Starting your own webcomic is more appealing than ever thanks to the popularity of platforms like Webtoon, which is why many of us jump headfirst into our first project, leading to very long periods of time for very poor results that will leave you a little sad.

 

But don't worry! In this post, I will teach you everything I've learned in my comic creation process so you can survive your first comic.

Or if you prefer, you can watch this post in video format here;

(If eng subs are not yet available, please wait a couple hours/days)

1.-Turn your photos into backgrounds

If there's one thing I've learned in my process, it's that backgrounds will take up most of your time. But did you know there are ways to cheat?

 

Nobody has time to spend 4 hours painting the background of a panel that your readers will probably only see for a second, so don't feel bad about using this trick. However, it's very important! Remember to only use your own photos or photos you have the rights to, and avoid Google photos as much as possible, or you could run into copyright issues.

Let's turn this image into just lines that we can also color later if our comic isn't black and white. I have two ways to do this; the first is only for Clip Studio EX, but the other is the version for PRO users.

For EX users:

This process is the easiest. Below the color wheel and navigator is "Layer Property" in the EX version, the symbol of two circles is added; if you click it, the lines transform automatically. You only need a couple of clicks, move some sliders, and you can create a fantastic result like the one below in PNG, which will allow you to continue working on the image with transparency.

For PRO users:

Unfortunately, for us, this will take a bit more work, and we'll have to tweak it a bit more, but even so, I'm sure it will streamline your workflow.

 

IMPORTANT: Before starting, duplicate the image you are going to work on.

 

To create the lines, I'm going to: Filter > Effect > Picturize.

 

Once there, use the "Line" mode. You can change the parameters as much as your image needs; the only important thing is that the line opacity should be at 100 and that everything below Line Smoothing will do nothing.

This gave me a result like this:

Since there was too much information at the top, I returned to the initial image we duplicated earlier. This time, before applying the effect, I was going to blur the image, so I went to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur.

Carefully increase the blur until the lines are no longer sharp but still visible, and then repeat the previous process of Filter > Effect > Picturize. It will take more effort to extract lines, but the result is much cleaner, as you will see below:

Color Images

To turn photos into color drawings, the process is similar. For this image, we will also duplicate the photo layer.

 

In the first, we will go to Effect > Picturize and use only the "Color" mode.

In the second, we will apply Blur > Gaussian Blur and then Effect > Picturize in "Color and Line" mode.

 

Choose the parts of both that you like best and assemble them like a puzzle. Once that is done, go to Selection > Select Color Gamut and choose the shadow colors. In a new Multiply layer, paste an almost white blue, lilac, or pink color. I used pinks. Repeat this process as many times as necessary.

 

Afterward, I added three color gradients, one originating from the sky and another from the ground. And an internal one that separates the plane of the cars from that of the buildings. I replaced the sky with a drawn one, and ta-da, the result would look something like this.

Using 3D for repeated scenarios

Clip Studio offers 3D backgrounds. To download them, you can simply drag the one you like most onto your canvas and wait a few seconds. Very convenient, right?

 

If you want to start one from scratch or add new objects to an existing one, the process is the same. Drag objects from the 3D folder onto your canvas and arrange them as you like. You can rotate them, move them, and resize them. If you need more, you can easily download them from Clip Studio Assets.

 

Once everything is placed, click on Edit > Register Material > Template. Give it a name, choose where to save it, and you're done!

3D to save your life

3D is very useful when you have to draw a character in a position you don't quite understand or from a very difficult perspective. I also use 3D when I need to draw many extras in very small sizes.

 

It's very fast, but remember to use it as an aid and not as a replacement, or you will never improve your anatomy drawing skills.

 

You can also use it for objects that repeat many times. For example, I drew a chapter with many boats, so to avoid dying trying, I downloaded boat models to place in my backgrounds:

Color Swatches

This is super simple to do, but believe me, it will speed up your coloring. Possibly in the same tab where the color wheel is, you'll find the color swatches. They are a bunch of little squares with a bunch of colors.

Click on the wrench icon and select "Add new settings," name your project to easily recognize it, and register your colors. The order to do this is: click on the space > select the color > add color (a droplet with a +).

No overflowing (not going outside the lines)

Painting and not going outside your lines sounds like a dream, but believe me, it's possible.

 

First, select the layer with your line art; everything should be on the same layer. Then select this icon (if you don't have it, update your Clip Studio):

Now create a new layer. That's where we'll apply the color.

 

Choose your preferred brush and copy the specifications from the image below, and you're done! If you don't believe me, try it; it will save you hours of work.

Layer Effects for Shadows/Highlights

Using the color swatches you previously chose is very useful, but there are times when the background light is completely different, and the colors look very out of place. Don't worry and keep the same colors.

 

On a new layer, with a clipping mask over our colors, we will use a multiply layer with the main background color brought to white (move up in the color square). If the multiplication is still too strong, lower its opacity.

 

In the video, I show how I create an underwater scene with a blue on a multiply layer and a yellow on a vivid light layer to create the lights. If any of the colors you've chosen don't convince you, you don't have to start over, relax! Use Ctrl + U on your keyboard and modify the colors until you like them.

 

Super fast and simple.

If your computer allows it, go up to at least 350px

Pixels are very important in webcomic creation. The format is very long vertically but not very wide. Therefore, many times when we zoom in, it's impossible to draw small details without it becoming heavily pixelated.

The more pixels we add to our image, the more we will prevent our panels from ending up like the first one, and it will give us much more freedom to work on our project.

Vector Layer Line Art

This is as simple as it sounds. Next time you do your line art, you might want to do it on a vector layer. This allows it to be edited very easily by control points, changing the thickness to a thinner/thicker one if you need it, and most importantly, it will cause less trouble if you increase or decrease the size of your image.

Plan and Slice Your Comics

Some of the things I will mention below are only for Clip Studio EX, but I also attach some free resources that can help.

(EX) Next time you start a new chapter, choose Comic > Webtoon 3 and set the number of pages to about 20. Don't worry if there are too many or not enough; you can change it later. This will give you columns; if you don't like them, you can change them in View > Fit to Screen, and it will appear like reading a webcomic.

 

These divisions allow you to load 3D models and other materials without fear of your computer crashing due to too much weight. I don't know if their purpose is different, but they seem like an advantage to me for that reason. To select one and start working, double-click.

By selecting the On-Screen Display Area (webtoon), an area will be created where you can see what a reader would see when scrolling up and down your comic. This can help us plan the spacing of our panels and the size of scrolling panels.

 

It's easy to control once you understand details such as that there should be a maximum of 2 panels in a square and that a scrolling panel is at least one and a half (squares).

 

It's a bit complicated to explain in text, so I recommend watching the video for more graphic examples.

Once you finish your chapter, if you have used the details above, you can easily export it by clicking on File > Export Webtoon and copying the specifications below:

If you haven't followed the previous steps or don't have EX, don't worry! There's a solution for you too.

 

Below I leave the link to Croppy, a page that slices your chapters for you. You just have to choose if you want to upload to Tapas, Webtoon, or both, choose a PNG or PSD file, and that's it!

A .zip file will be downloaded. Unzip it, and you'll have a folder with images ready to upload. If you don't have an unzipping program, you can download WinRAR online.

Use Assets more than the library

This might be the most obvious point, but no less important for that.

 

I can't count the number of times I've needed something strangely specific and found it in Assets. Many times, our projects require many details that we simply can't draw due to lack of time or that we didn't know we needed.

 

Check it frequently, but remember: be smart with your downloads. You don't need 200 brushes, and downloading so many will not only slow down your PC but also your workflow by having to search through a ton of materials you don't need.

 

 

And that's all, I hope it has been useful!