What You Need for Streaming Art Sessions
By swikan on November 22nd, 2009Posted In: Art, Promotion, Technique
On November 14, I attended my first convention as a cartoonist with my own booth. (DWEX in Dallas, Texas, USA) It was also the first year that this convention was presented! I’m making notes on various things I have learned or observed as I was preparing for and attending DWEX.
Part 2: Working up the Nerve to Meet Other Artists
I admit it. I’m a grown woman who turns into a startstruck, squealy, gibbering fangirl in front of the creators of comics and books that I enjoy. I can’t even ask the questions I want to ask, much less ask to pose for a picture because I’m staring all starry-eyed at these people. So what can I offer to help you?
Well, as you can see from my DWEX report, I actually DID get some pictures and autographs! Why did I have the nerve to meet some creators and not others? I have a few thoughts on that:
Before I left, I made a list of all the people I specifically wanted to meet who were attending the convention. Once I got home, I checked off the people I met . The unchecked people were the folks I was too shy to approach. I immediately noticed a pattern, all the people I wanted to meet who I actually DID meet were those I had interaction with online!
So here’s my BIG TIP for finding the courage to meet other artists: INTERACT WITH THEM ONLINE!!
Every single one of the web comickers I actually spoke to are ones I had “met” and interacted with online. It automatically gives you something to say to open a conversation: “I’m so glad to finally meet you in person!”
Once again, I’m not going to throw you to the wolves with nothing. Here are some ways to interact with other cartoonists along with some tips from me:
[ 5 Comments ]
On November 14, I attended my first convention as a cartoonist with my own booth. (DWEX in Dallas, Texas, USA) It was also the first year that this convention was presented! I’m making notes on various things I have learned or observed as I was preparing and presenting. I would love your comments. Let me know your thoughts, or at least if you find any of this useful or interesting.
Part 1: Working up the Nerve to Attend Your First Convention.
It’s one thing to sit in your room/studio and work on your comic, and then put it up on the internet for the world to see and judge while you stay safe at home. It’s quite another to take that same work and stand next to it yourself. Such confidence seems to come so naturally to some people, but the thought of going to this con gave me that “deer in the headlights” kind of feeling. I was so anxious, I couldn’t do anything, but the event date was coming closer and closer!
And it’s not just presenting your work to the public that is intimidating, either. It’s taking the opportunity to discuss comics and craft with other people whose work you admire. You want to meet these folks and participate in the dialog but you’re too shy. EVERYONE wants to meet them! What if they think you’re a pest? What if they already know your work and hate it? What if they think you’re hopeless and shoot you down? What if….?
Have you felt these insecurities firsthand? Do you know someone like that? Maybe what I’ve learned can help. ↓ Read the rest of this entry…
[ 4 Comments ]
[flv]http://vid231.photobucket.com/albums/ee79/witchytech/sketch%20out/How%20To/EasyPhotoshopTalkBalloons-1.flv[/flv]
Discussion of each step below:
Step 1: Create an Ellipse Beneath Your Text. The ellipse tool can be found in the Photoshop tool box (the little window where you select brush or eraser, etc.). If you’ve never used the ellipse tool, you will find it under the symbol that looks like a diagonal line (the “line tool”). Click and hold the line tool and the other options will pop up. Select “Ellipse Tool” from the list.
At the top of your Photoshop window are the options for the shape tools. Check to make sure “Shape Layer” or “New Layer” is selected. It will be an empty square with dots in the corners (see image). Make sure the color selected is white. Click and drag the ellipse tool to the size you want and let go (you can adjust the size and position now if you need to).
Witchy Tip: The tool will automatically create the ellipse on a new layer ABOVE the layer you currently have selected. So do not have the text layer selected when making your talk balloon. Have the layer directly under your text selected. Now when you make your ellipse, it will appear under your text.
Step 2: Rasterize the Layer. This changes the shape from a vector layer to a regular layer. It is important to do this before outlining to insure that your outline is nice and smooth. From the “Layer” dropdown menu, select “Rasterize” and the select “Layer” (you may also select “shape”).
Step 3: Style the Layer with a Stroke: This adds the black outline to the balloon. From the “Layer” dropdown menu, select “Layer Style.” From the styles listed, Select “Stroke.” A new window will pop up. In the “Position” box, select “Inside” to make our tail’s point nice and sharp. You can also change the width of your outline (in the video, I change 3 to 5). The stroke color defaults to red so you can see it. Change it to black and hit “okay” to close the window and apply the stroke. You should now have a talk balloon with a black border around your text. It’s time to make the tail!
Step 4: Make the Tail with the Polygonal Lasso. If you’ve made adjustments to your art, make sure you are still in your ellipse layer. From the Photoshop tool box select the polygonal lasso tool. (If you don’t see it, click and hold the “lasso tool” until the others pop up. You DO NOT want the “magnetic” one.) Create a triangle from the talk balloon to the character with the lasso tool.
Witchy Tip: Make it a little wider than you want it because the stroke goes INSIDE your selection.
Step 5: Fill the Selected Area to Complete the Tail. Using the paintbrush or the fill bucket, fill in the triangle you just made. If you use the paint bucket, you may have to tap it on the inside line of the balloon. As you can see, the stroke goes around the tail for you.
Step 6: Deselect the tail. That’s it! You’re done with that talk balloon. It should be looking pretty snazzy.
To make a curved tail requires a few more steps and making more ellipses, but I find this works just fine and is easy for Photoshop beginners to grasp.
From Lucky Star
Even comic book novices can tell the difference between a Japanese Manga/Anime style comic and a Western-style comic: The Eastern-style character has large expressive eyes with small nose and mouth. Emotions are expressed with symbols and backgrounds. A Western-style character has a face of even proportions and emotions are expressed with exaggerated mouth expression and posture/gestures.
Why is there such a fundamental difference between the comic art of the two cultures? Researchers may have the answer:
[ 6 Comments ]
