Part Four: Breakdowns
Explore the breakdown process for The Last Abraxan. Where the storytelling really begins to take shape
With the layouts and ad examples complete, the next step was to do what are called the "breakdowns" for each page. Breakdowns in comic art can range from simple, loose sketches showing the composition of each page and panel to tighter renders that indicate figures and backgrounds, but without shading, texture, or detail (those would often be added by the inker later on). For me, they would be somewhere in between—enough detail to see the relationships between figures, background elements, expressions, and some amount of costume detail, but not enough to go directly to ink. These served as the underdrawing for the final pencils. This is both the hardest and the most rewarding part of the process. It's pure storytelling. It's where the story really takes shape.
I did these not just for the comic pages, but for the other pages I would need to illustrate, such as the merchandise ad, subscription ad, Hostess ad, and toy soldier ad.
