11
A balanced piece of comic art
Hiding the line art helps me check that the piece is
balanced and not overdone. This is the process I use in all of
my comics work and, though some steps are specific to me,
it’s pretty standard for colourists in the industry. However,
there isn’t a right or wrong way to achieve what you want.
I hope it helps you develop your own workflow.
8
Adding atmosphere
It’s time to introduce some accents and effects. The
strong light source coming from behind means we should
see some particles in the air and some fog near the bottom,
to help give the piece atmosphere. Using layer styles such
as Multiply and Overlay, I add cooler tones to the bottom of
the piece. These help guide the eye towards the focal point.
10
Ensuring visual flow
Before calling the piece finished I like to take
advantage of the controls in the Camera Raw filter. It’s
perfect to adjust Levels and the intensity of specific hues,
pulling out details and setting back others. This way I can
make sure the piece flows properly and the viewer’s eyes
are guided where needed.9
Thinking ahead
In the layer stack you’ll notice that I keep all of my
detailing in separate, transparent layers. This enables me to
specifically adjust certain details as required after turning in
the preliminary piece to the editor or client. In this industry,
speed is essential, and most of these steps help me tackle
revisions as fast as possible, without sacrificing quality.
PRO SECRETS
MAINTAIN FOCUS
AND BALANCE
Sometimes we get
carried away trying to
add the most intricate
details to a piece and
in the process lose
the focal point. Then,
when we pull back to
look at the piece as a
whole, we wonder
why it doesn’t seem
to work. To avoid this,
before I get started
I like to determine
where I want the
viewer’s eye to go.
This identifies what’s
important inside the
frame, so I don’t
waste time on details
that might clutter the
piece and affect the
focus. One good
exercise to help out
with this is gestural
drawing. Get down
simple sketches using
suggestions of detail,
instead of trying to
capture and render
every little detail.PRO SECRETS
THERE IS NO RIGHT
OR WRONG
Yes, there are a lot of
rules and guidelines
about proportion and
colour and so on.
However, what makes
a piece successful is
its ability to tell a
story, communicate
an idea or generate
a feeling. I’m often
asked how I achieve
certain things, but
there are always other
ways to get what you
want. Don’t worry
about how another
artist did something,
but instead try new
ways to communicate
ideas. Loosen up and
stay creative.In depth | Black Panther