I'd like to start drawing graphic novels...

[polkacat]

Hi,
I've been drawing for years now, and would like to start to draw well in a graphic novel style, just as a bit of fun. Ive tried drawing some just with black ink and pencils, but I'd like to get that professional look. Would it be useful to have a graphics tablet to help edit them in photoshop etc, and how would you start colouring them? I thought it might be a good idea to scan in line drawings, and color them in photoshop, would this work?
I like the style of the sin city comics and Martin Emond, so if I could have any advice on how to draw well I would appreciate it!
Thanks a lot!

 

[Alienweirdo]

Graphic Novels all have different styles depending on the artist. you may have traditional comic artists like Jim Lee, Dave Gibbons or Mark Bagely, or artists with their own recognisable style, like Johan Vasquez, Mike Mignola or Mr Frank Millar.

i'm a pre-production student, and i do comics for fun as well. Graphic tablets are great for colouring and inking and stuff, you do get a very clean result depending on your style. they do cost a lot, but the do make life easier for colouring work in. i love my wacom tablet!

As for photoshop, thats also a great piece of software, though its taken me four years of self learning to understnad it they way i do now. there are loads of tutorials on the web of how to colour in photoshop. just remember to use colour theory! for instance; there are no yellow backgrounds in the simpsons, as the characters are yellow and they would get lost on the page.

try deviantart.com, its another community but focuses on artwork. people post loads of tutorials on there, just do a search.

as for drawing well, just draw things from real life. be it people, plants, animals whatever. Once you appreciate movement, posture and proportion, you will be able to further improve upon your own style.

hope that helps!

 

[DarkBunni]

show us ur stuff!!!!! I want to be an comic book artist too, or manga artist, or both hee hee!