*Before I start, a quick disclaimerby no means do I have “it” figured out. My opinions on backgrounds and how to tackle them are always changing. And a lot of what I think is based on the artists on whose shoulders I stand upon. Feel free to disagree with any of this.
POINT-AND-CLICK
Remember those point-and-click adventure games from the 90s? I loved those games! Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, Flashback, Full Throttle, Space Quest, Hero Questadventure games blew me away by how beautiful, imaginative and expansive the background designs were. The point of the designs was to trigger your imagination and give your eyes something to do, because you usually ended up returning to the screen-shots to find missing keys and other things you needed to complete the game. And that’s what I advise for background drawing in comics: design it in a way where readers will enjoy coming back. DO NOT just draw backgrounds to get them over with.
PLAN
Do not draw backgrounds as an afterthought. Plan the designs as carefully as you plan drawing the characters. The two exist within the same panel and should be planned accordingly.
SELECTIVE RENDERING
I admire the shit out of artists who thoroughly render ever square inch of a background. But I know that I’m not that artistI prefer to render around the focus of the panel, and then let the detail fade away as you move to the less important parts of the panel. This helps the reader “scope in” on what they should be looking at as you attempt to control their eye. This will also help save your energy. And it saves the reader’s energylooking at awesome backgrounds is great but also exhausting. Do yourselves a favor and keep it in your pants until you need it.
ADD SPECIFICS
Don’t draw generic objects, draw specific ones that appropriately fit the characters’ environments. A plain, wooden chair might get the job done, but those chairs are boring. By drawing a specific chairlike a creaky, green office chair from the 60syou’re more likely to trigger your reader. You want him to go, “I KNOW that chair!” You should be presenting objects that invest the reader.
*Also, try and stay away from EVER having to draw a generic chair. I knowa lot of middle income people live in generic homes and have generic chairs. But no reader wants to spend time in those generic settings. Better to make that chair more specific even if the script isn’t calling for itgo for a beat up chair or a slightly nicer one with a stiff, high back. We’re going for “hyper” objects, not boring and nondescript ones.
DIMENSIONALITY
Try and add things like bridges, doors, catwalks, ladders, ramps, and anything else that characters can climb on. Even if the characters don’t use them, seeing that those characters COULD use them makes backgrounds more interesting because they’re offering the characters AND the readers something to be explored. What’s more interesting: a plain room or a room with a spiral staircase leading off panel? What’s more interesting: a river or a river with a hug log over itone that you can walk across to reach the other side? Even if you’re drawing a dump truck, draw one with a ladder going up the side. I love shit like that.
PERSPECTIVE
There’s no way around it. My advice is to pick up a book called “Perspective! for Comic Book Artists” by David Chelsea. I had a professor in college who used to illustrate for NASA and he challenged us with a perspective problem that he was never able to figure out. I showed him the answer after class and got an automatic “A” for the semester. He asked me where I learned it, and I told him about that book. BAM.
CREATIVE SOLUTIONS
If you don’t like drawing backgrounds, then you need to find a way to approach them where you DO enjoy drawing them. If you’re not interested in your art then it will show. From what I understand, Mike Mignola isn’t a fan of drawing perspective, but he found a way to approach backgrounds without having to do a whole lot of measuring. And he’s a masterhis settings are beautiful and have that “point-and-click” aspect that I love. DO NOT steal from Mikefind your own way of doing things. The goal is for readers to instantly recognize your work by your distinct way of imagining your backgrounds.
ONLY WHAT’S NECESSARY
If you don’t need a background, don’t draw one. Zoom in on a face instead. Better to have NO background than a crappy one that you don’t need. Or if you find yourself out of energy at the end of the day, re-imagine your panel and find a way to cover up the fact that your tired. Let your design senses work for you.
GIVE ME A BREAK
If you’ve kick the ass out of a bunch of backgrounds in the previous 3 pagesgive me a page with some space to breath. Either use minimal background or none at all. I try to have at least ONE background per page, but there’s no need to overwhelm your reader by slamming him over and over with page after page of amazing backgrounds. We want to show the reader that we know what we’re doing, and then we’re not afraid to draw backgrounds. Once he gets the idea, give him a break.
SHOW THE SET
I feel like artists should nail at least 5 “wow” backgrounds per book. These are the backgrounds that make people stop reading and that help to set the stage (especially if it’s a new setting). They also help with storytelling be adding clarity. By drawing the “wow” background sooner in the scene, you’ll also be working out the logistical problems in your own mind. Then it’ll be easier to use smart short-cuts later in the scene.
RESEARCH
Artists in the past used to work in studios and have a shared catalog of organized magazine clippings. We’ve got the luxury of Google and Flickr. In other words, there is NO excuse for not researching. If you truly want to earn the respect of the artists of the past, then you’ll put your time in. If you’re not the type to research a page THE DAY you’re drawing it, then research an entire issue on a Saturday.
THE SIMS
You know that game The Sims where you control your character’s world? And every time they see something they like, a green PLUS sign appears over their head? And every time something bad happens, a red MINUS sign appears over their heads? That’s your reader. The more you trigger him with good things, the more invested he is in your story. The more thoughtless you are with your background choices, the more likely year reader will have a MINUS sign over his head. I recommend flipping through your page layouts before getting started. Make sure there’s an even smattering of green PLUS sign material in your pages.
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Hope that helps. Other things to look up if you’re interested: the rule of thirds, the golden spiral (or rectangle), and the 75/25 rule (here’s a [link] you need to go 5 minutes in to see it) .