Quick colouring help

Fletcher

Hey duuudes. Just looking for some advice on colouring.



I know my anatomy, linework and everything else are in no way great; I don't have much time to myself so I'm just working on these whenever I can. Its irritating though, as although I can come up with ideas and get things sketched up and lined quickly enough for me to be happy, the colouring and shading is taking an age.

Is this normal? Is the shading and colouring supposed to take so much longer than actually planning and drawing a comic out?

At the moment it seems like I'm in a bit of a stone and chisel situation, I'm scanning in linework (can't afford a proper tablet or anything), tidying it up, printing, shading with regular (2b I think) pencils, scanning again and then clapping a 30% colour layer over the top of everything in photoshop (yay for schools having the expensive programs for you).

Is there any kind of trick to getting things done faster, or do I just need to man up? :P

Alternatively what kind of colouring would make it look better?

NibCrom

Well this isn't about the coloring, but your comic panels really need a gutter (space between the panels, not just a line separating them. It makes the comic easier to read and shows the passage of time between panels. And your word balloons need a thicker outline around them. Or darker like the square thought bubbles. Also, is that the title of the comic in the first panel? It's really hard to read.

Aaron Lee

Is there a reason why you don't just scan the artwork and color it directly in Photoshop? Yes, a tablet would speed things a long, but I've gotten plenty of work done coloring without a tablet. Just learn to use cuts and a tablet isn't totally necessary. That right there would save you a couple steps.

I love color pencils, but they don't really work for comics, at least in the way you've presented them. Too soft, no contrast. I know you're looking for help on these issues, but color pencils aren't really the best medium for this type of venture.

To answer your question, good coloring can take long than the actual drawing, but for me it's not significantly longer. Much like anything, practice will speed thigns along, as well as your choice of medium.

padmeamanda

Haha, everyone pretty much said what I was going to add... so I'll just second their good advice.

1. Gutters
2. Color it digitally.

You could even just add the gutters digitally. Photoshop is your friend! Coloring in Photoshop is pretty quick and easy, but it does take some time to get a hang of doing it.

Those two elements are key to making your comic look a lot more professional. Once you've got those down you can just focus more on the artwork itself. Looks like you're off to a good start!

Fletcher

I had been wondering about the gutters, thanks for the advice! I'll use them from now on :P

Problem is the comic is coloured digitally!

Damn I guess I need to take the opacity down a bit. I've been shading with regular pencils, then doing all the colour in photoshop. I guess I just need to practice and get faster at it.

As for the title, that's what everyone has been saying, dagnabbit. Guess I'll have to give it a major do-over. Its been sitting that way for ages, but I guess I fell into the trap of thinking everyone should see it the way I do. Its also massive which ruins the comic having it on every page.

I've got plans for this comics. Might have to rethink the art for a while then redo all the stuff I've done so far. Thanks for your help guys!

AlyceInWonderland

HOw about Prisma color Markers? Those are damn nice, and fun to work with.

ScottEwen

Is that the title in the first panel? Might want to work on that some, I can't figure out what it says.

Kewop Decam

ScottEwen wrote: »

Is that the title in the first panel? Might want to work on that some, I can't figure out what it says.

I think it says "Jink" but I'm not even sure

ScottEwen

Oh I see. I thought it was an "r" at the end. Jinr? That makes no sense.

Fletcher

Yeah, it was a bit of a silly idea to try and work blades into the title when I can barely draw blade or a title

It does say Jink, I was intending for people to see that the stuff coloured yellow was the letters but in the end I washed the colour out so much that its barely distinguishable from every other colour around it.

I think I might give the first page a redraw with better drawing, gutters, more prominent colour etc. in the next couple of days while I've got work off. Hopefully it'll be a bit easier to follow this time and I'll actually be able to continue with it now that there's a small possibility I'll be getting better hours :P