What do you prefer to read and/or draw : Comics in color or B/W?

[amandagreen]

So I'm curious to see what people like most. Do you prefer to read a comic if it's in color or just black/white (like with screentones and such)?

And I know the answer may vary depending on whether you read or draw it, so which kind do you like to draw better as an artist?

Might be interesting to see which people enjoy better and why. Can be both too.

• Black and white
• Color

Show results

[IndigoShirtProd]

Hit me with that RGB!!

or CMYK, you do you.

[joannekwan]

It depends on the artist.
Some folks aren't that great with colors yet and the hues can be so muddy or distracting that it detracts from the legibility of the visuals. So I'd rather just read the comic in black and white in that case.

[Black_Conscious]

Tbh it really depends on the Artist on how well they color or and in Black n White

So I'll shall go with it depends
.¯_( ツ )_/¯

But since there are only two answers to choose then I shall go with colors because most of the time the colors attract my attention

[rajillustration]

I'm same with the "it depends" camp. Like especially for comics with darker tones, black and white just delivers a lot more seriously and feels like it has more depth and grit to it. Color is wonderfully bright, which can go well with a wonderfully bright story, but some color comics that are darker, have to mute so much of their color into grungy browns and greys it's like...why were using color at all?

And then like I'm used to comics being black and white. A comic is a comic, and so my expectation isn't to have full color painted illustrations every panel. My expectation is for them to deliver me a story, and it's usaully in a format that is a little bit easier on the artist. If they sacrificed color I don't want to hold them to that if it meant I could get a comic in the end at a reasonable pace.

[Rocksteady_Comics]

I prefer to do my own comics in color, but I enjoy reading both.

[FritzC]

Unless it's very specific colouring I prefer b/w comics and I also prefer drawing b/w or monocolour comics... Unless I'm reading something drawn by Simon Bisleysor Hugo Pratt. (Although I also love Pratts black and white art so much)

[vothnthorvaldson]

As a reader I don't have a preference. I read more colour comics because more are available in the type of comics I read recently. But some of my favorite comics are black and white (no or little use of screentones though. I don't like those).
But for drawing myself I prefer colour, because the colour aspect is what I prefer in the drawing process. I can't imagine drawing in black and white, it would not bring me anything.

[kavaj]

If the artist uses too much shiny highlights/saturation in the colored version, then i’d prefer b&w. My choice isn’t strictly b&w vs color per se, but rather ‘shiny’ or matte’. I’d pick matte everytime whether it’s colored or not. But matte color > b&w. Because my poor eyes.

[DasIstWunderblyat]

I actually don't mind B/W comic at all. In fact, it can look more impactful and cleaner, not many visual distraction, and allows the utilisation of some interesting effects. Traditional black-and-white manga still around until now, and many people (including me) still like it and maybe prefer it over colored comics. I don't understand why webcomic readers seems to be repulsed with uncolored comics.

From the artist's perspective, no color does not mean easy. You still need to convey the atmosphere and everything in black and white, but making them clear enough as there is no color to distinguish. However it does not need extended rendering to look good, looks more consistent, and saves time.

[Tromroan]

I LOVE greyscale/black and white comics, but I agree with those above that it does depend on the artstyle! I love greyscale when its very detailed and the comic is intended to be seen in black and white. Sometimes if a comic is only done in greyscale to save time, but there's not much intention behind it then I would prefer colour. My own comic is in black and white too!

[gmaximin]

I have a slight preference for b&w as a reader, and I almost exclusively create in b&w.
My problem with color is that when used poorly, it can really hurt the comics, much more than b&w. However, when used very well, comics in both b&w and colors are equally good... so overall, I’m generally less dissatisfied with b&w, and I’m equally in love with both.
As a person (and a creator), I have a very binary logic, and b&w is generally better at expressing that. I generally don’t even use greyscale, b&w alone has enough technique to create almost every structuring or light effect.

[kinleypavone]

I prefer to both read and draw comics in color, though if a black and white comic is good, I'll certainly still enjoy it!

[Neverseen]

I like both. Some stories are better portrayed in black and white. With more complex scenes the shading in black and white comics can be confusing though. Best color palettes are old school comics.

[Kaydreamer]

I much prefer colour! It draws me into the world and the mood of a page/story so much more effectively than black and white. Plus, when used well, it can be utterly beautiful.

The trick is, it has to be used well. If colour is your weakest attribute as an artist, don't use colour in your comic. Bad colour will detract from your work just as enormously as good colour will add to it.

[Puck]

I love comic noir, so black and white is my choice.
But in general it depeds on the kind of comic

[ble]

I mostly read mangas, so what i read is usually B/W.

However, for making comics, i feel i had to do it with colors, because my art/writing is not good, at least i put the effort to color and shade and all that.

[Pandastrophic]

Colouring is my fav part of making my comic, an older comic I had was B/W and among other issues I had with that comic I found working with B/W boring.

As for reading I'm fine with both!
Although I wonder if I'm the only one but... with B/W comics/Manga I want to see at least a sketch of the characters in colour? just so I'm not imagining their colour palette completely different that what they actually are loool.
I remember reading a bunch of chapters from a comic and being shook at what the characters colours were when the author revealed them... it was a very unusual colour palette...

[crowstories]

Color done well really adds to my enjoyment of a comic. I also enjoy (but am not very good at) coloring.... yet I do 9 out of 10 episodes in black and white because it's much faster, and enables me to keep to my update schedule.

[R.n.P]

black n white for the win