Rudolph: December Prompt WIP

[burvantill]

I’m finally starting the December prompt. 10 days is plenty of time right?! minus Christmas Eve and day of course. So 8. I’m up for that challenge.
I have been “drawing in my head” since the prompt was announced so I’m not too far behind. My initial thought was a girl defending her little friend that is getting picked on (inspired by my niece who stood up for her friend Tiny). After days of thinking, it has evolved into a group of girls in reindeer costumes for a play and, you guessed it, Rudolph is getting picked on. She’s big and awkward and her costume is homemade and some other girls are whispering and giggling about her. But her tiny friend is about to intervene.
I’m narrowing down the composition, but if you see anything that jumps out or is not clear please let me know. Hopefully the thumbnails aren’t too hard to see. The last thumbnail is my current wip but I am open to suggestions.

[Heather Boyd]

@burvantill

I like #2 and #6 and the last two. I’d flip #2 to going to the right instead of the left. The space in the last two is nice but I like the confident intensity in the first two I mentioned.

I have the same amount of time as you do, with another work to finish up as well.

[burvantill]

@Heather-Boyd Thanx. I like the close ups better too but I’m worried about not being able to give enough information for the story to come across. I’m doing more thumbnails tho so Thankyou for the help.

[Heather Boyd]

@burvantill will you be including the text? You could add a bit of story in the background and have greater contrast or colour dominance in the foreground.

[burvantill]

@Heather-Boyd I am going to add a poster announcing the Rudolph school play but no story text.

[alicia]

I just started mine yesterday too! But I was thumbnailing in my head all month! I like The bottom one & I like the idea of flipping it so it’s moving your eye forward in the story. (Toward the next page)

[alicia]

Or what if the girl on the left is facing more forward instead of off to the left? I’m just trying to keep you from leading the eye off the page.

[burvantill]

@Heather-Boyd @alicia
Thanx for the tips.
Here are a couple more thumbs. I am leaning towards #12.


I liked the closeness of the earlier thumbs so I tightened up the relationship between the kids. I have Rudolph prominent in her own one third space and I should be able to show enough detail in the rest to get the story across. I copied a few lines from the actual Rudolph story that I may use as well since this will be a portfolio piece.

[alicia]

I really like how #12 draws your eye all around in a circle inside the picture. I like this composition.

[burvantill]

I changed it up a bit. Still the Rudolph play story, but Rudolph is oblivious to the whispers, but her FREIND is PO'd. =)x
I kept a similar composition as the previous #12, but swooshed it up a bit for drAma.
New Thumbnails

New value sketch.
If you see anything that looks off, please let me know. The characters are place holders for the final characters, that will be more realistic.

[burvantill]

Big step forward but still in progress.

[NicolaSchofield]

@burvantill really nice how it's clear they're talking about the girl herself and it's not part of the play. Also that it's someone else doing the overhearing. I don't think it comes across why they're talking about her (if it's still the same as your original idea) but I don't think it matters. Maybe they're jealous she got the part of Rudolph. The curvy perspective also works really well.

[burvantill]

@neschof Thankyou for the comment. I’ll see if I can do something to get the idea across that they are talking about her costume.

[burvantill]

Almost there.

@neschof I made the means girls actively teasing now, does it read better?

[NicolaSchofield]

@burvantill the expression on the mean girl is perfect - I instantly dislike her!
I still think the reader is having to work quite hard to figure out why they're being mean. The costumes all look good & I think the small differences are quickly explained by my brain as being the result of the front girl being closer so we see more detail of the fabric texture. Perhaps the mean girl costumes could be a bit more obviously luxurious? Fluffy / furrier?

[burvantill]

I'm calling it. Time to turn this baby in. =)x

[braden H]

@burvantill Nice! I like how it turned out

[burvantill]

@Braden-Hallett Thank you! =)x Time to go do some light and color homework