He's finally back home
2019-06-05 00:44:44
Wait.. Scratch that last part. But really, things seem to be going well. I wonder if how that's going to be ruined.
2019-06-05 00:44:44
2019-04-14 15:33:29
2016-03-01 05:04:56
2013-12-23 17:52:12
2012-07-03 17:50:35
So in this exciting episode of How Ratboy Is Dead Is Made I'm going to cover two parts, for two reasons. It's like a buy one, get one sort of deal. Mostly I'm doing this because both processes are simple, and I don't really necessarily do them in order.
So, at some point during this process I ink the characters. I usually do this part first, because the background gets a bit easier to place around something solid. I prefer to use a nice, crisp line with my wacom tablet when creating these.
After that, or sometimes before that, I'll do teh backgrounds. Backgrounds are always an odd process because half the time I don't really know what to put and use an abstract paint background, or manipulate a photo or something. It's easier and I realize it makes me a lazy asshole. But I do draw them, too! I'm pretty loose one what constitutes a background, but lately, I've been fond of thicker, less defined lines and textures. Whatever helps the composition, really. There are two good examples in the image below.
So, after that, I generally make sure all this is placed and looks reasonably decent. I put a few finishing touches on each piece, like the crappy shading in the background, then move on to the next step.
Next time: Making people say what they should say
2012-06-28 17:49:30
So, after I have a reasonably decent layout, I then actually pencil in each panel. Since this comic is done mostly digitally, I often draw each character individually and then place them on the page later in photoshop, or other times I'll simply draw the whole panel, such as the example below.
I then scan the penciled images into the computer. I lay the page panels out in Photoshop, and then place the scanned drawings in onto the panels, and arrange the page exactly how I want it laid out. It's pretty quick if I have the panels all drawn out already but can take a while if I drew everything separately. Then, I take out my trusty Wacom tablet and begin to draw the final product.
Next time: What I do after I pencil like an idiot
2012-06-26 17:47:52
This is honestly the only real question I get asked consistently. Yes, the term FAQ might not be entirely accurate. It's not a terribly complicated process, so here's a fun blog post about how I do this. There are actually two different methods I've used - whether I draw the comics by hand and just touch them up digitally, or whether I draw them almost entirely digitally. Since the second one will probably be not only easier to show you but a more interesting read, I'll focus on that one, since it's what I primarily use now, since I'm lazy. (which will be a running theme throughout this series of blog posts, trust me.)
First off, I write the comic. As of this blog post, I've completely written about half the Ratboy story. I constantly revise it and add little jokes as I see fit, change gags that seemed rushed or convoluted, and do my very best to not resolve things with Deus Ex Machinas - even though it's an occasionally funny and super convenient literary device. I have the rest of the story loosely lined out and write in whenever I feel like - which is why I write so far ahead because I get distracted easily.
When it comes time to actually draw the comic, I first draw a very rough outline for composition. This usually takes about sixteen seconds. I time myself. Mainly it takes such a short amount of time because I get lazy. I don't always have as much time as I'd like to draw these comics, and I wish I did, because I could get better compositions rather than lame ones. It really depends on if I'm in a hurry or not.
I tend to leave the backgrounds blank at this spot unless it's necessary, easier, or otherwise prudent, such as in the final panel pictured here. I do this mostly to give me more flexibility when reevaluating things like the composition for each page, and to make sure the backgrounds actually work with the much-more-important foreground.
Coming up in part two: Pencilling Like An Idiot
2012-06-21 17:45:02
You know what you might find mildly interesting? A character design I've been working on.
Pickles by ~apathyzeal on DeviantArt
This is Pickles. He is a being of great power. You'll get that joke if you look again. Pickles is on the right, I haven't named his pet yet.
Also here's something that I won't deny: The Super Mario type influence. It wasn't intentional until I saw it, then I ran with it.
2012-06-03 17:44:16
I made some changes to about 40 old pages on here, actually. Mostly just very minor cosmetic things, things I messed up - like forgetting to color in Ratboy's nose and things like that.
But I did correct some continuity errors and fix a few fonts to make the storyline a bit more cohesive. Yes, there is a plot outside of character development.
2012-05-20 17:43:33
It looks like, at least in the immediate future, I'll have plenty more time to work on comics! I'm not going to promise a regular update schedule, just yet - but here's a new comic for today, and there should be at least one more this week!