Comments For Page 348

I once again put off finishing this comic until the last minute, but I actually got it done pretty quickly. The only thing that slowed my down was when I had to use Illustrator to make the work balloons - something I've never done before but read was the way most professionals make them. They actually work much the same as Manga Studio except you have to draw them freehand instead of choosing pre-made ones. It is nice to have the freedom to make balloons any shape I want but it does slow done the process.

I do find it easier to draw in Photoshop then Manga Studio - mainly because the tablet glitches don't happen with Photoshop. I do like some of the things Manga Studio can do though and I hope they fix the glitches soon.

One thing I like about Manga Studio is that every layer is a color or a texture. This took a bit of getting use to at first, but now I miss the ability to change colors just by clicking on a layer. Now I have to hunt for the color I want or make a new one. I also have to watch what I'm doing because it's easy to accidentally color on the wrong layer, which can cause problems if you want to make corrections later or add a color over a color (only to find the under color is actually on a higher level then it should be and you can't color over it without making another layer over that one).

On the other hand, it's much easier to copy sections of art and move then around in Photoshop. You'll notice I saved myself some time by coping and altering some pieces of art in this page. I know some people set up their art and text balloons in Manga Studio and then color the page in Photoshop (using filters to spruce things up). Maybe when Manga Studio is fixed I'll have to do that as well.

I'm not one to use filters because I think it hides the art and influences the skill of the artist. Many people use filters to hide their lack of drawing ability, others use it to push their art to new levels they wouldn't be able to achieve otherwise. I guess it comes down to skill, talent and ability. You need all three to create good art no matter what methods you use.

I hope I have all three. Most people say they like my stuff even if they like other peoples more. I guess it really comes down to time at this point. I can draw and color a complete page in under four hours, while someone "more talented" couldn't do it in less then eight and probably would take closer to 16. My artwork would look better if I didn't wait until the last minute to start and spend more then four hours on the page, but would people like my comic any better?

look at Milt Gross' artwork: Sunday Funnys

He can draw faster then anyone, and yet his work is very fun to look at and enjoy. It's not about speed so much as it's about skill. The more real things you can draw quickly, the more fun exaggerated things you can draw. I like this loose fun style. I should try it for my next project.