Hello, could you share your process for making comics

[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

[Kiweevil]

Well, first I cry into a tub of bunny tracks icecream while binging Hulu. Then I put on my big girl panties and get to work storyboarding (I use storyboarder for this, meant for movies but what the hell) then I cry some more. Then I open clip studio, put on some tunes to bang out to, and sketch a better version of the storyboard in a color that's easy for my eyes to follow, like a teal or a light green. In this rendition, I pay closer attention to angles, flow, bubble placement, triangles, etc. Then, after I'm happy with the rough sketch, I take the smudge tool and I blur it until it looks like an actual piece of art. After that, I convert it to color (and line it if needbe) and presto! Comic page!

That's how I've been doing all my new pages (not uploaded yet, but look a lot better than my older ones from earlier this year). My old process was scribble out the roughs on paper, then use a lightable to ink it out with ball point, then scan it onto my computer, then assemble the panels and color in clip studio. It gave it a much more grungy and sketchy aesthetic that I was quite fond of but ditched in favor of a more refined look.

[Shadymeadows]

It can get emotional at times but I am lucky for sure!

[AmandaJ-art]

The first thing that I do is plot out the story. (I use the pixar plot points)
1.Once upon a time.
2.And everyday.
3.Until one day.
4.And because of that(This is repeated multiple times)
5.Until finally.
6.And since that day.
After that I write out the story using the plot points. Then I thumbnail the comic. Mark updates and scenes. Then I sketch one update. Another day I ink the update. Another day I color it and shade it.
I make sure to atleast have one buffer. If I don't have it I may fall behind schedule.

[darthmongoose]

I start with a general overview of the whole series, like what the major storybeats are that I'll be aiming for long-term, then I break that down into rough chapters. I use the Save the Cat! Beat sheet for my stories, and even a lot of my chapters because I think it's a very solid basis for story pacing.
For each chapter, I write a list of key bulletpoints for the important things that I need to establish and the important things that need to happen. I try to get important lore info across as organically as I can so the characters aren't always just telling you things.
Then I write a script. I don't always stick to it perfectly because what works in visual storytelling terms and comic pacing sometimes turns out to be different from what felt good in written script form.
I draw thumbnails for my pages in batches, to work out things like what will go in my panels, how my pages will flow.

Drawing the pages is by far the most time-consuming part. Every page takes multiple hours, easily most of or a whole day, so leaving it til the last minute just isn't an option.
I have Clip Studio EX, which has the awesome feature of giving me a folder with all my comic pages organised in order and I can jump between them in the program easily. I use the frame tool for panels, do 2-3 passes of pencils, flipping the canvas in the middle to spot mistakes like skewing characters or eyes that are out of line, inks, foreground flats, background colours and the distinctive edge highlight, plus magical effects, usually on their own layer, glows... that kind of thing.
....But we're still not done! Because this comic, the pages are made for print first, so now I take the page over to Photoshop to spread out the panels for a more long-scroll friendly experience, and to make sure that bleed panels have borders at the top or bottom if they need it for stacking. I do the speech in Photoshop because the bubbles will be different with a smaller font size in print compared to the large text used in the mobile-friendly tapas version.

And then I upload!

[rumpenstiltzkin]

Im honestly just lazy, I have the story in my head, but ive written down a simple plotline for it, with the most important parts, then I just sketch it out very roughly, I dont have a script or so I just let the characters talk for me
Then just on to lineart and colors xD

Perhaps Ill learn a more proper way as I go along but this is how i started, ive been wanting to do this comic for so long and everytime i hesitated because i didnt have a script and everything written out in detail and i dont thumbnail (because im lazy) but in the end i just decided to start it or it would never happen

I dont believe there is a right or a wrong way tbh, you just have to find what works for YOU, it should be fun and rewarding for yourself to draw it and you only learn that by trial and error, practicing and keep drawing, dont try to get every page perfect, everything you draw is just a step forward to improving yourself, at least thats what im trying to tell myself <3

[rumpenstiltzkin]

Im really curious what this "Save the cat" is?

[thedude3445]

This is the best process in the whole thread

[darthmongoose]

Im really curious what this "Save the cat" is?

It's a book on structuring screenplays by a successful movie writer (who sadly passed away a few years ago).

Blake Snyder's Save the Cat!® - The Language of Storytelling

There's a book by a commercial novelist called "Save the Cat! Writes a Novel" for people who want to write more to the pace of a novel using the same rough structure. The sequels are fun because they dive into more detail and specific genres. I highly recommend reading one or more of them, but as a warning, doing so will ruin all mediocre movies for you because you won't be able to not see the plot contriving to try to hit these beats

[thedude3445]

I had a screenwriting class in university where the professor was extremely disdainful towards this book specifically because of how it ruined recent blockbusters by turning them all into mediocre safe films lol. This was after Summer 2013, which was slightly infamous because there were several films that followed the beat sheet so closely you could pair them up minute-by-minute (here is a contemporary article). Of course the book itself is not the issue, it's mediocre studio filmmaking practices, but I still think it's funny that in some circles, this book is reviled to the point that its title is an insult. lol

I think these kinds of books are extremely useful, myself, though I personally intentionally avoid any guide to following a story structure because I think my OCD brain would turn the advice into formula just like Hollywood writers

[darthmongoose]

I can see why people feel this way but... I think you need to really know a lot about the craft of writing to make something that's good and cohesive without following a guide like this. If you've done a whole class on screenwriting, you probably know a decent amount about how to construct a narrative with appropriate pacing, rising and falling action, planting and payoff etc. So perhaps you don't need such a basic guide, and I'm sure a top-tier screenwriter is beyond it too.

For me, as somebody with no writing training (I have an English lit degree, meaning I'm trained in reading and examining details and themes, not the practicality of the overall pacing and structure), whose plots were always a scattered mess that went nowhere, it was an absolute lifesaver. Loads of comic creators are taught extensively how to draw, but not how to write, and in my opinion, a LOT of comics on Tapas would be hugely improved by reading this book. The number of them that fail to establish who the protagonist is, don't give them any motivation, fail to have any kind of clear inciting event or rising and falling action or clear consequences or character development... I'd honestly rather see somebody clumsily hitting a slightly generic story structure than a meandering mess with no direction.

Some movies that hit every beat of this structure are really good because they're written by competent people who don't use the structure in place of actually thinking about how to interpret the beats in an interesting way and not just using the laziest execution of the beats, copying other movies. Some of my favourites that follow the beats practically to the letter are Lego Movie, Legally Blonde, Enter the Spider-Verse, The Matrix and Alien.

But I also really like some movies that don't really follow the StC structure at all, like Pulp Fiction or Lost in Translation or My Neighbour Totoro.

And I hate some movies that follow it brainlessly even though the beats don't work for the concept, like Paddington (aaagh this movie tries to make the beats happen, but wants Paddington to be the protagonist but for all the character development to happen to the dad and so the villain's actions have to threaten the dad too which makes her actions totally out of whack with her motivation and I haaaaaate it! While there are some fun scenes, plot-wise, it's such a lazily written movie full of artificial-feeling contrivances!).

Basically... yeah, obviously, it's best as part of a balanced diet.

[thedude3445]

Very good thoughts!

Oh yeah, that screenwriting class talked a lot about structure of storytelling and the three-act structure even while the professor eschewed Save the Cat, and it was pretty helpful. I was a Writing major and took ten or twelve classes just on writing and communication, but even in the creative writing courses, looking back I think the screenwriting class was literally the only one to actually discuss story structure mechanics. I wonder why that is...

Also, I have started to read more Tapas stories recently after years of lurking and I can agree that there are a lot of comics on here that have great premises, excellent art, but fairly aimless stories. The pacing of serialization from episode to episode is another issue with some comics having very odd and abrupt endings or not flowing from episode to episode. Since serial stories are becoming more popular, maybe creating a guide specifically for how to craft an ongoing narrative might be really useful.... Hmmm.

[gempompadour]

Seriously, this is it. It's amazing what a couple years of determined drawing can do to an artist. People start with next to no real understanding of how to format and color pages, only to realize they've accumulated great skills along the way. It just takes time and passion. And you don't necessarily have to go to school to learn art. Just check out self-taught Ayami Kojima's phenomenal art and style.

Just keep drawing and making new pages. You'll learn new tricks and establish a work flow that fits you. Be curious of other artists' ways, but never treat their words as gospel; what works for them might be bad for you and vice versa.

[ninjashira]

For my process, I usually start with the script and the character designs. I really don't like going into art without having a very clear, fully-scripted story first, so I can drop hints and references in the beginning of the comic to things that will happen later. My script isn't super detailed, and is very dialogue-driven. I usually flesh out things like combat scenes in the thumbnails stage, as opposed to the scripting stage, because that's easier for me to compose visually.

After that, I go in and do my rough thumbnails, just to get the page layout sorted. I like to roughly place my word balloons as I thumbnail to make sure I leave enough room for the dialogue. Even though the rest of the process is done digitally, I like to thumbnail traditionally.

Then I scan my thumbnails and put them into my template in Photoshop, where I add the panel borders and word balloons, then I refine the sketches into "pencils." I like to do my word balloons as I pencil to make sure everything is spaced out right and there's plenty of room for the dialogue. If I need to tweak some things to make the dialogue fit better or make it clearer or adjust the pacing, it's easier to do at the pencil stage as opposed to futzing around with everything after it's colored.

Next up is inking. With my comic, my contemporary storyline and my flashback storylines are done in two different art styles. The contemporary storyline art is inked in Photoshop, but I do my flashback storyline inking in Clip Studio because I like the manga brushes in that for the style I'm going for. And if I have a lot of interior backgrounds or buildings, I'll ink those in Clip as well so I can use the perspective rulers. That tool is SUCH a time-saver it's not even funny. If I'm importing a 3D object like Skyler's scepter, I'll do that part in Photoshop, and ink right over the 3D model.

After that, it's coloring, texturing, special effects, all that jazz.

I like to do my steps in batches. So I'll pick like one scene of twelve or so pages that all happens in the same place, and I'll pencil all twelve pages, then ink them all, then color them all, etc. It makes me feel more productive than completing an entire page before moving onto the next one, and it helps me keep my colors and backgrounds consistent.

For my interior backgrounds, I'll usually build a quick 3D model in TinkerCAD and take a screenshot of it import it into my art at the Pencils stage to draw over it and add in more detail, to make sure my backgrounds are consistent.

And for Skyler's scepter in particular, I built a 3D model of it, and I'll import that directly into Photoshop since it can handle 3D objects now, and I'll manipulate it and rotate it in Photoshop right on top of my pencils until it's at the right angle and ink directly over that. It's so much easier to use the 3D model, especially because his scepter has a series of concentric circles, and those are the worst things ever to draw in perspective.

And that's about it! Save, schedule the upload, and keep on trucking!

[Shanny8]

That's why I do lettering last- if I need to change up, shorten down, or [in some cases] beef up the dialogue, then I can do so after I've created the art. 70% of the time I pretty much go with what I've scripted, but there's that 30% where I do adjust what I've written.

@ninjashira I too use 3-d mods for backgrounds- or I use loose photos; whatever helps me get the work done quicker.

[dbeirigo]

also, I do a bunch of notes, all the important stuff for the story is already defined, so I have some idea of of what each chapter is going to be before writing it, but what happens in the individual episodes I develop as I'm working on it, then a write the script. but the decisionns i make are based on character and story notes.