How to start drawing DB manga?

[DragonBalllKaiHD]

Hey, guys. For those who have an experience in making a comic or manga, which paper quality can I use to make manga? Is it good to use printer-type paper? What about ink? Would it work well if I use a gel pen since the line depth varies by how much I press? Is it better to use a tablet? Is it difficult to use?

I ask these because I wanted to make my own DB manga, and I wanted to draw as smoothly as possible. You look at Toriyama's work in late 80s to mid-90s. He never had a tablet to work with, and yet his details are very good. He even drew characters from backgrounds that look like he was far way with great details. I would like for me to do same as that.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

[Scarz]

For drawing comics or manga traditionally I recommend using bristol board paper, preferably 2ply and with a semi-smooth surface. If you want to make a manga size comic, go for the 9"x12" bristol paper and cut it down to size. It's more affordable than buying the pre-made comic book paper from Canson. I think the dimension for the standard mangas are 8"x11" as opposed to western comic pages, which are 11"x17".

As for pens try using PITT artist pens and for much finer details Pigma Micron pens are the best choice. Never press too hard using any kind of pen. It can sometimes lead to blotches on your page.

I now draw most of my comics digitally, using a 12wx Cintiq and it has been extremely convenient for me. I don't have to deal with paper being damaged or smudged. Plus I'm twice as fast working digitally then when I was working with paper and pencils. You can still get the same quality of art using a tablet but it does take some getting used to.

If you do decide to go digital, try using Frenden's custom brush set. After using them, I find that my line work has greatly improved and it mimics the average pen and brushes very well unlike the default brushes in Photoshop.

If you have any more question don't hesitate to ask. I'm a freelance comic artist and I'm always happy to help any way I can.

[DragonBalllKaiHD]

For drawing comics or manga traditionally I recommend using bristol board paper, preferably 2ply and with a semi-smooth surface. If you want to make a manga size comic, go for the 9"x12" bristol paper and cut it down to size. It's more affordable than buying the pre-made comic book paper from Canson. I think the dimension for the standard mangas are 8"x11" as opposed to western comic pages, which are 11"x17".

I see. So the quality is good, then? I would assume you can find that in any art store?

As for pens try using PITT artist pens and for much finer details Pigma Micron pens are the best choice. Never press too hard using any kind of pen. It can sometimes lead to blotches on your page.

Yeah, I had to be careful with pens. I pressed a little bit for finer detail and pressed more for thickness. So any gel pens are no good, then? I could buy both pens you provided above. Hopefully I will get good result. Question. What about inking the black parts, such as black hair or clothes? Do I use the PITT pens or something?

I now draw most of my comics digitally, using a 12wx Cintiq and it has been extremely convenient for me. I don't have to deal with paper being damaged or smudged. Plus I'm twice as fast working digitally then when I was working with paper and pencils. You can still get the same quality of art using a tablet but it does take some getting used to.

Should I buy it? Is it worth my time as a beginner? I'm pretty great artist myself, but I've never done manga before so I'm not sure if it was a good idea to buy the tablet from the start.

If you do decide to go digital, try using Frenden's custom brush set. After using them, I find that my line work has greatly improved and it mimics the average pen and brushes very well unlike the default brushes in Photoshop.

Oh, ok. Seems like a good deal.

[Scarz]

I see. So the quality is good, then? I would assume you can find that in any art store?

Yes, the quality of the paper is very good and you can buy it at almost any art store.

Yeah, I had to be careful with pens. I pressed a little bit for finer detail and pressed more for thickness. So any gel pens are no good, then? I could buy both pens you provided above. Hopefully I will get good result.

I personally don't use gel pens for my work and I don't know of any artist who does. But always go with what works best for you and what gives you the best results.

Question. What about inking the black parts, such as black hair or clothes? Do I use the PITT pens or something?

Some artists use sharpie markers but that doesn't quite give you a smooth rich black that is needed and it can also lead to bleeds. If you want to cover large areas with black (such as hair), use Speedball India Ink. This will give a nice solid black but you'll need a brush. Try going for Winsor & Newton round and flat head brushes to cover these large areas of black.

Be careful not to spill it, the ink is so rich that it will stain your floors or carpet permanently. My tip, place the jar in a sturdy place on top of a plate or in an ash tray and tape the bottom of the jar on the surface. Keep it within reaching distance but never too close so you don't accidentally knock it over with your hand or elbow.

Should I buy it? Is it worth my time as a beginner? I'm pretty great artist myself, but I've never done manga before so I'm not sure if it was a good idea to buy the tablet from the start.

The 12wx is a bit of an expense, right now I believe the price is for the cintiq around $1100. That's a big investment. If you're beginner, I say give the traditionally method a try and see how it feels. I think it's always best to start drawing comics/manga traditionally. But if you have the disposable income, then I say go for it! But remember the cintiq is not for everyone. I know a few artists who didn't like the feel of the tablet. They thought it was strange drawing directly on the screen/monitor because of the smooth surface.

[DragonBalllKaiHD]

What about Manga Studio EX 4?

[Scarz]

What about Manga Studio EX 4?

I've never used it so I can't say if it's good or not. But they do have a 30-day free trial. You can download it and play around with the program to see if it's something you like.

[DragonBalllKaiHD]

Ahh, I see. Thanks! How about this Wacom Tablet? http://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Intuos5-Tou ... ords=wacom

Do you think it would go well with any art software programs?

I think I'm leaning a bit toward the traditionally method.

[TheDevilsCorpse]

Ahh, I see. Thanks! How about this Wacom Tablet? http://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Intuos5-Tou ... ords=wacom

Do you think it would go well with any art software programs?

That's the tablet I use, and I'm pretty fond of it. It's ever so slightly less responsive than my old Intuos3, but still very usable. The touch features are nice, but I rarely use them for drawing. I find them more fitting for browsing the web and other such activities and typically turn them off when I prepare to draw.

So far I've used it with Photoshop CS4 and PT Sai. I'd probably get a lot more out of it using it with the fetures in Photoshop, but the program has become so damn sluggish in the past couple months that I find it hard to do anything for more than 30 seconds. Sai has become a decent substitute though, allowing me to create the nice, solid lines I desire, and when working on line art in the line art function layers, even allowing me to edit my pieces without the need to erase.

All-in-all, if I had my choice though, I'd prefer a Cintiq like Scars has. I find drawing on a surface I'm looking at to be easier than looking up at a screen while trying to draw blind down below. If you think you might have the same problem, you may find it easier to just go the traditional route with paper until you are comfortable enough with the manga process to make the jump.

[Tzigi]

. Question. What about inking the black parts, such as black hair or clothes? Do I use the PITT pens or something?

Just my 5 cents: if you want to publish the manga digitally you'll scan it anyway so you can leave the areas uncolored on paper and fill in the black in any computer graphics program - it's one of the most basic tools so any free program has it. This way you'll not only save money but also prevent bleeding and problems with spilling the ink.

[DragonBalllKaiHD]

. Question. What about inking the black parts, such as black hair or clothes? Do I use the PITT pens or something?

Just my 5 cents: if you want to publish the manga digitally you'll scan it anyway so you can leave the areas uncolored on paper and fill in the black in any computer graphics program - it's one of the most basic tools so any free program has it. This way you'll not only save money but also prevent bleeding and problems with spilling the ink.

That's pretty good idea. I will experiment with what you and Scarz had suggested.