I’m not entirely sure how to describe the drawing process. I have had countless people throughout my life ask me “how do you draw like that?” and quite simply, I just do…
So once I have drawn the images for the comic on paper, I scan them in and save them as separate images in a folder. These are then dragged into photoshop, where I select, ctrl+c, ctrl+p them into a fresh page of the correct proportions and arrange them as they are needed. The images often overlap, and areas have to be erased to get the best aesthetic. Due to how they scan, the images look faded when initially entered, so I use the Levels tool to adjust the contrast levels, making the lines black and the background white. As opposed to varying shades of grey…
Sometimes the clone tool is needed to fix errors and flaws in the original drawings, as well as the eraser, pencil, and line tools. The line tool gets a lot of use for the comic, as I add straight line detail with it (it’s easier and more attractive than what I produce with my hands, a pen and rule.) as well as the border lines and separation lines. I also surround the text with the line/rectangle tool.
As I progress, I never keep all the different things I add as separate layers, it just gets too confusing. Instead, I merge layers where I can, while still allowing myself some separation in layers so I maintain the ability to shift bits of the image if I decide it’s not perfect. Once I am happy with it, I flatten the image, resize it to the 900 pixels wide it needs to be to fit on the site, and send it off to Spyro, who adds the alt text and posts it.
The whole thing isn’t really all that hard if you are used to Photoshop, which I am, but it can be arduous if it is a particularly long comic, or I have made mistakes with the drawing, as they have to be fixed digitally. Overall it’s quite rewarding to see my own work posted on the internet, and people actually looking at it.
I cannot take any credit for the writing though, that’s Spyro’s job (although I often edit them as they are passed through. Lets call it artistic license…and I have better English skills :P )
