Comic artists tools

Reinventing Comics: This book is definitely for older comic artists interested in learning more about what makes a comic a comic: what the lifetime of the art of comics look like, how the business works, gender and race representation, and the future of digital production. Understanding Comics: This is the big one. The one my graphic novel teacher had us read and study. Scott McCloud examines comics as art and looks into their history. He talks about techniques and the cultural impact comics have on our world.

A super interesting read written in the style of a comic book. Making Comics: This book focuses on the making of comics. He discusses how to craft facial expressions, framing, story-telling and more, all in the same style as the other two books. Figure Drawing: Design and Invention : A figure drawing book with a more tame cover but the contents that are just as good. It goes from gesture drawings to muscle movement to full-figure sketching.

Definitely something for older kids interested in drawing I got this in high school and used it throughout college for figure studies. Blank Comic Book for Kids: A nice starter book for kids who have no patience for rulers, but are interested in making their own comics. A small warning though — this paper is not bristol board! Krisp Blank Comic Book: This is similar to the book above, BUT the cover is totally blank so your kiddo can make their own comic book cover.

Pen Triangular Ruler Set: These rulers are super helpful for drafting up comic boxes or throwing together perspective lines. They make the work quick and easy for squaring things off. It gives you super-clean eraser lines and works as a ruler in a pinch. Parblo Two-Finger Glove: Got an artist interested in digital artwork?

Perhaps a lefty? Has problems with smudges? This glove has saved me from many a graphite smear and smudging up my drawing tablet. It also aids in letting your hand glide easier across a page or screen. Creative Mark Leaning Bridge: Definitely something that I have depended on while inking pages in the past.

I have shaky hands, and being able to rest my hand on something without fear of smudging up my work has been lovely. Prismacolor Manga Color Set: These pencils have a soft core that allows the pigmentation to be more vibrant, while also lending to easier blending and shading.

Ohuhu Watercolor Brush Markers: These looked so cool and reminded me of the brush pens I suggested earlier for inking. They act like watercolor paints but in a brush pen form, which is a lot more manageable.

They can be thinned with water as well. These markers are a much more affordable option for beginner artists and also have a colorless blender that works just like the way Copics do. Artist Colored Pencils: Think of these like a step up from colored pencils.

The color cores in these are softer than traditional Crayola pencils, which means more vibrant colors and easier glide. Squirrel Girl Tee: Does anyone else love tees with just white text on them? How about Squirrel Girl? Here is detailed information about these beginner comic art supplies. Pencil: When you are just starting, you can use just about any pencil and other supplies that you can get your hands on; as you improve, you will need to look for pencils in different grades that will help you to create the effects that you need.

When you are learning to draw, a 2B pencil will be ideal for you; this can be used to produce the deep blacks and also the soft grays. If you intend to make small sketches, mechanical pencils will be more suitable for the job because they are available in a range of grades and sizes and they have a fine point, so you will not have to worry about sharpening the pencil frequently; however, these pencils do not work well for large drawings that may need shading.

You would end up spending a lot of time and effort to make a large drawing with these pencils; instead, it would be more appropriate to use a wood pencil with a thick lead. Drawing paper: There are scores of options to choose from when buying drawing paper; many of these are more suitable for experienced artist as they can be used to create a plethora of textures.

As a beginner, photocopy paper will be the ideal choice for you because it can withstand a lot of erasing without getting damaged; also it is quite inexpensive alternatively, you could purchase a sketch book; these are available in a variety of sizes and grades.

Erasers: A small white plastic eraser should do just fine when you are starting off; ensure that you buy a good quality eraser that does not ruin the paper. Never use an ink eraser on drawing paper as there is a likelihood of the paper tearing.

Sharpeners: You will also need a good sharpener to keep your pencils in good shape; any good sharpener whether mechanical or manual should do. For those who are moving on to a more detailed approach, here are some recommended tools. Pencils: As an advanced artist, you will need to have an assortment of pencils; these are available in 12 grades from H which is the hardest, F medium , HB and B which stands for black to 2B which gives bold blacks and is soft right up to 9B which is the softest.

You can use pencils of different grades to create the desired effect in your drawing. LeadHolder Clutch Pencil : Very similar to mechanical pencils, leadholders have thicker leads a px mm. We recommend the iPad Pro. You'll also really need a digital pen to make the most of it, especially as you can accidentally add marks when you're using fingers to zoom and rotate.

Comic Life 3 is a little different to other comic creators on this list. You can make comics here by importing images and photos, which are then treated with a stylized filter to make them look and feel like comics.

This is a really neat way to show off your narrative skills, even if you don't have any aptitude for drawing and illustrating. You can add a variety of speech bubbles to create dialogue, and there are plenty of pre-made background to choose from to add variety to your scenarios.

Comic Life 3 draws on the fonts already available on your computer, and it has a built-in spell checker, which is a rarity among comic makers. You can even set sound effects to play when you're both reading your comic and creating it, which will delight younger creatives. The downside is that there are no layer options, and you don't have a choice when it comes to adding a comic filter to anything you upload. So if you want to add something that's already comic styled, it will still get an extra comic filter added to it.

It's a simple program to use, relatively cheap, and it gets great results - especially for those who don't have the art skills to create their own comics from scratch.

If you're looking for something truly simple then Pixton is ideal. It's perfect for kids, family, and educational use, and you can get various versions of Pixton based on what you'll primarily be using it for. You get a free trial too, so you can play around with the basic version before you commit to buying.

Pixton uses all pre-made assets, and there are plenty available, although you are restricted to quite young-looking comics here. Ideal for the target audience. You can customize pre-made characters to a surprising extent, and you can move them about to create poses, shifting legs, arms, heads etc to make dynamic scenes. Fonts come with the software too, so you don't need to import them from your computer. Pixton is browser-based too, so requires no download, which means you don't need a fancy PC or Mac to run it.

It's very basic, and perfect for younger audiences, but its lack of creation tools, layers, and import options will leave more experienced users cold. We spent some time on each of the platforms, testing out the range of tools and features available. When compiling this ranking, we also took into account things like price, ease of use, and availability across digital platforms.

The price of comic book software varies depending on the type of tools, the amount of tools the creator has and the features you want.

Your skill level is an important factor to consider when purchasing a comic maker, as the more expensive programs are designed for high skill levels and maybe daunting for a novice.

Another important consideration is how far you want to progress as a comic book artist - as the more complex programs will let you grow without limits. If you are shopping for comic book software for a child, we recommend starting with a cheaper program, so they can try out comic book creation before you dig deep into your wallet. If you want professional software to grow into, we recommend Clip Studio Paint.

The most important illustration tools are the brushes that come with a comic book program. This includes mediums like markers, pens, and pencils. The best comic creators also allow you to create your own brushes so you can achieve your desired effects.

The best comic book software allows you to import outside sources so you can use sketches, characters, and backgrounds that you have created in other programs or scanned. Most comic book makers allow you to add text to your comics. A few of them provide additional tools like font choices or word balloons to enhance your scenes. Spelling errors and poor word choice can seriously detract from your narrative, which is why it is best to choose a program that comes with a spell checker and a dictionary.

Unfortunately, only a few programs offer this last feature. We recommend using a word processor program to write and spell check your dialogue, then copy and paste the text into your comic. Creating comics digitally is more convenient than traditional methods, especially when you factor in the ability to work in layers and compatibility with graphics tablets.

Layers allow you to view, select and enhance specific parts of your art so it is easier to edit. If you are planning to create your own characters from scratch, choose programs that work with graphics tablets — they make it easier to create backgrounds and characters. Pre-made page templates and special effects can inspire story ideas, as well as help you frame your scenes quickly. The best programs allow you to work with many file types, as well as export your creations to a variety of image file types.

The more options you have, the more you can do with your artwork.