RivenMyst

Just curious, but is anyone here able to make art or comics of penny-arcade quality or better? If so, how long does it take you to draw a typical comic?

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kajiaisu

nope. I can draw anime...its OK but not great....for that kind of comics you need special programs on your computer.

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Ronin

I might be able to explain the process to you...if that helps at all. however, I'm quite sure I'll go off onto a tangent.

I'm quite certain that all the comics at Penny Arcade start off as rough sketches on paper, or digital sketches by mouse or tablet.

The image is then brought into photoshop, either scanner or it's already digital. I believe Gabe then just creates a new layer and outlines the rough sketch with a thick black outline. He goes back and erases some of his lines to make them sharper, thinner, etc. That process creates a smooth outline of his drawing, which he'll then fill in with the customary colors he uses in his strips. For someone like Gabe, who does that as a living and has had so much practice, it may take him around an hour or two to fully draw the comic. Depending on what comic the process varies...a lot.

However it may sound easy, but it really isn't. Comics aren't just regular drawings...just having some artistic skill won't help. For humor, you'd not only need to have good sense, but delivery and timing. Which is where the frames come in. Then there's story, which also needs proper usage of delivery, and minimalism...because you can't have your frames loaded with words. Placement is another important issue for comics, things can't be placed randomly, their position must be well thought out. Blah Blah Blah. There's a hell of a lot more to it as well, and now it may sound hard...but all it takes is practice. I can't even do it right, but I want to learn.

If you want to make your own comic, I suggest going here, as Tycho did http://www.scottmccloud.com/# . Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud is a great book that explains comics indepth. Also you could look at other comics for inspiration and...stuff. I always like reading Calvin and Hobbes.

Hope that helps, in some way.

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Imp

To be able to draw as well as the Penny Arcade comic simply for a comic is kinda asking a lot too. It's not easy, even look at the early Penny Arcades, the drawing has definitely evolved a lot. The closest thing to that on N-philes that I know of is my comic, which isn't that nice looking but hey, it's a different style and all. The average frame like this:

without words can take about 15-20 minutes, depending on if I reuse old character models or make entirely new ones.
The whole thread with 5 comics currently can be found here: http://www.n-philes.com/forums/show...20&pagenumber=1

Ronin

Oh, and don't forget MajinBuu's series of comics. While it had simple drawings (MSPaint, I'm sure he could do better ) and simple humor, there were a couple that had really good timing and delivery. It was a great start, so check it out...it should be somewhere in this forum. Buu used a classic 4-panel layout and was able to do his own thing with it, which is pretty cool, in my book at least.

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SPDorris

Uhhhhhh....

http://www.n-philes.com/forums/show...=&threadid=2928

http://www.n-philes.com/forums/show...=&threadid=2810