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A Step By Step of How I Draw A Page…
So, yesterday I showed a random page of pencils using my newish digital technique. I was thinking that to show my process I would live blog a step by step of each stage. I never quite got around to it, but I did take a screen cap every few steps so you can get the idea of the process.
So, first I start off with a blank template page with faint grid marks for a 6, 9, 8 and 12 panel grids. Then I start sketching out my thumbnails. This can involve moving panels around, shrinking them, blowing them up, or moving them to another page altogether to make room for what I need. sometimes I’ll do a few different angles of a panel saving each on a separate layer so I can pick my favorite later. This one turned out pretty straight forward.
Then I reduce the opacity of the ‘thumbnail’ so I can see better and start drawing, panel by panel.
When I’m done, I make any last minute adjustments You can see that I shifted the middle tier up a smidge to make room for the dialog in the bottom tier. Then I make the panel borders and we’re done and ready for lettering and inking.
There a few more steps in between, but they’re hard to show. I’ll often keep characters on separate levels so I can scribble and erase and transform one without affecting the other. But, that’s basically all there is to it.
Hi and welcome to the art of Craig A. Taillefer! I am a professional cartoonist working in the fields of Comic Books, Animation, and pretty much anything else people want me to draw! This site is primarily an on-line portfolio of my work with a resume and contact information, but it also brings all of my web comics, comic books, forums, publishing endeavours and musical activities under one roof. There is a lot to look at so browse away and enjoy!
June 19th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Heya,
How are you finding Manga Studio (pretty sure that’s what you’re doing this in). I bought MS Debut a few weeks back, but I haven’t had much of a chance to play with it. It certainly seems to be working for you, though!
June 20th, 2009 at 10:01 am
I’ve been using it pretty regularly for close to two years now. I started using it in September of ‘07 to do the last two weeks of Chelation Kid as well as using it to ink the Mighty Motor Sapiens. When I took over the pencils, I kept on using it, then did my Comic Book Tattoo story in MS, and I’ve used it for all of my storyboards since.
I’m pretty happy with it. I don’t use the ‘Pro’ versions fancy functions any where near as much as some, but I like the ability to move, shift, flop, trace, and re-size my pencils as I go. It was a pretty common thing for me to trace off a drawing onto another sheet of paper, then re-trace it back onto the board in a different position because I wanted it shifted a centimeter or two. And the perspective tools are pretty cool too, though I think they’re only in the Pro version.
My suggestion is to pick a project, maybe a short story, and force yourself to do it in MS from beginning to completion. Even if you only pick away at it in your spare time, you’ll start to get a feel for it.
If you have any specific questions feel free to shoot me an email. I owe you one. I’ve had some major problems with my Bell email address and only got your email a few weeks ago along with over a thousand others at the same time. I’m reeeeeally behind on my replies.
June 22nd, 2009 at 8:33 pm
Oh, no rush on a reply to email. I figured you were just busy, but email problems are definitely annoying.
Debut isn’t bad. It doesn’t have the perspective ruler, but it has some other perspective tools in it and they aren’t bad. I’m not sure I’m quite ready for digital penciling, though. It’s a little scary. I manipulate my pencils now in Photoshop (moving, resizing, you name it) but I’m not comfortable sketching in it yet. I feel I wind up being off model for some reason I can’t quite figure. The new newness, maybe?!
I hadn’t realized you’d been drawing that way for so long, though. You really can’t tell and I think that says a lot about how much your stuff flows with it. Damn nice.
I do like the inking tools in Manga Studio. That’s what caught my eye first and foremost. The brushes are far more intuitive then anything I’ve seen in Photoshop. And I’m going to come around to sketching with it, too. Just down the road.