Xixax Film Forum

Creative Corner => The Art Gallery => Topic started by: Ravi on July 17, 2006, 06:29:02 PM

Title: Anyone Draw Comic Strips?
Post by: Ravi on July 17, 2006, 06:29:02 PM
I have several doodles for a one-panel comic strip I'd like to submit to the college newspaper, but I'm not sure where to start.  I plan to draw it by hand instead of doing it on the computer.  What kind of paper and pens are generally used for this?
Title: Re: Anyone Draw Comic Strips?
Post by: Ghostboy on July 17, 2006, 06:57:23 PM
Bristol board, pen (the kind that you have to dip in ink) and india ink are the traditional tools.
Title: Re: Anyone Draw Comic Strips?
Post by: polkablues on July 17, 2006, 07:38:15 PM
I like to draw in pencil (use a harder pencil than a #2, because you're going to want to be able to erase leftover lines after inking) on Bristol board, go over the lines with a fine black gel pen (you can buy a pack of twenty for like five bucks), then scan it into the computer and finalize the "inking" in Photoshop.  If you have a Wacom tablet for your computer, it's extremely easy to make professional looking stuff this way.  Even if you're just using a regular mouse, it's still the method I'd use.

For a comic strip, the most important thing to remember is that it's going to be reproduced much smaller than you're actually drawing it, so use big, bold lines, vary your line width to suggest depth and shape, and avoid details that are too fine.  And remember that in black and white, it becomes that much more difficult to distinguish the figure from the background.  I don't know how detailed a drawer you are, but a good time-honored technique is to draw somewhat realistic backgrounds with shadows and texture, and then make your characters very clean and cartoonish.  "Pogo" and "Tintin" are perfect examples of that approach.
Title: Re: Anyone Draw Comic Strips?
Post by: Ravi on July 17, 2006, 10:31:50 PM
I have access to a Wacom tablet, so I'll try the computer inking.  Right now I imagine the strip with pretty spare backgrounds, kind of like Calvin and Hobbes.

Is a #1 pencil harder than a #2?  Years of taking Scantron tests have left me with a bunch of#2 pencils.
Title: Re: Anyone Draw Comic Strips?
Post by: polkablues on July 18, 2006, 12:38:45 AM
Quote from: Ravi on July 17, 2006, 10:31:50 PM
Is a #1 pencil harder than a #2?  Years of taking Scantron tests have left me with a bunch of#2 pencils.

I think #1s are actually softer. -- EDIT: I just realized that's wrong... #1 is harder than #2.  There are two grades of measurement, B and H.  A standard #2 pencil is actually a B2, and any higher B number is softer.  Hs starts at H1 and get harder up to H6. --  For drawing pencils, your best bet would be 4H (really hard, very light lines) or 2H (a little softer).  You're fine using a regular #2 if that's all you have, but they tend to leave dark sketch lines that you'll have to erase on the computer.

And speaking of Calvin and Hobbes, if you want to go for that kind of style, you might invest in a good set of brushes and practice inking with those and some India ink.  It's way more difficult than other methods, but if you get good at it there's nothing like it.