[ Cue a montage of Yusuke charging around, showering, changing, probably while Haru is on speakerphone and then barging into the living room still talking to his mother. ]
[WHELP... he didn't expect a round 2 so soon, but here they are, might as well make the best of it.
And just like the first comic he made, this is another of six panels. No color, Sanji ain't got Yusuke's mad skillz, but WONDER OF WONDERS, there is a background for every panel. Let's get started. +_+
Panel one: Jimmy the egg is alone, in what looks like a desert? Well, whatever he's standing on, it's flat except when it isn't, and then it has a lot of hills. Like sand dunes! Also there is this... no, he didn't use a reference for that camel.
Panel two: Jimmy is walking through the desert sand, with little sweat droplets falling down his cracked face. What a sad face he's wearing. It also appears he's thinking of something in a thought bubble -- not water, like you'd expect, but another egg! With hair! And eyelashes! ... Girl egg???
Panel three: Jimmy starts crying. Huge crocodile tears arching in the air from his eyes. Sanji sure did reuse this image from the last comic, what of it.
Panel four: Oh no, a huge tornado is blowing not!sand everywhere! And a camel? That sure is another camel being blown across the not!Sahara. Poor Jimmy doesn't stand a chance against this, and covers his face with stick hands.
Panel five: It's... all black. Sanji's a proper artist already, already abusing artistic privileges and copywriting his own shit.
Panel six: Jimmy returns! Stuck in the sand! Alone, with no one to save him, tear tracks lining his egg face like rivers. Poor Jimmy, are you truly alone in this world? Perhaps this is finally the end of your sad adventures, as you wait for the sweet embrace of death.
[ ok uh give him a minute here because... well, partially because art is art and he needs to compose a proper critique in order to encourage and point out strengths and weaknesses...
... but also because there is a lot going on there. Like, a LOT. Yusuke knows art, in case that wasn't obvious by now, but he also knows how the artist's feelings and emotions and even state of self at the time of working on a piece can influence how a work comes out. The context and story is lost to him, but the themes on display, maybe not so much.
He has a folder, after all, of angrier, lonelier drawings tucked away back home - from that period of confusion and loss and isolation in his life of losing his father and with it the support and stability he'd given his family. As much as he hates thinking about it now, at the time he'd been angry and resentful at his father for dying; and ultimately alone now that he was caring for his mother full-time instead of just helping his father out. Time and perspective changes things, and those emotions are very much worked through and dissipated by now... but they had been strong enough to taint a whole period of his artistic development.
... I see you really did attempt backgrounds. Do you see how it makes panels look more lively and interesting? It offers more contextually for whoever is reading your panels as well.
[ He can't even @ him for the black panel - Yusuke's 150% done that for drama before. He's no hypocrite. ]
And you've attempted to draw things outside of a comfort zone as well - that-- [ jfc send help what IS it. long legs, horse like, wandering around a desert.......
....... uh.......
CAMEL. ] -- camel makes the setting clear as well. And challenging yourself to draw new things grows confidence.
[ ... ... ... ]
This is markedly... sadder? Than the previous panels. ... It's not uncommon for personal feelings to influence a piece, for the record.
[ ... there. The ball is proverbially in Sanji's court for this one, if he wants to Ignore or Discuss. Whatever caused the tonal shift feels significant but... he's not sure the usual method of verbally prodding it until it breaks would be the best course of action here. ]
[Last time Yusuke had dragged his ass through the critique, but now? Where is all this praise coming from? Shit. Sanji actually chortles at the attempts, and knowing Yusuke a little better now, can tell the words are strangely sincere.
Just like he can tell when he's being (subtly, maybe even gently) called out. The smile dies on his face.
A couple of minutes later:]
nah
nothing like that
just felt like giving Jimmy some hell for dramatic effect, he's not that much of a good egg
[ Akira is here, Yusuke. Sitting on the couch with his legs crossed, Morrigan rests on the cushion next to him. They both perk up at the same time when they look over to him. ]
Ready?
[ Akira is dressed nicely because this place is fancy. Sorry. He should have under-dressed, but this is something he's used to because of family stuff. ]
[ There's a difference between saying you'll do something, and then actually doing it. And as far as Yusuke is concerned, actually listening and going ahead and trying out backgrounds is worth some praise for the attempt. He can still do some dragging though, don't worry. The status quo will be restored.
... hmm. Well, that's the massive hint not to push that then. ]
There is a reason why drama sells so well in mass media, that's true. I wonder what that says about the general public, that we respond so positively to that sort of thing.
[ yoda voice: mmMMM FUNNY JOKE. :| ]
... Maybe use a visual reference for a camel next time, or study the one you used closer. [ Ah, there it is. Everyone can relax. ] For a first attempt it was decent, but improving is important as well.
also impressed u knew it was a camel, i forgot what it was rereading it [HE'S NOT KIDDING, Sanji spent most of that time trying to figure out what the hell it was. A giraffe? A zebra?]
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