Working Methods

I thought I would make a short post about how I work, I am by no means an expert I have just found (in the two comics I have made, these to be the best methods for what I was doing.

For Issue #1 of DOBU I drew each panel out on a separate piece of paper, it made me concentrate purely on that panel and I was pleased with it. I barely had a plan just a rough story in my head. It did however take a lot more time , approximately 2 hours per panel, penciling, inking, scanning, cleaning up and digitally coloring, so I decided for Issue #2 I would try something different. I decided to staple 6 folded pieces of paper to make a rough version of a comic with 24 pages, write the synopsis on the back cover and roughly sketch out what I wanted on each page. It was a lot quicker, and having a clear plan to work from it meant I was able to concentrate on the drawing instead of "what am I going to do to show this is happening" and then drawing it. When I was in a drawing mood I could simply pick out a page and draw that, instead plan then draw, plan then draw etc.

Pages 3 & 4 from DOBU #2 sketchbook

Pages 3 & 4 from DOBU #2 Finals

These are my pens and pencil. 

A Muji 0.5mm for writing.

Uniball eye Needle 0.3mm for inking, not for parallel lines, or as it dries too slow and smudges.

Staedtler Pigment liner 0.3mm for inking.

Staedtler Triplus Color (Black or Blue, they both come out black in the scanner)

Staedtler Noris School Pencil and the Staedtler Mars Plastic works well to remove pencil.

This, this is my roller ruler.

Necessity is the mother of all invention and I needed to draw loads of parallel lines for speed lines, I have ordered a roller ruler and I am still awaiting its arrival.  In the meantime I have fashioned one out of LEGO and it works really really well.