One for you to decide.

I've spent over a month researching and honing sequential art (comic) techniques. There are some really artistic web comics out there, and some simplistic ones, all are effective in their own ways.

In case you haven't been keeping up, I am in the process of producing a web comic to accompany the new blog, which by the way is looking fierce...

In the above screen cap you can see a comic which I have recently produced as a tester for a couple of new techniques I've been working on. firstly, the border and the bubbles are dynamic, not set as a template. No transparency (I didn't like how that looked anyway.) I've used a texture on the background which I plan to do more often as I think it gives the comic a little depth. Also I have decided I did not like dot for eyes, I felt limited in how the characters could express themselves. I also miss giving colour to eyes.

I've been studying perspective, anatomy, proportion, drawing and posing techniques as well as panel placement and such. I have a few books on the way which will help me with these things. I've taken a lot of inspiration from the web comics which I have been reading (and am as a result, addicted to.) I'll add all the web comics I read to a box to the right because they really are fantastic reads (even for those who are not familiar to the comic genre.)

Here are a few sketches I have produced as a result of my research (this is digital, the stuff in my actual sketchbook will stay there because there's too much to upload.)...

That last one is actually a panel to one of the comics I am working on, but I liked it so much I decided to keep it as an image. I think I'm improving, though this only related marginally to the actual comic, which is something that will improve over time. It's not like I can do a months worth of work and make five years worth of progress, I will just need to be patient.

So, onto the question for you, the reader. I want you to look at these comics and pick out what you like and what you don't like. Don't be afraid to make a criticism but try and name something you like and don't like in equal measure, that way I know which direction to go. I have my own style and my own criticisms of my work (I am honestly my worst critic) but a second/third/whatever opinion would be greatly appreciated, I've added some notes to each to give you a better idea of what I'm asking of you...

In this one, the panels are too cramped and the overall joke isn't clear, but I like the look of the background (lacking black lines, giving it an open feel.) Also the wording is off.

I like the font in this one, but the lines have no life to them. Otherwise I consider it a success. It was this comic that convinced me to draw them freehand from now on.

This one took over a week to finish. I do not like the transparency on the speech bubble in the second panel, but I like how busy it is compared to the similarity of the other panels with my mother in them. Also I don't like drawing people I know, so I probably won't be doing that again.

This is the first of my new experimental style. I ditched the border template and rounded-square bubbles, textures on the background, but it's boring, the movement is interesting but the same character stood up in every panel is not interesting to look at, however, I still consider it a good job for a first push.

There you go, I started you off. You can either agree with me, or disagree and please explain. You don't need to know about comics to criticise mine, I want to know that an audience of any type will find it pleasing to read, or at the very least understand it. 

Big love!