Small Sabbatical

[dcsimpson]

He just looks like a kid from a poor family there. I guess at the time DCS hadn't thought out the whole adopted-by-wealthy-dragon thing.

At the time I drew that, I had no concept I was ever going to introduce a dragon to the strip.

[Chris]

I find millie in that pic.......Sexy D:

*smacks himself*

[Kyler Thatch]

...now if you just said "cute" instead of "sexy" you might not have needed to smack yourself.

All of a sudden, I've started pondering about character design. In that old strip, Ozy's wearing pants, Millie's wearing a shirt, and her overalls go down to the ankles instead of ending at the knees (or something like that). I'm getting curious about why DCS chose one design over the other. Some specific reason, or did it just look better?

[Luke B.]

Might be easier to draw him without pants?

*shrug*

It certainly makes some of the panels look less 'busy' compared to a lot of the earlier ones.

[dcsimpson]

Might be easier to draw him without pants?

I think it was part of a general simplification of the characters. If you look at them now as opposed to ten years ago (that strip was drawn in March 1997, when I was 19), I draw them with a lot fewer lines now.

One thing I like about cartoon animal characters is, you can dress them in exactly as many articles of clothing as they need to define who they are, and no more. Millie has her overalls, Ozy has his vest and hat. I think if I were designing Llewellyn today he'd wear less, but I just plain like him in that suit.

[Tabris_The_17th]

I think if I were designing Llewellyn today he'd wear less, but I just plain like him in that suit.

Who doesn't?

[Priest_Revan]

...now if you just said "cute" instead of "sexy" you might not have needed to smack yourself.

All of a sudden, I've started pondering about character design. In that old strip, Ozy's wearing pants, Millie's wearing a shirt, and her overalls go down to the ankles instead of ending at the knees (or something like that). I'm getting curious about why DCS chose one design over the other. Some specific reason, or did it just look better?

Sometimes it looks better, and sometimes it's just easier. For example, I did a outfit change for my own characters and it made them look better.

[Luke B.]

Might be easier to draw him without pants?

I think it was part of a general simplification of the characters. If you look at them now as opposed to ten years ago (that strip was drawn in March 1997, when I was 19), I draw them with a lot fewer lines now.

If nothing else, that difference between them, in clothing, allows a degree of iconic profile representation that wouldn't be possible otherwise - they are, physically, very similar, the clothing giving a lot of differentiation and characterization on top of that.

Heh, or I could be over thinking stuff again.

[dcsimpson]

If nothing else, that difference between them, in clothing, allows a degree of iconic profile representation that wouldn't be possible otherwise - they are, physically, very similar, the clothing giving a lot of differentiation and characterization on top of that.

Well, that's definitely true. I'll note, though that they're less similar, now, than they were. In early designs, they had essentially the same basic build, but today, Ozy has smaller eyes, a longer muzzle, narrower hips, and is slightly taller.

[Chris]

In Short, Ozy is sexier than Millie D:

*smacks himself again*

[Priest_Revan]

If nothing else, that difference between them, in clothing, allows a degree of iconic profile representation that wouldn't be possible otherwise - they are, physically, very similar, the clothing giving a lot of differentiation and characterization on top of that.

Well, that's definitely true. I'll note, though that they're less similar, now, than they were. In early designs, they had essentially the same basic build, but today, Ozy has smaller eyes, a longer muzzle, narrower hips, and is slightly taller.

And a lot more than just that.

[Luke B.]

Well, that's definitely true. I'll note, though that they're less similar, now, than they were. In early designs, they had essentially the same basic build, but today, Ozy has smaller eyes, a longer muzzle, narrower hips, and is slightly taller.

Huh, you're right, I'd never looked at it in that detail before. Yeah, all those things add up to them being much more their own characters, even without color.

I know I've noticed that Millie seems more 'chubby' than Ozy, and have passed that off as the usual growth-spurt differences of that age, but would it be accurate to say that the differences in the way they're drawn reflect on the differences in their characters?

Ozy more reserved, stoic, sharp, Millie more open, free-flowing in her actions, spontaious, active. It's certainly true that Ozy doesn't seem to smile much, anymore, while Mille seems more... confident? Willing, maybe, to express herself. Heh, even though the clothes might imply the opposite.

Yeah, I really shouldn't post this late.

[CodeCat]

There's one difference I usually see before anyone else does, though.

Ozy is grey, Millie is red.

[Holyman83]

I'm sorry I can't resist any longer!

First I'd run it by some guys in suits.

I have 3 suits (only one fits) and I know a lawyer so I could run it by 4 guys in a suit. That is excluding my lawyers friends who are lawyers! :wag:

[Tom Flapwell]

I think if I were designing Llewellyn today he'd wear less, but I just plain like him in that suit.

He shouldn't wear much less. The (semi-)formality of his attire goes well with his air of perceived stuffiness.