Layout & composition HELP!

[Chris Beatrice]

These are four different layout options for another piece for the fairy tale I'm illustrating (see http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20066 (http://) for larger color layouts of the other illustrations).

The scene is this king whose been lost in the forest for a while, and is "rescued" by his men. I hope you can make out what's happening in these tiny thumbnails:

I like the drama of these first two, but I'm not sure about not showing the king's face:
Rescue A
http://www.chrisbeatrice.com/images/rescue_sketchA.jpg
Rescue B
http://www.chrisbeatrice.com/images/rescue_sketchB.jpg

Rescue C
In this one I tried a more formal, symmetrical composition with the king right in the middle:
http://www.chrisbeatrice.com/images/rescue_sketchC.jpg

Rescue D
Finally I ended up with this one, which I think flows pretty nicely:
http://www.chrisbeatrice.com/images/rescue_sketchD.jpg

Please, what do you all think?

[Dahsramu]

Layout wise, out of these four, I like the last one the most. In the first and second ideas the king does not look very important (in the first one especially - he looks smaller than his rescuers).

The second one is okay. It is somewhat dramatic but personally I dont like images where the center of attention is right in the middle of the picture - they tend to be kind of boring. There is no "flow" - nothing for the eye to follow - the focus is right in the middle and to take in what does not lie in that central circle of attention is a less natural task for the eye. Maybe if you raised the king closer to the top of the image - then you would allow the viewer's eye to rise "up" from the rescuers to the king. That would definitely make this idea more dynamic.

I like the last one because I feel it allows the viewer to view more and also to "interact" with the drawing. The eyes have a direction to follow from left to right (or vice versa) and therefore the viewer has better opportunity to absorb the whole piece.

In the end though, I think the scene in the story you are illustrating has a lot to do in deeming which of these is most "appropriate". Are you trying to focus on the king's reaction or on the rescuers? Is the king supposed to be the prominent presence in the scene or is something/someone else? These decisions will also dictate which one is best.

Anyways it seems to me like I'm preaching to the choir. You seem to already know all this stuff... :D

[Chris Beatrice]

On the contrary Dahsramu, your insights were extremely helpful. I only got one response (yours) but it was very in-depth and thoughtful. Thank you.