This is the first of a two-part series on creating a page for a new project. This page is for an upcoming comic with writers Shannon Eric Denton and Kevin Grevioux called Ironkiller, set in a post-apocalyptic hell world occupied by demons and recreated through evil magic.
Here we'll cover how I design and make decisions on the characters and world, and how to tell a story that both moves the action along and establishes the setting. This is especially important in a new project, as we need to quickly give the reader an understanding of the environment and the stakes riding on the story.
We'll also go over my process for working a page from rough layout to finished ink, and some of the tricks I use. I'll also talk about how to handle matters when the page goes awry or changes are needed.
I tend to start my work in my sketchbook, then move the sketches to the computer, print them out, work in pencil, and so on. It's a backand-forth process. With each iteration I'm adding, rethinking and refining until I get to the final ink. Sometimes, as in this case, I even have last-minute changes, but it's all part of making an exciting page!
1 Design the characters
I want our main character, Gale, to feel like a tough-as-nails creation out of the Mad Max world, with a little Dungeons and Dragons hero mixed in. I went back and forth with writers Shannon Eric Denton and Kevin Grevioux before we ended up with a fun, gritty character.
2 Create the world
The world is supposed to be our own after a magical calamity where demons walk the Earth, so I wanted there to be recognisable, modern landmarks mixed with a crazy hellscape. I used New York as the basis for the buildings and then added some gravity-defying demonic elements too. I used Photoshop here to collage a vision board of what I wanted the world to look like.
This story is from the July 2023 edition of ImagineFX.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 2023 edition of ImagineFX.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
First Impressions - Glenn Arthur
Influences from Disneyland shape the artist’s work
THE ART OF BRIAN SUM
Dominic Carter talks to the mech master about honing his cyberpunk visions, character designs, and his new artbook
Karla Diaz
Clean and cosy Discover a studio of two halves as the Chilean comic artist gives us the grand tour
A day in the life of...Daniel Hyun Lim
Learn smart The illustrator and storyboard artist opens up on his non-stop schedule, and explains why new graduates need to spend their time wisely
MATTAHAN
Dominic Carter talks to the EarthNight artist about making art for video games and how he keeps his creativity sharp
Technique focus: FIND THE RIGHT TOOLS
LEONARDO GONZALEZ explains why specific pens and pencils are so important to his creative process, including his Pokémon fan art
FXPosé
SHOWCASING THE FINEST TRADITIONAL ARTISTS
Technique focus: EMBRACE REFERENCES
Alone Lee explores being inspired by emotions, observations, and imagination
Procreate: CREATE A BOLD FAN ART PORTRAIT
Bo Feng Lin shares the process behind his quirky Wednesday Addams painting, which features suitably abstract elements
Emily Chapman
My aesthetic A personal haven where bloomcore meets splashes of boho, pastel and RGB