Official How To Make Comics Topic

[Pohatu: Uniter of Stone]

 

 

 

I want to make Photo comics, but I'm not sure how to get all the photos together like an actual comic strip or put the text over the pictures. Microsoft Word isn't going to be a good way to make comics, after all.

 

There are a myriad of options, but the programs that come to mind are Microsoft Paint (native to all Windows computers), GIMP and Photshop. You can find a guide to GIMP right here, in the GIMP Help Topic.

 

As for Paint, it's fairly intuitive. If you're just starting out, I'd recommend learning the basics of Paint before moving on to GIMP or Photoshop.

 

Photoshop is pretty advanced. It's very similar to GIMP, but with more bells and whistles.

 

If you check out some of the guides in the GIMP Help Topic I linked to, as well as the ones in this topic, you might be able to get a general idea of how to go about comic making. If you're going to make photo comics, it really just comes down to resizing images in panel format, and then adding text.

 

Note to everyone: I plan on remaking the guides in this topic, as well as in the GIMP Help Topic in the near future, so stay tuned!

 

-Rez

 

Thanks, I think I'll use GIMP. I have photoshop and I've never been able to make anything good or even mediocre for that matter.

 

 

Did somebody say Photoshop? 

I'm studying Graphic Design, and I use Photoshop all the time! 

 

Maybe I could help you out?

 

I actually couldn't download GIMP, it was blocked by my computer, and I have been able to figure out Photoshop somewhat. I'll give you a link to my Brickshelf. I have two comics, one of which was a school project, and two Photoshopped pictures. Do you think you could give me some advice and criticism? (If the link doesn't work, let me know!)

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=547472

Edited September 23, 2014 by RahkshiToa88

[Calvirick]

 

 

 

 

I want to make Photo comics, but I'm not sure how to get all the photos together like an actual comic strip or put the text over the pictures. Microsoft Word isn't going to be a good way to make comics, after all.

 

There are a myriad of options, but the programs that come to mind are Microsoft Paint (native to all Windows computers), GIMP and Photshop. You can find a guide to GIMP right here, in the GIMP Help Topic.

 

As for Paint, it's fairly intuitive. If you're just starting out, I'd recommend learning the basics of Paint before moving on to GIMP or Photoshop.

 

Photoshop is pretty advanced. It's very similar to GIMP, but with more bells and whistles.

 

If you check out some of the guides in the GIMP Help Topic I linked to, as well as the ones in this topic, you might be able to get a general idea of how to go about comic making. If you're going to make photo comics, it really just comes down to resizing images in panel format, and then adding text.

 

Note to everyone: I plan on remaking the guides in this topic, as well as in the GIMP Help Topic in the near future, so stay tuned!

 

-Rez

 

Thanks, I think I'll use GIMP. I have photoshop and I've never been able to make anything good or even mediocre for that matter.

 

 

Did somebody say Photoshop? 

I'm studying Graphic Design, and I use Photoshop all the time! 

 

Maybe I could help you out?

 

I actually couldn't download GIMP, it was blocked by my computer, and I have been able to figure out Photoshop somewhat. I'll give you a link to my Brickshelf. I have two comics, one of which was a school project, and two Photoshopped pictures. Do you think you could give me some advice and criticism? (If the link doesn't work, let me know!)

 http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=6152333 

 

 

Ya the link didn't work for me! 

And I would totally love to help out!

[Scanty Demon]

For anyone who wants a good understanding of comics consider reading Understanding Comics: The Hidden Artform by Scott McCloud. For anyone who wants to get better drawing for comics look up Andrew Loomis. His books are freely available online in PDF format. That's basically my advice, hope it helps.

[Taka Nuvia]

so, here we go...

That colouring tutorial I made has moved to another folder in my majhost - and while I'm at it I also drop the links to the other ones here:

 

Colouring (hand-drawn): Link

Basic tutorial (2009; old but not completely out-dated): Link

Mini hair guide: Link

 

~~~~~

 

For anyone who wants a good understanding of comics consider reading Understanding Comics: The Hidden Artform by Scott McCloud. For anyone who wants to get better drawing for comics look up Andrew Loomis. His books are freely available online in PDF format. That's basically my advice, hope it helps.

 

Agreed. Both Understanding Comics and Making Comics (same author) are great books and definitely among what I would consider essential. They're also fun to read because hey, comics about comics!

[Reznas]

For anyone who wants a good understanding of comics consider reading Understanding Comics: The Hidden Artform by Scott McCloud. For anyone who wants to get better drawing for comics look up Andrew Loomis. His books are freely available online in PDF format. That's basically my advice, hope it helps.

 

so, here we go...

That colouring tutorial I made has moved to another folder in my majhost - and while I'm at it I also drop the links to the other ones here:

 

Colouring (hand-drawn): Link

Basic tutorial (2009; old but not completely out-dated): Link

Mini hair guide: Link

 

~~~~~

 

For anyone who wants a good understanding of comics consider reading Understanding Comics: The Hidden Artform by Scott McCloud. For anyone who wants to get better drawing for comics look up Andrew Loomis. His books are freely available online in PDF format. That's basically my advice, hope it helps.

 

Agreed. Both Understanding Comics and Making Comics (same author) are great books and definitely among what I would consider essential. They're also fun to read because hey, comics about comics!

 

Thank you both for the suggestions and links. I'll add them to the main thread.

 

Also, at SOME point, I'll be remaking the videos for this topic, like I said months ago somewhere in this topic.

 

-Rez

[Scanty Demon]

You're welcome. If you need me to put up the link to Loomis' stuff I can do that no sweat. Speaking of Loomis, start off with Fun With a Pencil and then move on from there.

 

Edit: Here is the link for Loomis' stuff. There are also a ton of other artbooks out there in pdf format. PM me if you want a link to those.

Edited September 26, 2014 by Scanty Demon

[Reznas]

You're welcome. If you need me to put up the link to Loomis' stuff I can do that no sweat. Speaking of Loomis, start off with Fun With a Pencil and then move on from there.

 

Edit: Here is the link for Loomis' stuff. There are also a ton of other artbooks out there in pdf format. PM me if you want a link to those.

 

Just to warn you, the link contains some questionable material.

 

-Rez

[Scanty Demon]

 

You're welcome. If you need me to put up the link to Loomis' stuff I can do that no sweat. Speaking of Loomis, start off with Fun With a Pencil and then move on from there.

 

Edit: Here is the link for Loomis' stuff. There are also a ton of other artbooks out there in pdf format. PM me if you want a link to those.

 

Just to warn you, the link contains some questionable material.

 

-Rez

 

Forgot about that cover. Really should've just linked to the rar file

[~kh]

For anyone who wants a good understanding of comics consider reading Understanding Comics: The Hidden Artform by Scott McCloud. For anyone who wants to get better drawing for comics look up Andrew Loomis. His books are freely available online in PDF format. That's basically my advice, hope it helps.

 

Agreed. Both Understanding Comics and Making Comics (same author) are great books and definitely among what I would consider essential. They're also fun to read because hey, comics about comics!

I wanted to drop in real quick to say I absolutely love those books. Seriously, I'd consider them a literal must have for anyone that's wanting to make comics. They're an essential part of any library. A lot of books about comics show you the same thing: here's how you draw, here's how you draw in perspective, here's how you draw in a panel. They don't really teach you a lot about storytelling in comics, which is pretty important.

 

Another book I would definitely recommend if you're interested in writing for comics (and that I've recently added to my own comics library) is Words for Pictures by Brian Michael Bendis. Bendis writes a lot of great stuff - Ultimate Spider-Man, Avengers, Alias - he's doing a run on the X-Men (All New and Uncanny) that I adore. He's a got a lot of great dialogue strength and his book is all about how to write for comics, giving information from artists, writers and editors about stuff you don't usually get in other "How To" books.

[-Windrider-]

Throwing in my approval of Scott McCloud as well. We used his work for a seminar on Franco-Belgian comic tradition back in my undergrad years.

[Taka Nuvia]

Ah, since I was notified of this topic, I might as well put the links for the hand-drawn tutorial thingies in here; after all, majhost seems to be gone permanently for now, so they are now all located in a brickshelf folder (which is hopefully public?);

 

in case it isn't, here are the individual links:

A quick guide to coloured pencils (2012)
Figure drawing tut (2009)
Quick hair guide (2014)
Super small hand tutorial (2014)
Colouring hair (2015)

 

Some of them are rather old, but IMO there's still something useful in there.

[Naota Takizawa]

Yes! Hand drawn tutorials! Thank you for posting them! 

[Jam Pot Studios]

I don't know where else to put this, but does anyone remember a BIONICLE/Knights' Kingdom crossover comic from waaaay back? I've tried finding it a few times over the last few years and have no clue where it might be, I remember really enjoying it and wanted to revisit it.

 

I can't remember who made it either

 

The plot was basically Vladek being transported through Mata Nui and Metru Nui, and I seem to remember Bohrok invading Morcia...idk it was a long time ago.

[Petewa]

Can anyone help me figure out what a scanner is/how to use one?

[Nik the Three]

Scanner as I know it is a thing that you plug into your computer and make your images magically appear on your screen.

 

Plug it into your computer, usually using usb cable, and turn it on. It should open at the top. Put the thing you want to scan face down. Now there are either some buttons on the scanner itself, or you have to do things in PC. Latter is more likely. If scanner didn't install drivers itself, there should be some CD/DVD/something to install them. When you run the driver, you have to figure out things yourself, because they vary manufacturer to manufacturer, model to model.

 

*achievement got: write essay about scanners instead of doing work for school that has deadline on monday*