Backgrounds advice

I'm on the verge of starting a new chapter in one of my webcomics. With this new beginning, I'm trying to develop a stronger sense of story/purpose and improve the overall look. One of the things that I'm definitly trying to add is backgrounds to my panels.

Attatched is one of the early pages of the new chapter. I'm wondering if people like the hand drawn backgrounds (as in frame 2) or if the "painted" look is better (as in the other frames). Any advice would be muchly appreciated.

I think the painted backgrounds do a much better job of saying "background" - when you do them really heavily like in panel 2, with dark outlines, they look like they're in the foreground with the characters.

So I'd go with 2. The problem you might have, though, is rendering "near" backgrounds- if they're in a room that doesn't fade off as it goes into the distance. In that case you might combine the two methods- but make the outlines less wide, and use a medium color that isn't black (like if the room is blue and purple, use a darker blue or purple for the outlines.) ? Just some thoughts.

I agree with skoolmunkee. I would also add that it might help to look at color and how it tends to group together. Think about how available light tends to give things a similar tonal range. Sometimes by grouping the foreground and background colors in "Hot" or "Cold" combinations you can not only create visual contrast, but emotional contrast as well. (If you're ever looking at the movie "Eyes Wide Shut", notice how many of the shots feature an orangish foreground against a bluish background, or vice versa)

A great example of comic book background art is the late French artist Yves Chaland:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1930652917/qid=1067889383/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-7993228-7671069?v=glance&s=books

Although he uses linework throughout, by manipulating color and linework, he creates effective and evocative environments.

Thanks for the advice.

The "painted" look was something that I had toyed around with a while ago, but I never really fine tuned it. It's definitly something that I wanted to do, but I wasn't sure how well it fit into the rest of the look of my comic.

I'll definitly look into that book, and keep working with the color schemes. I'll also try out the suggestions for the linework that was given. Thanks again.

Personally, I like the crisper, hand-drawn backgrounds, as I find my eyes trying to bring the blurred, painted backgrounds into focus.

-Ian the Scribe

Yeah, Skoolmunkee and Steve pretty much hit it. But I'd also point out that all your panels there are head shots. At some point - usually the opening, establishing panel - you'll want to show your characters in relation to the background better. (The set up of people on a mountain reminded me of the scene on the mountians in Fellowship of the Ring just after they escape from the mines. You may want to look at that to see what I'm trying to say.)