1. Introduction

Hello, my name is DioveL and this is my first time posting here! I work as a writer and co-artist for certain webtoon and now, I’m going to show you how to work on webtoon-

 

Using a potato laptop!

 

Because that's what I do anyway. I worked for 4 years with almost weekly crash and it often left me with a massive headache. So, I'm going to show you how to make webtoon with minimal layers.

 

2. Canvas size

First, you need to set up a canvas. Canvas size may vary depending on the format but from what I know, the upload size usually around 700x1000 pixels or 800x1280 pixels per page. For those who want to work on a larger canvas, can extend the size however they like. Many works by extending the height so they can work on multiple pages at a time.

 

I usually work using 700x5000 pixels and 300 dpi but some computer cough my laptop can't handle larger canvas before it crashes. I had worked using 700x1000 pixels too using my even older laptop.

 

To create a canvas go to file > new and something like this would pop out.

 

Click OK and your canvas is ready to go. It should look like this.

3. Script + Storyboard

It's important to have a script and storyboard before making a webtoon. I usually made the script in Ms. Word and it looks like this:

I typed the page number, setting and time as details. Each highlight represents the dialogue in one panel. It doesn't have to be like this, though.

 

Once you got the dialogue, you can already imagine the scene and now, what you have to do is turn the script into a storyboard. The storyboard phase can also act as the sketch phase. From the script above, my storyboard turns out like this:

 

(this is probably something only I can understand lol)

 

The storyboard doesn't have to be super detailed, even nonsensical doodle like this one is good as long as you (and your partner, if you have one) can understand.

 

4. Paneling/framing

You can either use rectangle tool or frame border tool for paneling.

Frame border tool:

 

^ this one

Drag away the cursor and it should look like this.

If you use frame border, your drawing won’t cross the border!

Another is Rectangle tool

Click the icon above the frame border icon (it can changes shape). Then choose rectangle or any shape you might need. If you want to edit the rectangles later without erasing it, use rectangle tool on a vector layer.

I use rectangle tools methods because it's less confusing, though.

5. Sketching

As the name suggests, this is the time to start sketching. I describe this phase as 'a phase when you fix your terrible storyboard’. You start by adding a bit of detail from your storyboard scribbles, including anatomy fix, clothes fix or background plan. You can skip this step if your storyboard is enough for you to start lining.

 

My sketching phase went like this:

 

When you find a how-to-even-draw-this pose, Clip paint studio offers a handy, built-in 3D model!

 

Just drag and drop them from the material menu, they come with both male and female models.

 

You might find it hard to adjust the models at first (especially the hands), but with practice, you’ll get better. Just make sure to save first because I had a case when the software freeze for a while after I dragged the model to my canvas (the fault is on my laptop, not the software. Don’t worry!).

5. Lineart

Lineart is simply a more solid drawing than the sketch. It is easier to add base color once lineart has been made.

 

My lineart phase went like this, and for me, lineart is the longest process.

 

I use turnip pen, available as basic tools on Clip Paint Studio, with size ranging from 2.5 to 5 pixels, depends on what kind of panel shot I’m working on (ex: close up panels means I’m going to use bigger pen size). To start, I adjust the opacity of the sketch layer to around 15-20 and put the layer behind the lineart layer then I start making lines.

I keep the layer minimal to 4-7 per canvas. For building/objects/whatever things that are not the human character, I usually use vector layers.

Tips: If you're easily confused, giving an appropriate name to these layers helps!

 

This is the result of my lineart phase.

6. Base Color

Color becomes one of the most important aspects of a webtoon, as opposed to black-and-white comic. There is no specific way of how to pick the color on webtoon so just use any color/pallets as you see fit. You can try to find inspiration from another webtoon on how to pick the color.

 

To start adding base color, Clip paint studio have this super cool Fill tool which lets you fill the color with just dragging it across your lineart, making adding base color a breeze!

 

My base color phase only takes several minutes and it turns out like this.

 

I add layer painted in green behind the base color layer helps to make sure there is no color coming out of the lineart.

 

I also keep my base color layers to 4-6. Only clothing layers take several layers depends on how many colors used, and in the end, I merged them away.

 

Tips: Keep a palette like this to help with color picking. Webtoons is a repeated process and you wouldn't want to keep walking back and forth between different pages just to pick the color!

7. Shading + lighting

Adding shading and lighting help gives a sense of dimension (and wow glow) to your drawing. Many artists goes to great length with shading and lighting to create an elaborate drawing, but guess what-

 

My. Laptop. Can’t. Handle. All. These. Layers.

 

So in this part, I will just give a tip on how to minimize the shading/lighting layer.

 

1. For shading, pick a color, Set layer to Multiply, and slap those colors away!

2. For lighting, pick a color, set the layer to Overlay/Add, and slap those colors away!

 

As I explained before, color picking is entirely up to you. Things to consider though, these shading and lighting could help determine the mood of your panel (darker color would mean dire, scary or sad situation, while brighter color would mean happiness), so choose your color accordingly!

 

Taking my webtoon as an example, I choose a darker blue for shading and light blue as lighting.

 

Put your lineart and base color inside a folder, and Put those layers multiply/overlay layers above the folder! Simple!

 

I realized that this kind of coloring will look dull on the character's skin, so especially on skin, I put a separate shading layer like this.

 

Create a new layer above the skin layer, clip it, then use any color appropriate to your base skin color. I choose a pinkish color.

 

The result of my shading looks like this:

8. Background

The background is actually done before the shading/lighting phase to help determine the panel's mood, but it would be confusing to cut the coloring process explanation so I put it here after shading.

 

I'm no expert on background but in short, you can either draw the background yourself (which usually takes long), uses models as reference, or simply drag the background model to your webtoons. Programs like sketchup or blender are commonly used to provide these models.

 

But let me demonstrate to you a poor-man background!

 

I usually draw background using Figure Tool in Vector layer, so that I can edit it easily

.

Let’s pretend I’m drawing a balcony in this panel.

 

First, I fill the frame with a base background color. This panel happens outdoor on a sunny day, so I pick blue as the base. To create the balcony, I use Straight line and Rectangle from Figure tool.

Then I add some gradient from using Gradient tool.

Then I add some base color on the said balcony.

Slab the ol' multiply layer on the wall.

Add some cloud to make it believable (lol).

I use a cloud brush from here:

Lastly, add some detail like those low opacity houses from a distance.

9. Adding Text

I usually add texts after converting the panels into JPEG first. Why? Because adding texts also add tons of layers, and it makes navigating the canvas even harder.

“Good luck finding that black dot you forgot to erase among these layers...”

 

So first, to convert the canvas, simply click File> Export (Single Layer) > Choose ‘JPEG’

 

When the next dialogue pop up, adjust accordingly and click OK. My setting is like this.

 

Once you got it converted, drag the images back into the software to start adding text.

 

But wait-

 

Oh no, the panels is too tight together and if I add texts it will ruin the panels!

 

Worry not!

 

Go to Edit > Change Canvas Size. Change the Height to your desired size. (You can do the same with width, but it's not recommended because your panels current width can't fit the new width).

 

And voila, you just add more space to your image! You can start selecting the panel and adjusting the spaces between them. Use Grid if you need to

 

The result should look like this. More space to breathe!

 

You can do this even if you separate your work on 700x1000 pixels canvas like below. Just create a new canvas with your desired length, copy-paste these panels inside the new canvas and adjust accordingly.

Adding the text itself is very easy.

 

Go to Ballon > pick the speech bubble you need > place it on your image.

 

You might need Grid to help with placement. The automatic balloon tail is also useful to show which speech bubble said by whom.

On top of the speech bubble, add text from Text tool.

 

The font I used is Anime Ace 2.0 BB.

The size of the texts depends on how big the speech bubble.

Line alignment is center.

 

10. Cropping

Since the upload size is small (usually only 700x1000 pixels or 800x1280 pixels), those images need some cropping or slicing. I use slice tools on photoshop, but mine can only handle up to 8000 pixels (height), so my whole images can't be more than that.

 

Slicing in photoshop is rather easy too, and the slice size can be set up first. To slice, just drag the tools to the images and it will set up a slice mark.

 

To convert the slice to separate images, click CTRL +SHIFT + ALT + S together. After adjusting the setting, just click OK.

In the end, my webtoon looks like this.

11. Tips

After working continuously on weekly update for 4 years, here are some tips for those who want to start making webtoon, or possibly making webtoon as their choice of career:

 

• Learn how to make a chapter during a set of time. My team's first webtoon took weeks to finish a chapter but now we can finish it in 3 days. Webtoon, especially the official one, has weekly deadline and unable to create the chapter will result in a cut of your payment! Time is the essence!

 

• Read a lot of webtoons to enrich yourself! The world of webtoons (or comic, in general) is vast and you will be able to learn a lot of the many authors' artstyle and storytelling techniques.

 

• Find your rhythm! To be honest, making webtoons is exhausting and you need to keep yourself from being burned out. Set up a schedule to accommodate yourself!

 

• Take a break every time you can! Many webtoon authors develop carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) after years of continuous work, and it's not good. CTS hinders with work more than you thought, so better be safe than sorry.

 

• It helps to have a template of your character’s faces and body from every angle possible. You’ll save yourself from having to sketch from scratch for every panel.

 

• I can’t stress this enough but please- get a partner or some assistants. I suppose you can work alone if you only produce 4-10 panels a week, but average webtoon has 50-100+ panels and unless you have the preparation, or possibly not human, you can't do this alone with your mind still intact! You can avoid burnout and at least will have someone to talk through the hard times called deadlines!

 

• Last but not least, please, please, please. NO TRACING OTHER PEOPLE WORKS. There are many 3D models software and apps available, including here in Clip Paint Studio. Use them. Tracing is possibly the highest crime in artist world so unless you want to have your work taken down for eternity, please refrain from tracing. I've seen several webtoons got taken down because of tracing and it's hard for them to recover because the official publisher will hardly accept tracer nowadays!

 

12. Afterword

Unlike what most people thought, being a webtoon artist is hard. It's a road less taken because you will mostly sacrifice your sleep hour, with not-so-high payment unless yours is crazy popular. The satisfaction of having your children (AKA characters) being alive on those panels, however, will feel like heaven. Like mine, whose children now live inside a webtoon, I want yours to live too.

 

This is the first time I created a guide, and since English is not my first language, you might find a lot of mistakes here. Even so, I hope that my guide could help you with your webtoons. May you and your webtoon get popular and gets lots of love from their readers! Cheers!

 

You can also check on my Instagram @diove_ or my Tumblr diodiora.tumblr.com