so beautiful, and I'm so jealous of your watercolour skills and the story is really sweet and I can't think of anything remotely bad to say.
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Whoa. Surreal. I wish I had suggestions for you, but no...
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This is beautiful and lovely. It's hard to explain, but something about it just draws me in. I've looked at the entirety of it three times, because it just keeps pulling me back in to look at it. The way you worked out the panels, and especially the way they blend together in some places, is just fascinating to me.
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Thank you! I'm glad you were able to enjoy it.
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I really like this little comic, you made it very interresting! the only thing I don't like is the digital fading/blending at a certain point.
cute character!
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omg! the lighting efects you did looked totally realistic, they hit all the right places well done!
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Gah. This is fantastic. I d'know... I can see the love in it. I like that.
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I made a special new folder just for this, so you better do a good job on the other ones that'll come later. Seriously, don't tell my friends on DA, they'll be so P.O'd
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Awww you just need practice! And maybe let it dry before adding new colors.
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Yes, but it doesn't dry the way I want it and messes up anyway.23
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Well, you can't always control it
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Yeah, I usually just stick to pencil and paper. (btw, the numbers were my brother, he loves messing with the key board!)
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This is quite a nice piece. I like just about everything in it. The colors are so nice. I also really like the lack of text. Textless, visual stories are so nice. I don't have the courage to do that. I always rely way too much on language and text. I think the only crit I have is your sig appears way too often. Wait until the last frame and put it next to a copywrite marker with a date.
My favorite page is the whirlpool. The three panels there are fantastic.
Keep it up.
Aaron the Ogre.
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