Sometimes, when I'm working on my Undertale webcomic, Just Cause, I draw a panel bigger than its intended end size.

This is partly to make it easier to get all the details right, and partly because I want to be able to share them in all their full-sized glory.

In the case of flashback panels, where characters remember moments from scenes I intend to flesh out later, it's also handy to have full-sized versions of the images, so I can reuse them when the time comes to show what was happening in those briefly-remembered scenarios.

The two pictures below fall into the latter category. In the comic, they're smaller, sometimes partly hidden by dialogue, and also darker to show that they're memories, so I wanted to share them with their full size and coloring.

Enjoy!

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There's plenty more where that came from! I have a general art gallery, an Undertale fan art gallery, and an ongoing webcomic based on Undertale.

To support me as an artist, and to get exclusive access to WIPs and advance viewing of completed art, please check out my Patreon!

The 15th page of my Undertale fan comic, Just Cause, is finished! Enjoy. :)
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This is a part of Undertale that I think gets glossed over a bit too much in some comics involving Frisk. As a video game protagonist, Frisk dies repeatedly, especially if the player is unskilled.
 
Some people portray their journey through the Underground as a fun, lighthearted thing that they'd willingly repeat just because they enjoyed it so much, and while that may be true for the player, I doubt the young kid who gets stabbed, burned, electrocuted and/or beaten to death multiple times would feel the same way.
 
Not that Undyne knows what she put them through, given that she loses her memories every time Frisk dies and reloads a save; for all she knows, they survived the battle on the first try, with relatively little effort. If she knew how much she'd traumatized them, she'd be far less cheerful about it.
 
As for whether or not that trauma was a contributing factor in their decision to go from cute, naive kid to stony-faced serial killer in timeline 4, you'll just have to wait and see.
 
I thought about keeping Frisk's eyes closed through most or all of the comic, but while I was drawing the second to last panel, I concluded that the effect the open eyes would create was a temptation not to be resisted.

To support me as an artist, and to get exclusive access to works in progress and advance viewing of completed chapters, please consider supporting me on Patreon.

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A little while ago, I stumbled upon a great way to get more comments and exposure for your pictures in DeviantArt. Or perhaps I should say, it stumbled upon me.

I'd left a detailed critique on another artist's picture, commenting on what she'd done well and what could have been done better, and suggesting some photoshop techniques that would help her achieve the effects she seemed to be going for.

Shortly afterward, I was contacted by the admin of Project Comment: a group on DeviantArt that was founded for the purpose of helping artists to get more comments, especially constructive and well-thought-out ones.

She said she'd noticed that I was interested in helping other artists to improve, and invited me to participate in Project Comment.

I was happy to accept the invitation, and after leaving constructive, detailed comments on several other members' pictures, I submitted a couple of my own to be featured in the group.

Sure enough, the comments started coming in, and several people added me to their DeviantWatch.

Now, don't get me wrong - I draw because I love drawing, not just for the attention - but it's so much better when people can see and enjoy my artwork. ^_^

A few days ago, I got another piece of good news: I was being featured in their June-July Features of Great Commenters piece, and I could have one of my pictures displayed in the feature.

I chose my post-Pacifist Undertale wallpaper, and now it's on their features page, second from the bottom.

If you want to get more well-thought-out comments on your artwork, and you're interested in helping other artists to improve their skills, I invite you to check out the group, and to join it if it looks like something you'll enjoy.

For many authors, describing the character's surroundings without turning that description into a pace-killing infodump is a challenge.

So is showing a character's personality through their actions, instead of... *shudder*... TELLING the reader what they're like.

Fortunately, there's a way to accomplish both at the same time.

In this blog post, I'm going to give you a simple technique for showing off your character's personality AND describing their surroundings at the same time, so you can turn those vivid word pictures into an intriguing exploration of the character's mind.

Check out these two writing samples, and focus on the differences between them.

Sample 1:

As the bar's thick door opened in front of him, the music hit Leo full in the face, along with the welcoming scent of booze, sweat, and several different types of perfume.

From the steam that rose from a fellow patron's glass, and the intricate layering in another drink, it was clear that this was not a bar where one ordered the basics. This was a place where people paid extra to look and feel fancy.

At least, until they got hammered enough to hit the dance floor. Not that the two women who were currently grinding against each other looked sober enough to tell that their air of fanciness had flown out the open window and into the night sky.

The sight of their lithe, writhing bodies sent a tingle of fire through Leo, but he knew better than to act on it. Either they were doing this for show, or they were more into each other than they were into men; either way, it wasn't worth the trouble.

But he could still watch. At least for a few seconds, until the siren call of the beverage menu lured him away.

With a smooth, practiced motion, he slid onto a barstool, relieved to turn his eyes away from the flashing rainbow of dance floor lights. They looked nice on the smooth hardwood floor, but when they hit the eyes directly, they were stabbing, burning... but still infinitely better than the flashing lights he'd once had to get accustomed to.

Anything was better than gunfire. Especially drinking.

Especially drinking enough to forget the gunfire. Screw looking fancy - he wanted something simple and strong.

The name of his favorite drink slipped from his mouth without the need for thought, and he found it telling that the bartender had already started pouring it before he voiced the request.

He'd forgotten how many times he'd drowned his sorrows here, and he didn't care to remember. He wasn't here to remember things.

He was here to party, try to enjoy what was left of his life, and drink enough to forget why he couldn't enjoy it when he was sober anymore.

Sample 2

The bar's thick door swung open easily, far more so than barriers like it had in the days of Reuben's youth. It was strange, to think he had once been so small and weak that he could have used the kind of service he planned to perform tonight.

As he entered the building, he gave a brief, courteous nod to the towering bouncer who stood to the left of the door, surreptitiously noting the presence of a second man looming on his right. They were both equally large and intimidating, but his research told him that only one was likely to be a threat.

Still, one was enough. Simply dragging his target out through the front door probably wasn't an option; he was good, but not take-on-three-people-when-one-of-them-could-fight good.

Besides, he wasn't keen on going to jail anytime soon. He would have to play this smart.

As he strode further into the bar, Reuben pretended to let his eyes be drawn to the gyrating dancers. The turn of his head enabled him to get a better look at the patrons who were watching the two women, as well as the wall behind said onlookers.

Above the rows of booths and tables, a window had been opened to let out the heat, and it also offered some relief from the thick miasma of sweat, perfume and alcohol that permeated the air. It wasn't big enough to let him out, but at least it made the room more bearable.

He hated the smell of booze.

​But at least this wasn't the same smell that had taught him that hatred - not the kind a person turns to to forget their past, their civility, and the difference between son and enemy.

No, these were fancy drinks. The kind most people ordered for the purposes of looking good, enjoying the taste and socializing, not for getting drunk on the cheap.

Not that that stopped everyone from getting sloshed, but it did mean there was a higher chance that any participants in a fight would be more inhibited and less stupid, and there was less chance of starting a fight that didn't involve him in order to cover his escape.

A particularly overzealous flare-up from the dance floor's flashing, multicolored lights drove Reuben's eyes to the hardwood floor, and he used the excuse to look a bit further to the right, directly toward the people watching the inebriated dancers.

Ah. There you are.

A slightly round, clean-shaven face, framed by messy blonde hair. A small red birthmark on his neck, shaped kind of like Australia. A wedding ring on his hand, worth considerably more than the promise it symbolized.

And, most importantly, an intent, predatory stare that told Reuben most of what he needed to know about the plans the man had for the dancers he was watching, and the reason why a certain angry mother had hired him to visit this particular bar.

Both characters saw the same things, but they observed them very differently.

The jaded hedonist, Leo, saw a lively nightclubbing and dancing scene, with hot women, good drinks, and a chance to forget his past.

The mercenary, Reuben, observed the room in a far more tactical light, noticing exit points, strategic disadvantages, and indications of the presence of a predator.

They also reacted very differently to the smell of alcohol; one found it welcoming, while the other despised it.

In these descriptions, you saw a bit of the characters' personalities and backstories, as well as hints of events to come. They weren't just plot-halting infodumps; they gave you insight into the characters, and moved the plot forward.

When you want to describe your characters' surroundings, ask yourself:

1. What would the POV character notice in this situation?

2. How would they feel about it?

3. What would they half-notice, and dismiss as unimportant?

4. What would they think they noticed, and believe was important for completely personal, non-objective reasons?

5. Can they notice any of these surroundings in the process of doing something, so they can keep moving through the plot while describing their world?

This will help you to write more interesting place descriptions, while moving the plot forward and helping the readers to get to know your characters in the process.

Want to see more of my characters, plots and place descriptions?

If you enjoyed those two quick samples of my writing, there's lots more where that came from!

I have four novels available, and more stories in the works, so click here or press the button below to check out my books.

The latest page of my ongoing Undertale comic, Just Cause, is ready! Enjoy!
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We now interrupt this grim battle to bring you some cute post-Pacifist Route happiness.
 
My favorite part of this page is Papyrus' dramatic pose being ruined by Undyne's violent friendliness. My least favorite part is how I realized belatedly that Asgore's nostrils are supposed to be above his mustache, and having a very hard time getting that to look right when I tried redrawing it.
 
I eventually said "Screw it, I'm taking some artistic license" and keeping his mustache above his muzzle and the nostrils at the end of the muzzle. It just looks better that way, at least in my drawing style. 
 
To support me as an artist, and to get exclusive access to WIPs and advance viewing of completed chapters, please consider supporting me on Patreon.
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