Merlss

Part 1 | Part 2(you're here)

Think about the thought process of the characters. Who's the main focus? Whose feelings are we meant to relate to? Do you want them to feel trapped? Isolated? Alone? Etc etc. Look at how other people do it.

As an example, for this comic I've struggled to come up with a way to keep Moon menacing and Doctor scared/tense while Moon collapsed onto them. My first few attempts looked kinda goofy and comedic almost. Changing up the staging, lighting, shot and camera angle can do lots of good for what you're trying to achieve.

I kinda just looked over things I admire for doing these things and doing them good, like Promised Neverland for example. Its artists are super good at creating tension/horror so paying attention as to what exactly created that tension in question will help a lot.

How are the characters positioned and why? Where's the line of the horizon? How does the artist utilise shadows/light/texture? Are there any power dynamics in play between the characters? Do you want the staging to reflect that? Treating the "camera" as another "character" might help as well, shove it in characters' faces, show us the proximity, don't let it just third wheel from somewhere far away.

If you're looking for specific things as I've listed here, I recommend reading on Five C's of Cinematography as a starting point. They talk about alll the stuff when it comes to establishing characters/atmosphere through camera work and those rules are heavily applicable to all visual art.