Creating Comics!

Job:05-19413 Title:Creating Comics

#175 P DTP:204 Page:92

(RAY)

060-119_19413.indd 92

5/25/10 9:09:21 PM

(Text)

Creative Process

I created this piece with a traditional manga artist’s tools—pen

and markers. I roughed the image out in stick-figure format on a

rough piece of paper to see if the composition worked. Then, on

smooth Bristol board, I penciled it in lightly with mechanical pen-

cils using HB/H leads. I inked over the results with Copic Multiliner

pens—these are fine liners ranging in size from 0.05 to 1.0 and

through to brush tips. They are impervious to Copic color markers

and other alcohol-based markers. Once the inks dried, I erased

the pencil marks fully.

I added marker carefully, starting with the skin tones. I

portrayed the brightest highlights by leaving the paper white. I

created a gradual blending from light to dark from the direction of

the general light source for soft, matte surfaces like skin by layer-

ing very subtle differences in tone while the ink was wet to get a

blended watercolor effect. Filling in large areas without streaks

also requires overlapping strokes while the ink is wet.

This technique requires me to work very fast, before the ink

dries. Coloring is easier if the line art creates separate areas,

allowing me to rest between each one. Where direct shadows

are cast or when dealing with more reflective or textured surfaces

such as hair, sharper shadows are needed. I do this by waiting for

the ink to dry before layering a darker shade on top.

Lighter shades are easy to work with because you can lift them

off with solvent if you make any mistakes, or make them darker

simply by layering and waiting for each layer to dry to make

shades more saturated. Darker shades are trickier, so be particu-

larly cautious when working with them.

Title: Cover of Satan’s Amazon

Client: John Bamber, 2007

Media: Pencil and markers on paper

S

onia Leong is a professional comic artist and illus-

trator specializing in anime and manga. Her latest

graphic novel, Manga Shakespeare: SelfMadeHero,

published Romeo and Juliet. Her entry in Tokyopop’s first

UK Rising Stars of Manga competition in 2005 came in sec-

ond place and was featured in the official anthology.

Other competition achievements include winning NEO

magazine’s 2005 Manga Competition and judging for the

International Manga and Anime Festival (IMAF), which had

an $85,000 prize. She designed the official Catgirl mascot

for Wacom-Europe’s manga campaign. Her work also

appeared in the British film Popcorn.

Leong is a core member of Sweatdrop Studios, the

leading UK manga collaborative and independent

publisher. She works in a variety of media, including

watercolor, pen and ink, screen tone, alcohol-based

color markers, pencils, and digital.

Sonia Leong

92

Creating Comics

Job:05-19413 Title:Creating Comics

#175 P DTP:204 Page:92

(RAY)

060-119_19413.indd 92

5/25/10 8:47:53 PM

Job:05-19413 Title:Creating Comics

#175 P DTP:204 Page:93

(RAY)

060-119_19413.indd 93

5/25/10 9:09:30 PM

(Text)

This technique requires me to work very fast, before the ink

dries. Coloring is easier if the line art creates separate areas,

allowing me to rest between each one. Where direct shadows

are cast or when dealing with more reflective or textured surfaces

such as hair, sharper shadows are needed. I do this by waiting for

the ink to dry before layering a darker shade on top.

Lighter shades are easy to work with because you can lift them

off with solvent if you make any mistakes, or make them darker

simply by layering and waiting for each layer to dry to make

shades more saturated. Darker shades are trickier, so be particu-

larly cautious when working with them.

Title: Cover of Satan’s Amazon

Client: John Bamber, 2007

Media: Pencil and markers on paper

an $85,000 prize. She designed the official Catgirl mascot

for Wacom-Europe’s manga campaign. Her work also

appeared in the British film Popcorn.

Leong is a core member of Sweatdrop Studios, the

leading UK manga collaborative and independent

publisher. She works in a variety of media, including

watercolor, pen and ink, screen tone, alcohol-based

color markers, pencils, and digital.

Sonia Leong

93

Sonia Leong

Job:05-19413 Title:Creating Comics

#175 P DTP:204 Page:93

(RAY)

060-119_19413.indd 93 5/25/10 8:47:54 PM