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StazJohnson — Process-1:Unknown Soldier
Published: 2013-11-07 02:00:31 +0000 UTC; Views: 1451; Favourites: 37; Downloads: 38
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The first step is the production of thumbnail images. These are typically 3cm x 6cm approximately, but it can vary. This stage is simply to establish the basic storytelling on the page. Once approved by editorial, I print out a copy of this image at A4 size, usually I print out in a faint blue. Using this rough thumbnail drawing as my baseline, I draw over the print out to create my pencil page. At this point, having established the storytelling at the thumbnails, I concentrate on character details, perspective & anatomy issues, & any other refinements I want ironing out before I start inking. This pencil stage is also sometimes (but not always) submitted to editorial for approval. Either way, one I'm happy with the final pencil drawing, I scan it into the computer, & print it out in sections (again in a faint blue) on regular A4 typing/copier paper. These sections would generally contain one or two panels from the pencilled page. Working directly over the printout I ink the image, adding shadows & any details I may have bypassed putting in at the pencil stage. All of the various inked drawings are scanned in to Photoshop, & the combined image of the inked page put together there. If I feel it needs it, I may add texture & tonal effects digitally at this stage too.Related content
Comments: 22
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Interesting work process. I do some more traditional approach. I work thumb nails to know how to solve the page, but I do it on (let's just say) trash paper, then I do full pencils over an A3 board then go to inks (in case the editor is asking and paying for it too). Some time now I learn to print my pencils on faint blue to preserve my original penciling and to even repeat inking if necessary. How long does take you to do an average page?
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The longer I do this job the more I realise there's no such thing as an 'average page', but to try to answer your question, I try to do 5-6 pages of pencils & inks per week. However, there has been times when my output has fallen to only a couple of pages per week, there has also been times when I've produced as many as 10 pages of pencils & inks in a week. For me, the trick is if at all possible to do at least one page of pencils & inks in a day. If I manage to do a page, then pencil the next one, all the better, but get that one page in the bag, & things tend to be ok.
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You can never have too many process samples posted. Keep up the good work. You have a new follower.
My process: Thumbs in Manga Studio ( I do 2 steps gesture then structure because I still have to slowly build my drawings), print full sized blue lines and pencil (because I still want original physical art in the process), scan and ink in Manga Studio.
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Interesting approach. I'm afraid I'm far too much of a technophobe to do any actual drawing digitally.
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One thing ive noticed about your work you have just about the smoothest transition from pencils to inks you seem to pencil in anticipation of the inks (i know thats the goal but not everone does it) and an obvious faith in your inking ability
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I don't know about faith in my inking abilities.. one of the reasons I started working this way (inking over blueline printouts of the pencils) was to preserve the actual pencils in case I messed up the inking. That said, it is fair to say I have a pretty good idea in my head of how I'd like a page to look, it's just carrying that out where I have a problem..
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I was never quite sure how the copy machine figured into production. Vince Giarrano mentioned it in his book, but it went over my head. Your explanation is very clear - and surprising.
I do all my copying on the light table, because it's drawing practice - and the more I do, the better. But just recently I've started shifting the balance to put more time further down stream in the work flow, so been trying different ways to use the copy machine to save time. Thanks a bunch, Staz!
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I used to work over a lightbox all the time when I was pencilling for American comics. I would do a roughA4 sized drawing in a similar way to how I detailed above, enlarge it on a photocopier, & trace through on my lightbox tightening things up when I pencilled the actual page. It meant that the art board stayed pretty clean & free of too much erasing etc. However, after ten plus years of working that way, I got fed up of sitting in a darkened room staring into a light! The process I use now has it's similarities to my old working method, but this way I can sit infront of my window see blue sky & trees when I look up...
But you're right, photocopiers, & scanner/printers are a great time saving device, & since comics is a commercial art where time is money, it would be foolish not to utilize them. The trick is to USE them, not RELY on them.
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This is interesting. I don't use a dark room to trace on the light table. It's set up in front of my window! Which may explain in part the way I use it. I don't trace detail, only placements, as if doing a clean layout. Just use it when the originals get so muddy that they can't be further developed. But then what follows from the light table picks up from there and gets about as muddy as the original, hehe.
I've done different methods, such as inking straight off the light table, pencil tracing detail, tracing placement, cleaning up roughs that are still rough after I've traced them, etc. Still have not found the best way to use the equipment, except as an aid to drawing - by which I mean, using it to generate and extend drawing time.
I am slowly forcing a shift on emphasis from process to product, finding it very difficult to transition from sketch to finish. It's a little like painting when one attempts to go back to a previous layer after starting a new one. I'm sure it's just a matter of discipline, judgement and practice, but it's still vexing. I have to get it into my mind that I can work as a clean-up man as well as a sketch-artist.
The method that seems to work best is to sketch in blue and finish directly in ink. This is good for basic effects, but not for the complex. For that, I'm developing the blueline with 3H, then inking over that.
I think the methods will fall into place once I have definite styles under my belt that can direct the use of decorative outline and classical rendering. You know what I mean - some kind of work is done by inking guidelines literally, while other kinds are done by using them as a jumping off point. I used to think it was a matter of preference, but have come to conclude that one must be proficient both ways in order to respond advantageously. (It's a long road.)
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Thanks for letting us take a peek into your process work, Staz! I love this kind of thing!
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No worries. I plan to post more when I get time, but I can't decide what people would like to see more... stuff like this page, where there is an obvious progression from thumbs to finished art, or pages where the artwork undergoes more change throughout the process.
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I would love to see both, I'm a bit of a process junkie
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Well as I know you have already seen I have uploaded a page which went through some changes at the thumbnail stage, which is generally the point at which changes would be requested, I've never known (that I can think of) an editor approving thumbs only to request changes later. But if I think of any, I'll be sure to post them.
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Thanks Staz, I really love to see this stuff
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Nice work, Staz!! The pencils are uniquely you, and the inking has a touch of Klaus Janson to it... great stuff!!
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Klaus Janson huh?... One of my inking heroes(I wish I had a fraction of his talent), so needless to say I like the sound of that!! 
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