A Few Hot Tips For Making Better Comics
1. Get a ruler.
2. Get a triangle. A triangle is like a ruler, only it’s shaped like a triangle. It costs like a couple of dollars.
3. Draw straight lines for your panel borders. Use right angles for the corners. That’s what a ruler and triangle can do for you.
4. Measure a distance between your first two panels and then keep using the exact same distance between all your panels in that comic. Those spaces between panels are called gutters. Inconsistently sized gutters look bad and amateurish. Consistently sized gutters look better. It’s a super easy thing to make your comics look way cleaner and more professional. After you try it a few times you don’t have to measure anymore but you DO have to measure at first. So try it!!
EDIT TO ADD: straight lines and consistent gutters is like the comics layout equivalent of figure drawing / anatomy — get the basics down solid before you start getting crazy and stylized. Log some hours doing the most straightforward approach before you decide you’re a genius and can do whatever the hell you want.
A Letter From Your Dance Teacher
huffingtonpost.com
Dear Dance Student circa 2013:
Hi, there! This is your dance teacher. Your older dance teacher. Let’s chat.
First, I know you love dance. You want to be great. You want to work. You want people to see all that you have to offer. You are also coming of age in a dance world that is so different from the one I grew up in, and I’m excited to see what develops.
But I’ve seen a lot that concerns me.
You come from a generation that has been empowered like none before in humanity. You have been taught to question authority - to do your own thing — from an early age. Many of you have been raised where “everyone gets a trophy,” and your teachers, parents and coaches, trying to be encouraging, often praised you just because. Furthermore, in the age of the Internet everything is accessible instantly and effortlessly. You want to look up a word or person? Google it. You hear a song you like? You don’t even have to remember the words — just Shazam it. Hell, you don’t even have to push a button anymore; you merely touch a screen.
When you are asked to work at something because that is simply what one does, many of you ask “Why should I? So-and-so made this thing and it went mad viral.” A few people are genuine overnight sensations — results of our spectacle-hungry, media-addicted culture. Most sudden phenoms, however, have been toiling quietly for years before their “moment.”
Success is a process.
Success is also a product of criticism from others and oneself. In dance class, corrections are very public. The teacher cannot always say everything in the gentlest way. With a class full of students, she needs to be concise and clear.
Your teacher’s job is not to make you like her, not to make you want go have coffee or drinks, or to be lifelong or even Facebook friends. Personally, I like it when I become friends with students. But this happens because before anything else the student trusted me — my skills and knowledge as a dancer and teacher.
If you don’t trust your teacher you might find her corrections disrespectful. I tend to get zealous with corrections, going on campaigns and harangues to fix things. My humor tends toward the sarcastic, which can rub people the wrong way. Thus the combination of doggedly wanting to help and a dry wit might offend some students.
If you are one of these students, you need to come talk to me about it.
Don’t rip me a new one via your parents or in your course evaluation.
Certainly there is humiliation, even cruelty in the dance studio. The caricature of the mean teacher or choreographer is based in truth. But when you find a teacher who is going out of her way to correct you, and perhaps getting a little frustrated - to call this teacher disrespectful is wrong. You do yourself a disservice.
It is much easier for your teacher to ignore you, and spend time on someone who makes changes quickly. Only a teacher who thinks you have potential would bother to try to help you. Not disrespectful at all — exactly the opposite.
And that puts the onus on you, to take responsibility for yourself. If you don’t understand why you are getting a correction five times per class or why your dancing is not getting the compliments you’d like, ask!
The teachers who gave me the harshest, most brutally honest corrections are the ones I learned the most from. I didn’t like what they had to say, but in my day, we just went home and cried — never did we accuse the teacher of disrespect. Weeks, months or even years later, I realized how right the teacher was. That said, their corrections didn’t mean I was a) a bad dancer b) never going to dance professionally c) meant to be a Taco Bell employee.
So please, take class mindfully. Work hard. Bring passion into the studio. Be curious about how to get better. Ask questions. And remember, if someone cares enough to work with you day in and day out, if she or he cares enough to get frustrated with you, she’s not being disrespectful, she’s teaching.
You have so much information and technology available to you, and I know you have a lot to say. But a skilled dancing body still counts. Let me help.
Sincerely,
Cross-Training for Technique: Improve your strength and stamina outside the studio
When San Francisco Ballet soloist Elizabeth Miner found herself huffing and puffing through David Bintley’s The Dance House, she knew it was time to increase her cross-training. “The piece was nonstop,” says Miner. “Just running it was not enough. I needed to build my aerobic capacity.” In addition to Pilates—which she already did—Miner began using the elliptical trainer for 30 minutes three times a week. She noticed a change almost immediately. “I could finish the ballet and not be completely exhausted,” says Miner. “I felt more in control, able to think about other things onstage, like the music and movement. Being tired is the last thing you want to focus on.”
Whether it’s running, yoga, spinning classes or weight lifting, non-dance exercise can help improve your technique. Marika Molnar, director of physical therapy at New York City Ballet, believes cross-training is an essential part of any dancer’s regime. “I don’t just recommend it, I insist on it,” says Molnar, who has been working with NYCB dancers for the past 30 years. “Because dancers perform the same movements using the same muscles all the time, strength, flexibility and motor coordination exercises help to nourish the body.” NYCB apprentices are offered a full wellness program that includes an individualized workout. “Once they experience how great it is, they make time for it,” Molnar adds.
A physical therapist or trainer can help you find the regimen that will be most effective for your body. Generally, exercises should be done two to three times a week, working to the point of fatigue to build strength while making sure your form is correct at all times.
Problem: Low Extensions
According to Molnar, strength at the end range of your flexibility is crucial to developing higher extensions. “Pilates reformer exercises are great,” she says. “One of my favorites is the single leg circle; it helps to improve abdominal stabilization while strengthening the whole leg through the range of motion.”
Athletic trainer Mike Howard and Pilates teacher James Harren, who both work with Houston Ballet dancers, recommend strengthening and stretching the psoas muscle through slow, deep sit-ups with the abdominal muscles contracted both on the way up and down. “Everything is connected, so extensions are easier with a stronger core,” Harren says. “Because the psoas attaches to the inner part of the thigh bone, it rotates the leg and lifts it.” Add the obliques in by twisting slightly to the left and right. Do two sets of ten three times a week.
Don’t leave out the strength of the standing leg. Harren recommends placing one leg on a medium-sized physio ball while lying down, the other leg in the air turned out and in first position, then lifting and lowering the pelvis in this position.
Problem: Low Jumps
Stretching correctly is the first step to improving your jumps. “Hanging out with your leg on the barre while chatting with friends will weaken ligaments and negatively impact your jumps,” warns Molnar. “Ideally, stretches should only be held for two to three minutes.” Molnar also believes plyometric training (which builds muscle power through quick, explosive movements) is essential to improve the strength, elasticity and activation of the muscles you use to jump. Try jumping with a two-pound weight, or jump on and off a six-inch box. “Have someone put their hands on your waist and push down to provide resistance,” Molnar suggests.
Howard advises strengthening the feet to improve your jumping. Try picking up marbles or cotton balls with your toes to engage the muscles in your arch.
Problem: Weak Port De BrasHarren has dancers practice port de bras while lying on a roller. “Balancing on the roller will steady the core and build greater sensory motor coordination,” he says.
To strengthen the shoulder joint, stand up and do small shoulder circles with a dumbbell. Have a trainer determine the appropriate amount of weight. Any exercise where you pull something in front of you backwards, like on a rowing machine, will strengthen the muscles of the shoulder blades, creating a strong back.
Problem: Lack Of Stamina
Elliptical training, swimming and biking all offer low-impact ways to increase your stamina. Be sure to set the elliptical on a smaller incline and use light resistance. If you prefer the treadmill, Molnar recommends walking (both forward and backward), not running. “Running puts extreme force on the joints, especially the knees.” says Molnar. She advises staying away from the StairMaster altogether because it’s stressful on the knees and good form is hard to maintain.
In any aerobic exercise, try to achieve 65 percent of your maximum heart rate (you can determine your MHR by subtracting your age from 211). You need at least 15 to 30 minutes three times a week to see a difference in your endurance. “Make sure you are breathing in the lower lungs and not just the upper chest,” Molnar says. You can continue working on your endurance even while dealing with some injuries. Ask a doctor about low-impact swimming or biking.
Article by: Nancy Wozny
X
'Wag ka ma-stress sa college
Ang mga kelangan mo lang eh…
Time management - Kapag may binigay si prof na assignment na next week pa gagawin, gawin mo na ng mas maaga. Like pagkatapos niya ibigay, gawin mo na agad. Ganon kasi ginagawa ko. Binigay ng Monday ng umaga, tapos na agad ng Monday ng gabi. Sa ganong paraan, male-lessen ‘yung cramming stages mo. Kesa naman ipagpa-bukas mo tapos ‘yung ibang prof eh magbibigay ng projects, lalo ka lang matatambakan.
- Planner - Sa pag-aayos ng oras mo sa college, at mga kelangang dates na tandaan kelangan nakalagay lahat ‘yan sa planner mo. Sa daming pinagagawa kelangan alam mo kung kelan mo sisimulan at kelan ang deadline. Pwede rin ang gamitin ang calendaryo sa cellphone mo, useful din. Reminders and notes.
Disiplina sa sarili - Hindi pwede ‘yung isang tawag lang ng mga kaibigan mo na paparty daw kayo eh gora ka agad. Tingnan mo muna kung pwede ka at fit sa schedule mo. Tingnan mo kung wala kang dapat asikasuhin. Tingnan mo kung may quiz bukas, kung may project na hindi pa tapos. Unahin ang pag-aaral. Maraming party pa na darating, madaling kunin lahat ‘yon pabalik, ang grades hindi.
Focus - Lalo na kung mahirap ang course mo, ‘wag ka pa-banjing banjing. Walang maiitulong sa’yo ‘yan. Masarap ang pakiramdam na wala kang problema sa grades. Masarap makipagkwentuhan sa magulang mo na maganda ang lagay ng studies mo. That way, magaan ang loob mo, masaya pa ang parents mo, natututo ka pa.
Pick your friends - May ibang studyante ang madaling ma peer pressure. ‘Yung mga freshmen na ‘di naman talaga naninigarilyo, pag dating sa college, hala sige! Sunog baga na, bakit? Na-impluwensyahan agad ng mga kaibigan. ‘Wag ganon. Hindi makakabuti sa’yo ‘yon, umiikli pa ang buhay mo. Sumama ka sa mga kaibigan na makakabuti sa’yo, ‘yung mahilig mag-aral. Dun ka mahawa at nakakaganda ‘yon. Pati attitude mo towards life maiiba.
Mag-aral ng mabuti. Mahirap ng may naiiwan kang subject. Third year ka na tapos may mga subject ka pa sa 1st year. Sayang oras.
Kapag okay lahat ng ‘to, less stress. Pero aminin natin hindi mo maiiwasang ma-stress kasi marami talagang pinapagawa. Kahit pa umpisahan mo ng maaga nag mga projects mo, may mga times na shit gone mad ang mangyayare, pero handle mo lang. Treat everything as a hurdle na kelangan mong talunan para maka-lagpas ng maayos.
Seryosohin mo ang college dahil hindi biro ang laki ng tuition fee. Maawa ka nalang sa mga magulang mo. Okay.
