Comic book pencilling process

A penciller or penciler is a collaboration artist who works in creation of comic books, graphic novels, and similar visual art forms, with focus on primary pencil illustrations, hence the term penciller in the american comic book industry, the penciller is the first step in rendering the story in visual form, and may require several steps of feedback with the writer. In this class ill take you through my process for penciling a onepage comic of your own. Look, the only reason why i even decided to read the dc comics guide to pencilling comics was because i wanted somethinganything to read and this was the only book available that was on the rack that caught my attention. Our main goal when it comes to the final pencils of any comic book illustration is to define it with impactful line work. Using a completely digital workflow, youwillsee how he goes from a preliminary sketch to finished art.

While it is packed with anecdotal information about platts introduction and early life as a comic book artist and contains an amazing amount of visual information. So now i move into my office, and set up shop at my drawing desk. However, as he describes his methods and process the things he draws not only have more meaning but he puts a sense of urgency and a feeling of necessity in every person building and background he draws. Jan 20, 20 this video summarizes the procedures involved when creating a comic strip. Pdf the dc comics guide to creating comics download full. Jan 17, 2019 also, my frequent cowriter greg pak and i wrote a book called make comics like the pros that takes you through the comics creation process from idea to scripting to pencilling to printing and marketing. One of five books created by dc comics on the process of creating comics, this book is one of the first to ever focus on the process of digitally creating comics. Inking was necessary in the traditional printing process as presses could not reproduce pencilled drawings.

Here it also covers artistic style and approach to drawing, giving examples of realistic rendition or the more stylistic approach such as the use of black by mike mignola. In this demonstration, stephen platt covers how to create a fully penciled page from beginning to end. Remember to think about where youre lettering is going to go as well, how the page will read with it, and if you letter directly on the art, to take a moment to rough in. He begins by dissecting the script through rough thumbnails, evaluating the pros and cons of each. Best science fiction graphic novels april 24th, 2019 there is a huge process involved. The inker sometimes credited as the finisher or embellisher is one of the two line artists in traditional comic book production. You will definitley get more out of this than short youtube videos. In this video, i go through my thought process when it comes to pencilling a comic book page. Aspiring cartoonists and comic artists of all ages will welcome dc comics guide to pencilling comics, an inspirational guide, penned by klaus janson, a comic book artist with over thirty years of experience. An intermediary clean up and development stage of the comics page. Here we go on to part 2 of my comics making process pencilling. My writing guide is intended for newbies, and parts of it may need a little updating. This is so i can later remove this under pencilling in photoshop, after ive inked over it in black more later.

The tips provided below should give you a leg up on the competition, provided, of course, that you also have a decent amount of artistic talent. Comic book pencilling with stephen platt the gnomon workshop. A passionate comic artist myself, ive penciled comics for dc comics, one of the biggest comic publishers in the world. Pinups and covers in thisdvd, phil noto shows you his illustration techniques for creatingcomicbook covers and pinups. Comic book pencilling with stephen platt from thumbnails to. In recent years the comics medium has flourished, generating much interest from the literary, art, and educational communities. Ive got my coffee and my pig pencil case, so im ready. The last part is a walkthrough of the process of creating comics from having a script. Dozens of people handle specialized roles from writer to penciller. The whole comic book process editing, writing, pencilling, inking, colouring is a collaborative medium and should be.

The dc comics guide to pencilling comics download free ebook now. He has been working in the field of comics for thirteen years. The dc comics guide to pencilling comics download free. The comic book process explained layerform design co.

This is an invaluable tool to have as an aspiring comic book artist. Sheesh, in some respect this is going to vary quite a bit, but ill give you the marvel method. The dc comics guide to pencilling comics klaus janson. Get a look inside the penciling process of comic creator ben bishop, as he goes from script to fully illustrated. Called comic book penciling with stephen platt, it is a must have for anyone who professes more than a passing desire to work in comic book art. A penciller or penciler is a collaboration artist who works in creation of comic books, graphic. Gnomon training comic book illustration collection 20. My thought process as well as the actual pencilling. But platt was not too busy to have recently created for the gnomon workshop an instructional dvd based on his own unique, highly detailed method of penciling for comic books. There is a little on supplies, a little on anatomy and a little on perspective, but the meat of this book. In this first title of a series on comic book illustration techniques, david finch takes you stepbystep through the processes he uses to create the highly detailed pencils of a comic book page. Learn how to pull key actions into panelsand edit out what you dont need to tell the story. Some of these books below will form the most important and valuable parts of your library.

In this tutorial well continue from where we left off with boarork the brute, going over the rough draft we previously sketched up to polish up the pencils. Yes, its a little old and filthy and apparently i work best when surrounded by clutter shh. How to hire a comic book artist hire an illustrator. This page both archives teaching content from national association of comics art educators, along with dozens of additional teaching comics resources for all ages developed by the center for cartoon studies community. Some of these books below will form the most important and valuable parts of. May 24, 2019 in this video, i am sharing some of my warmup sketches for the day and showing you how i ink my comic art with felt tips. While were finishing the pencils, max is also scanning the completed pages for inking and starting that process.

In this comic art demonstration youll get an inside look at my drawing process for a comic book cover commission i created for richard emms cyberspectre. When trying to break into the comic book industry, just remember that youll be up against some pretty stiff competit. In this dvd, comic book artist alvin lee explores the creation of two sequential comic book pages from script to finished pencils. Marketing a comic is an ongoing process that happens parallel to the production of the comic. Umh productions dough mahnke will walk you through the process of how an entire sequential page is constructed from a blank board to a finished product. The dc comics guide to pencilling comics is packed with a wealth of tested techniques, practical advice, and professional secrets for the aspiring artist. I go through the steps from rough layout sketch to a final panel. The art of klaus janson has endured in the everchanging comic book industry for over 30 years. It starts with a writer developing the plot followed by a penciller, an inker, a colorist, a letterer, and an editor. Adventures of a comic book newbie is the place where youll find a discussion of the fundamental elements of comics and comic culture.

Comic book penciller job description and career path liveabout. This sixweek projectcentered course goes through the complete process of making a 16panel comic book with four panels on each of four pages. Jan 24, 2018 josh blaylocks howto prose book about the business of comic book publishing, now includes tim seeleys companion writings on the behindthescenes realities of being a comic book artist. Manga drawing books put the spotlight on manga, a style of japanese illustration in comic books and graphic novels.

Mar 02, 2020 at some point during the penciling process our workflow begins to branch out and grow like a monstrous gantt chart. Some books focus on specific characters, including action heroes and disney characters, and others are perfect for beginners. Stephen has drawn various titles including moon knight, cable, wolverine and the best selling wolverinecable graphic novel. If youre new to comics or perhaps a seasoned vet eager to get back to the basics, this column will serve as a guide on where to start and what you need to know to get the most out of your comics experience.

Gnomon training comic book illustration collection 20 15. In this first title of a series on comic book illustration techniques, david finch takes you stepbystep through the processes he uses to create the. Comic book pencilling with stephen platt interactive dvd. Comic book pencilling with david finchfinch takes you stepbystep through the processes he uses to create the highly detailed pencils of a comic book page. This video summarizes the procedures involved when creating a comic strip. Since many artists do various parts of the process, it would be wise to.

Mar, 2018 getting a comic book from script to print can be a complicated undertaking, with lots of moving parts to consider. Alvin is one of the few north american born comic book artists who is still presently involved in the animemanga movement. Penciling a comic book page linkedin learning, formerly. Aug 10, 2016 and together, they created a book that, if you follow its tenets, learn its lessons, and pay attention to its pro tips. Get a look inside the penciling process of comic creator ben bishop, as he goes from script to fully illustrated page. Microns and pitt pens are great for adding inked lines to your artwork. Dc comics guide to pencilling comics by klaus janson. He then lays out the two pages, discussing the importance of storytelling, character placement and readability in a sequential comic book layout.

The penciling process that artist adam hughes employs for his cover work is the same he uses when doing sketches for fans at conventions, with. Gone are the page, the panel, the plot, and localized contextual meaning. There is a little on supplies, a little on anatomy and a little on perspective. The tips provided below should give you a leg up on the competition, provided, of course, that you also have a decent amount of artistic. In this video i finish the penciling for a huge cityscape and explain my thought process and techniques on rendering for comic books. Comic book layout and pencilling the gnomon workshop. Comic book penciling with stephen platt broken frontier. In this video, i go through my thought process when it comes to pencilling a comic book pa. He wrote, illustrated, and selfpublished his first book, a 300page graphic novel called nathan the caveman in 2008, which was followed by several other. Heres an explanation of what a comic book penciller is for beginners. In the american comic book industry, the penciller is the first step in rendering the story in visual form, and may require several steps. Jul 26, 2016 ben bishop is a comic creator from maine. Casual consumers of comic books around the world often have no idea of the work involved in producing the entertainment they enjoy.

Be sure to share this with a friend if you liked it and dont forget to like comment and subscribe. Inking was necessary in the traditional printing process as presses could not. You can download the dc comics guide to pencilling comics in pdf format. Again, i am looking for comic pages sequential art. Also, my frequent cowriter greg pak and i wrote a book called make comics like the pros that takes you through the comics creation process from idea to scripting to pencilling to printing and marketing. In this title, comic book artist alvin lee explores the creation of two sequential comic book pages from script to finished pencils. A good penciller can do one page of comic book art per day. Next are pages of pencils from my last book dream life, in this case a mix of techniques. Jun 01, 2001 the dc comics guide to pencilling comics is packed with a wealth of tested techniques, practical advice, and professional secrets for the aspiring artist. The dc comics guide to pencilling comics by klaus janson. How to draw comics inking with felt tip pens youtube.

What remain are the color process and what are generally called the details of comic book art. Comics legend joe kubert talks about his process duration. Third part covers comics writing using the classic arc as main example. In this video i run through my process of cross hatching and finishing comic pencils. Comics, manga, and animation books blick art materials. These are the two lowest items on the totem pole of comic book value poor reproduction and the least important, most static elements of the art itself. Professional griefers by deadmau5 i dont own the copy write to the music used in this video which is to be used. He then lays out the two pages, discussing the importance of storytelling. What is the procedure of making comic books, from drawing. Josh blaylocks howto prose book about the business of comic book publishing, now includes tim seeleys companion writings on the behindthescenes realities of being a comic book artist. The penciller creates a drawing, the inker outlines, interprets, finalizes, retraces this drawing by using a pencil, pen or a brush. The dc comics guide to creating comics pdf epub download. The dc comics guide to pencilling comics by klaus janson introduces wannabee comic book artists and fans of the art form to a more detailed appreciation of what goes into drawing pages for batman than they will have picked up through osmosis or imitation to date.

Jun 05, 2015 the main point of penciling is to create a clean, preparatory drawing to ink over. Now this talented artist brings that experience to the most critical step of effective comic book storytelling. Im always nervous at this point, because im getting serious. The book deftly covers every aspect of the comic process and shines a light of equal importance on every step of the process. The guide to pencilling is actually more of a guide to putting together an entire comic book and covers many of the process is in a very general light as the book is only 144 pages. The title is highly misleading, there is very little about the pencilling step of the process. Jul 15, 2016 sheesh, in some respect this is going to vary quite a bit, but ill give you the marvel method. It covers all the steps from thinking of your story idea, writing a script, creating thumbnails, pencilling and lettering, inking, and assembling the finished comic book ready for printing multiple copies. The whole comic book process editing, writing, pencilling, inking, colouring is a collaborative medium and should be embraced and welcomed. Some of the finest examples of clear clean refined pencil art for inking in the classic western comics style are the first two pages in this gallery, by goran parlov.

Weve complied this article to help simplify the process and hopefully explain how the relationships between the illustrator, writer and publisher work in general without going into too much detail. Penciling is the most integral part of creating comic books, graphic novels, and manga. Youll learn all the skills youd need to create your very own comic collection or level up the skills you already have. In this video, i am sharing some of my warmup sketches for the day and showing you how i ink my comic art with felt tips. Interesting, yes, but not what was advertised on the. The dc comics guide to digitally drawing comics freddie e. Digital has invaded the comics industry in a big way. It is a valuable resource for comic book, graphic novel, and storyboard artists everywhere. In this fully narrated video tutorial, i take you through the steps for how i draw panels for comics. Casual consumers of comic books around the world often have no idea of. In 1997, alvin lee began his comic book career at the tender age of 17 and is now a renowned veteran of the industry. Penciller show pencil work in sequential comic page format.

Throughout this course, we will cover the various steps it takes to lay out, or rough, a comic book page, from script, to picking your panels and poses, camera angles, and then, of course, putting it all together in a page thats ready to be finalized. The main point of penciling is to create a clean, preparatory drawing to ink over. White posted in comics, creativity, illustration tagged with 1970s, art, between wars. Stephen goes indepth with his thoughts and process on pencilling and explains reasons behind why pencillers draw things certain ways. The amazing art of drawing comics inartist blog october 4th, 2018 comics creation process. Comic pencil sketching for beginners creative comic art. Tips for aspiring comic book artists online comic book printer. Tips for aspiring comic book artists litho ninja comics. Oct 03, 2018 this sixweek projectcentered course goes through the complete process of making a 16panel comic book with four panels on each of four pages. While i do appreciate figures characters alone, i would love to see your pencilling inking lettering work in actual comic book pages.