Comic Advice

[TheLastOfTheFallen]

Posting it here, since this makes the most sense.

I'm currently working on a webcomic for...

wait, scratch that. I'm currently working on the scrip of a webcomic for a sight that I am working on. The change is important: I have yet to actually draw anything. The problem being, of course, that I can't really draw. Everyone who has read my scrips have told me they are funny, but I don't have artwork to go with them.

So, I need advice.
1) Should I try and learn to draw it out by hand
2) Should I try and learn to use Sodopi and Infranview to make the illustrations that way?
3) Should I buy Adobe Photoshop CS learn to use that?
4) Should I find someone to draw this comic for me?

Each view has its pros and cons, and I'm really stuck. Help would be greatly appreciated.

(Oh, and for anyone interested, the target release date fo the webcomic is June 1st, so I have about 2 months to get something together. of course, it's a self-imposed release date, so flexibility is allowed.)

[InaVegt]

get me to draw it

[bluish_wolf]

You should get someone to do the drawing for you and stick with writing. With the infinate vastness of the internet, it would be rather easy to get someone dependable or talented to draw for you for free. With any luck, you may even get someone who is both dependable and talented.

[InaVegt]

You should get someone to do the drawing for you and stick with writing. With the infinate vastness of the internet, it would be rather easy to get someone dependable or talented to draw for you for free. With any luck, you may even get someone who is both dependable and talented.
I'm free as long as i'm credited somewere, i draw pretty well and i have lots of spare time so i could do it without any problems.

[Seraph]

two words:

sprite comic.

[bluish_wolf]

two words:

sprite comic.

one word:

campy

[Jibar]

one word:

campy

Nothing wrong with campy ;)

[zimri]

stick figures in ms paint FTW

[Finwe]

one word:

campy


one link: 8-bit theatre (http://www.nuklearpower.com)

Give me evidence that 8-bit is campy and I'll show you hateful lies ;)


Erm, sorry for hijacking the thread. IMO you should choose a style of artwork based on the theme of your strip. With a more casual strip, you can get away with decent artwork as long as the script is good. With a tounge-in-cheek script, you can get away with some pretty cartoonish artwork. Once you've figured out what kind of artwork you want, your decision of how to create it should get a little easier.

[Miles Invictus]

Draw it yourself, by hand. It's cheap, it gives you the greatest control over the schedule, it helps ensure the comic stays true to your vision, and if you start to gain a reputation, it lets you sell commissions at comic conventions.

Excellent artwork isn't a requirement for a comic anyways, as long as you've got good writing.

[bluish_wolf]

one link: 8-bit theatre (http://www.nuklearpower.com)

Give me evidence that 8-bit is campy and I'll show you hateful lies ;)



The whole purpose of 8-bit is to parody Final Fantasy. It also has a tendency to be over the top. The characters are all static and flat and it seems that it is done intentionally. For example, even after Thief earned the money for whatever he needed it for, he kept on stealing things. That's rather campy, no?

[The Prince of Cats]

Excellent artwork isn't a requirement for a comic anyways, as long as you've got good writing.
I used to write/draw a comic and I am awful at drawing. I did ask around (I know a number of comic artists, including a couple of Marvel UK ones) and always got the same response; draw it myself because the wiritng is more important than the art.

I was told that artists would be easier to approach if I had some finished work for them to see. Trouble is, with the web-medium at least, people get used to your style and so a new artist just doesn't work sometimes.

[Starla]

I saw a funny comic strip that used action figurines and it worked pretty well with the pictures...
You don't have to limit the medium to paper and pen or pixels on a monitor. You could use clay or photographs or toy models. Check out the those websites that do the top 100 comics so you see how many types exist.

[Haggis_McCrablice]

Just be honest and don't compromise. The comic is ultimately yours, and you won't be able to please everyone--so just be true to yourself and your vision. Don't let the small-minded morons and critics out there get in your way. The artwork and the scripts will start out rough and even amateurish at first, but within a few months to a year you'll find your stride.

Do check out my gallery. Most comics out there are either kiddie-book or grim-n-gritty. I try to strike a balance between the two, sort of a throwback to the days of Bob Clampett and Tex Avery at Warners during the forties.

[TheLastOfTheFallen]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. I'm working on the artwork...anyone know the best way to add color in using a computer, since I'm managing the black and white so far? I've tried paint, which is too limited, and the GIMP gave me headaches when it came to drawing lines...

[Miles Invictus]

How are you making the initial drawings? If using paper, you can sketch in pencil, and use a pen to trace the lines you really want to keep. After the ink dries, erase the pencil, and scan that in. If needed, convert it to black-and-white format to get rid of any remaining pencil marks, and convert it back to a color PNG. Then you can use flood-fills to get a nice, clean look.

(It's not thread necromancy until no one has posted in it for a month and a half! :P )