[Marley]

Hello Voiders

This is just a basic description of my personal work process. This doesn't mean that every page you guys do should follow this method, but it might give you some ideas on how to approach your pages. Personally this is the most efficient way for me to get my pages done =P


Thumbnails!!!



Thumbnails are instrumental for me in planning out text placement, and the general flow of my comics. I actually have a tiny notebook dedicated to nothing but thumbnails, and I usually plan about 5 - 7 pages ahead.

Rough Pencils!!!



I usually finish the pencils on the main characters and text before detailing the backgrounds. I'll rough out the background perspective in the beginning and position the characters accordingly, but I won't detail the background until after I've finished and inked the main characters and text. The reason I do this is because I smudge my pencils a ton (I don't want to lose the character detail) and more importantly I need to be sure the text will fit without being obstructed by background elements. It also SUUUCKS when you've worked hard on a background element and you have to cover it up with text. TIME WASTEDD! NO BUENO!

FINISHED B&W



After inking the main characters, I finish the details on the background, and then finish the basic inks. Usually at this stage I'll go through and erase, and then begin embellishing with the inks. I make sure the line weights look clean then I add a bit of dry brush to add a little bit of texture to give the page a more finished gritty look.

Once I'm happy with the page I scan the little bastard into photoshop at 600dpi in B&W. Then I convert it to greyscale and lower the DPI to 300. This page isn't adjusted, but at this point normally I'll pull up my comic template so I can crop and adjust the page until it fits. Then TADAAA!! finished B&W comic page.

And thats basically how I work!

[Kiljax]

Nice work on the thumbnails there, Marley.

ONe quick thing though: What about scripting or planning? I know it depends on the artist and how they interpret, but to go from script to your first piece of thumbnail gooey goodness, there're a lot of steps. (Not to mention your damned thumbnails look more detailed than 1/2 the stuff I even try to squeeze outta my hands).

Not saying your tut isn't good, it's great, just noting that we might have an openning for another tutorial?

[Angie]

Looks good Marley! That's essentially how my process is as well, I don't even touch the background details until the inking step. I'm assuming she goes by a rough outline and/or a script but probably didn't post it. I typically go like this


http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/793/starttofinishmx6.jpg incase it cuts off
 

as you can see, unlike Marley I'm a horrible planner because I tend to miss little things like what direction they should be facing and I change shit from the script anyways and had to redraw Scarlett's face in a panel haha. Done in a small image file because this is Marley's tutorial, not mine. Everyone really works different, I personally work from a script but I've talked to a lot of people on Void that don't. It's best to find your own way of doing things and do what is most comfortable for you

[justarhymes]

ONe quick thing though: What about scripting or planning?

Notice how it's called Thumbs to Finished page.  You can't have your hand held through everything.

Besides, thumbnails are the scripting and the planning.



By the way, that about the same way I do stuff.  HI-5!

[Nachte]

I do it like this also! I just push all the steps into one, so I have thumbs and script written at the exact same time.

But my thumbs are prehaps maybe two of my thumbs wide. With the bubbles numbered and the text out to the side.

[Marley]

ONe quick thing though: What about scripting or planning? I know it depends on the artist and how they interpret, but to go from script to your first piece of thumbnail gooey goodness, there're a lot of steps.

Weeerd I was thinking about that, but the problem is this page is coming from my personal project. The script is really loose, since a lot of things I leave flexible while I'm thumbnailing. Its probably not the best representation of a script =P

I could post a process from a page on the other book I'm working on, but I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post the script from it. The script doesn't really belong to me and what not =/

If somebody else is working from a rigid script and is allowed to post from it then maybe they could do a process too. I'm all into the idea of lots of people putting up their pages from thumbs to finished!

I WOULD LOVE TO SEE ANDRE DO ONE =P

Thanks duders! I'm glad people liked this!

[Andre]

You will be so sorry you ever wished that awful wish!!!

EDIT: OK here it is. Forgive the crappy quality. Im at home and dont have my full size scanner so i have to take digital camera shots. Like Marley I also scan in at 600 dpi, then I go to Adjust - selective color to remove the cyan lines and strengthen the blacks. I also do this in Adjust - Levels.  Then I drop it down to 450 when i work on the psd file. For the final output I reduce to 300 and save it as a tiff.

First the rough. Before all this I usually do a scribbly thumbnail as well, but this rough is full size to just basically get the full size layout set.


Then of course the pencils which i lightbox from the rough to again, get a basic shape layout and then i fill in the drawing. No inker would ever work from this but its works for me.


Lastly the inks which i do with a crowquill pen, or pen nib if you will. Im thinking I may want to go back and strengthen some of the foreground line widths with a brush so they pop out a little better.


After this I will do some gray tones in photoshop and letter it.

[Marley]

Andre that is massive!!!

[Angie]

Andre that is massive!!!

He warned you! XD