Creating Comics!

Title: Arcadia Jones

Client: Self-published

Medium: pencils, inks, Illustrator, Photoshop

Next, in Photoshop, I enlarge the rough to a

10” x 15” (25.4 x 38.1 cm) image area (standard

for American comics), increase the lightness

until the image is very faint (normally about 70

percent), and print this out on 11” x 17” (27.9 x

43.2 cm) Strathmore 300 series Bristol board.

This saves a lot of time traditionally spent trac-

ing the drawing onto the board.

To ink, I first use a marker or ruling pen to

trace the panel borders. For almost everything

else I use a Winsor & Newton Series 7 #3 or

#4 round brush with Higgins Black Magic Ink.

When I’m done inking, I scan the page at 600

dpi, adjust the image to look as crisp as pos-

sible, then reduce the dpi to 300 and the image

size by 67 percent (print size). I can now drop

my lettering overlay back on top.

If it’s a black-and-white project, I’m done.

For color, I change the mode from gray scale to

RGB. I separate the line art to its own layer and

color on layers underneath. I use the selec-

tion tools to select the individual shapes in the

drawing, and I fill them with flat colors for my

basic color decisions. This is my flat fill layer.

I leave it as is, and do all my rendering on

other layers. For example, darks go on a

shadow layer set on “multiply,” and highlights

go on a layer set on “hard light” or “screen.”

Special lighting effects can go on layers over

the line art. When I’m done, I convert it to CMYK

for print (and always back up my files).

Title: Arcadia Jones

Client: Self-published

Media: Pencils, inks, Illustrator, Photoshop

Creative Process

My process of producing comic art has come

together through many years of trial and error.

Photoshop has become indispensable. Still, some

things are best done the old-fashioned way, so

I’ve tried to apply what I like best about both

worlds. Normally, I work from a detailed story

outline rather than a full script. I start by breaking

down the outline into tiny thumbnail drawings

of each page, using only stick figures and basic

shapes. I’m also writing the dialogue at this stage

while deciding on staging, acting, page layout,

and camera direction.

When I’ve thumbnailed the entire outline, I use

them to create detailed roughs. Everything that’s

going to be on the final page is here. I work at

print size on regular typing paper on which I’ve

printed a template made in Illustrator that shows

all the guide marks. I use a Sanford Col-Erase

Blue pencil, which feels comfortable to me.

I scan and save each rough at 300 dpi, and

in Illustrator I begin lettering, working from the

dialogue on the thumbnails. There are many

resources that discuss lettering techniques (my

favorite is Comicraft’s www.balloontales.com).

I save the lettering out by itself as an overlay

element. Frequently, the dialogue will cover im-

portant parts of the drawing. Once I can see the

problem areas, I resize and reposition the art in

each panel in Photoshop to better accommodate

the lettering.

M

ichael Cavallaro was born in New Jersey.

He grew up reading the comic books at

Maurice’s Barbershop on Main Street,

drawing some of his own, and playing guitar. He spent

two years at the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and

Graphic Art, but then dropped out to travel with his band

and wash dishes. Eventually, he began working in the

New York comics and animation industries, in which he’s

remained active for the past fifteen years. Michael has

drawn and painted for Valiant and DC Comics, MTV Ani-

mation, and Cartoon Network. In 2002 Michael began

self-publishing his own continuing comic book series,

66 Thousand Miles Per Hour. In 2005 Penguin/Puffin

Graphics released his 144–page graphic novel adapta-

tion of The Wizard of Oz.

Michael is currently at work on numerous animation

and comics-format projects. He still finds time to play

guitar, although his new apartment comes with

a dishwasher.

Michael Cavallaro