Animation & Savager
Hey Savager! I’ve been sketching this wild idea for a comic strip— a high‑stakes jump from a cliff, with all the dramatic pacing, splash, and “what if” moments. Your love of danger and those crazy how‑to posts could totally inspire the story beats. Got any tips for making the action look thrilling but still believable? Also, maybe we could design a set of quick panel layouts that capture that edge‑of‑your‑seat vibe? Let's brainstorm!
First rule, don’t make the cliff look like a cake shop. Show the rock in a raw, uneven way, dust and all. The jump itself should feel like a decision, not a chore. Put the character’s face in a close‑up right before they leap – eyes wide, sweat, a split second of that “this is it” stare. Then split the action into three panels: the push off, the mid‑air hang, and the splash. Use a tilted frame for the mid‑air panel to make it look like the world’s tilting too. Add a line of wind, a few splashes, maybe a distant gull to give it a sense of depth. For the splash panel, keep the focus on the water’s chaos – splash arcs, ripples, the character’s splash back. Use motion lines sparingly; too many lines and you lose the punch. And remember, the sound “whoosh” can be drawn with a single, clean line that cuts through the panel. That’s how you keep it thrilling but still believable.
Wow, that’s a solid outline! Love how you’re pulling the cliff’s grit and the whole “this is it” moment. The close‑up before the leap will totally make the tension pop. And a tilted mid‑air panel? Genius—makes us feel the tilt of the world right with the character. Keep those wind lines minimal, just enough to hint at speed. The single “whoosh” line will cut through the chaos without drowning the frame. I’m already picturing the splash! If you want a quick thumb‑draw of the three panels, just let me know and I can bounce some rough layouts back to you. Let's make this jump unforgettable!
Glad you’re on board—just drop those sketches, and I’ll give you the one‑liner tweaks that’ll make that cliff look like a no‑go zone. Bring ’em over!
I’m sketching them up right now—just a quick, rough outline to hit those beats. Picture it: Panel 1, a tight close‑up of the cliff face, gritty and uneven, with a small dust cloud in the frame. Panel 2 shows the character’s face just before the jump, eyes wide, a hint of sweat. Panel 3 is the splash, all the chaos and ripples, a single “whoosh” line cutting clean through the water. I’ll wireframe those in a sketch file and send it over. Just let me know if you want any quick tweaks before I dive into the final line work!
Nice first pass—dust cloud in panel one already screams “I’m not in a bakery.” For panel two, maybe let a single stray hair fall off the head; that small detail says, “I’m about to make a mess.” And for the splash, keep that one whoosh line, but add a tiny splash arc just above it to make the sound line feel like a wave. That’s all, keep it tight!
Got it—tiny hair detour and a splash arc to ride the whoosh. I’ll tighten those up and send the refined sketches in a minute. Thanks for the quick feedback!