I was reading once about Ernie Bushmiller saying that he always liked to have some black in every design to balance things out. I've been doing that and like it better for drawing BW.

So like I would have made the back row of the bridge solid black and the shadow under neath it solid black.

I've also been noticing that really nice black and white artists will be very careful about their shadowing lines instead of quick messy lines. I've been doing this and I like it.

OK, I lied in the roll call. I killed some time this evening inking my third try and really forcing myself to look at the detail. Please let me know what you think.
Jättebocken Bruse - 3rd try. This is a text link to the picture in question. Please click on it to view.

Just saw your throw-in and will have to consider that. May try the full black on the shadow here. You got any examples of careful shadowing you can link to?

Oooh! Much better! But I'll toss in my two krones.

Maybe add a little variation to the goat's skirt (is that what it's called? trim? hair that's brushing the ground?)

The bridge's perspective is a tiny but wonky. But just a little.

The bridge seems a little impossible to me, like just the tiniest edge of stone is touching the bank. Try adding some foundation sinking into the earth.

I like see the steady progress you're making! Keep it up!

Thanks ! Question: Variation how? Not sure what you're thinking here.

Yeah, I noticed the bridge perspective was funky but that's the problem with completely freehanding it. One of these days I'll get the time to really go through "Vanishing Point" and correct that. Also agree with you on the bridge meeting the ground and was trying to figure out how to fix it.

Look how Crumb made the criss cross lines look like real fabric on this jacket. Each line is so carefully placed.



Very straight lines shadowing some panties from Bougie.



Careful lines on the blankets, not following the shape of the folds, but just straight across the blanket shape.


I don't really like the writing on Zippy the Pinhead, but that creep can fucking roll.
Look at the lines left of Zippies head and by his knee, very straight. He really took his time.


and then here's Bushmiller's work with some good solid blacks in it.


and Krazy Kat looks sloppy and speedy, but all his lines are very deliberate and has good solid blacks....


of course, I don't know what the fuck I'm talking about, I didn't go to art school. These are just the things that dawned on me when I look at their stuff.

Definitely a big improvement, especially as far as setting up the space goes. The goat may have lost a little of his looming quality now that we can see his whole body, but he's still very menacing. I might add a little fur texture to his face, because now it's looking a bit bald compared to the shagginess of his body. Perhaps just around the top of the head? I'd also blacken the shadow underneath him, similar to how you've blackened the shadow under the bridge.

I was just thinking how you've got this really graphic look to the head, but the trim on the body between the hooves has a lot more detail to it. Maybe simplify it a bit, clump up the hair to preserve the bold style of the face.

Poorish example, notice end of ponytail:

You really do know what you're talking about. I don't think they teach these things in art school (I was there for six years without being taught anything technical)

The Web Design Library doesn't like hotlinking.

Crap! It's not showing up? Sigh. I'll find a better example after work.