Colour coding

[JimRob]

I'm trying to decide what to do about shading and things for this season's comics... I'm getting more bothered with the limitations and time problems which my 'special' crosshatching throws up. So I thought I might as well throw open the floor. This only really applies to when I have to go back to work: at the moment it's all colour all the time, as I have little better to do.

A bit of explanation for each possibility, though:

1. No shading. This takes the least time - no more than 3 hours a strip - but it can look rather sparse. It does bring out the brush-drawn lines very nicely.

2. Simple greyscale shading. This should take about 4 hours (I think; I've never actually done it) and adds some more depth and atmos, but it's still all grey, and can look rather flat.

3. My 'special' greyscale shading. This is what I do now: about 4 hours, again. Nicer textures, good for gradients, but again, all grey, kills detail a bit, and occasionally looks messy. And it pushes up the file size.

4. Full colour. This could probably take 5 hours a strip. Basically: looks lush, but takes ages.

I tend to think it's better to have a B&W strip four or five days a week (which looks increasingly possible) than a colour one three days a week. And 5 hours a strip seems insane for a four-panel strip comic. But you may not agree.

[ZOMBIE USER 8454]

i voted for the special shading, because it's very unique and i always associated it with the whole style of AF.

you could always do what i do: shade it however the hell you want, depending on how obscenely late at night it is.

[ZOMBIE USER 8454]

actually, i don't necessarily think that Black and White equals blandness. i was doing my comics with Prismacolor greys for a long time, but a few times last month i switched to just ink and was very pleased with the results... previously i had just been inking outlines and filling in tones with the markers, but without the markers to fall back on, i was forced to create textures and patterns to make the visuals interesting. these extra lines really made things come alive. well, BEGIN to come alive anyhow.

[Big Bad Al]

I love the "Special" shading myself, but I know how it is! If I want to balch and white I can do more then two a week without getting bored of doing it!

I stuck with colour so far but I might change to B&W to move the story along

[WolfFur]

I want you to do whatever you feel best doing.

Or to make it sound less trite:

I've seen quality online strips go belly-up (the most recent being the final demise of Backing Out of the Outback) because the artists began to feel that it was far, far more work than fun. I love seeing the color but if it frustrates you... why bother? Have fun doing the strip, and the quality will follow. Shoot for quality over enjoyment and the whole thing will collapse.

[JimRob]

you could always do what i do: shade it however the hell you want, depending on how obscenely late at night it is.

Now that is a good idea. After all, it is a day-to-day online strip; I'm not held back by the necessities of print or even a need to keep the style 100% consistent all the time. (Hence the fun with panel size lately.)

Have fun doing the strip, and the quality will follow. Shoot for quality over enjoyment and the whole thing will collapse.

Strangely, I don't actually mind doing the colouring/shading, which is all computerised; it's the actual drawing of the strip which is the most onerous bit. It's more a question of time than effort. (And perhaps not even of time, as I've never yet been able to do another strip in a day once I've finished one, even if I have the whole evening.) In conclusion - I don't know.

But thanks anyway for all your input; it does make a difference, even if I haven't yet worked out how

[Gloria]

you could always do what i do: shade it however the hell you want, depending on how obscenely late at night it is.

Actually, that's pretty much what I do, too. Heck... when I'm in a hurry I often leave it pure b&w, no matter HOW bland it may look. Lately (since I got some new prismas) I've been messing around with shading my daily comics with marker, just to add a bit of variety, but india ink smears easily and shading ONE thing often leads me to trying to shade everything else, so, I try to just keep it simple.

I enjoy the crosshatching, it IS unique, but I think you need to take it easy and just do what you can... don't knock yourself out, eh? ;)

BTW, I usually draw my comics a whole week at a time and my comics also tend to be uploaded about 3 weeks in advance, so, heh. I have no life, and it gives me an excuse to sit around and listen to music all day.

[ZOMBIE USER 5169]

I'm with PROKOVIEV: I love the special-brand shading. It's very distinctive and wonderfully atmospheric. But WolfFur's right, and I'd rather know that you're enjoying the strip too. (It's not as if we're paying you for it, after all.)

[ZOMBIE USER 8454]

"(It's not as if we're paying you for it, after all.)"

WHAT? you mean web cartoonists don't get PAID??


right, well as long as you have fun creating it, us readers will probably have fun reading it. (this probably isn't universally true, but it sounds good.)

[JimRob]

It's not as if we're paying you for it, after all.

Not yet, anyway. A-ha-ha-ha! Or just not.

I don't mean to give the impression I don't enjoy it. I'm just working out the most effective way to use the time I have.

(And I tend to think quality dips if you have too much fun with this kind of thing, but in moderation it does help. And that hasn't happened yet.)