AbbyCapers(WiP-Early Access): Dress Distress! (Patreon)

(WiP) Does Abby make that dress look good? I'd hope so! Should she have checked it for magical traps beforehand? probably so, but I'd hope not!

The Rant:

Something I  wish I did more (and had more space to do) is showcase Abby's mischievious and (speaking bluntly) less positive side. While I do often poke fun at the idea that Abby is so hapless that most readers can't help but sympathize/empathize with her ("Poor Abby!"), I don't like the idea  that Abby hasn't (through her own actions, and not any aspect of her being/perception she can't control) done something to deserve what's happened to her, at least on some level. She's not malicious (or, at least, intended to come off as such), but not innocent either. The reason it doesn't often happen is space constraints and a lack of dialogue. There's just not enough space in strips (without making deets illegible), and I like the idea of readers coming up with their own interpretations of what they are reading.

What that means for this comic is that I wish I'd had the space to show that she did not come across the dress by legal or honest means. Something to infer or foreshadow what happens to her, and why she deserves it (again, as a result of her actions specifically). Sure, I can put it in the blurb, but the comic should stand on its own, and I'm not going to add dialogue to correct a visual flub, justified as it would be (dialogue is an equal tool to visual representation, not lesser)

The other "fun" aspect of this rendering is the hatching on Abby's shiny new trapdress. For cel-shading and noir spot blacks, its usually one giant "shape," both the blacks, the shadows, the highlights and the shines. For pencil rendering, I could also do that, but the end result is often muddy, so its better to try and go the hatching route, which is difficult for something like latex, which has very clear contrast points and doesn't grade like most other fabrics (at least, not in shorthand). I think I'm getting better at it though!

What did you guys think of Abby's new dress, and its process of entrapment? (I know most of you want one, now, but that's where your artist friends/contractors come in! Go get those commissions!) Let me know in the comments, and thank you for your patronage!

-Catcha over Yonder!
-Saunter!