catharsis, page 16

finally!!!!!! we finally get something substantial about charlotte that isn't a sounding board for felix!!! we did it girls!!!

we have another eyes-only glance from her here, this time a once-over. it was really hard to think of how i should execute that, and i feel like it didn't come out well. a shot with just her eyes, or at least something showing less of her body, would help the correct kind of movement come across - but for that sequence, i also wanted her arms relaxing a bit to be visible.

she's REALLY on- and off-model through this scene, and i don't know why, because she's literally designed to be easy to draw. maybe i will practice her. i found myself stressing about not drawing her as well as the ref i'd made 3 years ago, and about being consistent with the character not moving inadvertently, so i learned towards stiffness.
my hand was also hurting a lot, which is obvious from the size of the thumbnail as well. it's harder on my hand to draw small, as much as i've gravitated towards that in recent years.

you might also notice that a line of dialogue was added to this scene; felix is only nodding in agreement in the thumbnail. i thought he was too passive, and the silence would more likely come off as awkwardness and rejection. felix loves his jokes, and it would work more with the necessary beat it's headed to - charlotte needs to start to trust him a bit. this helps characterize him while achieving that goal.

i don't think i have much to say about this page otherwise. it's essentially charlotte placing the gun on the table. setup in the beginning is always difficult to expand upon-- really, it's difficult in a lot of ways: you're begging a prospective audience to take interest while trying to set up pieces in a way they will and won't notice simultaneously without sounding exposition-y or forced, while also having no experience with drawing the characters. i've been lucky with the amount of positive reception catharsis has gotten so early in, even with the sporadic updates.