Not too sure where to start, really...

[Fuzileer]

Okay, after getting into Negima Manga novels, I've developed a love of drawing manga cartoons.

I've been practicing etc, and now I want to do a short manga comic strip.

I've got a scanner ready, but I dunno what else to do.

What software can help me out?
Do I actually need a scanner here?

Please give me some assistance!

Regards,

Dave

 

[langes01x]

Well what to do next all depends on how you want to make the comics. If you are going to draw them by hand and scan them in to post online then a scanner is absolutely necessary. If you are making them on the computer a scanner is useless.

Now then if you are just going to draw them and not post them online then a scanner is rather useless again.

If you are going to just draw them and scan them only the scanner software is necessary. If you are going to draw them on the computer you can use any photo editing software available from the free GIMP to the rather expensive Photoshop.

From what I have found though drawing them (without color) and then scanning them and using photoshop/GIMP/etc. to color and add text seems to work best. This way you get the unique and far superior look of hand drawn manga with smoother and richer colors.

Just experiment with it and you will find for yourself what works best.

 

[Nahrallah]

You can use Photoshop or Paintshop Pro to colour your line art; however, there are also various free applications available. If you wander around the Tokyo Art Dome, you'll find all kinds of useful information as well as various tutorials. You could take a look at some of the work of other FTV members: General Drawing Thread or The Fanart Thread. If you do buy Photoshop then you could try Hamasusuke's Technique Workshop which includes how to colour a drawing.

There are various books and websites which can help you develop your drawing techniques:

• Polykarbon Tutorials
• Manga Tutorials
• Anime and Manga - Learn to Draw Japanese Comics and Animation
• How To Draw Manga: Manga University
• Manga and Anime Tutorials | Manga Punk
• MangaRevolution Drawing & Painting Tutorials
• Online Manga University
• BakaNeko
• [ anime art tutorials ]
• Akemi's Anime World: How To Draw Anime Style Art
• mangaschool.com - Forum - Manga And Art - Tutorials
• Learn How To Draw Manga
• Airwalking Studios
• Anime Unlimited -- Anime By Example
• RateMyDrawings: manga drawing tutorials
• comixtalk: Stop Drawing Bad Manga! by Shaenon K. Garrity
  
  
• Coptic Markers - How To Create a One-Page Comic/Manga
• FARP : Drawing Manga - Page Layout
• nemu-nemu.com - manga webcomics - The Process - Part One!
  
  
• YouTube - How to draw manga
  
  
• Learn to Draw Manga Characters from a Beginner
• Find a simplified list of How To Draw Manga
  
  
• Tutorials Links Thread

Here are some free applications:

• GIMP (As suggested by langes01x) [UNIX, Windows, Mac OSX]
• Babya PhotoPro [Windows]
• Image Tricks [Mac OS X]