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Some manwha scans
I've been reading the manwha (Korean comic) Threads of Time by Mi Young Noh, and while the story doesn't really rise above the level of predictable, I'm enjoying the hell out of the art. (This is why I'm not putting spoiler warnings, because if you can't spot these scenes coming a mile away, YOU ARE BLIND.) So, a couple of scans. (About 300-400K of images)
To show you some damn fine tone work that is bollixed up by my cheapo, dying scanner.
Here's the page, at print size, although it's in low resolution so the dots run together and form moire patterns, which tends to hide the details in the tone:
And here are two closeups of the girl's head, so you can attempt to see the details of the tonework. IGNORE THE RIPPLES! They're produced by my scanner flailing around as it tries to scan tonework and fails.
I'm really impressed by that - they're using real screentone and not digital, I beleive - the stuff that comes preprinted on sticky transparent acetate and you have to cut it up and apply it, and then etch away parts to make the edges look rough and gradated.
And then here's my favorite two-page spread:
This is a scene in the 5th book, where the main character, in disguise as a girl* sees the Mongol generalSasuke Sali Tayi for the first time. And, um. WOOF.
Anyway, to give a flimsy excuse other than WOOF for posting this - I don't need to tell you which one is the general, do I? :D He's the one with the command presence - he dominates both pages with hisSasuke hair stride and with his coat billowing out behind him. Everyone's looking at him. He's got the most contrasts in dark and light on his body and clothing - the guy whose face is turned towards us has the same sort of thing, but his belly is greyed out and he's got less pure dark on him. Sasuke Sali Tayi also has that black line with white dots trimming his coat that is the most striking decoration of any of the characters, and unites him with the protagonist - it runs from (oh dear) Moon Bin Kim/Sa Kyung's** crotch all the way up toSasuke Sali Tayi's black collar, which points directly at his face.
This is an exception to the guideline that profiles are usually not interesting, but that's because everything else in this picture is so strong that it makes his profile interesting.
Moon Bin Kim/Sa Syung is set off by beign greyed out and by having a white halo around him, so he pops out. Without that, he'd blend in too much and you wouldn't be as aware of him.
I also find it interesting that the manwha-ka has chosen not to portray the moment thatSasuke Sali Tayi and Moon Bin Kim/Sa Kyung stare into each other's eyes in teh big two-page spread, instead focusing everything on the power and command presence of Sasuke Sali Tayi - that's saved for the next page and the next:
Anyway, not much more to say than that you can already tell who's the protagonist and the antagonist in this manwha. XD (Not that that was EVER in question.)
* Why? Because it's manwha/manga. The hero has to end up crossdressing at some point in the story. It's in the contract.
** Moon Bin Kim has traveled in time and woke up in the body of this medieval Korean. We don't know why yet.
Have I sold you on the art yet? The story's readable, nothing really mindblowing, but the art...
To show you some damn fine tone work that is bollixed up by my cheapo, dying scanner.
Here's the page, at print size, although it's in low resolution so the dots run together and form moire patterns, which tends to hide the details in the tone:
And here are two closeups of the girl's head, so you can attempt to see the details of the tonework. IGNORE THE RIPPLES! They're produced by my scanner flailing around as it tries to scan tonework and fails.
I'm really impressed by that - they're using real screentone and not digital, I beleive - the stuff that comes preprinted on sticky transparent acetate and you have to cut it up and apply it, and then etch away parts to make the edges look rough and gradated.
And then here's my favorite two-page spread:
This is a scene in the 5th book, where the main character, in disguise as a girl* sees the Mongol general
Anyway, to give a flimsy excuse other than WOOF for posting this - I don't need to tell you which one is the general, do I? :D He's the one with the command presence - he dominates both pages with his
This is an exception to the guideline that profiles are usually not interesting, but that's because everything else in this picture is so strong that it makes his profile interesting.
Moon Bin Kim/Sa Syung is set off by beign greyed out and by having a white halo around him, so he pops out. Without that, he'd blend in too much and you wouldn't be as aware of him.
I also find it interesting that the manwha-ka has chosen not to portray the moment that
Anyway, not much more to say than that you can already tell who's the protagonist and the antagonist in this manwha. XD (Not that that was EVER in question.)
* Why? Because it's manwha/manga. The hero has to end up crossdressing at some point in the story. It's in the contract.
** Moon Bin Kim has traveled in time and woke up in the body of this medieval Korean. We don't know why yet.
Have I sold you on the art yet? The story's readable, nothing really mindblowing, but the art...
no subject
The other one may be better, but this one's got the bloodthirsty crazy Mongol general
SasukeSali Tayi! And at one point he even explains logically why he needs to let his men rape innocent Koryo women. Man, I love me some good unrepentant evil in my fiction sometimes. XD And he even has an unexpected small moment of character depth shortly afterward!