Do you have any tips on how to make comics? Every one you make always leaves an impression on me and it's just really inspiring so I want to start making them!
Aw, that’s so sweet, Anon! It makes me so happy that I’ve interested you in making your own comics! I can’t wait to see what you do. Be sure to send them my way so I can see! :>
Here are some tips that I’ve learned from about 5 years of making comics:
1. Write up a script first!! This is sooo important. Here’s an example of what one of my scripts would look like:
2. Keep It Simple, Stupid. I used to try to squeeze every joke or silly phrase I knew into a single comic. My older strips were like 18 panels long. (!!!!!!) I’ve since simplified my comics so that they read quicker and easier. If you have a lot of ideas about a certain subject, don’t be afraid to make multiple comics about it!
3. If you plan to draw multiple panels where the same characters are talking to each other and not moving around, draw and color everything EXCEPT FOR FACIAL EXPRESSIONS. Then you can save multiple copies of the same panel and draw new expressions in each panel without having to mess up the line-art. I just draw and color the faces right on top of the base art. It’s not laziness- it’s a short-cut. ;) My comics are more about silly facial expressions and jokes than quality, meaningful artistic exploration hahahahahaÂ
And finally, I’ll leave some tips with how I use Photoshop to make comics:
Use the Save-As function to create copies of panels and make tweaks to each as needed. Even if I’m drawing a new panel in the same comic, I use the Save-As function and flatten the preview panel as a hidden layer when I start drawing the new stuff. This is really useful as a reference so you can quickly pick up the colors and backgrounds you used in earlier panels.
Use large and easy-to-read fonts in comics. If you have to shrink the text down to a very tiny size in order to fit in a panel, it’s probably too much. Either cut some lines or add a new panel. I use Comic Sans because it’s easy to read. And also KH uses Comic Sans or something that looks just like it, so. Screw the haters!
For text bubbles and boxes, use the shape tool to draw them out. I always set the outline of the shapes to match the line-art, and then use a solid white fill for speech and thought bubbles. I typically use a bright color for caption boxes so that they’ll catch the readers’ attention
An easy way to draw the lines between a speech bubble and the character saying them is to use the Stroke function to add an outline to your strokes. Set the stroke color to the line-art color, and then use a white brush to draw the line. This is also a useful tool for drawing lines or shapes that suggest movement or surprise in characters!