I don't think it's a crazy idea at all to attempt a comic with traditional media. In fact, it could separate you from a largely digital field, making your work stand out. The big convenience about digital art is that it (usually) does cut down on time taken to draw, so it's easier to get out more pages quickly, But if it's something you're comfortable with, I say you should really consider it.

My work almost always starts out with traditional pencils and inks. (My WIPs are usually a tangled mess of non-photo blue pencil.) There's something very calming and fun about the inking process for me.

I'm glad you don't think its crazy. Honestly I think digital is great - some of my favorite artists are exclusively digital - but I just love colored ink so much, the way it blends and smears into itself. Plus like you said, there's nothing more soothing than outlining with black pen or a nib. Do you scan your inked pages in and then add color digitally?

Actually, here's an (old) example of my comic and art process. I pencil and ink my pages traditionally, scan and then color in Photoshop. My penciling process is more like sketching or thumbnailing. It's really rough, but since I do my own inking, I'm the only one that needs to know what's going on.

My art is heavy with the use of non-photo-blue colored pencil, so I usually don't do traditional coloring. And when I do, the colors rarely scan very well, which adds to the cycle of not wanting to attempt it. But I have so much love and admiration for traditional artwork. Especially when it's done so well as yours. The colors are so nice and vibrant. I'm sure they look even better in person.

That's actually really helpful to see your process. The way your panels are composed flow so well, did it take a while for you to learn that or did it come more naturally to you? I use thumbnails all the time with illustration and it really is an invaluable step of the process, I can see how the exact same would apply to comics.

And thank you! It's funny, sometimes it does look better in person but sometimes the opposite is true. Plus most of the time I edit/touch up digitally; even though I don't paint or draw in photoshop its a really important tool for me.

This old visual aid created by a comic artist named Wally Wood is a great thing to keep in the back of your head for creating panels that are visually interesting. I think this was drawn back in the early 80s, so some parts of it are out of date. Ben Day refers to half tone screens and gradients.

Old black and white comics in general are a good source of inspiration, because they had to use the inks alone to move the eye across the page The works of Will Eisner are a good place to start. This isn't to say that color can't be used just as effectively or even better to create a good visual flow, It's really all about contrast. Also, since the western audience reads left to right, it's important to lead the eye that way the best one can.

Film is also a good place to look for ideas. Composition can be used to suggest a theme or story. Even people who haven't seen the 1967 film The Graduate (I've never watched it myself), most people recognize the symbolism image of having a woman's leg in the foreground and a young man in the background. Once agin, I like looking at old black and white films for the same reason I like studying black and white comics. It's often easier to see the contrast. The 1922 film Nosferatu comes to mind for its use of shadows and creepy compositions in scenes with Count Orlok.

Really helpful once again, especially the Wally Wood panels. One of my favorite artists is Moebius (Jean Giraud) who was a comic artist, but admittedly I've never even read any of his comics; his use of color and composition is just so beautiful to me. Anyway, before he passed away he talked about the rhythm of a page, setting up the panels in a way to "hypnotize" the viewer and lure them in. Not only that, but the way a page or composition is presented can completely change the meaning or implications of the narrative. I'm beginning to realize how difficult it must be to control that.

I'd never heard of Will Eisner before but his use of positive/negative space is too good! Thank you again for all your help, I really feel motivated to start something at least but I've got so much art stuff on my plate right now, and I'm working on setting up a shop on this site. When I do finally draw my first pages, could I send them to you for some feedback?

Absolutely! I'd love to see it when you get started. I'd be glad to give feedback or help in any way I can.

Thank you! I don't know any comic artists so that would be a huge help <3

hello ~~

Hello! I posted on your HA thread a little bit ago. I had no idea you were new to Subeta~ Welcome!! ^^

My major in college had been graphic design (before they cancelled the program and things got messy blah blah blah). I kind of wish I would have stuck with it somehow because I have interest in the field, or at least some aspects of it. I'm reading through your convo on this thread about comics now but I got too excited and wanted to post a welcome first. If you have any other tips or encouragement for aspiring comic artists, please let me know!! I couldn't call myself a diehard comic fan, but for some time now I've wanted to try making a webcomic but don't quite know where to start.

Also wanted to say I really enjoy your style! And again welcome~ if you have any questions I might be able to help with concerning the site, don't hesitate to ask~ :)

Hi! Are you new too? Welcome to Subeta!

Thank you! That's awful about your college's graphic design program being canceled. That's beyond disappointing.

As far as general advise for webcomics specifically:

• It's a good idea to start small, maybe experiment with a short story first before diving into a grand, epic, 1000+ page comic.

• The audience likes a routine. Stick to a schedule and don't try to promise out more than you're capable of.

• Having a buffer of completed comics before you post your comic publicly is a good idea for multiple reasons. If you need to take a break from drawing, you'll have comics in your queue to post on schedule. In addition to that, starting out with a buffer is helpful to gauge your own abilities and how many comic pages you can realistically produce.

• Many webcomic artists fall into a trap of redrawing their first 10, 20, 30 or so pages. There is no need to do this. Changes are, an artist will improve, but audiences understand that styles change and evolve.

• If you have any desire to print your comics in the future, draw at a size appropriate for print. 300 dpi is a safe size for original art. ... That said, just remember not to save over your original art when you resize/save for the web. This is common sense, but it's really the worst feeling ever.

not really new, but since i stoped play really long time ago i just can't remember my old account xD so now starting again T^T