The idea of this short tip is show how to make a comic style illustration using mix of traditional and digital media. I divided this to four parts. In first part we will do the pencil job, next we cover pencils with ink, then we'll do the flats, and finaly -rendering image. Ok, let's get it started. Since I don't draw comics in general I don't have high quality stuff for professionalist but hope it wont be a hurdle in a way of creating something looking good.
I cleaned up my room and here's what I found:
-a set of wooden pencils (from 5b to 5H)
-automatic pencil
-pencil sharpener
-pencil eraser
-fine eraser
I think most people have most of listed items laying somewhere in forgotten drawer. Anyway, if you searched whole house and found nothing try to ask your younger sister -should help :)
First we need to create base shape of smiling clown. I use for that rather hard pencil (4H) becouse it's easy to erase and you can make a lot of mistakes and corrections without making whole picture stained and dirty. Most important at this stage is to catch wanted design -my Joker was ment to be in caricature style.

Whent outline sketch is done it's time to put some values. I used more soft pencil for this job (F) to get fancy soft shading. Start from pale and subtle shadows and slowly make them darker and darker to get nice contrast between most bright and most dark part in the scene.

It's good idea to make some very bright parts using fine eraser -you can erase small areas very precisely and get some strong light effects.

Now take very soft pencil (4B) and highliht deepest shadows with very soft spots. The strokes shouldn't be even visible -that'll simulate diffused light. As you can see I put also some very dark strokes on joker's hair -just next to very bright area to make them look shiney.

Ok, I think that Joker is finished enough to start inking. See you in next part...
Best Regards,
Damian 'Mime' Bajowski
Go to part 3
Go to part 4
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