Thread "What is the "look" of Harkovast?" in forum "Harkovast- Art"

Posted at 7:01AM, Jan. 18, 2009

I noticed one of the recent reviews of Harkovast on the DD forums for harkovast commented on its unique art style.
I thought this was an interesting observation that deserved further comment.
Harkovast does not look like manga or anime and does not look much like Marvel or DC comic book art, so where does this odd art style come from?

Basically it is a product of my complete lack of formal training.
When I was young I used to draw lots of stocky figures fighting each other and when I decided to draw a web comic, I just drew it in the only style I've ever been able to draw anything in.
I ran into a bit of a problem because until I started drawing Harkovast I had never drawn animals before so that took a bit of practice.
I also purposefully gave all the charactes bigger eyes then I used to draw in order to make them look a lot more expressive (though compared to most manga I am sure their eyes look tiny).
But basically these characters are just an extension of the figures I've been drawing my whole life.

Posted at 12:01PM, Jan. 21, 2009

What exactly are stocking figures? Is that a figure without any detail to the arms and legs, maybe minus hands and feet? Like the Powerpuff Girls?

I admire the Harkovast style. I can't go through the pages and say to myself: "this looks like " It "looks" like Harkovast. That alone makes it worthwhile. The fact that your story and setting is so staggeringly complex and well thought out makes it top of my faves. Putting expressions on animal faces must be difficult, and the Nymus must be particularly aggravating in that department with their beaks.

Posted at 1:01PM, Jan. 21, 2009

Sorry! stocking was meant to read stocky, I just fixed it. I draw stocky figures!
Nymus are a pain in the feathery ass to draw expressions on!
Lately I've been shouting around the house that a certain animal was created by Satan in order to be deliberately hard for me to draw! I won't say which animal as that might give things away a bit…
I had never really drawn animals before I started drawing Harkovast, I only drew humans. Drawing them terrified me when I first started, and each new race is more problems!

Posted at 12:01PM, Jan. 22, 2009

Sorry! stocking was meant to read stocky, I just fixed it. I draw stocky figures!
Nymus are a pain in the feathery ass to draw expressions on!
Lately I've been shouting around the house that a certain animal was created by Satan in order to be deliberately hard for me to draw! I won't say which animal as that might give things away a bit…
I had never really drawn animals before I started drawing Harkovast, I only drew humans. Drawing them terrified me when I first started, and each new race is more problems!

You know the worst thing on animals to draw? Looking up or looking down.

There's something very distinct about it. Even if you just glanced at a page without taking too much detail in, you'd think "this is a fantasy comic" just on looks alone. Perhaps it's the subdued colouring, but it's recognisable as being of the genre but not based around anything specific.

Posted at 2:01PM, Jan. 22, 2009

I think it is because typical comic book looks or manga looks are pretty modern genres, as is computer colouring.
Since Harkovast has a different art style it doesn't have those modern associations and the colouring being by hand suggests a certain old fashioned quality.
These things combined seem a make a good ye olde feel, which leads us to expect fantasy (which we then get, which is lucky!).