Hello, could you share your process for making comics

[dbeirigo]

my process is all messed up, it works for me but i feel like could be a lot better so i would like to know how other people more experienced then me(which is pretty much everyone) handle this department.

my process is I will write a sort of simple script, with dialogue and some action description, then i will draw the page, i will sketch up the panels, add the dialogue, do the inking, coloring, background, change the dialogue, delete unnecessary panels, redraw stuff to fit the new dialogue, change the dialogue again, start to doubt my skills, feel like i can't do anything right, have a small panic attack at the thought of not delivering the episode in time, manage to wrap up at the last second and upload the episode, it used to be more messed up then that.

anyway share your process.

[Kajaysee]

Not sure if my process is any better. I rarely ever write a script (except for complex or specific scenes). I kinda just know what I'm going to write for that part or I'll just wing it and change the dialogue later.

My main process is that I sketch frame by frame. So I'll add one or two frames, sketch what's in them, then move on to the next. When I'm done with all that, I do the line art for the characters and backgrounds, add in or fix some dialogue, then check through everything to see if it's how I want it.

This probably doesn't help much, but it's how I've been doing things since starting my comic.

[Shadymeadows]

Sounds like you started off right! I have done the same: redraw, rewrite, etc.
I draw and ink my comics traditionally leaving some good spaces for word bubbles. I drew dozens of word bubbles individually before I started my comic and after vectoring them (or making the background transparent), I can now use them at will to place my text. This has helped me not need to redraw just because I changed some text.
I do digitally color my comic as well.
As for story writing, I have my husband edit it and yet he edits it again once I've placed the text onto my pages. It is never ending. Just getting your ideas out is whats important!

[KiabIce]

The thing about being a beginner ( me) is you have to keep moving forward, no matter how ugly you think your page turns out. It's probably more helpful if I practice drawing everyday what needs sharpening, A lot of web comics start off with not so great art but they get better as time goes on. Just keep going, even if you are doubting your skill level .

I'm not sure I helped either. I;m not at a place where I want to be yet either.

[KiabIce]

As for story writing, I have my husband edit it and yet he edits it again once I've placed t

Lucky you have someone to do that !

[IndigoShirtProd]

I begin with an outline of the entire comic, chapter by chapter; I'm a planner. I take the outline of a chapter and write a script from it. I make a few passes at the script draft and when I'm happy with the results, I make thumbnails of the pages. Thumbanails are small, sketchy versions of pages that allow you to see how pages look next to each other to ensure that the speech bubbles flow, pages don't look too similar, and that the action works well. Afterwards, I sketch pages in batches of 8-15, depending. I line all of the pages in one batch at the same time(this is also when I draw speech bubbles and typeset). Then I flat color all those pages. Next I finish the rendering(shading, highlighting, effects). I do a final look over of all the pages to catch typos, and add sfx, and fix mistakes before I reformat for upload. I always keep a larger, working file on hand of all my pages so that I can changes and fix mistakes in the future.

[KiabIce]

THANK you for sharing your process! I never got the point of why to thumnail pages but I see where you're getting at here! It's to see if the panels flow right and bubbles, etc.

I will try to thumnail the next I do my pages. Thanks for explaining!

[dbeirigo]

I started using thumbnailing recently, but i do it per page, the way i do the only way i know how everthing looks toghether is in the upload preview, I never taught about having a large file with everything, i will try do that next time.

[Shanny8]

I start out with a set of things that I want to happen in the particular chapter- I write my script, and start piecing the things together. I dont always nail it on the first try, but once I finish the script and like it I then move on to working on the pages. I do my paneling/layouts as I create the page, making a mental note to leave space for the dialogue/lettering...I then tighten up the pencils a bit to where I can tell what goes where- I then jump to inks, which is where I tighten everything and add in the details that I want. Afterwards, I then color the pages...my last step is lettering, which I do on a layer separate so that I can preview the art when I need/want to without having the lettering in it. Rinse...repeat.

[IndigoShirtProd]

my process is I will write a sort of simple script, with dialogue and some action description, then i will draw the page, i will sketch up the panels, add the dialogue, do the inking, coloring, background, change the dialogue, delete unnecessary panels, redraw stuff to fit the new dialogue, change the dialogue again

I think your issue is that, you probably go off the first draft of your script. Very rarely are first drafts final drafts, and this is why having a majority of story planned out to start is helpful. I helps you keep track of what's been said and what needs to be said so you don't miss anything and have to start redrawing pages after you've finished them. When I write my first draft of a script, it's usually long before I create a page. That big gap of time allows me to make revisions without fear of having to go back and change major things. I know that sometimes it can feel like you need to get pages out as soon as possible, but if you want quality work, you need to spend time on it, not just effort.

[KiabIce]

So @IndigoShirtProd do you write the whole script from beginning to end of the comic? How do you edit your scripts and know it's ready to be thumbnailed?

I just go by intuition what feels right for me.

[IndigoShirtProd]

So no, I don't write my scripts out in their entirety before proceeding with pages. I do have my whole comic outlined, but for my scripts; I'm drawing my third chapter right now so I've only written 7 chapters ahead. Before even writing my scripts, I usually have some idea of how I want scenes to go, so I try to keep that in mind on my first draft. Just like you I go by intuition, but my scripts are never set in stone. Information given in scenes and the actions of the character are usually set and unchanging, but even when I'm making pages, dialogue is subject to change, quite radically sometimes.

[KiabIce]

My scirpts are also more like a guideline or Outline too, it's not set in stone. They're also hard to read I've heard by 3-5 people who read it lol.

Could you show us an example of thumbnails you've done? That'd be cool

[dbeirigo]

I dont change major things, usually just small details to improve the flow or ajust the feeling of the scene or make the dialogue feel better, but the idea of the scene and its basic structure stays mostly the same, all the important events are already defined and were carefuly thought out. I got the big picture.

[IndigoShirtProd]

So I usually split my scripts into two parts: narrative and dialogue.
Narrative is written in paragraph format. I write action here, any small actions I want a character to do like an expression change or lifting their hand a certain way.
Dialogue is broken up like this:

Character A: How are you today?

Character B: Good. You?

Character A: Me? I'm fine.

I do it like this because I print my scripts out, and if I want to change dialogue, I need space to write new phrases in after crossing out old ones. I also thumbnail traditionally because I'm more comfortable sketching that way.
Here's an example from my second chapter. Sorry if it's a little dark and the sketching is too light. I use a 2H pencil.

[KiabIce]

Thanks I draw traditionally too then scan into pc to be inked. Thanks for sharing your process! It's invaluable

[IndigoShirtProd]

I don't scan. Mainly because I don't have a scanner, but I also because I personally think it's a hassle. I just sketch what I drew in the thumbnail onto a new canvas and work from there.

One thing I didn't mention before that sets be apart from a lot of other comic artists is that I don't script panel by panel. I've actually thought of scripting that but haven't decided on it yet. What I mean is when someone scripts panel by panel, they write the action or dialogue but indicate that those things correspond to a specific panel. I don't do that because it's too rigid for me. But it's a good way to keep the number of panels per chapter in check if that's a problem one has.

[silverraven0]

I almost never have a final script and dialogues before anything since I can hardly follow them lol.

Basically I got an idea, figure out the bare minimum of plot, try to make it make sense, figuring out how many pages it'll be, draw the draft. Edit it if needed and figuring out dialogues while I'm at it. If I'm okay with the draft I started drawing. That's basically it, except sometimes I change dialogues and how the drawing of a panel will looks like in the middle of finalizing the page.

[rajillustration]

I find it wastes a lot of my time to change dialogue after I draw (or even after I do thumbnails) so I try to make sure to do all of that prep work and get my dialogue solid first. So once the script is done, I lay out where the text will be, making sure it's not too cramped. Then, I go in and do a very loose stick figure thumbnails, paying more attention to composition and flow than I do to any details. After that, I do the text bubbles to make sure they still fit in the scene. Only when that part is really done, would I move onto linework and coloring because I only want to do it once. The worst is when you draw a panel and realize...I don't need this...and have to throw out all that work.

[Yoyo4991]

Edit: TLDR: thumbnail panels > edit > thumbnail pages > edits and writer's approval > sketch pages > more edits > ink and color/gradients > hopefully no more edits

I work with writers so I don't write my own scripts. Since I usually work with chapters and not episodes, I ask them to write the whole chapter. Some give very detailed scripts panel to panel, some just dialogue and vague descriptions of the scene here and there, some prefer a novel format. So I usually make a first sketch of all the panels and which ones will have dialogue after reading the script. I do this on the same canvas(simple square panels with stick figure level drawing) so I can see how many of them there are.
Then I organize them in pages, in a way that the action is easy to read, and all pages have something interesting if possible. If I already have the average amount of pages chapters should have I try to match that amount when distributing the panels, if not I decide it roughly on this stage.
At this point I reread the pages a few times to edit the panels, delete or add things for clarity, edit the dialogue if I think it's too stiff or doesn't match the character's personality (editing the dialogue in this stage is important, because if I have to add or change something I'll usually have to change the whole panel and thus the whole page, better to do this in the thumbnailing stage than when I have the whole chapter sketched, or worse, if I'm already inking). I send this to the writer for any further edits and approval and after that is done I start sketching the finals.
I usually sketch 5/7 pages in one sit, and ink around three together (cuz I get bored of staring at the same page, also you can just draw the character in all panels first, then focus on all backgrounds, etc).
I make the speech bubbles(typing included) in the sketching stage as part of the panel composition and it's the first thing I ink.
Thorough all stages I modify panels, sometimes I even discard entire pages if I notice I don't need them, but I try to keep length of chapters consistent. I color/put my graytones after or during the inking process.
Also, my sketching to inking process takes several layers haha like, I start with a very rough sketch, I start inking but notice something off with the pose so I correct it on this "inking" layer, rinse and repeat at least three times per panel xD