Page Notes

Page 0114 • August 13, 2007

This page came out better than I'd anticipated. I'm glad. Not much to say, except that the vendor is way too trusting of people in general, the kid's panel could have been better-angled, and it's really too bad I decided to stop here, because the next few pages were going to get intense. :O Daaang. I really do like the two big panels. Oh, by the way, second panel, you start with the lowest left bubble and read from there. It's confusing, whoops.

Page 0113 • August 6, 2007

Wow, three pages this year! A new record!
I almost didn't like this page, but I made it all better with the color (a rarity for me - usually if it's not good in lineart, it won't be in color either, as it goes for me). Nick's (the dog-person's) looking wonky to me, because I hadn't developed a good style for my anthros back when I drew this. Eririn (cat-person) needs more face time, but he won't get any before the redo. :( Wah. Mr. Vendor's walking right into trouble with his lips there...
Panel 3 is corny, but I had to put it in. GAH. For the record, Aida and Elda are the respective goddess/demoness of this world.

Page 0112 • May 28, 2007

Behold! Panel two is awkward, and Sabér changes on every page. Gah. Stuff irks me about the last panel, but not too much. I like how the dinosaurs came out, anyway. Those two are some icy kind of coelophysis, one of my childhood favorites. You'll recognize the two characters coming in soon enough (if not, go back to around page 76 or so), although one of them formerly did not possess ears.

Page 0111 • May 28, 2007

Well, that shouldn't have taken six months, should it have? Still, all works out for the better, as I am now back and somewhat more focused! The style has evolved somewhat, although I did draw this several months before I added it. Trying new things with shading and backgrounds. The BG in panel four looks kind of awful, BUT! I learned something! And, uh...not much to say. What the Fenin man and his child are saying in panel two is a fond kind of farewell, "Goodbye, keep well."

Page 0110 • November 27, 2006

I think I'm really getting the environment here. It may just be because of all of Ronou's redness blending in. Also, this is how I'm doing the majority of backgrounds from now on. It works better - more background/foreground contrast. This page is REALLY random, full of Chibis and Pouty Ronou and Inquisitive Ronou, but I wanted to draw it, so there. This whole scene used to be very random, but it's very good practice for this new color stuff.

Page 0109 • November 27, 2006

I'm trying to get my footing more with lighting. Almost getting there, though this is confusing - there's weak light from the entrance's split and the yellow lamp opposite each other. I'm also trying something different with the light so it actually looks like light, and something different with the backgrounds which you will notice more in the next page. The perspective is off in some of these panels and in the next page too (for example - last panel, she's not supposed to look that close to the tent's front). Anyway, Mune's a real girl in that she's a sucker for shopping. Provided it's mostly health potions and perfumes and stuff for the Guys, but still. Also, I really hate Mr. Vendor in the second panel, didn't come out right at all, but oh well. The fifth panel makes up for it - I really like that one.

Page 0108 • October 30, 2006

I really couldn't get the first panel right, and I really hate the faces (especially Mune's). But I worked with it. () Didn't want to redraw it. The third panel makes up for it, and also this Fenin pair's adorable faces. Aww. Also, Ronou and Mune were supposed to be crouching forward a little bit as they walked in. I fail at drawing forward-lurching right now.
Getting the environment right is hard, but it's working. I just have to change something ever-so-small about the backgrounds.

Page 0107 • October 23, 2006

And so begins Millennium's permanent upgrade to shaded color. Woo! For once I'm working my hardest to make things look how I want them to, detail, lighting, and all. It's working, too! By the way, Mune's wearing her headband in the middle panel, you just...can't see it. *cough*
The beginning of this short scene is pretty simple. Sabér's being all antisocial. Also, it took me a while to get Mr. Vendor to look right, and it's still kind of weird. Ronou's arm is too long in the middle panel, too. HOWEVER, I still like this page.

Page 0106 • August 21, 2006

A simple page. Thought I forgot about White Lightning, did you? Well, WL stays out of people's affairs as much as possible (because it's really hard to entertain horses, anyway - "You Humans are weird!"), so he wasn't getting mixed up with Oien. Laying low! Staying to the side! Probably for his own good. He's a lucky horse! Think what she might have done. "Giddiyap Horsey!!!"
Anyway, that's the last of Oien for a while. Thank goodness this scene is over. It's not that I didn't like it - it's that drawing backgrounds with it didn't really help... wide open fields! It's hard to make something so simple look decent! But it's 30% of Seldra. There're many areas without shelter, and yes, they would break in the wide open! Not like random monster attacks they can't handle are that likely. Anyway, enough babble.

Page 0105 • August 21, 2006

Fear! For here come, all in one page, chibis, bad perspective, and super-deformed faces! But I do like panel 4.

Page 0104 • August 1, 2006

I say most of the top part of the page makes up for the really messed-up bottom part. One day I may stop BSing backgrounds - soon, in fact. But until then, look at this! I like Saka (aka Mune's father). Too bad you won't really see much of him at all in this story. There's a lot of out-of-proportion-ness here (I wish I could have gotten references, or tested more). Saka's supposed to be knealing down, but I don't know if 11-year-old Ronou would be that short. And Oien in the next-to-last panel...yeesh. Oh well.
Also, see again the three standing around with funny faces. And yes, they've moved around a bit. NOTE: Saiyu is the one I used to call "Sensei", aka random bald man from the story's beginning, and Ronou's mentor/trainer.

Oh, guess who just decided Oien should have freckles, because not many of my characters do! I should go back and fix the other pages (again).

Page 0103 • July 28th, 2006

Apparently I like to draw my main three characters standing around with funny faces. This is only solidified by the next page. I tried some things to actually make this page easier, like the third panel's motion (which didn't come out all THAT well) and Oien's extreeeme and facially unproportional close-up.

Page 0102 • July 17th, 2006

Ooo, so we're still lazy with backgrounds. But that's okay, because the next scene is going to be background-filled! Anyway, not really much to say here... Designing Sakanade's outfit was terrible for me, and then you don't really get to see him fully 'til a few pages from now. Ronou wasn't going to be chibi like that in the last panel, but I kinda fudged the layout, so... chibi! He's adorable, anyway.

Page 0101 • July 14th, 2006

A very silent page. Originally some of these panels were going to be on both 100 and 102, but things got mixed around because of fun last-minute additions. It's also why the first two panels are the same composition, but it doesn't bother me. Anyway, it seems Oien's not alone.
Getting Sabé's motion right was hard. I had a much worse panel planned, the exact opposite of dynamic and a little goofy. I probably should have tried angles here, but again, not bothered. Anyway, in one motion he sort of sprung up and lunged towards behind the tree/that guy, in a sort of turny way. He's intending to scratch whoever's eyes out, but would strike them with his arms if he missed. Yay arm attacks! Aside from all this, he still changes every time I draw him, and the fact that I never draw anyone's hair one particular way probably adds to this. But the third panel looked really bad before I finished it. And speaking of the third panel, he's really very turned to the side with his shoulders raised. Probably doesn't make much sense at all. Hmm...
One last note! Oien's standing on her tippy-toes. She's awfully short, so she has to do that to get up into Ronou's FACE. She's done that a few times through this scene.

Page 0100 • June 18, 2006

I've stared at this page so long I don't even know what to say about it. Sabér came out looking a bit weird, got lazy in some spots, blah blah. Also, the shading is way too light, I just realized. I'll do better next time...
I WILL say that I hope to start cel-shading Millennium full-time, and no it won't take that long this time. I'm not as bad as I once was with color, so I think I can take it on now. I can at least try, and if worst comes to worst, greyscale lineart shading! Yay! I know Millennium will have to be full-color sooner or later, and some things won't make sense without shading, so I can try now. And I'll definitely darken the shadows.

Oh yeah, and 100 pages. Woo!

Page 0099 • June 16th, 2006

This is the technical 100th page of the comic, since I started at 0! But let's ignore that, 'cause no one will care.
...I'm not sure where Oien got her image of Boomen, as most people now [incorrectly] view them as having reverted to a purely savage and primal state. Of course, Oien knows a lot more than most people, believe it or not.
I did some experimentation with layout here. It was hard (and why the page was somewhat slow getting updated), but I need to branch out as far as comic page layouts go. You'll see more of this.

Page 0098 • June 12th, 2006

No embarassing mistakes here! And fixed some mistakes on past pages... But guess who quickly got tired of drawing that bow?
Ronou realizes he doesn't really know what Sabér's last name is. I don't know when Sabér tells them, if ever, but oh well. (Boomen don't usually have last names, anyway!) I think I've been making Ronou's arms a tad beefier than they're supposed to be. He's got some arm strength, but if he were beefy he wouldn't be a Mage, hmm?
Also, as you can see, I started drawing pupils. I know, omg! I avoided drawing them a long time ago because of issues, but I understand them a lot more now, so they actually improve my art.

Page 0097 • June 9th, 2006

I really crapped on backgrounds here. I also crapped on the second panel, but I plan to make up for all this. I almost considered shading the fourth panel, but ahh... Late enough as it is.
It's hard remembering to draw Oien's bow. That and a lot of other small things are what got me to correct other things... like dropping the squirrel bag so I wouldn't have to worry about drawing it. >_<` Things like that weren't planned in the script, so I'm going to have to start making notes like that.
Anyway... yes... it's Oien (Oh-ee-en, or "Ween" as some call her), and you never call Mune's hair pink in her presence.
If I drew Oien's bow properly, it'd be really pretty. You're probably wondering how she can even use it. Yay rediculously large weapons!

Page 0096 • June 5th, 2006

Oien, in a rush, bags her catch, then moves in for THE REAL KILL.
You can already tell what kind of person she is, can't you.
Oh, but sometimes looks are deceiving...sometimes. Actions too. Anyway, some things are drawn here to cover laziness... blah blah. You can bet Oien was hard to draw in that middle panel. But fun. See that angle Ronou's at? I draw faces from that angle a lot in the next few pages. I don't know why. See that last panel? I wish Sabér always came out like that when I draw him. (I forgot his stripes. He was going to have them, although Ronou and Mune washed theirs off at the moment. Maybe I'll just leave it.)

Page 0095 • May 26th, 2006

A wry arrow hits the Cinas just before Ronou shoots! I think Ronou dropped his bow and arrow somewhere around panel 3. Anyway, someone's interfering and taking Ronou's target.
The first panel took me forever to draw. Took me even longer to fix, and my references didn't help me too much. Just pretend it's well-drawn and at the correct angle and makes sense, hmm? (Because...he should be aiming downward?) Anyway, I like this page despite, and am getting better with the lineart.
Fun fact: Ronou usually hates wearing things without sleeves. It's a hot spring day, though. Yay undershirts.

Page 0094 • May 19th, 2006

And finally the transitional scene is over. It seems the party's run desperate when it comes to food... Can't have a picnic without it, after all. And I can't tell you where Ronou's been keeping his bow (fun fact: given to him by Mune's father prior to his leave), or anything else for that matter (especially when he doesn't even have a saddle for his horse)... but you can't really say where any RPG parties keep all their crap, can you?
Another fun fact: When I originally wrote the script, this scene went immediately to the desert. Now there are about three more scenes (including this one) before then. () It's more of a wait, but it's worth it!

Page 0093 • May 9th, 2006

This is my shameless-excuse-to-draw-a-dragon page. Admittedly it was a good idea, because I've never drawn a dragon like this before, nor have I drawn one similar since...weird. But anyway, this page is a tad confusing in its simplicity. First off, both dragons were intended to look somewhat in motion, like the baby was bounding and the mother kind of making small bounds with him. But it kind of came out not making so much sense. ()
Then, it requires a slight explanation and a history lesson.

Pretend this is well-drawn.
This is a cross-bridge. A rather large one, made to look small by large dragons. A long time ago in this land, the artisan races (dragons, Drakken, Bremen, and chokara) made a lot of things for beauty and fun and not necessarily function. Though this was somewhat useful for herds that were going in two directions perpendicular to each other, though traffic jams were imminent. Anyway, this bridge is surrounded by four fancy pillars of light stone, enchanted to make water flow up and then fall off of them. Again, just for looks. The chokara loved doing this sort of thing especially.

Page 0092 • April 3rd, 2006

And so, Mike's purpose as a cameo is revealed: the crazy random traveler that warns the party to turn back. And do they listen? Nope. Because he's crazy. If you read No Crap!, you'll know why he is perfect for this. If you don't, then you should read it right now. No, I'm serious, get off this site and read it.
By the way, Ronou's not that stupid - waffles are called something else in this world. Isn't waffle such an absolutely silly word?

Page 0091 • March 31st, 2006

Ronou inches around Mike, making sure to keep facing him (no sudden moves, no tricks!), then takes off to tell his companions, who apparently don't believe him. But oh no, what's in the bush?!
Er, not much to say about this page otherwise. I think Mike looks weird in the first panel, and I could have fixed it, but I decided it added to the effect...XD I like him in the second panel though, and Ronou's expression in the third. I love it when expressions come out how I want them to!

Page 0090 • March 27th, 2006

This page disturbs me and amuses me at the same time. I take it as a good thing. I wasn't going to elaborate on this subject at first, but then I got the PERFECT cameo idea with Mike from No Crap! Of course, this isn't the cameo's end. ^_~
See those backgrounds? LAZY.

Page 0089 • March 25th, 2006

Sabér shows 'em how it's done.
Not much to say here. :X Er, I like the panel with the fish-stabbing best. THOSH. Ronou's anger didn't come out as planned, but it's still okay.

Page 0088 • March 20th, 2006

I think Ronou was just owned by a fish. A large goldfish, at that.
The first four panels could have quite easily been 95% repeats, but redrawing each one is much better, IMO. Not that it was very hard to do. The fifth panel didn't come out as I imagined it, but it's not a problem - I don't think I could have drawn it how I imagined it anyway. I used too thick a brush to line panel six. Whoops. I still like the expressions.

Page 0087 • March 19th, 2006

This page is pretty simple drawing- and action-wise. In instances like these it's a good thing I do shades, or else I'd have to do mad lineart detail...or something. I actually don't like it very much, but I didn't redo it because I couldn't think of a better way to... bleh. For how long I've seen this scene in my head, I sure couldn't draw it well. Panels 2 and 3 didn't come out very well at all, blah.
Lately I've discovered I have a hard time fitting a lot into one page. It's the way my mind paces things (which isn't a problem except for how slow I am in execution), and you'll find my pages seldom exceed 6-7 panels... Of course, rightfully no page should have more than 7 panels, but I also seem to not accomplish much within them. () Darn.

Page 0086 • March 13th, 2006

I'm really happy with this page. So pleased that I redrew the original last panel so it all wouldn't look so bad (though Ronou's arms are pretty whacked). I've never known anyone to be quite like Mune here, but if I were a violent person, I might be. Ah, and Ronou's brushing his hair in panel 2 (holding it with one hand, brushing with another you can't see) which gives me an excuse to draw it the way I have been lately! Also, and you might be able to tell this from panel 1, I bet if this comic were full of animals it'd be much better-looking.

Page 0085 • March 8th, 2006

Oh, I love this page. I love the middle panel and have wanted to draw it for a while. I LOVE Ronou and Mune's expressions there (though I kinda liked them more in just plain lineart). Admittedly they're much better than panel 2, which I actually drew at a later date. o.O My style's all over. Anyway, that "KRACKOOM" (which by the way is my favorite hated sound effect ever - so DUMB) is kind of poorly placed. I'll take care of that someday. As for the last panels, chibi was always in my mind. Yay baby dinosaurs! Fun fact: The group's Mage Marks are paint. Normally very resillient paint. No way are they going to permanently tattoo their pretty faces. Of course, they're at the mercy of rain and leaky tents.

Page 0084 • March 5th, 2006

Whee! Yay for random encounters! Low-level attacks on low-level enemies. Gotta love 'em.
Ronou sits with very bad posture in the first panel. That kills me after a few minutes. Also, Sabér in the last panel was very hard to draw!Good thing I didn't have to draw the rebound, too. And White Lightning... It was hard to get him proportionally the right size. Still gotta work on that.
This is actually a page I really didn't want to do, but it came out well. I personally liked it more as just line, hmm. In some places, it's not as good as other things I've drawn lately, but on the whole I like it. The enemies in the last panel are the Tijor (tie-shore), recycled from my middle school days, and the Haeri (or harpy-fairy), totally made up on a whim. Creepy. Action and motion defy me, but I worked on capturing them here to some extent... attacks-on-the-fly.
Oh, and another thing about Ronou's journal. Flower = month of Falda (February), which it's the middle of in the story. Moon = Moon Day, AKA Monday. And notice his Sabér stick figure in the spare page? You probably can't tell.

Cover II-A • February 26th, 2006

I had trouble coming up with one for this arc. See, a lot happens in this arc, which is also why Arc II has two parts. It's so broad! But this does have relevance to something, sort of, lol. I was going to make something super-dynamic and actiony, but it would have simply taken too long, and it was hard to even sketch.