#594 process (Patreon)

process on HFHH #594 from thumbnails to final.

the resolution of this scene is much improved from the thumbnails (which were originally presumed to take place in the pit) by being set in the kitchen. i think they really deserved to be standing up and have the full range of standing/kneeling/etc poses for the emotions that play out here, and pepper grabbing the knife to clean up at the end is a nice signifier that we're transitioning to something less heated from here.

tried not have to draw a new BG for panel 1, i really did. but i would have had to expand out the one i'd already drawn anyway to fit. and i can't explain why but the POV being at pepper's eye level just felt better. so i drew a new one to match that perspective. WHY NOT I GUESS

finally used the low angle wide in panel 2, please clap. this felt like the right place for it. their blocking with pepper on his knees grabbing and beseeching achilles makes pepper look more vulnerable than when you cut in closer. with a closer framing (like panel 4 of 593) pepper can look scarier. but when you zoom back out and he's kneeling on the floor like that, i think you're more reminded that he's scared and a little pathetic here. so it felt better to use this shot for the moment pepper decides he's overreacted and suddenly feels shame about it.

i liked drawing pepper consumed with self loathing in panel 3 :)

the sequence coming up after this is a little different; i don't think anyone's going to be able to predict what it is or how it looks. seems like an appropriate place to reset and take a week off of posting comics. i hope you'll like where i'm going from here.