This chapter got off to a shaky start, in more ways than one. To me there was an unfortunately slow buildup to the main action of the chapter, which was aggravated by the irregular update schedule I had in December when the chapter began. Hopefully this slow pacing and my poor catch-up games didn’t frustrate too many of you.
Part 12 effectively marks the end of what will be the second collected volume of Garanos. There will be 18 chapters total when the comic is finished; since Volume I was six chapters, it seems fitting to make the other books six chapters each as well. It may be a bit of a misnomer now to refer to this arc of Garanos as Volume II, since it will be split into two books, but naming them something like “Volume II, Part I” and “Volume II, Part II” feels way too cumbersome. So for simplicity’s sake, the rest of the chapters will be referred to as Volume III, and that’s that.
Regrettably, I feel like this volume was a lot of hurry-up-and-wait as far as the story goes, which may make the final run of chapters feel like they’re supersaturated with action and story. I may feel differently when I get the chance to go back and read through the entire volume at once.
The good thing about this is that now I feel like I’m actually going somewhere.
I’m thankful that I revised my coloring techniques starting with this chapter. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders, and I think the quality of the art in this chapter reflects that. The amount of time I spend on an average page is back down to 4 hours, which was the time I was hitting when I first started the comic. I also feel that the more Western-flavored drawing style I started at the beginning of the volume has really come into its own. Faces are less awkward, and hey, look at that– I know how to draw lips much better now. It took about six chapters for the art in Volume I to really hit its stride, and I think Volume II is no different. Unfortunately, that comes at the price of you, my readers, having to witness my continuous practice and very gradual improvement; as well as my occasional frustration with myself.
I’m deeply appreciative for all my readers and your support. It was very discouraging just a couple months ago that I got almost no feedback about Garanos, and coupled with what was going on in my life at the time (namely, finishing my degree) it was hard to keep myself focused on it. I sometimes had to force myself to sit down and crank out a page in an evening. (Back when pages were still taking me 6-8 hours to complete.) Seriously, reading what people other than my immediate friends and family think of my work is a huge motivator for me.
So anyways. There’s no break between chapters this time, so Part 13 will begin on Friday with the cover page, and the first page of the comic the following Monday. See you then!
And as always, thank you for reading. ^_^
{/literal}
Perhaps you should add a chapter and leave the book on some sort of cliffhanger? Writing isn’t an exact science, and trying to parse out a story into neat little chapter breaks can be something of an exercise in frustration, especially if you’re the sort of writer who doesn’t plan out an overarcing story before hand. Do you prefer to have your story mapped out before you create scripts, or do you prefer to discover your work as you go along? That can have an effect on how many chapters you need to tell a particular part of the tale.
Hi!
I’ve been reading you for the last months, but I’m usually a lurker… sorry about not commenting. I just wanted to tell you that I love Garanos! As you said, your art is getting better, it really shows. Your style has become very unique in this time and it was (or still is) very interesting watching it evolve, it isn’t a “price to pay”, at least for me.
My only critique on the art would be that you tend to make the eyes too open. Or they seem so at normal state because the iris is too round, I think. This is also a part of your style, but I thought it would do no harm pointing it up… Instead, I specially love how you make hair and bodies. Garanos has a very realistical body, for example, I really love that.
Also, your pace of updates hasn’t bothered me. Ok, the pauses aren’t nice, but they are necessary. When you update, though, you do it often! As a webcomicker I actually envy your update schedule! I just could never keep up with 2 updates a week…
I hope my comment is not too long! I look forward to more updates!
Sofía
I’ve been rather pleased with your use of lighting on the ship of late, with most light coming from below rather than the standard downcast lighting of outdoor scenes.
For the record, I deliberately keep Garanos as the last comic in my list of those I’m current on, as I know I’ll be pleased by what I see here even if there has not been an update since my last visit.
your month-long hiatus was short by webcomic standards, and since you announced it instead of just leaving us hanging, truly no biggie. since you update 3x/week, the slow pacing has been bearable – i agree, it’s moved slowly this chapter, but again, since you’re prolific, it’s all good. if you improved your comic writing skill, to where more happened per page-more action, dialogue (and painfully missing here, any semblance of private thoughts in thought bubbles), you could go down to 2 pages per week and still keep your readers happy.