`Gritty` b&w, or `polished` colour?

Komiyan · Post by **Komiyan** » Tue Jul 27, 2004 4:59 pm

So.. I've been hanging around for a while without properly promoting myself. I waited til I had 30-odd comics to do so, so.. here we go

This is Darken, a D&D-esque fantasy comic, based around the various antics of a rather evil bunch of people who are trying to take over the world. Of course, lots of people have SAID they wanted to take over the world, but very few actually get around to doing it..

http://darken.keenspace.com

The dailytemplate is still a little broken, but you can read the archives.

My main question is- I started out in black and white, hand drawn, as it was quick and easy, and the hatching was apparently impressive. I then tried a photoshopped coloured page, and that was very well recieved, being told it was more polished and such, so I've been doing them in colour since then. However, I got a comment about it losing the `gritty dark` feeling that it apparently once had.. Not that I knew I had one, but hey.

So, what do you guys think? Colour or not? Any other comments would be really, really appreciated, as I'm enjoying drawing this, and I'd love to hear ways in which I could improve. Cheers!

Joel Fagin · Post by **Joel Fagin** » Tue Jul 27, 2004 5:22 pm

We just had a whole thread on colour vs B&W, 'cept I can't seem to find it. I'd pick whichever suits the feel of the story.

- Joel Fagin

Jackhass · Post by **Jackhass** » Tue Jul 27, 2004 5:28 pm

Hmmmm...

...I think I prefer your black and white work. But hey, that's just me.

Phalanx · Post by **Phalanx** » Tue Jul 27, 2004 8:20 pm

Definitely the BW crosshatched work. The colour is kinda pretty, but the black and white wourk just OOZES personality. If you can colour the crosshatched work with flat nad faded non-shaded colour I think it'd look even better!

But definitely the BW one is far more distinctive. Reminds me a little of Zebra Girl, which I adore!

CapitanG · Post by **CapitanG** » Tue Jul 27, 2004 10:06 pm

*smush*

I was bored, and therefore 'gritty' color is made.

Snoozer · Post by **Snoozer** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 1:26 am

I like the last pics. It doesn't make much of a difference in the long run if you use color or B&W, as long as the end result looks good.

CB

ShineDog · Post by **ShineDog** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 1:32 am

also consinder using a washed out pallette, that way you get a kind of gritty look. Consider Saving private ryan, the whole thing was done like that, and it worked. now of course this is hardly private ryan, but you get the picture.

you DRAW the picture.

erm.

YarpsDat · Post by **YarpsDat** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 1:47 am

Joel Fagin wrote:We just had a whole thread on colour vs B&W, 'cept I can't seem to find it. I'd pick whichever suits the feel of the story.

- Joel Fagin

*cough*

So, I preffered your B&W style. That hatching is just impressive! When I look at it I think "If I was a believer I'd ask my god for that kind of skill"... or at least something along these lines.
I bookmarked a couple of pages, just to go back to them and look at them closely to learn some of the tricks. (BTW, for some reason I find the glasses amazing. They... they look transparent!)

And the dark gritty seemed to fit the story, uh, I think.

Oh, and could someone explain the thick outlines around the characters deal to me? I'm not saying it's bad, but I don't like that for some reason.
Sure it separates the characters from the background, but IMHO if the lines on the character are significanlty thinner than the outline it makes the character look empty/flat. Something like cardboard cutout. But it may be just me.

But then again, as I said in the other thread, we are the artists, so we're clinically insane. The average reader may preffer the plain soft shaded colour to the stunning B&W work, just because it's colour.

Perhaps gritty colour would do... but don't think so. Two reasons:
1) the colour overpowers the fine hatching effects. And you'll have to sacrifice some of the texture to get the colours at least somewhat clean.
2) I liked it when it was B&W... and now it turns out they all wear red. >_>
(also, the dragonscale merged with skin... looks way better in B&W, IMHO)

BTW, Joel... I found that thread page by searching for GeneralDiscussion threads, containing the word "colour", it was like 7th or 8th result on the first page, so I don't see how one could have a trouble finding it.

[AOD] · Post by **[AOD]** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 6:32 am

It all depends on the general mood and attitude of the comic. Certain comics will only work if it's in black and white, because they depend on the subtle textures of the pencils and inks as an integral part of their original artwork and design. Others depend entirely on colour, because they'd look a lot worse without it, and because of their attitude and atmosphere. Others can go both ways.

However, I think your comic works better in B&W, but that's just my opinion as a talentless hack.

@~AoD

Komiyan · Post by **Komiyan** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 8:53 am

Hey guys, thanks for all the comments

Captain G- I'm rather shitty at photoshop, so I have to ask.. how the hell did you do that? Cause it looks cool.

YarpsDat- Woah, higher praise than I deserve

Thanks for that! I do the thicker outlines thing because I was once told that my characters kinda merged with the background, and they were quite right in some instances.

Shinedog- I like that idea.. If i carry on in colour, I may well do that.

I think I may try something of a mix, and attempt hatching in Photoshop, or something. I only went on to colour because I was worried of losing readers for the simple fact that it wasn't in colour- that sometimes makes people run off, for some reason.
I find my inks look a bit messy when scanned in.. Can anyone tell me how I'd clean them up without having to kinda `trace` them all with the brush? Cause that's what I do now, and it takes forever

YarpsDat · Post by **YarpsDat** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 9:58 am

Komiyan wrote:YarpsDat- Woah, higher praise than I deserve Thanks for that! I do the thicker outlines thing because I was once told that my characters kinda merged with the background, and they were quite right in some instances.

So I admit, the outline makes them stick out, BUT I think it creates an unpleasant effect in combination with thin lines used to define details inside the silhouette. erm... (It might be just me though.)
I would suggest just drawing the characters with slightly thicker lines...

Komiyan wrote:Can anyone tell me how I'd clean them up without having to kinda `trace` them all with the brush? Cause that's what I do now, and it takes forever

Check my sig ^_~.
(it's the curves/levels part)

Joel Fagin · Post by **Joel Fagin** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 4:31 pm

Komiyan wrote:I do the thicker outlines thing because I was once told that my characters kinda merged with the background.

That would be far less applicable with coloured artwork.

- Joel Fagin

CapitanG · Post by **CapitanG** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 5:49 pm

Komiyan wrote:Captain G- I'm rather shitty at photoshop, so I have to ask.. how the hell did you do that? Cause it looks cool.

Take the B&W lineart, then select all>cut, Paste onto a new layer. Set the line layer to "multiply", then go select>color range... and click a white area and set the fuzziness to about 100, give or take depending on how heavy the hatching is.

Create a new transparent layer underneath the lineart and start painting. You can either use the free-form lasso to select similar color areas or just free paint with a soft edged paint brush; I did the latter. You can see I ran over a few borders; I was just doing a quick job though. That, as is, took about ten minutes.

Komiyan · Post by **Komiyan** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 12:05 pm

Thanks for the tips, I'e always wondered how you do the colouring under a scan thing. I'm going to try something like this for the next few, thusly..

It looks a lot more interesting than normal flat colour.. er, it's a bit rough there, i'd clean it up more, and add in a background and stuff. But still.. any better?

Akewataru · Post by **Akewataru** » Sat Aug 07, 2004 1:25 pm

You could alsy have gritty comics on weekdays and then on sunday a colored one- something like that. But personally, I think the colored under the gritty looks pretty good so far.

And I have to say I've fallen in love with your comic. Gort rocks my socks. -_- I always like bastard-ish guys for some reason

. More pages durnit!!! *pokes you to death*