Dirty little secrets, shortcuts and process

[arxianfall]

I had a talk that in most action sports, most pros are always willing to share their tools or techniques.
So how about illustration? willing to share some of your secrets?

I'm an amateur but maybe I'll learn something new from this thread.
here's some of mine.

• I'm bad at body postures and proportions but I found out that If I draw the skeletons as a 3D shape from the start, it helps a lot with perspective and arm positioning.

• I saved a few templates with layer groups to save time and have a consistent process. The blue color helps me from straining my eyes.

• This is how the main folder looks for me. I usually resize a full png to 940px or 800px. I can do multiple at a time, by importing them into a new project and resizing the whole project. Then I either export all layers as individual PNGs or manually if I want to double check everything is in order.

• Different colored lines, instead of black so I can better make out where everything goes. I can always change the final lineart to all black one it's finished.

• Color picker folder so I always have the base colors.

• Krita: Colorize mask editing tool is like a universal fill bucket. You choose what color should be where, hit update and it colors everything at once. It saves me hours.

• For Shading: I make a new layer, set it to multiply and paint shadows with a darker color. Then I turn down the layer opacity. Different brushes different shadows. Very fast to do.

• For lighting. Same as shading, but this time I set a layer to overlay or soft light. I usually use a color for light instead of white.

• For borders, I have a vector layer that has all the panels. When I'm done, I set all groups to show up only on the panels. It automatically "crops" all excess and makes it all look neat. In Krita, I also have a clone layer set to multiply that sits above the complete group. This helps keep the border lines black, instead of them soaking the lines and colors from the other layers.

Most of you know all of this but, I didn't when I started, so I'm assuming there are others who might find stuff like this useful.

[DasIstWunderblyat]

I am not a pro, and my skill is a very basic beginner level.

• Clipping mask is your saviour. My life changed once I discovered it.
• Want to know of your contrast and value are good enough? Turn your image into a gray-scale and think for yourself if you already see it as desirable or not.
• From the previous point, I often start my more serious drawing by shading first in gray-scale, adjust the shading layer by changing its colors, then add flat color layer on it in multiply. This tutorial is where I derived my coloring technique from (and is probably one of the few tutorial in my life I learnt from because I am extremely stupid).
• If you are using Ibis Paint X like me, rotating an image can cause the image to be blurry so I do not use it often. For line art I usually overcame it with "unsharp mask" filter.
• Ibis Paint X user, "extract line drawing" is your best friend when you want to color a traditional sketch.
• Adding a layer of flat color set into different types on top of your drawing can give an interesting "filter" effect
• If you want intense shine effect, overlay + add layers are your best friend.
• Want a dirty little secrets? Sometimes I trace photos I own or have permission to use and photobash it too for BG. Also I make a stock image of props like sword to trace or reference. IMO when you can blend it well and you are permitted to use it, using photo/image as BG is not a crime.

Also I do not have screenshot or art to support my words.

[Yulek]

something I learned that helped a lot ....

My first sketch usually sucks, which is okay, and iterations are where the magic happens.

this doesn't apply to everyone, some can make really good stuff just like that, but I personally do not have finished pictures in my head that i can just put on paper, so I gotta build up to it.

i can show you what I mean since I still have the file open. I think I have most of my steps on layers still:

so, I start with the idea: draw my char giving the other a piggy back ride

first sketch is just the general idea as a starting point. sometimes they are more elaborate from the get go, but this was an empty brain day.

then I think, how do I make this "cooler", change up the concept a bit since this felt too compact

I liked the chaos and thought again, how do I make this more fun. so I exaggerated the character's roles a both more.. the bottom one as the one suffering, the top one being energetic and carefree
at this point I added in more detail as well. and the pose changed to fully standing on the shoulders

it didn't turn out very dynamic, so I tried to make it more wobbly in the next one.

the pose was getting closer, but composition wise, it'd be cool if it wasn't so much of a closed pillar.

I was pretty happy with this, so I only did some adjustments in the cleaner sketch to make things like clothes and stuff more dynamic.

and then some tiny bit more during the lining process

throw in some color and tada.

Now, I don't do so many iterations for everything, but when It's for something like a cover, or a commission, or just because I really want something to turn out really good.

my point is just, It doesn't have to look good right from the start. you can build on what you have again and again.

it's so much easier to just bring a sketch up to the next closer level, and then improve that result in the sketch after, and so on, instead of trying to get to a super high level sketch right from the start.

also, this probably sounds like a lot of extra work.. but all those sketches are pretty wuick things. esp the first one.
if you do this approach, it's good to not get too hung up on details, but to consider general shapes, expression, dynamic, and composition.

the first ones could also be considered thumbnails. in a sketchbook, they would be like, an inch in size. you'd do several variations, and then move on with the one you like best, and do the iterations of it.

hope this helps someone.

(should i put it in a spoiler thing to make the post smaller?)

[arxianfall]

Now, I don't do so many iterations with everything

I was just about to say that's a lot of work for a single panel, even if you do them fast.

[Yulek]

yea. it's worth it for your money shots tho! (like in anime when most of the time the animation is still images that pan.. and some mouth flaps... and THEN THE BUDGET HITS and you have those insane sakuga moments that will live in your brain for the next few weeks)

and for regular panels I go for thumbnails/story board ... and then do an iteration from those, which will be my rough sketch... and then move on to either a finer sketch with the last few adjustments, or straight to lines.
I just try to have one iteration at least.. which isn't much extra work since thumbnails are doable with stickmen basically.

for a comic project I'm working on rn, this is the first layer/story board. the characters are super floaty and all. but I can just sketch this all in one go without worrying about polish and not lose the flow or sth.

and I'll do at least one iteration for each panel.
more, if it's an important one. like her close up of despair, and the last one at the bottom of the right page, or when it just won't work right.
I have the "jack climbs the beanstalk" thing a few times, and like this it'll look repetitive, so I'll have to come up with something more interesting .

just to put it in a comic and not illustration context lol

[Kaydreamer]

My newest 'dirty little secret', which I'm shouting from the rooftops because it's so damn useful, is custom 3D assets! I've learned how to use Shapr3D over the last two weeks, in which time I've modelled two spaceships, one shuttle, one little fighter craft, and two important, recurring interiors.

I can pose those spaceships/interiors, screenshot them, and trace those screenshots. That has a number of advantages.

• It keeps the spaceships/interiors constantly on-model.
• It speeds up what would otherwise be extremely time-intensive parts of my sketching process. Spaceships are so hard to draw.
• It allows me to draw things from angles I would otherwise struggle with, or never actually think of.
• It allows me to use shape language I'd otherwise shy away from due to how difficult it is to draw in perspective. (Slanted ceilings, curves, triangles, and so-on. Both the most important spaceships have this in droves, especially the 5UN-FL0R with its slanted triangle roof and sunken lounge. I was dreading having to draw those interiors. Not anymore!)

Because I designed and modelled all the 3D assets myself, I don't need to feel any qualms about tracing over them, either. I'm not completely neglecting perspective practice; there are simpler interiors I don't bother to 3D model, along with extra details and bits of furniture I need to freehand in with the correct perspective. But, given how I still work comparatively slowly, having made all of these things modelled will save me so much time long-term.

[arxianfall]

I dislike it when they drop the whole 3D model as background, with no concern if it fits with their art style. Not even a filter or two over it.

[Kaydreamer]

As do I, but that's not what I'm getting at. I don't just drop these in and leave them, I use them as templates to draw on top of. The first image I posted is what the end result looks like.

Plus, these aren't generic 3D assets like you get from Clip Studio, or even free assets found online. I made these.

[Jenny-Toons]

Reusing Panels:
If I already have an established setting, and I know I'm going to go back to this setting often, I reuse the different shots I've made for it. Then I just slap on different gradient maps to show change in time (afternoon, night-time, sunset, sunrise, etc.).

I also reuse them for flashbacks, montages, and psychedelic sequences to imply dimensional-traveling.

Premade Assets:
For backgrounds, I like to refer to premade lineart and assets brushes. Some of these I make myself, and others are taken from the Clip Studio asset store. I generally like to use assets that are generic or at least fit my style. That way, I can customize them and they don't look as jarring.

Recycling:
If I've created lineart/sketches that are amazing but don't fit the scene, I put it in another clip studio file for safe keeping. I label each lineart/sketch, and kinda gear them to different genres/stories. That way, I can pull them out easily.

Shortcut Keys:
I've set up my keyboard and tablet to have shortcuts for Clip Studio. Some keys refer to multiple brushes, and others pull up different windows for me to use references. Also have created a function that allows me to create my panel folders (lineart, inking, flat colors, etc.) within seconds.

---

My motto is to always work smarter, not harder. If I'm able to save time and energy by recycling old art and using assets, I will use them. The key here is knowing how to make it all blend in using different effects and story-telling techniques.

If you do that, you're set.

[Llyrel]

My dirty little secret is... Sims 3 poses :'D I've been doing them for 10+ years, so at this point I'm pretty familiar with the process and it only takes me a few minutes to create them. Sometimes I will just spend AGES looking for a reference picture, only to find one that either: a. was taken from the "wrong" angle; b. costs money; c. is "free", but you need permission from the photographer, who hasn't been online for well over a decade. So, instead of tearing my hair out, I open up Blender and create the pose I need. The great thing about it is that, using Sims, I can also recreate sceneries I need, so I can have a better idea of the background and actual proportions. I don't really trace over the models, I just use them as a base for my rough sketch and then adjust the anatomy according to my needs.

Lately I've been experimenting more and more with posing mannequins directly in CSP, since the process is similar, but sometimes I still like to make my own poses and plop them into TS3 to get a better idea of the whole scene

[arxianfall]

I legit thought about using sims when I started but I fell into this cartoony style and I can't get out!
Amazes me that there are content creators out there that run stories using sims. And sometimes wicked whims.

[rajillustration]

Mine aren't really "Secrets" or anything--but absolutely a shortcut:

• Learn all your keyboard shortcuts. Like all of them. If you notice that you click something a lot--learn that shortcut. If it's not a shortcut--make it a shortcut. If you're going into your menu a lot for one thing: that's gotta be a shortcut. Replace the shortcuts that come with your program that you never use so it's shortcuts you are using. (be mindful not to do too many shortcuts that require stretching across the entire keyboard) It's the little things that save time in the long run.

• Use your actions panel. If you notice you do something a lot that takes several clicks, make it an action (so if you have different word boxes that all need to be the same size and family--that would be an excellent action to make.) My actions include saving pages to the correct size, putting in the folders I have on every page, and even the coloring I use for each character. Again little things that save a ton of time.

• Once you have a bunch of actions, you can do Automate Batch in Photoshop (I don't know if automating in batch is a thing in Clip) so that way you can apply the action to multiple files. So I have 100 pages that need to be resized for webtoons or some other site--easy. I can do that in a few clicks and just walk away from my computer until it's done. Automate Batch is a HUGE time saver. We're talking hours.

• Rotate your canvas so that the curves you are drawing match your hand.

• We all know you don't need a background in every panel because people can remember one shot to the next. But the same concept goes for your character design as well: Not every panel needs to be beautiful, especially if you are drawing a cartoon. So like...let it breathe and be a cartoon (and also save you time), but also know when to reign it in and make it lovely and serious. If every shot of them is "beautiful" it's very stiff anyway (which is a stylistic decision that heavier comics make--but most of us can get away with some chibi, if you know what i mean).

I got some panels that look like this, which is the more on model character:

And then these panels:

(disregard the ears, those are plot ears)

• People will stop to look at the big panels. If your panels are all the same size, people will breeeeeeze right on through. Much like Architecture, where you often precede a really grand room with a very small and low ceiling room to make the grander room more...grand. We do the same in art--it's all about contrasts. So stick a baby panel, or a series of small panels next to BIG IMPACT PANEL and it will have a bigger impact and slow down your reader.

• If you can copy-paste your characters multiple times in a conversation--you made a boring conversation. So here's ways to copy-paste when you have that deadline and you have a talking section. You can zoom out, you can choose a different angle from a little above or a little below and use the transform tool or the liquefy tool to scoot those features around (may require a little redrawing, but if it's just a little above or below, this will work). You can use the transform tool and tilt their head (tilting the head is a great way to add energy and character, ps). You can add a filter so it looks like light is starting to cascade through the window. You can add a filter so it looks like there is darkness building as the conversation turns more serious. You can use just the silhouette since we already know what they look like, and this will add a punch to a particular part of the conversation. Just don't think that slightly changing the mouth will not be noticeable. It's always noticeable. And like...everyone will have to do it at some point because deadlines...just avoid it if you can, because it does make it look like time isn't moving right if you go back to the same scene as before. Don't make it look like you went back in time.

• And the best thing ever : use your liquefy tool if you're in Photoshop (or warp, warp can work as well), and use your vector tools if you're in Clip studio. When you draw something and it isn't initially in the right place--scoot that stuff around with liquefy or with the vector tools. Really helps you out on those rough draft phases so you can push things back into model. Or even in my final draft phases I may notice "ah, Djali's eyes are too low" and just scoot-scoot push em around.

so if we go back to this example--which isn't the best example because this is on model and looks great

I can use liquefy (or vectors) and scooch-scooch

Like I meant to do that.

And finally: Make your files bigger. Professionals have huge ass files. I draw at like 8.5 inches wide 300 dpi, which is probably too big for a scroll format comic. But, if you do it at exactly 940 px 150 dpi, you will have a hard time, so go at least double your final size, and make your dpi at least 300 (when I do painterly stuff, I go up to 600 dpi). Those brushes were meant to be drawn at big sizes, so allow your project to be...freakin huge. I have to use a different disk drive to hold it all, but it's worth it.

And a PS, if you have an extra disk drive, let your scratch disk use that disk drive. Don't use your drive with all your stuff on it, because it has no space. You will crash your computer.

And a PS PS, when it comes to DPI--when you save your file as a pixel size and not an "inch" size, it basically stops using the DPI information. The file size will be bigger, but it will display no difference, unless your DPI was small enough to be noticeable on your screen (which would be like DPI 20 or something, like hella low). It will automatically adjust to screen resolution. You do not need to be concerned about DPI. Just save to 940 pixels wide, and you're golden to upload.

[arxianfall]

Yea, I mess up hands and heads a lot. If I couldn't warp or resize them I'd have given up a long time ago.

[Scarlet_Cryptid]

Traditional art here! Here are a few dirty little secrets I rely on. Hopefully they're useful to anyone getting their hands dirty.

Okay, so, I'm a marker artist, and my most recent trick/tool is this sucker:

This is the Molotow Masking pen. They come in a broad and a fine nib, and this has been a life saver for me, for preserving fine details, clean edges, and areas of bright colors against dark colors. I imagine this would be useful to watercolor or ink artists as well. You shake it and pump the tip to get it going just like a paint marker, and it leaves blue masking fluid on your page instead of paint. You let it dry, do your coloring on top of it, and when your paint/ink is dry, you rub the masking fluid off, revealing the preserved paper underneath. You can remove small areas of this with your fingers, but don't try to do that for a large area-- that's a good way to get a blister. (Ask me how I know...) Removing large areas of masking fluid is better done with an eraser.

As far as drawing my images in the first place, I do all of my initial sketching with a 3H pencil (an actual wooden one. I've tried using a mechanical pencil with 3H lead, and it just doesn't feel the same), because the lighter lines are easier to erase (as long as you don't press too hard). Then I clean up my rough lines with a darker pencil (usually an HB or B), and then ink over those lines.

This bit is mostly for marker artists: Tired of your ink lines smearing or bleeding when you color a light-color marker over them? Thoroughly erase over your ink lines first. This removes excess ink that the marker can lift. Pay especially close attention to small details, and faces. If you want to be EXTRA SUPER SURE that nothing smudges or bleeds, take a clear blender, and dab (don't drag or rub) it all over any details or critical edges. Saturate the paper with it. And then LET IT DRY COMPLETELY before adding your colors. This sort of 'locks' the ink onto the page, and helps to minimize bleed.

If you tried the trick of heavily erasing over your ink lines to prevent them from smudging when you color, you've probably faded your ink lines a bit. Some art may look fine like this, but I don't care for it in my own work. So I go over my linework a second time, which both allows me to make my lines darker, clean up edges, and adjust my line weights. It just... looks a little cleaner!

[arxianfall]

That was super interesting!