Undefeated - Drawing

This is the third and final part of my guide to creating your own short graphic story.

First let's do a checklist. Have you:

1. Planned your story?
2. Written your script?
3. Left your script?
4. Returned to your scripted and edited it?
5. Designed your characters?
6. Practiced drawing your characters until you're happy with easily recreating them?

Good. Then we can continue!

I drew Undefeated using a digital program (I'm an old school cheapskate so swear by Photoshop 7, DON'T use MS Paint) however wherever possible I'll also explain each step as if I was drawing the comic traditionally. I'll put the traditional bits in pink.

N.B. I'm not a professional artist. These are tips from personal experience. Anything that doesn't fit for you, don't do!

Step One

Make a rough sketch of what your page will look like on a separate piece of paper. If you are creating a short comic / graphic story with a limited page count like me you will have already done this in the planning stage. If your story has an open page count you probably won't have already sketched a plan. Sketching a plan is not so much about how each panel will look but the over all page layout - panel placement, text placement, etc - it is purely for you and as long as you understand your plan it is more than allowed to look completely rubbish and incoherent to everyone else!

Here is what my plan looked like (I drew all four page plans on one piece of A4 paper):

Step Two

Make your document size really big (nothing under 200 pixel resolution and 1500 pixel length / width). It's much easier to resize a picture down if it is too big than increase its size if it is too small. If you plan on getting your comic published publishers require digital copies to have big resolutions so as to not look pixelated when printed. Working big then sizing down later also makes it easier to draw finer details.

When drawing a page using traditional materials pick whatever size paper feels right for you or is specified by the publisher. Generally publishers don't like receiving work bigger than A3 (also it's really expensive to send something A3 or above in the post).

Step Three

Create a new layer and draw your panel lines. Never draw directly onto the background. Always create a new layer for each step / set of colours! Think of drawing with layers like drawing on tracing paper. Each digital layer is like a layer of tracing paper and whatever happens on one layer does not affect the others. By drawing on separate layers you do not ruin everything if you make a mistake. You can just erase the mistake on that single layer rather than everything above, below and around it.

When using traditional materials I'm afraid you don't have the safety net of layers however drawing lines is easy, just draw guide lines with a pencil before going over with ink.

At this point I also place my text boxes / speech bubbles (in separate layers) because I'm lazy and don't enjoy the idea of putting a load of effort into part of a panel only to cover it with text.

Once again you don't get the luxury of this choice when drawing traditionally. If you haven't placed your text by the time you start inking you're screwed!

Step Four

Make a new layer and sketch in the design for your final picture / pencil your design.

It should look something like this:

 

Step Five

 

In a new layer 'ink' your lines. By ink I mean go over your sketch lines with a smooth black line. This is what your final lines will look like so take lots of time with them to make sure they're right. You won't want to be redrawing things once you start colouring. I mean it's completely possible to redraw your lines once you start colouring (and even I do it when I realise I've made a terrible mistake) but it's really inconvenient and I'm all about making this process as simple as possible.

 

Though it takes lots of practice try to draw your lines in single strokes rather than feathering then trying to smooth with the eraser. If you find it hard to draw smooth lines when your document is zoomed to its actual size try drawing whilst zoomed into 200% - I find it produces much smoother lines.

 

You may feel more comfortable drawing the background lines on one layer and the foreground lines on another. That way if you make a mistake it is less likely to affect the rest of your lines.

 

Once you've completely inked your page you can delete your sketch layer / reduce it to 0% opacity.

 

When inking traditionally take lots of time and have lots of patience.  You get one shot at this and you don't want to mess it up. There are such things as Tipex / liquid paper but any sort of correctional fluid will always show up (which is why people usually use it to add highlights rather than to correct mistakes).

 

Let areas dry before moving on - the last thing you want is to smudge the ink with your hand - and when drawing with a ruler lift it onto its edge when lifting it from the paper, don't drag it across the paper as it may drag the ink with it.

 

Try not to erase your pencilling until you've completely inked your page. Also try not to press too hard with your rubber / eraser. Too much rubbing will also remove the ink.

 

Your inking should look something like this:

 

 

Step Six

 

Using a new layer for every colour (or texture style if working in black and white) apply your base colours. Because you are drawing on separate layers the fill tool won't work - you have to scribble like colouring in a colouring book page

 

You'll probably create lots of layers at this stage so it's a good idea to name them as you go.

 

Colour in / shade, once again taking your time. Work on each panel as though it is its own piece of art rather than trying to colour all the page in one go.

 

Your page should now look something like this:

 

 

Step Seven

 

Shade your work, once again creating a new layer for every colour. Not being a pro I don't want to tell you my way of shading like it is THE way of shading however here are some basic things that I do:

1. I always decide where my light source is before I start shading
2. I never use the burn tool
3. I make one layer where I use a slightly darker version of the base colour to draw shadows then make a second layer where I use an even darker version of the base colour with the gradient tool (fading to transparent) to create an overall sort of dark glow. (This will be clearer from the example image!)
4. I keep a sample of the colours I use to shade so that the colour palette is uniform for each panel / page. Once the gradient layer has been added it tints everything and you'll never be able to properly recreate your original colour choices.

Once you have shaded and added any highlights your finished page will look something like this:

 

 

General tips:

1. Every so often take a break. Mistakes happen when you overwork yourself and carpal tunnel syndrome happens when you keep your hand clenched for too long.
2. If you find you're not having a good drawing day don't force it. Go clean the toilet and come back and try again.
3. Don't draw drunk / high / with a fever. You may think it makes you cool or an 'artist' but unless you're an absolute genius your work will look rough and generally crap.
4. I draw wearing a fingerless glove so as to stop my fingernails from biting into my palm. It makes you look like a super villain too XD
5. When working digitally the colouring stage can get really boring so definitely feel free to listen to music as you work. If you get bored of music listen to something entertaining but bland such as a Murder She Wrote marathon or all of BBC iPlayer's backlog of Bargain Hunt. Don't listen to (watch) anything that requires you to actually pay 100% attention to it such as a film you've been dying to see for ages or You've Been Framed.
6. When working with traditional mediums you may also get bored but don't be tempted to put on the TV! That is the instant road to making an irreversible mistake. Listen to calming music and if you get bored of your music listen to a radio drama / audio book. I especially recommend Radio 4 Extra's horror, fantasy and sci-fi section. If you come from a country which no longer makes radio drama you can listen to Orson Welles' wonderful radio dramas (including that infamous War of the Worlds recording) here. You can also listen to a podcast but don't pick one that will excite you too much or that your are desperate to listen to as you're more likely to make a mistake again.
7. And the obvious one...don't leave drawing your comic to the last moment.

Well done. You have just completed a short graphic story and got one step closer to drawing that five volume Batman epic.

Four Pages You'll Never Get Back 2013

It's that time of year again: the 2013 Cape / Comica / Observer Short Graphic Story Prize. For the past six months I've been planning my entry and I spent the whole of last month bringing my plans to life.

Please click on the preview to read the resulting story, The Undefeated.

And seeing as I've now finished my short graphic story tomorrow I'll finish my series on how to create your own short graphic story, concluding with the drawing stage! See you tomorrow with your pens and paper!

Undefeated - Character Design

This is part two of how to make your own short comic (I bet you'd thought I'd forgotten this didn't you?) The observant of you will have noticed the project title has changed to Undefeated. That is because between times I had a good think about the kind of stuff Comica / Cape / Observer might go for and decided though I still like my original idea this one would be more fitting for their competition.

Anyway - character design! This is a page of designs for Michael the main (and only) character from Undefeated.

There are two main reasons for drawing character sheets for your characters:

1. So you can experiment with their physical characteristics and clothing before you start drawing. This is so important if your character is to have a uniform / costume. The last thing you want is to draw a page / chapter and realise you don't like the design. Its going to be a hell of a long time (if any) before you can write in a suitable reason for a look change. This is less important if your character wears everyday clothes - they can wear different clothes every day - but I would strongly advise not changing your characters' looks too much (and not changing their physical appearance at all unless actually part of the story) if you are writing a short graphic story such as my four pages. Your reader needs to connect with your character instantly - it just won't happen if they keep changing, like it wouldn't happen if they kept changing personality.
2. So you can get used to drawing them. Nothing shouts unprepared / inexperienced than characters that have unintentionally changing hair length / jaw shape / eye size / height etc.

There are no rules on how many character sheets you need to do. Do as many as it takes for you to feel comfortable with drawing them.

Don't just do head sketches (as tempting as it is). Head sketches are really important as they are a great way of drawing your characters' expressions but you also need to know what the rest of their body looks like! Also remember to vary the angles that you draw your characters from. You won't always be drawing your character face on so you need to get used to what they look like from the side / behind.

There are also no rules on what medium you use to draw your characters with. These sketches are, after all, just for you. e.g. I never usually draw with colour pencils however they felt right for Michael. What I would suggest though is that at some point you practice drawing your characters in the medium you plan on drawing your comic in. I planned on drawing my first idea digitally so I drew the character sheets 100% digitally. Here is the beginning of one:

Well done! You are now ready for stage three...drawing your graphic story!

Undefeated - Planning and Writing

Hi guys! I've decided to get an extra early start with my Comica / Cape / Vintage Short Graphic Story entry so that I have no excuse for any mistakes. I also thought I'd share my process with you (seeing as I am supposed to be a writer after all!) All posts about my entry will be headed and tagged with Undefeated.

Writing program, inspiration picture and mood music - the holy trinity! (chocolate is also good)

Don't hate me - I know you don't want to hear it - but the backbone to any good story be it a novel, a film or a comic is good planning (and YES even a four page comic is capable of having a story with a beginning, middle and end). On a practical level it just makes everything easier when you come to writing / drawing. I think the worst thing to happen once you get your creative juices flowing is to have your flow ruined because you've realised an epic hole in your story.

I think finding an idea that works is the hardest part! There are so many one-line ideas that sound cool that when you actually think them out suddenly become a lot harder to make sense of, are too long or too short for what you want them for...if you can think of an idea at all! There are some days when they just won't come and the more you force them the worse they get. At film school we had to generate ideas all the time. Somehow this usually involved picking words out of tobacco tins - the more random the words the better (coat hanger sandwich anyone?). Random pictures (paintings, photos) are also good. I really recommend going for walks. It is amazing the things you notice when you have no predetermined destination. Like my old tutor Brian used to say, you can't be a writer sat in your ivory tower, you have to live life to write life.

Okay so you think you have an idea! WRITE IT DOWN! Tony Grisoni says it's not an idea if it's not written down. And it's so true. You can't see the flaws if it's not written down. You also can't see what you like about it and that's just as important. Write it out then leave it - a day, a week, a month, however long it takes for you to forget bits - then come back to it and see if it still makes sense and that you still like it. If it does then you can write out the script!

Take as long as it takes - you want your script to be as perfect as it can be so that you don't have to worry about correcting mistakes when you're drawing - when you're drawing all you want to be worrying about are artistic choices, not whether your character motivations are wrong...though if it's been a year and you still haven't produced four pages you're in trouble. I use Final Draft for writing my graphic novel scripts however 2000AD and Dark Horse both have example scripts for you to study the format of if you don't have a script program. I recommend not writing more than seven panels per page unless it is an indie comic, in which case the world is your oyster (though I wouldn't go over twelve). Basically the more panels per page the less space there is for picture detail and dialogue. Look at the kind of graphic novels you want yours to be like and see how many panels they use per page and how they vary this number for conversations / action / heart felt moments.

Things that stop you writing:
- TV
- The Internet
- Talking to people
- Cats

Take yourself to somewhere solitary and comfortable (though not so comfortable that you're falling asleep) and either write in silence or to music (some people find even music too distracting). Joss Whedon says not to write to music with lyrics but I actually find music with lyrics very inspiring - do what's best for you - Joss recommends film soundtracks...the running joke is if you need a rousing soundtrack pick The Dark Knight. I make playlists for every project I write and play them on repeat. When I'm stressed I play calming music. I'm kind of stressed at the moment hence why in the picture the music playing is Belle and Sebastian.

If you're visually motivated make mood and character boards that you can look at when you need an inspiration kick. In fact just the act of selecting pictures and assembling them will help focus what it is you want to write. Below are two boards I made - one for The Automated Heart and one for Paradise.

  

 

Once you've got a good script you can sketch out your page layouts. This can be as rough or as tidy as you like - it's purely for you and is so you can see if what you've written will actually fit / look like how you imagined it would when you were writing it. Think of it as the graphic story equivalent of a storyboard. If you have an indefinite amount of pages this stage doesn't matter so much however if, like me, you only have four pages it's essential! What could be worse than putting all that effort into drawing three of your four pages only to discover you have too much to fit on the last page? Below is mine for another idea I had. Even though it's only on the back of a piece of scrap paper it helped me realise that some of the panels that looked cool in my head wouldn't work so well on a piece of paper with the other panels around it.

 

Well done! You've officially finished the planning and writing stage!

See you next time for the character design stage!