Thursday 22 February 2007

The big, big mystery!

The oft asked question is "How do they do it?" Do what? you may ask. Eat cashew nuts with their left hands, as I'm doing right now?
No, no, no.
What most people wants to know these days is: How are comics made? How does the idea for a layout/page/panel in the brain of the artist end up on paper. What's the magic trick? Wich pens should I use? What paper? Wich ink? Sooo many questions, so little time.
Read carefully now, because the big, big mystery is going to be unraveled before your very eyes!

Please allow me to introduce the quick and easy "get rich quick by doing your own cartoons" course in three steps. No need to bother buying expensive Andrew Loomis books or stealing your mothers pocket money to buy Walter T. Foster books any more. You might as well throw your old Famous Artists binders out of the window.
(Or give them to me, me, me... Please?)

First you scribble down a small, small thumbnail sketch of the panel you want to draw. No fancy pens or thick paper. This could be done, and SHOULD, be done on the cheapest material you can find. Just indicate the layout and the poses/placings of the elements in the panel. And remember: Keep it simple. No need to over do it at this stage.



Then make a loose/rough sketch on your artboard.



Then just add a few dashes of ink and ta-da it's finished. As simple as a child could do it.


Now send me your old Loomis books. You know you don't need them any more.

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