1. What makes for stiff poses?
Poses that look unnatural. Even if you draw a pose that seems normal, just like real life, it may come off as stiff -- so if you exaggerate the pose -- it helps. I'm not talking changing proportions. I'm talking about, for example, if two characters would, in "real life," be arguing and gesturing five feet apart, in the comiic you pull them in to five INCHES apart, lean bodies inward, maybe have one grab the other by the shirt. If one's a girl, her hair's flying out, indicating how quickly she moved in. Never have characters standing around like mannequins; give them something to do. Use every opportunity to indicate movement, life.

a. Is "stiff" different from "pasted" faces?
I don't know what a pasted face is.

b. Does the term "stiff" apply to "camera" angles as well?
No. But camera angles can be boring. The "sitcom shot" -- long, medium, or close-up that is straight-on -- can be dull.

2. Besides perspective, how else do I make a big scene - a big scene?
Pull back. Lots of convincing detail.

3. When would you say a background is "wonky"?
When perspective is off. Or when the people don't seem to interact with the background because of lack of shadows.

A character?
When a character's pose seems twisted, wrong, unnatural on the page. Or an eye is floating around on the head instead of back in the socket, drawing an accurate consistent face each time.

Props? Same as background.

I would really appreciate whatever visual references you may have in the Manila Office, or in your computer .
They were all in my Seminar. There is no "scientific" method to know what's wrong. But if you can't look at a drawing and instinctively know it's off, you won't know it in your own work.

-- David Campiti (email David for any question)