Comics: B/W vs Color

[doomed4art]

BW is probably the best, most cost/time effective method.
The only reason why I'm doing color is because I just really like coloring more than inking and toning. I like to think colors add to the mood of the scene having an extra layer of poetry to it. But with all the pros of BW (Cheaper printing if you're gonna do that. Less time to finish compared to colors both in planning and execution.) your mileage will vary if it's worth it enough to do for you. My other issue with BW is skin tone especially in dramatic and emotional panels. I was told to just focus on the mood and composition rather than the "real" color tone but I never actually applied it so I'm stuck with colors for now. And I pay the price by taking very long hiatuses with the limited free time I have haha.

I also agree with darthmongoose that grayscale/tones can be misused.
I knew about the whole bigger demand for color thing but I'm always surprised how, um, entitled readers can get for essentially mostly free entertainment.

[candiedcotton]

Everything important has already been said, so all I've got is this:

I'd sell a limb for a colorist. lol.

I love drawing so dearly, but dear god, I hate coloring with a great passion. My ultimate dream is to have someone who can color decently join up with me, but I know it'll never happen and I'll never be able to afford such a person. Maybe if my comic gets popular enough that someone wants to jump on the wagon to get their name out there and on the cover, but we all know you can't pay bills with exposure.

[darthmongoose]

Oh god yeah... having even a flatter would be like a freakin' dream.

Some day... maybe!?

[DarkSena]

@doomed4art Oh, about the skin tone lol Since I'm using markers for coloring (if I color that is lol) for years I have been using the very same tones. Only very occasionally for challenges I came out of my shell and used fancy skin colors. You are definitely right. B/W does save a lot of time. I cannot even imagine drawing my comic in color, it'd get NEVER finished because I wouldn't be able to finish, so every now and then something colored might pop up instead Solved for me

@candiedcotton You know what? I could never work with anyone on the same project... Back in 2008 I offered my help to a friend who did DJ for Katekyo Hitman Reborn and I did so regret it. Working with someone's lines is such a pain, she delivered such messy lines I was crying most time. I did the screentones for them and pulled my hair out... I cannot work in a team and I cannot imagine somebody coloring for me either. It's just me though. Having assistants in the long run is really helpful if you have to meet deadlines.

[tarraxahum]

I very much would like a flatter. I can do my own rendering just fine, it's fun, but since my lineart style is full of gaps I have to fill in everything by hand first and it's both the longest and the most tedious step, gaaah. But I have no money to pay anyone sooo we march on.

As far as preferences go, I'm kinda used to the classic format of a western comic (aka: color), but I have no qualms with B/W either. Comics that do limited color schemes for stylistic purposes are also amazing. Personally I usually go for color - I like the influence it can have on the mood and the effects you can do with it... and also I lack the skill of properly using black blocking or hatching/screentones, so color it is

[VersusVII]

I go with B/W plus grey scale because I'm not good enough for coloring and cell shading is a big no for me. I still prefer to read mangas, american comics never appealed me and some have a heavy coloration, ruining the original B/W page sometimes (Jim Lee is one example that comes to my mind).

My dream is to be able to use screentoning as Jiro Taniguchi did in his stories: 2-3 shades of grey mostly, he kept his lines basic and used details to balance the page.

[margodraws]

As a reader, I'll read anything! Back and white, greyscale, or colour; as long as it's well done I'm happy. But as a creator, 100% colour all the time. Its such an important part of how I think about character/environment design. And besides, colouring is the fun part for me! It's my reward for the hard work of cleanup. That said, I also agree that flats are tedious.

[candiedcotton]

Yeah, I don't think I could color messy lines either. I'm actually pretty obsessed with keeping my own lines really, really clean (like stupid levels of clean) just for my own sanity when coloring.

I think it'd be fun to work with other artists, but I've never had that option unfortunately. I've worked with a number of writers but I'm really picky about that and I have had a lot of bad experiences with 'em (especially when they assume a collaboration means a free commission that they can nitpick the hell out of and give zero artistic control of).

I would really love to work with a full on colorist. Not just a flatter, but someone who likes to play with light and shadow and just really go to town artistically. I think it'd be fun. Something they can put their own personality into.

[LostKelp]

I like coloring! I think it's a pretty simple relaxing process - then again I have thick lineart so I always close my lines. coloring with loose thin line art can be like pulling teeth. Idk I personally struggle with interesting compositions and refined, detailed lineart but colour pallets are the easiest goddamn thing on the planet for me. As a reader I don't have much preference @Jesscapade 's armaments (https://m.tapas.io/series/Armaments/info) and @Nugtown 's City of the Sun
(https://m.tapas.io/series/City-of-the-Sun/info) are both top notch B/W webcomics I totally recommend. Hard Laquer and Avas demon are both viscerally beautiful comics mostly due to their colors. So basically, play into your strengths, if you are good and fast at coloring but inking kills you everything, lean more on the colors, if you could kill the act of coloring in it sleep out of your hatred for it. Kill it! I didn't see anything.

[candiedcotton]

I wish I had your level of interest in coloring, lol. But your artwork is always really vibrant and gorgeous so it makes sense. It shows how much you enjoy it in the work.

I usually try to keep coloring in mind when doing my lines, so bulk objects that will have their own color usually have slightly thicker outlines (aside from just the importance of lineweight itself).

Like this, for example. Clean easy lines just make coloring easier and if I ever do find a colorist, I can make it as easy as I can for them as well.

[doomed4art]

If you fellas have or use clip studio paint I can't recommend these tools enough.

Erase Along Edge - CLIP STUDIO ASSETS

^ needs you to set a layer as "Reference Layer" Place it on your line art and erasing will make it go outside or inside the enclosure of the inks

No gaps close and fill + for erasing tool reference layer - CLIP STUDIO ASSETS

^ Let's you do flats instantly (with some erasing and clean up.) by lassoing around the tool. Also lets you erase with the same tool.
Otherwise coloring is definitely still a chore...

[river121693]

I have no preference. Certain genre are suited for Black and White than color and vice versa-- I.e I generally find it hard to get into colored horror comics

Honestly, I use color as a clutch because I lack the foresight and patience to do Black and White/ Greyscale. You really have to plan your composition and lighting to make characters stand out. It boggles my mind how some artists do it, especially on panels with tons of details. With color, I have much more tools at my disposal-- hue, value, saturation, and line-- to create contrast. It's also much easier to play around with the colors on photoshop.

B&W also emphasize the mark-making and line quality, and it's hard for me to get accurate brush strokes on my tablet. With color, you can be loose with your line work.

This piece by Bernie Wrightson always amazes me

On the other hand, color can push the mood like nobodys businees. Check out how 2 different versions of the same Killing Joke comic have completely different mood:

[DarkSena]

@river121693 I don't think I ever read horror comic, but it makes sense for horror comics to keep the atmopshere dark, right? As most of the creepy things always happen at night so greyscale would make much more sense to me to create a tense atmosphere. There first drawing you shared I like the balance between black and white portions even though it's not my kinda style I think the drawing looks really great.

[system]

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