Welshcat Makes a Scene

by Welshcat

INTRODUCTION: UNDERSTANDING THE ART
The style of photomanipulation that has been, and still is, extremely popular among comic fans on the internet centers around the surreal and fantastic, with idealized heroines (and even heroes if you're lucky) rendered in highly-stylized and beautifully detailed costumes, quite frequently resembling airbrushing techniques often associated with Athena art posters. However, the way these heroines are portrayed - perhaps it is a combination of the models, the sultry expressions and provocative poses with the near-perfect glossy photo manipulated finishes - gives the impression that they are aloof, unapproachable and transcendent from the rest of humanity. Now, while many characters are undoubtedly inhuman, generally speaking, the majority begin as mere mortals. I created the comic book scene genre in an attempt to bring a sense of humanity largely absent from the surreal works I saw dominating the photomanipulation field, because humanity is something we can all relate to, even if you are a purple cat. For a comic book scene, instead of merely expertly creating a costume for a character, you are telling a story or attempting to capture the essence and history of a character in a single picture as well as drawing the viewer in that they might also relive and share in the feelings - the joy, the angst, the fear, the danger and the thrills - that each character will no doubt experience.

Creating a scene is like making a movie, albeit a single still from the movie. Think back to those movies you have really enjoyed and particular scenes that stood out and brought certain emotions to the surface. If you can capture those feelings you are certainly on the right track. If you look at almost all of my own scenes, underpinning them are allusions to various movies either symbolically or in overall feel. The mindset behind this is one of "for this picture, I'm going to do my own comic version of, say, Rear Window or Close Encounters of the Third Kind or any other movie."

The whole scene making process is a complex and time-consuming one from start to finish - perhaps arguably the most difficult photomanipulation genre to execute successfully. You are juggling practically all the graphic techniques around with a creative process that is ultimately more to do with the way you think than any particular technique. Thus, given the nature of scenes, and since each one will differ from one piece to the next, it is probably more beneficial to refer to some of my already existing scenes and explain the creative thinking process behind them, rather than show the stages of a scene from start to finish (as has been done for the tutorials on specific Photoshop techniques). You want to be able to learn how to create your own, not merely how to put together an identical/ similar scene. With this in mind, I will not be discussing techniques on how to create a costume as there are many tutorials around explaining these already, and thus I am taking it for granted here that you already have that ability.

STARTING POINT
There are 2 ways of working on a scene:

a) From characters to concept 
b) From concept to characters

I believe that most people here usually begin from the premise of characters to concept. In other words, you find a picture(s) or pose of an actor/actress who you think would be suitable to manipulate into a character. Once this is finished, you then look for a suitable background to place them in.

While this undoubtedly works and can be effective, it is better suited to a portrait manipulation - a scene is more than just placing your character in a backdrop. Indeed, what can happen with this method is that, once you have manipulated your character, you can't find a suitable background, and the pose just doesn't look like it can interact with anything or anyone. The pose may look artificial if you then try to add another character whom they are meant to be battling.

A more effective method which I prefer is to begin from concept to characters. This means deciding upon the theme/story beforehand, then composing the entire picture as a whole by assembling each of the elements in parallel. I will find all the correct poses, background and facial expressions of the actors, and arrange the models in the correct positions in the picture BEFORE even beginning any costume work. The reason for this is that it already gives me an idea of what the end result will look like so that I know whether I'll be pleased with the concept or not. Having all the poses properly adjusted prior to working on the costumes will also save having to look again for an alternative pose later on (and re-manipulating the costume again). At this preliminary stage, the overall picture should already be taking shape and should look quite effective in its rough, unfinished state.

Two additional factors also help in the creation of the concept first: 

1. Visualising the concept - I find it best to imagine the entire scene in my mind first before doing any work on the computer so that I know what I'm working towards beforehand. I may sometimes write down the details, as you would find in a movie script. That way I know exactly what I want the picture to look like and the mood I'm trying to create. I can also think about what angle I want to take with the picture so that, if for example I have already worked on a picture of Rogue previously, the next one is not simply yet another picture of her (which I would personally find unchallenging and tedious to simply repeat the same costume work again), but an attempt to study an entirely different aspect of her personality and bring that out in the picture. Think of it like various successful sequels in Hollywood, a prime example being Alien by Ridley Scott and Aliens by James Cameron. The two were quite different in approach and emphasis. One was a horror-thriller, the other an action movie. Likewise, when creating the concept in your mind, think how you want it to be different to another picture, either of your own or which you've seen in the gallery and how you can create a fresh take on a concept
2. Using the background as a starting point - sometimes I will come across a background which looks cool and, with a few alterations here and there, would make a powerful backdrop for a scene. Here, I work around the background provided, inserting the models into the appropriate places in the picture. An example of this is my Spider-Man v Jack O'Lantern. I started with the car mirror first which gave me the idea for a very restricted observer's point of view like in the Alfred Hitchcock movie, Rear Window. Once I had my idea, I began working around the framework given and inserted the characters appropriately.

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