/ic/ - Artwork/Critique

Some western / indie publishers of Manga:

Saturday AM ( https://www.saturday-am.com/ )
> Digital indie magazine, seems to be on the up-and-up
> Open submissions for long-form series; also distributes series currently being published elsewhere.
> Regularly publishes one-shots, making it a good potential outlet for already-finished work.

Noir Caesar ( https://www.noircaesar.com/ )
> Focuses on black (specifically African-American) content, but seems willing to publish anyone good enough.
> Seemingly series-based only.
> No "magazine" style updates; series are updated on their own schedule.
> Seems less regular than Saturday AM, but also seems larger in terms of readership.

Oni Press ( https://onipress.com/ )
> Technically indie, but at this point large enough by comic standards to be mentioned in the same breath as other publishers.

Antarctic Press ( https://antarctic-press.myshopify.com/ )
> Longtime large-indie publisher of OEL / manga-esque books.
> Seemingly taking submissions at present if http://www.antarctic-press.com/html/submissions.php is anything to go on.

Yen Press ( https://yenpress.com/ )
> Started out as a small indie publisher of original / Korean material, and has grown reasonably popular since.
> As of 2016, it is also one of the western arms of the Kadokawa Corporation, with Kadokawa owning a 51% stake.
> Editorial inquiries can apparently be sent to yenpress@yenpress.com, however, they apparently are not open to new submissions at this time.

Viz Media / Viz Originals ( https://www.viz.com/originals )
> *The* western manga publisher.
> Currently in the exploratory stages of setting up an English label.
> Submissions are open and several books have been announced. However, progress on the label seems to be moving very slowly.
> Still might be worth a shot anyway.

Shrine Comics ( https://shrinecomics.com/ )
> Small indie manga publisher
> Seemingly attempting to make the transition to physical volumes
> Allows crossposting to other sites

Other open comic publishers:

Dark Horse ( https://www.darkhorse.com )
>Dark Horse still welcomes your submissions, and all submissions will still be reviewed, just as they always have been.
>All unsolicited story/series proposals must have a full creative team on board. Writer-only proposals will not be reviewed.

Image comics ( https://imagecomics.com/ )
>Image Comics only publishes creator-owned material. They do not contract creators; they’re only interested in publishing original content for which you would retain all rights.
>Image Comics publishes creator-owned/creator-generated properties and THEY DON’T PAY PAGE RATES. Image takes a small flat fee off the books published, and it will be the responsibility of the creators to determine the division of the remaining pay between their creative team members.

Drawn and quarterly ( https://drawnandquarterly.com/ )
>Please email a low resolution PDF with at least 20 pages of comics and cover letter to submissions. Do not send dropbox links, scripts, or proposals. Please read our submissions FAQ.

Fantagraphics ( https://www.fantagraphics.com/ )
>submission page: https://www.fantagraphics.com/pages/faq

Top Shelf Productions ( https://www.topshelfcomix.com/ )
>Regarding submissions, we're easy. Just email us a download link of what you'd like us to review. NOTE: We cannot accept cover letters, plot synopses, or scripts unless they are accompanied by a minimum of 10-20 completed pages (i.e., fully inked and lettered comic book pages).

Additional publisher lists:
> https://jasonthibault.com/definitive-list-comic-publisher-submission-guidelines/
> https://writingtipsoasis.com/best-independent-comic-book-publishers/

Current Contests:

Tottori: https://www.pref.tottori.lg.jp/mangacontest/

SMAC: Silent Manga Audition
https://www.manga-audition.com/

Webtoons: Call to Action
webtoons.com

Kyoto Manga 2022
https://medibang.com/contest/kyoto-manga2022/

How (You) can help /mmg/:

> Know about a contest or a publishing opportunity? TAG THE OP and post a link.
> Have a new resource? TAG THE OP and link / mention it for inclusion.
> Have a link / DL for a mentioned resource? TAG THE OP and mention what you're supplying a link for.
> SCREENSHOT / PASTEBIN effortposts that help you for posterity.

Why are there so many spics here?

Page 1

>>6168238
>why are there so many weebs on a weebsite

>>6168238
We are naturally weebish and dumb enough to make comics a hobby.

https://tapas.io/series/Wings-Of-Daera

>>6168468
oh this is wonderful, what is it about?

>>6168578
Thanks. Story goes like this but I might change some stuff as the pages go by:
>girl is cursed
>curse slowly turns her into a dragon
>girl wanders into the world trying to find a cure

I haven't been making my manga lately but I'd like your guys opinion on the title of it.

Andriod Angel: CD

>>6169040
Terrible name but it matches the skill level.

>>6169045
Can you example why it’s terrible instead of being a crab?

>>6169058
Explain*

>>6168468
I love this please continue to post your work

>>6169058
Well to start, you didn't even spell android right.

>>6169098
Okay, fair enough.
What does that have to do with the actual title?

>>6169040
I’ll bite. What does the CD stand for?

>>6169324
So the premise of the story is that the main character wants to prove that he is worthwhile. So he programs an advanced AI called Angel and puts it on a CD. He gets attacked, the CD entering his body and infusing him with the AI. Magical girl shit happen and he turns into an Android.
Is it stupid? yes.
Is it fun concept? I like to think so.

Why the fuck i have suck a bad luck, i fuck up my left arm, i got bite, a weird bios update makes my laptop go up and down with brightness on their own, i fuck up my right arm, and now i got sick, please god find another warrior, i just want to finish my entry without getting fuck up

>>6168218
whats the sauce on the op pic?

>>6169905
Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist's Journey

I finished the SMA and Tottori today and submitted it. I'm so tired now but I'll keep on working on my art so next time I can flesh out a better story and have more time to plan things out. The bsod I've had fucked me over and I crammed in 12 pages for a week and a half.

GOOD luck everyone and don't forget to back up your files

How old were you when you realized 99% of the time backgrounds are just photos or 3d? Why do you still torture yourself by hand drawing them?

>>6170553
Toriyama drew them
Oh wait, his assistant did, nvm

>>6170553
How ever old it was, it was still younger than when you did. keep up.

>>6170553
I don't know why you keep trying to force this meme but I hope you realize it only fools people who don't actually read any manga.

>>6170707
It fools literally everyone who reads manga. Only obsessive autists and people who also draw manga know about that trick.

>>6170553
I would like to know where they get the photos. Do they just harvest them from the internet? Take them themselves?

>>6170797
Taken by them, most live in Japan anyways lol

>>6170809
But how do they know where to go, what angle, get it fast enough? Not every background is street level either.

>>6170814
>>6170797
already have an idea of shots you need then spend the entire day taking thousands of photos of a location. good cameras, drones. ect. it's not hard or expensive these days

>>6170814
Most mangaka who do it are monthly, so it's nothing to them
Plus >>6170820

Are there any examples of great artists with day jobs that still regularly update their manga/webtoon?
I'm really feeling the exhaustion

>>6168218
I’m curious what this pic is from.

My biggest black pill right now is this damn language.

>>6170797
Either take photos themselves or buy the rights to specific photo packs. The later is more practical for areas you can't get photos of, like a military base or the inside of a high school. The third option is 3d assets but knowing how to model is another skill entirely.

>>6170903
What?

>>6170890
what an eerie mood

>>6170797
There's dozens of Japanese artbooks with thousands of backgrounds

After a busy and uncomfortably unproductive week's time, I have this 4 page thing sketched.
Time to ink

>>6168218
Are there tutorial books on how to draw comedy/gag manga?

>>6171345
What part of that do you imagine could possibly be tutorialized?

>>6171348
Things like gap, subverting expectations, setting up jokes and then payoff etc

>>6171362
there has to be some manuals out there considering how popular 4koma are in japan, but none have translated as usual...

>>6171456
time to break out Genki and study

>>6171362
You can learn any of that in a comedy course.

based thread...i had to work overtime this past week and almost went a bit nuts from it, i might effort attempt some of the stuff mentioned itt, thanks

>>6171456
>>6171492
Cool, will research further

>>6170900
see >>6169972

I haven't had any new manga to good morning /mmg/ post with. I'm coming off my recovery vacation tomorrow.

does anyone do this for fun also these god damn porn banners are obnoxious as fuck

>>6171955
>does anyone do this for fun
I make $1 on patreon so I might as well be. considering moving manga to my nsfw patreon and it'll just be bonus content

Can I get some paneling feedback?

I've finished a 3-chapter comic for a tournament and my process is very straight-forward:
- Think a LOT and procrastinate until key problems are solved;
- Make very small/simple thumbnails while imagining the story unfolding;
- ???
- Draw the rest of the fucking comic.

This works very well to tell a story, I never go off-track and everything is just according to keikaku.
But I feel like my paneling is too boring/stiff.

I don't want anything fancy, just something that feels more fluid instead of purely functional blocks.
Here's the full thing, if you can share your thoughts about it, I would greatly appreciate:
https://spartorpedo.wixsite.com/about/crab

Or even a redraw (in thumbnail quality) of a page, how would you improve the impact of some scenes through better page composition?

>>6166651
Full storyboards/sketches took about 3 days of work to finish total, not too happy about that since they're messy despite the time it took.

Was supposed to finish inking 2 pages today but managed one cause I got caught up on a panel, though I think I got the lineart style finally down.

I think it was from "manga-sensei" on YT but that tip of "Use flat lines first, then adjust thickness" was actually seriously helpful for my inking speed.

>>6172033
Do you still have what that image looked like when it was just flat lines?

>>6171981
Read manga and copy.

>>6172337
Nope, but you can kinda see what it is on the "tail" in the bottom (I just kinda put in it's shape). Just flattish lines then I thicken or erase them based on what I want.
It's kinda like you're inking with a Micron/techpen that you can erase

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNWwJji7h2o
He mentions Ogure Ito (Air Gear), but I'd say Yoshikazu Hamada (Tsugumomo) inks in a similsr fashion

>>6172033
Looks really nice

I wonder if that anon that said that my script was a bit clunky, and that anon that asked for my script to proofreading it (i don't know if they are the same anon or not) is still around, i was rewriting a few pages and I wanna see how it's going

>>6172955
Still here

Good morning /MMG/ work hard today!

>>6173216
Alright, i have to be clear here, i didn't do anything for almost a week before I realized that I could ditch the pain so please be honest with me https://pastebin.com/6VQsTa4H

>>6173387
no i don't think i will. i think i'll play half life 2 instead

>>6171981
There are a few problems I think. The first is page flow. For a really good introduction to this, check out:

https://www.hoodedutilitarian.com/2010/06/visual-languages-of-manga-and-comics/

The second issue is the story-telling. To draw interest, the main character should, by their own efforts, overcome some obstacle. Why does the wizard help the girl win? What does the dog have at stake? How do they go back and forth? These elements of conflict drive the story far more than fancy paneling. Good conflict, developed with realistic motives, could make even plain storyboards interesting.

As for the individual panels themselves, I think they are relatively well composed, dynamic and interesting... But while reading, I kept hitting speed bumps in the flow, and a general lack of interest in the story itself.

>>6171981
How do I join tournaments like this?

>>6173449
>https://pastebin.com/6VQsTa4H
What is the point of the story?

>>6173512
Based. I bought the HL collection during the steam sale and going to play the series for the first time as soon as I get a free afternoon.

>>6173512
I went to lay on my couch for 2 hours after posting this so more power to you

>>6173535
The third problem is context (or lack thereof). The comic was an art duel competition between 20 people's OCs, so all participants only had to draw the part where they face each other, that's why I didn't draw (much) backstory/preparation, focusing rather on the duel with the limited time I had. Still did a bit of an intro section on all my stuff (plus the establishing shot in form of cover art) just to give it a tiny bit of grounding.

But you skipped a few beats, anon, the GM didn't help the girl, he helped the dog (and only by providing some equipment for her own merited performance, in this case the squeaky wheel got the oil). I was steelmanning my opponent before defeating her.

I'm glad to hear the panels themselves look good individually, I guess I just need to find a way to plan ahead for interesting overlaps and compositions that allow me to use the page space more creatively. I come from an animation background, so I'm always thinking about the canvas on a timeline, not the sequential nature of a comic.

Sometimes it feels like I'm just drawing Watchmen...

>>6173611
Your guess is as good as mine, anon.
I was @everyone'd in the HYW Discord server (from /co/) where I wasn't even an active member (I was there cause I was invited, I don't even browse /co/). But I decided to join on a whim of motivation and see what would happen.
From what people said, this was one of the most successful tournaments in the board's record. It was still pretty scuffed (many W.O.s and fuzzy rules/organization), but apparently most competitions don't go past round 1, as all participants lose steam.

>>6173627
I don't know why, but that question may be the right question anon, thanks god that wsa mostly the introduction, so it fine like that, i was asking about my engrish

Anon who went to the doctor for carpal tunel, how bad did you were before going(I'm asking for symptoms) since my hand and elbow stop hurting and all, but now i feel freshy (which means bad circulation) and my hand is red and swollen, but it doesn't hurt and the previous symptoms are almost gone, but i still have feeling in my hand, i don't wanna go to the hospital before finishing this

>>6173931
Reason I said it is because the script is fine, but what is the entire point of it? I get no sense of story in the first 7 pages

>>6174039
Anon if you're considering going to the doctor then you should probably be going to the doctor.
Frankly I'm struggling to picture wtf you're doing to your arm to ignite such symptoms in a matter of weeks, but if it's that bad then yes, you should seek a medical professional.

>>6174039
LM here
you should definitely see a doctor anon. I had been seeing symptoms of this since late 2020. I delayed treatment until recently. I remember crying in my bed begging for a different job at the time (the movie magic of life provided me with a job interview the next day) I put off treatment because I thought the part time jobs would provide good enough breaks. but I'm back at full time again and things were getting worse than they used to be.

of course It doesn't help that I play video games on my downtime and work multiple 10 hour drawing days. both things I'm trying to cut back on. but my creative drive forces me to abuse my body and ignore it. don't ignore yours anon.

>>6174076
>Frankly I'm struggling to picture wtf you're doing to your arm to ignite such symptoms in a matter of weeks
Bad drawing pose, I'm very anxious so my body so my body is alwasy tense(i read that was a cause too) and just right now i realized that i twist my wrist and my forearm way too much to draw(for the tension too) and all of that, for too long too, i mean i did sesions of +8 hours each day
Well, lesson learn, next time i will draw in trad and just take photos to trace it later

>>6174091
>but my creative drive forces me to abuse my body and ignore it. don't ignore yours anon.
I feel that so fucking much, but how i was saying the symptoms have been diminishing after my home treatment(splint 24/7, ibuprofen, rest and some excersices) so that why i was wondering, i wanted to know if the treatment was working or my arm was going to the shadow realm

Which one is better? I mean I know the answer but I wanted to ask about the expression, since technically both are draw from 0, i have the need to ask

Retarded question but how important is background art in webtoons? Picrel is an example of a panel of mine but my CTA entry got zero attention. I'm 99% sure it's because I suck at writing and character drawing but before I spend a bunch of time grinding out fundamentals I'd like some guidance.

Is this passable for background work( assuming its covered up by text bubbles etc)?

If you want webtoon artists to piss off I'll do so but I just wanted some feedback since I tend to focus mostly on backgrounds timewise.

>>6174256
Top, more sinister

>>6174309
That's really good! Try making the backgrounds based around the text bubbles and such. Doing so will help you keep detail in important spots.

>>6174309
Yeah that’s great! I think obviously establishing shots are imperative but it’s also worth to keep in mind you don’t want too many backgrounds. For example you slap a bg on every panel it looks too distracting on the eye. But that’s just my personal preference.

Why don’t you post your entry? I’ll like/sub it. I’m close to posting my entry though I’m well aware it’s too late to hope for any attention, it’s more for myself and stepping over the hurdle of putting myself out there.

>>6174358
>>6174346
thanks guys. I'll post it even though I know it's pretty shit. In all honesty it was mostly just a learning experience. It's sort of weird watching my art get a little bit better throughout the comic only for it to fall off a cliff in the last third slapped together fight scene since I drew that after the first third.

https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/realm-call-to-action/list?title_no=789469

I don't really have any hope for this one left at all since I didn't have much faith in it anyway but it would be cool if you guys looked at it.

https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/realm-call-to-action/list?title_no=789469

Looking back on it with a fresh set of eyes I definitely think my issue is probably faces and writing...I think.

>>6174371
This was great anon, definitely better than a lot of the popular entries in the contest. I will say your backgrounds are way more advanced than your characters, which is funny because it's almost always the other way around. If anything I would suggest practicing gesture and facial structure. But keep up with your backgrounds because you're already mogging most of webtoon canvas, and as you get better I can see you gaining a large following.

Still working on SMA

https://tapas.io/episode/2593631

Link your comics dammit!
I tried here.

>>6168637
I really dig it, feels comfy style. Then again I'd like to know more if a deeper plot will develop or if it is a mushishi kind of deal.

>>6174742
Many thanks. Because it’s just a one shot with no dialogue, the plot is simple and short. I’d like to leave things up to interpretation like in the movie Angel’s Egg.

>>6173449
https://pastebin.com/nNTPQ7Bw

my ammendments.

as I said before, its clunky and about 50 words longer then it needs to be, also you obviously really struggle with English, not sure how to help with that.

Next page

>>6173627
>>6174041
>>6174940
I just realized that i didn't fucking know what the fuck did i post (didn't care to check, first time using that site so i thought that it was just copy & paste)

I hopethat this one is the right one https://pastebin.com/xRBrqRjT

>>6174646
I like that effect, any tip on that one?

>>6175111
Automatic drawing is the key.
https://youtu.be/MJYGFwGhHnA

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vY2sq_rQ7a5KkBYtc2YpOqP17wDbOI10
Small oneshot just completed.
>>6171181

>>6175502
why is it so low quality?

>>6175787
Prolly a cross between the print job and rescan.
That's what I would figure

speedlines

>>6175918
Add white lines too

>>6168468
It feels like a really good page, congrats.

>>6171501
Is this yours? This is nice.

>>6175076
hombre this is the exact same as the other one you posted.

>>6176186
Symptoms are back, but that isn't that bad, that just tell me that the treatment was working but i was still delicate, so i think that i will end this and instead of the tottori contest i will rest until i'm fully healed
Now i have 7 days left, 13 pages and 8 panels to go, and draw some background, but i need to ask how to make photo stock into backgroun, i will need it for some pages since i can't do it myself due to time and not wanting to put more pressure to my hand

>>6176186
Sorry, i didn't mean to reply

But since we are on it, why the same? I was just doing some changes and i wanted to see if they were alright

What are the advantages of learning Japanese to be a mangaka vs publishing in America?

>>6176345
There isn't much of an advantage really
Japan has a big market but are also shitheads that can't accept foreigners (despite what they appear to be like). America's comic scene is pretty much dead and probably won't come back unless some miracle happens. You have a better chance just submitting it as without learning Japanese than you do knowing it

>>6176338
it still reads awfully.

look at
>>6174940

>>6176352
Welp i don't know what do you want me to do, I'll keep going blind then, trust in some machine translations and some grammatical checkers pages before i summit it

>>6174940
I feel this doesn't fix it at all, the script isn't the problem. It's the actual story, or lack thereof.
I told anon this before, this isn't telling any kind of story. Page 3 alone contains 3 pages worth of Dialouge. While your version is an improvement, it also drains any personality from the dialogue.
The best way to fix this is to restructure it entirely and figure out what the actual story should be >>6175076

>>6176443
No idea how i'm meant to inject personality into that dialogue, I have no idea what is going on, or who the characters are, the anon has a monumental task ahead of him:

-Below average art,
-Riddled with grammatical and spelling errors
-No hint of a story.
-Really redundant paneling, lots of shot/reverse shots.

>>6176443
>Page 3 alone contains 3 pages worth of Dialouge.
That on purpose though, i wanted to make him look anxious so he speak a lot and faster too

>>6176454
>Below average art
Alright this one hurt, specially because all that I have posted has been the rough draft and only the line art of one spread, and I'm not even good in digital, so please post what do you consider average

>>6176120
yes, thanks

Good morning /MMG/ work hard today, and don't take advice from dipshits

>>6176351
>You have a better chance just submitting it as without learning Japanese than you do knowing it
>TRUST ME DUDE, KNOWING JAPANESE ISN'T GOING TO BE SIGNIFICANT WHEN FINDING WORK IN JAPAN

it's like you want to fail

>>6176454
>-Below average art,
I get you want your crit list to look VAST so your crit looks substantial. but check yourself bruv.


>>6176469
the issue is you're forcing us to understand this page without a storyboard. we don't understand with just a dialouge script. you should be scripting with actions in mind if that's your workflow.

I don't think scripting works for manga at all though.

>>6176469
>>6176907
it's also good to note something I said last thread
>>6159569 you also need to consider the direction of your dialogue scenes for good short term storytelling. reiterating from that post, I don't go into scenes with final dialouge, my focus is directing a good scene and placing moments for specific dialogue in mind.

>>6176907
That looks like some big boob ngl

>the issue is you're forcing us to understand this page without a storyboard
Is in the last thread, i didn't thought that was important to repost it, since the whole talk started with me asking to the anon who asked me for a doc to proofread... to proofread

Is it true that Boichi is known, in korea, for his exploitation and harsh treatment of assistants?

>>6177549
That's how chinksect society works.

Since not much is happening in this thread.
Lets share our characters.
I'll go first
This is Zaira!
She's 20 and mostly a side character in the story, but she serves the role of keeping her friend in focus and calming her nerves; despite being shy herself.

>>6177618
does she blow dudes?

>>6177618
your art is some of the most underrated in the thread

for your question i'm gonna post this BTS thing of where pam came from

>>6177656
No, but she's a good kisser

>>6177716
This is very sweet, I get this feeling a lot too.

I have been wanting to get into traditional comic making, what is a good aspect ratio of paper?
I am torn between 11x17" or 14x17" Bristol

>>6177799
Or really if anyone could recommend a specific paper, that would work also

>>6177799
Depends on how much detail you want to pull out of it, I work A4 size since I'm not much for detail. It also depends on the final size you're going to be printing at. Manga is 5.5 x 7 in. Comics tend to be A4 in size.

>>6177793
So, she is technically good with her tongue?
Nta btw

>>6177832
She isn't a deviant

Alright, I'm not losing hope, but I want an opinion about the lineart, if i still do have a change even with this quality
https://imgur.com/a/9f3HJYZ
Also i wanted to note that
- the spread is the only thing that i drew before fucking my hand
-second and third images are from today after doing nothing because i was too tense and i didn't want to move my wrist
-the image before the last one was the first one that i drew after resting for days
And also i have 11 pages and 8 panels to go and i can do 4-5 pages per day, so after i finish the lineart i will go like this
lineart>background>filling>correction
And i think that i will be more faster when the splint that I bought get here in monday

>>6177924
It's not the worst, if you want the somewhat loose line work to stay. Just copy Chainsaw Man's line work.

I got back pain too, fuck if i had knew i would have make a bingo

>>6176443
>>6176454
>No hint of a story.
This has been bugging me out for some time, but I do have a hint of the story
>mc is the background character of the anime&manga world .tm in which he is tired of all the shit happening arround so he always tries to not getting involve directly or not getting involved at all, but the end up getting involve after the talk with the osananajimi, and decides to stand up a little, then since everything end alright he finally copes that the world isnt that bad
It end up being a convoluted mess because i keep changing things to not make it sound contradictory in some parts, and not repeat too much the same words, and wanted to make it more implied that a little bit on the nose

Before going to sleep i want toaska few things, first which title is better, mr.backdrop or mr.background, both would be 背景さん in japanese, and is okay to use japanese names and honorifics? And finally, tomorrow i'm goint to do the text boxes and write the final script, so i can rest up my hand for a day, can anybody proofread it and give me feedback, i will be thankfull

Are there any new announcements of new contests? I already have my CTA entry in and the other deadlines are too close.

>>6178218
Why is none of this in the story? There is no sense that he is a background character.

>>6178218
>anime/manga meta plot

you cant haphazardly do that kinda of story. especially without experience. there's a reason a lot of stories like this seem uninspired and dumb. and like the other anon said, I'm not getting that feeling from this work at all

>>6178453
I know but is what he believes, and actually that would be the gimmick, "weird story happens around, while mc tries to avoid getting involve and run away", i mean i want to do a second chapter where he goes to school while he tries to avoid a mecha vs kaiju fight

>>6178629
I still don't know what do you want me to do anon, do you wanna make me train for 2 years so we can join up in sabaody and finally be able to make the ultimate oneshot ready for the new world?

>>6178788
>do you wanna make me train for 2 years so we can join up in sabaody and finally be able to make the ultimate oneshot ready for the new world?

while you may be joking, you may have a point. you ether need to catch your storytelling skills up with your art, or find a writer, and a good one. storytelling was my focus for a long time because I wanted to make up for my bad art.

take it from someone who spent a large portion of their early years tackling heavy shounen battle projects. you should work with something simpler and build your storytelling skills so you can tackle the stories you're interested in telling later. I'm lucky I caught my storytelling skills up before my current project got too established.

>>6178218
Honestly this 'MC is an npc' trope is not new anymore. I seen this shit so overused in webnovel stuff and its getting annoying

Unless you actually have something to say about it. It's not really interesting concept

>>6178949
Webnovels are not quite mainstream in the west. Even though lots of dramas, anime, movies, and webtoons are based on light novels

>>6178949
>>6178820
you know what. now that I think about it my first comic was a "NPC protag" comic too. don't be like me anon

>>6178820
This. I spent years just writing novels to get my writing to be enjoyable.

>>6178949
I know, but the joke is making chapters around a trope or some story, but the mc tries to ditch them at all cost, i wanna make a comedy/dark comedy, like be in a hostage situation and make something sound like a shot to make the police storm in, or being partiming as a butler just in the middle of those "killer in the mansion" type of situations, oor another chapter being a love drama, but all of that tragic live story was made up for the mc as an a excuse of why did he had food all over his shirt
... i think that a word like rhapsody would work with what i want

Bros does this mean that non romance shit will finally have a chance on webtoon in the future?

Seems like japs are waking up to webtoons now

>>6179022
So actually write the story about that

Is it okay if you have your idea layout pre-planned in your head instead having to put the roughs out on "paper"?

>>6179169
what do you think the answer is???

fucking, of course its better to have ideas on paper to future reference and analysis

>>6179169
Yep, but sometimes i will be hard to visualize what do you have in mind, so when that happens lay it on a paper, you will be making it up as you go

>>6179169
What you have in your head is not what comes out onto the page. No matter who you are. You need to go through at least SOME level of iteration OUTSIDE of your head before you release it.

>>6179182
>>6179173
>>6179174
So no matter what, you guys would sketch out the entire page and than redo it, but just more defined?

Here's my current process...

1. I'm given the panel layout.

2. I'm told what to draw in them.

3. They make it all work.

It basically seems like they have a gist of what they want and refine it based on what I draw. Essentially the art is the most important thing to them. And this is bad?

>>6179258
>you guys would sketch out the entire page and than redo it

this post displays serious misunderstanding for the workflow you need to create manga.

>1. I'm given the panel layout. 2. I'm told what to draw in them.

panel layout should be based on your art and not decided before art is made. you don't "sketch" an entire page. you roughly storyboard/draft basic actions and dialogue. more advanced looking visuals come at the ACTUAL sketch stage. if you had read the thread before asking you would have noticed similar conversations about workflow already being had.

start with basic ideas and build on them. you cant just have an idea for the finished art in your head and then expect a 1:1 transition from your mind to the page. thats silly.

>>6179258
You said you had your layout pre-planned in your head, and now you're telling us somebody else is giving you the layout, essentially telling you what to draw. These are different scenarios, anon. A person giving you a scenario that you then draw is iteration.

Really happy with how this page is turning out.

>>6179294
You are right about that. But I'm almost certain they do not seriously document any other part of the process besides the panels until they see what I draw. And I just wanted to know if that's okay.

Is there any anons interested (for real please) in contributing to a website that hosts and links to resources/tutorials for amateur mangaka. something needs to be done about the droves of mangaka who come here without functional workflows. I have space on my server and have wanted to create some kind of non-pastebin place for manga resources. I'm interested in doing the bulk of the work. I'm just looking for article contributors and those aware of good alternative resources to point to

if anyone is interested - discord Laundry Mom#9282

>>6179292
id also like to note that I draw out the panel layout lines after storyboard is done. the lines weren't on in the sketch image.

>>6179300
then whoever you're working with is a dipshit. they need to learn what part of the work is theirs and what is yours. if you have a writer THEY should be doing storyboards or at least a script so you can create storyboards.

>>6179292
I'll let them know that. They basically tell me what to draw and they fit it into the structure. I honestly don't have to follow the panel layout exactly.

It just feels like they overvalue my ability to "draw" and it's a bit uncomfortable.

>>6179303
I have legit brought these ideas to their attention. It's almost like they have these plans in their heads.

They probably do follow the process. They just don't write or draw any of it until I get very deep into my tasks.

>>6179300
When somebody is telling you their idea, they have to interpret that idea into something they can communicate: text or speech. You're then interpreting that into a sketch, which may then go through however many iterations before reaching the final drawing.

When you're working on your own you're still interpreting the idea in your head into a storyboard/sketch and then iterating on that however many times before reaching the final drawing.

If you go straight from interpreting the idea to the final drawing with no iteration, you're losing out on any improvements or changes that can be made during the iterative stage. It's risky, and will ultimately result in a worse final work 99% of the time. There's a reason mangaka do storyboards, show them to their editor, and then make corrections based on their feedback before drawing the final manuscript. Because iteration is crucial.

Can somebody answer me if using a lot of japanese things would be a little bit over the board? Or little bit "cringe" as young people say these days
I'm asking again, because i just found out that csp has a lot of sfx, but all of them are japanese sfx, but if i use them, they would save me a lot of time

>>6179326
First of all, yes that would be mega cringe.
Second, don't use the fucking pre-built sfx. Half the point of sfx in the first place is showing your personal style of doing them.

>>6179326
it would lessen the experience for english readers and assuming that's your target audience, you don't want that. I reccomend creating a lettering document and use text tools if you want to speed up your lettering workflow. however lettering in CSP is slower than something like photoshop. see the essential guide to comic book lettering by nate piekos.

if you dont want to draw the sfx yourself find good fonts and learn how to create interesting text through that. it's just as important to keeping a consistent style as anything else in an art style is

>>6179332
>>6179338
I'm the anon who has fuck up his hand, drawing on my own was the idea first, but now i can't

>it would lessen the experience for english readers and assuming that's your target audience
If i had more time, maybe, but now the target audience will be the people of the kyoto contest technically

summer girl panel

>>6179419
That's cute, it's all trad? Even the screento looks like that

>>6179354
ambitious, why not make something for yourself, with less stakes.

>>6178788
Isn't there that old addage: "if the most interesting thing that happens to the chracter happens outside of your story, shouldn't we be reading that instead?" or something like that.

the burden is on YOU to communicate your story, we can't mind read what your are trying to convey.

Side note; you are posting here alot, like here ALOT, which is great!(?) But at what point do you gain the courage to go it alone and return with a result that we can help with, we can't hand-hold your every decision.

I'm losing hope that you are GMI, but i'd love to be proven wrong.

>>6179517
>ambitious, why not make something for yourself, with less stakes
Because i wanted to make this for the kyoto contest?

>Isn't there that old addage: "if the most interesting thing that happens to the chracter happens outside of your story, shouldn't we be reading that instead?"
Well... that's the point
>you are posting here alot, like here ALOT, which is great!(?)
Is nice to take breaks too
>But at what point do you gain the courage to go it alone
Believe when i say that i'm restraining myself to ask only what i need to

>>6179517
Don't bother with them, they're just going through the motions a lot of younger beginners go through where they're so inexperienced they don't really understand what critique is and ask shit like 'waht do I do to make this good????'

>>6179538
then /ic/ must be filled with 12 year olds

>>6179538
>>6179565
I don't know why, but part of me tells me that you are mad about me for posting too much, but please just be patient, after the contest end i will fuck off for a long time

>>6179583
I like the atmosphere of this... but have you thought about adding moonlight? Clouds are beautiful at night

where do I get fonts ? I can't find anything in the op about this.

>>6179615
https://desuarchive.org/a/thread/239599653/#q239624575
I hope this help you

>>6179303
here's a look at the work I have so far and an idea of what I'm going for. I'm building it on a website hosted on a placeholder domain I have cause I didn't want to buy one until the site was ready for launch. I'm probably going to work on creating articles and assets in-between work so it might be a while until it's ready.

>>6179630
thank you very much

>>6179630
I can't pick one font to use out of hundreds.... just tell me which one to use.....

How do you guys fight burning out?

I'm working 9hrs/day while trying to keep up a pace in terms of panels/pages after my job
Some days I'm just so exhausted though...

... i fucked up my other elbow for doing the background with just my laptop mousepad

>>6169685
>So the premise of the story is that the main character wants to prove that he is worthwhile
To whom?
Why?
What bad thing will happen if he doesn't? When will that bad thing happen?
Answer these questions. They don't even have to be good answers. But they will give you a character with a motivation, tie him to the world, and light a fire under him.
A stupid story isn't an issue, but if you don't have a story, you just have a stupid.

I'm realizing that even though I can decently draw now, I'm having a hard time with presumably simpler stuff like speed lines on the background as well as on the figure or the position of the bubbles or even the level of detail at different sizes on the same panel

>>6179778
By having no social or romantic life whatsoever!

>>6179597
>I like the atmosphere of this... but have you thought about adding moonlight? Clouds are beautiful at night
It is actually sun rising

>>6179446
Thanks, the tone is digital

>>6179780
jesus the scale is all wrong. They're way too small and the perspective is messy

>>6179808
What? Are you retarded? People exist that feel they have no purpose in life. The main character is someone who did everything in life to prove that he was worthwhile. He went to college but never got a job from it. He became a loser.
His sister knows his potential and tries urging him to find one. She even points out his flaws, like his aggressive nature.
It doesn't need to be some insane motivation like wanting to save the world. This is a grounded motivation about wanting to feel like you have a purpose.

>>6180197
and to add, I was only giving a premise. So no I was skipping on the finer details, but I wrote what the main storyline is.

Finished inking my SMA entry. I learned a lot when making it. I’d like to improve on readability and flow for my next one shots.
Good luck everyone, only a few days left.

>>6180390
very nice. Is it suppose to be borderless or?

>>6180426
Thanks. Borders will be drawn digitally along with corrections.

>>6180177
Now that you mentioned i do remember now that i did that from the draft and no from the perspective rule that i had settled thanks for pointing it out

>>6179780
that anon that said below average was right on the money huh?

>>6180197
>>6180210
Cool, your story's gonna suck, good luck bro

>>6181038
Sounds like you have no points. If the story was bad, you'd be able to point it out but so far you didn't point out anything.

Kemomimi battler panel

>>6168218
Good morning /mmg/

id like to give an example of the conceptualizing process I had to do today, to give another example of the points I've been trying to make to a couple anons.

I began storyboarding chapter 14 ahead of chapter 13s completion and realized I had not decided on pams nightmare scene. meaning I could not confidently begin creating the scene. that means it's time to conceptualize. I've found that with manga, I often need to do stuff considered pre-production in the production stage. It's easier to think of the concept of a scene first, rather than exact moments in time for them. I came up with visuals and moments in the scene, drew them out. and now I now had drawings i could use as reference, or even use as final shots. I could now confidently move on to my storyboard.

for the people struggling to even visualize full scenes. please try to learn process of visualizing and realizing those scenes. you cannot expect the product in your head to translate 1:1 onto the page without this process.

>>6181720
anon I know that anon is being a shitlet but you should at least try to understand the point I made where, the kind of concept you're tackling isn't the easiest. and it's obvious you need to catch up your writing skills to your art. try a simplier story. take the elements from what you have and rework them. you don't need to scrap much from what you have so far. take it from someone who's reiterated on character ideas multiple times. >>6177716

>>6180197
Ah, so it's another "real life is so hard ;(" autobiographical indie comic.

Maybe you should make an RPGmaker game instead

>>6181869
>>6181821
How can you two be missing the point set up in the premise. His life isn't hard because life itself is hard, it's hard because he's unwilling to change. That's why I said he wants to make himself seem worthwhile, but of course he does this in a roundabout way. The story is super simple. Guy isn't getting what he wanted, so he tries brute forcing that want.

Also this story isn't suppose to be on-going, it's a one and done deal. The character in the end doesn't solve his issues but he does find a new path for himself through his advanced AI.

It may seem that I'm being unwilling to change, which at times I am. But skipping the point of the idea of the story and simplifying it to the main characters issues isn’t helping. The story is about him creating the CD not his struggles.

It's why it's titled
>picrel

>>6181896
anon, I'M misunderstanding the story because manga is easier to analyze and criticize as a completed name/storyboard. not the minor revisions, scripts and explanations you're handing me.

switched from charcoal to water color for my black & white comic

THOUGHTS

>>6183258
here with charcoal

>>6183260
oops here

>>6183261

a full comic of mine made with charcoal

https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/modern-warfare/list?title_no=773555

Good afternoon /mmg/. my power supply went out last night and I had to rush order and swap out a new one. we back in business now.

work hard today.

>>6183846
What software are you using to view your pages like this? Sounds like a handy rhing to have, assuming you didn't manually arrange it.

>>6184243
CSPs highest tier has a storyeditor which lets you compile view and edit multiple files at a time. it's how most mangaka who work in csp work with their chapters

Would work flow be any different depending on if you're digital, trad, or a mix of both?

>>6180390
>>6180428
I really like it without the borders.
All this reminds me of angels egg.

>>6179630
are these.... free? As in can I use them without getting in trouble down the line?

I'll dump my uneducated constructive criticism. Let me know if this is uncalled for and I'll stop.
>>6181738
Two things,
-Why is the sword falling flatly? Shouldn't the swing be curved slightly?
-His right arm, which is more closer to the viewer, needs to be larger. I can't feel the depth with the arm and thus the sword.
>>6179780
Unless you're intentionally going for the isometric 1-point perspective in the lower half of the page, I suggest that 3-point perspective would make it less 'stiff'.
>>6179583
Two cents,
-The clouds don't have to be lined.
-I'm confused whether there's also a light source behind the lady or if the light is solely sourced from the mountains and the overhead sky. The brightness of the lower half of the page is what throws me off.

>>6184370
With fonts, I run a commercially used font I like through a font detector, and see if it can be used freely for personal purposes (not commercial), is creative commons, or if there is another free-access font similar to it.
Half the time however, there are particular fonts that are only accessible via payment. Those fonts are made by professional designers or companies.

>>6179583
Shame I had to change the dress

>>6184385
thanks, i'll try to research if a font i like in that list is free.

>>6184378
>Unless you're intentionally going for the isometric 1-point perspective in the lower half of the page, I suggest that 3-point perspective would make it less 'stiff'.
I'm sorry, I'm very perspectivelet in digital since i barely know how to use it, can you show an example of what are you talking about

Suspense panel

>>6184269
I think so, i mean, i'm hating every fucking second of drawing in digital, is so fucking tiring, uncomfortable and it doesnt looks as it would look in traditional

What if i steal some obscure light novel and use it for my manga script with little change? (character names are different but same plot outline)

What are chances that the author gonna come find me and sue me in the ass? They can't prove i'm a thief, right?

>>6185066
The only thing stopping you is your own damn laziness. Give it a try, see how far you get.

>>6185066
Depends on how popular your work gets.

>>6184364
Thank you. I think I will not draw black borders but white ones instead, just to give it a cleaner look. Yeah Angel’s Egg was one of the main inspirations behind this one shot.

>>6168468
Oh this is cool as fuck

>>6185066
>anon thinks he won't be some low-tier publishing companies free paycheck

>>6185066
What if you were to purchase fast food, and disguise it as your own cooking?

Who are some artists that excel in panelling? A lot of the Manga / Comics I consume have middling panel work and have more skill in whats within the panels themselves.

>>6184508
Ah shit, sorry, I meant 5 point perspective, but with a feel of 3 point perspective (typing that down seems incomprehensible).
To apologize, I will draw what I want to tell you.

>>6184508
Ah shit, sorry, I meant 5 point perspective, but with a feel of 3 point perspective (typing that down seems incomprehensible).
To apologize, I will draw what I want to tell you.

>>6185523
What's good paneling to you?

>>6185523
>A lot of the Manga / Comics I consume have middling panel work and have more skill in whats within the panels themselves.
What's in the panels themselves is a big part of paneling, in the same way that what's in the frame itself is a big part of cinematography. It's all just a term to refer to how you choose to frame a shot to best tell the story or evoke a mood.

Anyway, Togashi's paneling in HxH is pretty dang good, in the sense that you never really notice it unless you're paying attention to it. It just tells the story in a very clear way, never getting in the way. It's fun to compare to the comparatively awful paneling in YYH.
Fujimoto's paneling -- particularly in Fire Punch -- is quite strong in a similar vein, though you're more likely to notice it.

Also check out Me And The Devil Blues for something that gets crazier with it.

>>6180837

do you guys use the whimsy thought bubbles, not sure how to describe it, or the spiky thought bubbles, like in manga for inner dialogue?

>>6187834
I usually do no bubble with a white border around the text. especially since most thought panels are zoomed in and I don't want to cover the limited space I have with boxes

>>6187863
Good idea I'll do that for more contemplative scenes and for some reason I forget it exists more than the others but for action scenes I think i'll just go with the spike ones because white border text ends up getting lost when I do it with action including the SFX I do (white border black text). I think the bubbly thought text on the other hand might be good for goofy scenes and side quips.

>>6179292
>that image
did you draw that? there is a huge flaw in the finished page. it's pointless to overlay grey over everything. that's not what contrast is about, even if it is a night scene.
unless it just looks like that in the thumbnail.

>>6188251
>it's pointless to overlay grey over everything. that's not what contrast is about
>there is a huge flaw in the finished page
chill dude. It's not that big of a deal. not to mention, the page has been done, and out for weeks. and it's a page I've consistently posted for the last couple weeks. If you frequent the thread you should have pointed it out during it's production. sure I can try better next time, but it's become a pattern where it seems that the only crit I can be handed from this thread is crit with hindsight behind it

>>6188686
i only came here recently so that's why.
but it is not a small flaw. i think it's very crucial.
value in general is relative. if everything is grey, then grey is just the new, muddy white.
what you're doing has no meaning. even if you find the white too jarring, THIS is not the solution. you have to fill only certain parts with grey, or maybe certain panes. you can try to be more liberal with blacks as well. but you have to leave whites.
look at your fav manga pages to see what i mean. i'll post some other examples as well.

again, just to be sure i'm not misunderstanding: the only white parts in that spread are the panel spaces, the bubbles and the SFX borders, right?

>>6188714
cont.
notice how 2 of the panels have no tones on them whatsoever.
on one because there's enough black to make things clear, and in the other there's hatching for shadows, also it's not an important panel.

>>6188718
>>6188714
notice the subtle use of tone in the first panel. just to take away from the white.
whereas in the fourth panel the empty space is completely white.

>>6188721
>>6188718
>>6188714
TLDR values go from black to white. you're shooting yourself in the foot by exluding white.

people do tend to exclude pure white and pure black IN PAINTING, but manga is only B&W. it's different.

>>6188725
>>6188721
>>6188718
>>6188714
here a page that has more grey in it.

jesus christ dude stop spamming the thread about it. fucking do what I do and open a pure ref and add text or something.

>>6188739
i was already done.
i just think this is important. and it's not like you'll hit the image limit here that easily.
manga is not linework + paint by numbers, it's B&W art.

if you think there's too much white space, then the issue might lie elsewhere.

>>6188686
https://mangadex.org/chapter/c2a01656-a832-4b99-9eb0-209404149187/2
i'll leave this here for good measure. this is an actual night scene done by a master.

there are many almost all grey pages.
but notice all the black to support the grey. and you'll always find white, even in those all grey pages.

>>6188767
This isn’t much better, still hard to read at a glance

>>6188784
Seeing what you posted, I actually think >>6179292 is easier to read at a glance due to the characters being a different value

>>6188767
>https://mangadex.org/chapter/c2a01656-a832-4b99-9eb0-209404149187/2
>multiple panels where there is just a tone overlaying the whole page.
>characters who don't get toned breaking the lighting (though it's often reaction panels that do it so that might be a deliberate choice)

anon. I understand the basics of tones and light. devils moon is a project I work on so i can practice drawing mostly from imagination. I get to experiment and I don't have to maliciously reference shit like with my figure drawings. I used to open assloads of tanks, trying to figure out how to do this shit. I'm not doing that anymore, It slows production too hard.

>>6188795
something I got pushback for was the low frequency tone on the characters but I tried doing that so I could have highlights on characters. turns out it made them pop out of backgrounds a bit more. I hate when a white border around the character is the only thing stopping a page from being unreadable

>>6188798
the 2nd panel has whites in 3 places: eyes, highlights and the end of the BG gradient. and it reads better because the dress has a tone, there is black clothing/hair and the shirt pattern separates as well.
only the bald man reads badly, if all 3 characters were him THEN that would be unacceptable, yes, but they aren't.

>anon. I understand the basics of tones and light.
you don't. sorry.
you use that tone for the chains because "chains are silver"
you probably use the same tone for her hair every time because "that's her hair color"
you probably use all that grey because "it's night" (i assume)
that's the impression i get. like i said, paint by numbers. that's why you don't make use of black and white more organically.

for example you said you want the characters to pop out. if that is the case you'd want a grey against WHITE panel, instead of a grey against grey. but you made it grey because why? because it's night?
you don't need every panel and every thing to be grey to sell that.

>>6188816
pyw is a meme but stop hiding behind the work of masters anon. when I post crit I use my own work as example, and others should follow that example. It is a direct line to the critics understanding. and how they may apply or not apply the crit they are saying. you can talk tones all day. Prove to me you understand tones enough to preform.

>>6188825
it is a meme and you shouldn't have to ask it.
if my advice makes sense then take it, otherwise leave it.

you really only need tiny amounts of tone to make something pop. value is friggin complicated and i'm no master either. but i could tell that the way you used gray wasn't intentional in the way it is supposed to be.
i'm extremely critical in general so sorry if i said too much. i wouldn't normally critique here because of this but i just found that to be an obvious to address so i did it impulsively.

>>6185891
Will check them all out. I didn't actually know Togashi's panelling started out bad, since I've never read the manga for YYH. Cheers.

would you read this manga based of this page

>>6188825
Ayo, your tones are making weird squares on my screen.

I want to make a webcomic in the style of a weekly manga. As in, 18 pages per week comic. I prefer color comics but I’m not sure if I could keep up with that schedule.

Anyone have experience with this? Impossible without assistants?

>>6189249
in color. impossible without assistants.
b/w, maybe.

I've been able to do a full chapter in a week but it was with no other work on my plate at the time. I just happened to have rent and no commissions to do at the time.

don't most manga go for 13-16 pages these days? maybe try for that

>>6189249
depends on the quallity and style of the art. If you want to make something more elaborated then I recomend at least one month.

And draw panels are a tedious process, and most of time you will believe you could had make it better. So if you are not used to it first you will give up easly, even if you are used to draw

>>6189251
Yea I’ll try 15 pages a week, or maybe do the 3 weeks on, 1 week off weekly schedule

>>6189260
Yea, that’s a big thing I realized. Most weekly manga artists seem to have to sacrifice some quality in their art in Prather to consistently churn out a chapter. I might practice drawing comics weekly for a year.before actually publishing

>>6189264
try making simple comic strips and short stories with 3 or 5 pages. It can be something ordinary as a man going home to drink coffe and basic stuff. I say this because it's better to save your more ambicious project for when you are more used to it.

But if you see there is no problem you can work on it already

>>6189283
That’s pretty good advice, I’ll try with that and slowly build up.

Being able to think of panel structure, panel flow, etc, has already felt like a different style of art in itself. So I should take my time

>>6179303
>>6179633
I'd really support this desu. I'm not qualified to write any tutorials or anything, but a compilation of popular resources like the sticky would be nice. Even something on google docs like in the /beg/ thread would be nice

>>6188825
The advice he's giving is legit, dude. The examples he's giving are proof enough of that.

>>6189263
In Bakuman they tested the protag by having him do the weekly magazine grind but on a reduced deadline of 2 weeks. I did something similar with nsfw illustrations. it might be valuable to try something like that.

>>6189316
I want to launch the site once I've created some good visual assets. right now I only have text.

>>6188861
>it is a meme and you shouldn't have to ask it. if my advice makes sense then take it, otherwise leave it.
I absolutely reject this. ignoring my own skill level, how is a beginner supposed to improve through "that makes sense" type thinking. the learner does not know what and what doesn't make sense. that's a horrible mindset to have with criticism.

>>6189328
it is the biggest nothing criticism I've ever received. it is not that big of a deal that a grey was my highlight value and not white. It was an easy way to darken my scene in a project that is rushed because I'm stuck drawing coom full time.

each example provided was made by a mangaka with their own goals and circumstances. my manga is made with my goals and circumstances in mind.

focusing on stupid shit like this is why mangaka in this thread can't get a good workflow together or even make their first chapter. you're all too hung up on dumb shit.

>>6189351
>it is the biggest nothing criticism I've ever received
I can guarantee that it isn't. It's a clear, direct attempt to help you improve a recognizable weakness in your artwork. I'VE given you less useful criticisms than this.
>it is not that big of a deal that a grey was my highlight value and not white
Correct, it's not a big deal. Dude was just pointing out the page looks muddy and that you should be more careful about your values, telling specifically how you can do that and then posted examples. You're making it out like an attack on you for some reason.
>but I'm rushed
Every mangaka is rushed. You already know this. That doesn't mean they or you can't or didn't seek to improve their work any way they can.
Side note: You can make the time to visit /ic/ to defend yourself against criticism despite apparently being rushed? This too is a flaw that you should work on. 4chan ain't the best place to go when you need a break from drawing, especially if you're going in with an ego.
>focusing on stupid shit like this is why mangaka in this thread can't get a good workflow together or even make their first chapter.
Clear, direct advice on how to improve the readability of a page with professional examples to back it up is not "stupid shit".

You need to work on your values, your current approach negatively impacts the readability of your work, and I'd argue is one of the biggest things holding you back from reaching a really "professional" look. Take the spread in question for example: it's a night scene, yet there's no areas of pure black at all. Not only is this unrealistic, but it results in a page that hardly reads as "night" at all, and attempting to "fix" that with screentones as you did just results in a very muddy value structure. You should use the extreme ends of the value range more: more pure black, more pure white, and ideally in a way that enhances the readability of the page.
Postan my work so you get some idea of what I'm talking about.

>>6188686
>>6189351
I think people shy away from giving you crits because of your overwhelmingly "nice" facade. every other. fucking. day is a cry for attention "work hard today MMG/SALT" that and your not-subtle hints that you have a patreon and want people to donate.

It makes it really hard to actually approach you or your art because you just KNOW you'll go straight on the defensive. Iit makes the critiquer seem like the asshole cause they are "picking" on the nice guy of the threads.


Strive for better you are stagnating as much as gains goblin.


-Chef comic anon

>>6189351
>focusing on stupid shit like this is why mangaka in this thread can't get a good workflow together or even make their first chapter. you're all too hung up on dumb shit.

you sound rather defensive about it, that says a lot about you.

Good morning /MMG/

Sometime back in April I said I was going on vacation to rest my body, and end what I considered 6 months worth of burnout. I did not do that, I spent 3 weeks learning blender. I did the same the year prior. Instead working on commissions through my vacation. I fake my fucking vacations, because
I have an intense drive to create. I threw away everything else so I could create more. I’ve stated that this drive to create is destroying my body. What I’m saying is I’m burnt out again. So burnt out that I refuse to learn in any meaningful capacity.

I’ve done it before, it always comes with intense anger all the time, stagnation, And an inability to meaningfully present myself as an artist who has been doing this for 7 years of their life. Yesterday was very eye opening for me. I made myself look very stupid in front of the creator, who in this thread I said is creating what I think all other manga should be. Even if some might see yesterday's outburst as not a big deal. It's the tip of the iceberg. If I don’t accept these circumstances I’ll continue to make myself look like an idiot.

I don’t consider myself someone who has an ego, I think instead. I need my work to be good in my eyes. or I lose my drive to work. that drive can’t stop, because without creating I don’t have much else. I force myself to insist my work is good to myself and to others. To the point of rejecting the views of others on my work, despite considering myself “open minded.”

I’m sorry about my outburst. I know that anon was just trying to help. I want to improve my values. Devil's Moon deserves more. But right now I want to finish some work so I can take a real vacation. I’m just tired and angry all the time now.

Work hard today

>>6190255

>>6190255
NTA you were talking with but I wish you the best. Your posts on /mmg/ motivate me to draw more and work harder.

>>6188902

To be honest, the background has too much hatchwork. Makes me not want to look at the page, even if I have no issues with what's going on plot/character-wise.

>>6190255
Didnt read.

If I'm making an OEL is it retarded for me to format it to read right-to-left? I just like reading it more that way. I know in Japanese it flows better, but in English I like the way you read the panels right-to-left, but read the text within the bubbles left-to-right. I feel like it is a more interesting interaction and makes the reader more thoroughly examine the art within each panel.

I do also honestly want to distance myself as much as I can from western graphic novels. I just don't want to be discredited as being a "superhero comic book" just because the characters in my story are superhuman. I just hate superhero comics a lot.

>>6188902
Comfy feel but too much hatching, it hurts my eyes in places.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BzCDVR-tr8

I would read it, though! I especially like the expressions.

>>6190392
I prefer right to left purely because I enjoy it the same way you do.

Also what does OEL mean?

>>6190255
i know that feel. anger is pointless though. good luck.

>>6188902
Why is there a speech bubble for the phone when it already displays "wya"?

>>6189451
I think in his situation, only pure/darker black is fine. Sometimes pure white simply doesn't make sense for night/evening scenes. Contrast is something, but not everything.
>>6190255
I fully empathize with your situation.

>>6190538
To add one more thing, for panel borders with settings at night or evening, it is usually best to not have said borders be white.

I’m running late

>>6189249
Why in gods name would you want to do a weekly series? Weekly series (of the 15-18 page count average in manga) aren’t normal, they shouldn’t be allowed. But Japan saw how lucrative it is and said “fuck it”

How do you see all these mangaka health shit and say “yep, I want that schedule even with all the cons”. At least mangaka get paid to do it, so they have a financial incentive. No sane mangaka is doing a weekly series for fun only, unless they think they’ll get serialzied. And even then, it’s better to do like 5-6 pages a week

>>6190360
That's what she said (about your manga).

>>6168218
Found another manga contest that might be worth a shot https://www.shibuya-productions.com/en/magic/magic-international-manga-contest.html,73

>>6168218
Made some signficant progress recently but I've hit an artist block and now struggle to draw the same character in the same position that used to be muscle memory. I can get to drawing regular human anatomy but the second I exaggerate it I fumble hard. It's one thing to feel amateur it's another thing to feel worse than yourself just a few weeks ago.

Wasn't sure if I should've posted this in /trad/ or here, or if image even belongs anywhere because it's technically not a comic. I'm not sure which rendering style to stick with, personally I find them all of them fun. What are some interesting and rare artists to study? I already like some of the more mainstream ones or ones talked about on /ic/ or /mmg/ but I would like to diversify my palette. I've heard greys don't work well in comics but I still messed around with inkwash cause right now I'm just trying to experiment, and practice penmanship and values. I don't think I'm doing it correctly but I tried to practice some kakeami(?). I heard g-pen or dip pen is cheaper in the long run than microns and I like the feeling of it but I scratch the paper too much, I'm assuming this is a skill thing and I'll do it less as I improve my technique. From what I've read, using a gpen properly seems complex. Any suggestions of comic or manga artists with cool armor rendering? I've mostly been referring to the Arms and Armor Pictorial Archive, which I find far too intricate, and random images, both drawn and photos.

Also how do you make your script? I'm planning a basic outline to of all dialogue with short descriptions of scenes, actions, and expressions organized by panel number. Okay plan? Last question, does the background of the boy and girl read? I find backgrounds very difficult. I'm working on it with perspective and value practice,

Can I post in this thread if I'm not making manga? I want to try and illustrate my screenplay as a graphic novel and I've been working on some test stuff

>>6190784
of course you can

>>6190783
generally, you want to stick with what's quickest and looks the best. I like the image on the bottom right because it's clean and bold (though I'd make the shoes fully black for contrast, either full black or not is my motto).

As for a script, what you're doing is fine. As long as it works for you it's fine. I like to just plan it as I go since I get easily bored if the idea is already complete.

>>6190783
>I've heard greys don't work well in comics but I still messed around with inkwash cause right now I'm just trying to experiment
It's not that grays don't work well, it's that it's cheaper to print in monochrome. Ink washes can still be used, there's a few manga that use them regularly (Bakuon Rettou, Takemitsuzamurai) but they simply convert them into monochrome.
>Any suggestions of comic or manga artists with cool armor rendering?
I've always thought Seven Deadly Sins by Nakaba had pretty cool armor.

>Also how do you make your script?
I can't speak for others but I don't. I skip scripting and go straight to storyboarding -- or rather, my storyboards are my script. This allows me to think visually while in the planning stages for my pages, and make sure the elements are all going to fit and read well on the page.

>does the background of the boy and girl read?
It reads fine.

>>6190792
I don't mind working slow because I'm drawing it pretty much for myself, no deadlines or anything to worry about. Thank you for the input. I think hatching and cell shading give different feelings with armor. Hatching on armor makes it feel more worn out, or gives a character a more jaded look while the cell-shading approach gives more glam. I'm wondering if trying to balance the two can work? Example being young characters have less hatching while an older character might have hatching on his armor to show it is worn out. Although it might be too confusing or stupid to think about.
>>6190795
Oh I see. I don't have screentones so I was thinking about using it to replace that. Still have a lot to consider. Maybe I'll just stick with hatching for mid tones. I'm not too sure about what to choose yet.
>I've always thought Seven Deadly Sins by Nakaba had pretty cool armor.
I've never read or watched it, but heard of it plenty. I'll go search for some pages from it, thanks.
>I can't speak for others but I don't. I skip scripting and go straight to storyboarding -- or rather, my storyboards are my script. This allows me to think visually while in the planning stages for my pages, and make sure the elements are all going to fit and read well on the page.
I did something similar to your approach for a webcomic before, but I'm afraid of making plot holes or mistakes in a longer series which is why I'm considering a script. I also tend to get ideas randomly throughout the day so I'm afraid of forgetting a line or scene cause I am a forgetful person. I like your idea of connecting the story to the visuals on the page, or imaging them. I tend to see stories like a movie, maybe I need to get into the habit of visualizing stories from panel to panel. It would probably improve my paneling and composition too. Thank you for the answer.

>>6181896
dude when the people your trying to sell the premise of your story to are “missing the point” it just means your shit has a lot stuff to work out before being audience worthy.
there was some things you could’ve expanded upon the like the androids and magical girl shit but instead you veered off am began describing a bunch of vague issues and motivations and packaged them into a character who’s sole purpose is to represent those concepts. obviously it sounds boring and muddy as fuck

>>6190909
Someone asked about the meaning of the CD, then someone said the main character has no motive despite it having an obvious one. They missed the point as in, they're ignoring what I'm trying to point out, which is the main characters motive.

>>6190915
ok i get you dude. "why" the character does what he does is very important to you. but I think the several other anons including myself are more interested in the "how" and "what". you know what im saying
we are all old enough that the "man vs himself" story isnt original enough to stand on its own. that's why your getting a few replies which are essentially, " and???"
it just seems little barebones, even for a relatively short elevator pitch

>>6190948
Fine, if you want an extended pitch I'll give it.

The main character, named Susumu, is whining about how he can't get a job with his sister (Nanami). Nanami explains that his aggressive behavior is the reason he can't get a job. But opposed to that, Susumu tries to prove that he is worthwhile without having to change himself.

When he comes back home, he realizes he doesn't have any real idea what to do but quickly comes up with one based off his skill for coding. Nanami is still worrying about him, but her friend tells her she has to stop worrying about him.

A week later, he finishes the program Angel, which is stored on a CD to move around. He calls his sister to show her his efforts, but when he meets her, she is caught up in a scuffle. He tries helping her but he gets knocked down. Next to him is the CD, which begins to glow and turn him into Angel (who converts and takes over his body, making it an Android).

Most of the depth is from the character interactions.

>>6190958
thats just a wordier version of an earlier post. you stopped at the part where he get turned in to android again. whats the actual conflict in the story

>>6190966
I'd like you know what you mean by conflict, but to give my answer.
The conflict is the same as the character motivation, wanting to be worthwhile without changing himself. He overcomes his conflict by realizing that his sister is right, his anger (arrogance) has gotten him no where (I know this isn't obvious from the pitch).

>>6190975
and like you said hes an android now. based on the earlier post is he also the magical girl too? does him being an android and getting involved in magical girl shenanigans have some sort of thematic value relating to his inner turmoil or is it just an arbitrary thing based on your current interests. which is fine if it is just wanna know

>>6190983
This is a one-shot, so I used the android to represent that change. I also referred to magical girl for the transformations, because a trope in those works is that the person literally changes into someone else (a persona), but I took that and made it literal. It's called Angel because it's his guardian Angel. I didn't want to focus much on the Android part (which is silly since the title literally about it) since it's more figurative than literal.

>>6190989
alright well sounds cool i guess good luck

Been working on my comic about ancient idols and bards. The latest update is in color for the webtoon action contest
https://m.webtoons.com/en/challenge/oi-the-battle-of-banshee-vale/the-battle-of-banshee-vale/viewer?title_no=795609&episode_no=1&webtoon-platform-redirect=true

>>6191048
*forgot to post the link to the non web scroll format regular version
https://m.tapas.io/episode/2602170

>>6176961
Manga source please

>>6191048
you never used my logo anon :(

i need help anons... i've been trying to write a story for my manga for the longest time. but i think the main problem is i have nothing to say with my story which makes it fall flat in these areas:
>theme
>character motivation
>the middle

like i can make up a plot/situation no problem, but none of that matters if the character doesn't have a strong enough motive to go through all the bullshit to get to the end. and then all the bullshit should probably say something about the entirety of the story and why it's happening right?

how do you guys tackle your stories?

>>6191103
I always start with the thing I want to say, anon. I can't help you with that.

If I draw in manga style, should I draw nipples on guys or is that too much detail?

>>6191117
I'd draw them, Dragon Ball did it

>>6191118
Did they. Holy shit! I thought it would look too pervy.

>>6191117
>>6191122
Read more manga.

If what you're doing is heavily inspired by manga, but you're American and doing work that reads left to right, is it okay to call your work a comic or graphic novel? Intentionally avoid calling it a manga.

>>6191105
alright, how did you narrow down what you wanted to say then and that this is the story you want to tell? do you mind telling me what you are trying to say with your story?

i think part of my block is that i don't want to commit to a huge project with a story that i will lose steam from.

>>6191131
Well, I just looked at things I liked. I enjoy stories that invoke a sense of wonder, of adventurous spirit, for lack of a better term. That feeling that the world is a big and amazing place with all kinds of things to discover. I realized that there aren't really a whole lot of stories that try to evoke this feeling, that they've sort of turned into "dark" adventures where the protagonist or protagonists become disillusioned and/or jaded, but I feel that it doesn't have to be that way. Recognizing that adventures are inherently dark and dangerous affairs is neat, but I feel like too many works make that the conclusion. I want to make something that progresses beyond that, something that goes from a wonderous adventure, realizes how dark and dangerous such a thing can be and how that affects the characters, and then seeing those characters arrive on the other side of that darkness, matured to go on an adventure with their new outlook. So I devised a story that follows that progression.

A dragon is attacking villages, so a band of people come together and travel deep into the wilderness to hunt it down. Things go wrong, a wizard betrays them, people die and the protagonist must fight on his lonesome just to survive in a world that wants to eat him. He returns to civilization a changed and decidedly jaded person to find that thanks to the wizard from earlier even his home is not what it was and he must fix it himself. He meets back up with the adventurers who survived and they become embroiled in royal family in-fighting as the emperor is assassinated before the succession is decided. People die, the protagonist grows, and must decide who he will back going into the future and comes out the other side of all this conflict matured. Finally, the villain's location and plot is known and he and his band of adventurers must venture forth to put an end to the wizard's plans and restore his home and save the world.
A lot like HxH and Berserk, conceptually.

>>6191090
Because you said you were a fan and wanted to voluntarily design it for free, and then demanded $40 afterwards+me shipping a book to Europe which would mean $50 just for shipping.
I liked your work but didn't like the attempted shakedown after the fact.

>>6190255
I worked all day to finish a comic project that's been going slow for a while. that's subscriber content for a full month or so. a couple more commissions and I can plan for a vacation without too many deadlines still lurking over my head.

>>6190470
I don't like being angry, or being an angry person. but I know what causes it and I need to shut that shit down.

>>6190538
thank you

>>6190314
I'm glad. I just want to consistently motivate others so they know at least one anon is always working along side them.

>>6191103
>how do you guys tackle your stories?
>the middle
create a "skeleton script" or a "roadmap." create headings for major story sections, then break that down to smaller parts, then maybe down the individual chapters/scenes. start with the ideas you have then try to fill in the least detailed parts with new ideas. I mapped out most of my manga this way as an example for someone else but I can't seem to find the page I made and wakarimasen is kill.

>character motivation
create a character motivation that directly ties into the plot you've set up, a lot of manga, especially shounen start with a major goal in mind for the protag to work toward.

>themes
sometimes writers create plots and settings and allow themes to grow naturally from the creation, which I did. but it's risky and the best plots/characters/settings are made with the themes in mind. I won't comment on themes further since once again, I go the more amateur route

>>6191149
OOFT.
absolute scum energy.

>>6191103
bro you think i have any idea? this is the hardest part.
i know a ton of theory but actually putting something together is just a TON of work in my experience.
don't underestimate writing as a craft.

>>6191148
thanks anon. sounds kinda like a classic adventure story. good luck to you.

>>6191160
don't you get nervous about what the end of your story might look like and what the audience might take away from it if you are kind of winging it this way? i guess it doesn't really matter if you view it as amateur as you say. maybe i'm just worried the reader will read through it and realize the ride wasn't worth it.

out of curiosity, what's the theme you're trying to steer your story into (or if you are at all)? i've seen your stuff around a lot so i figure you must've thought about this at least once or twice.

>>6191181
well good to know i'm not completely retarded for feeling this way. i wish the stories i wrote just didn't feel so generic.

>>6191251
>what's the theme you're trying to steer your story into
I'm about to sleep so i have no concept art examples. At this point i know i have certain themes that will be explored through characters and plot. but the main one hilda is this. The way Hilda interacts with ghosts, this odd sexual way. While originally a character quirk, ended up as a take on rule34 culture, Indulging in the unreal, and the trek out of those habits. The struggle its created is hinted mostly now but it is her main "issue." Im trying to keep it all on theme with this and explore personal or social issues. Some things like the devils moon ONLY really working as an environmentalism kind of symbol muddies this. But it may not be a bad idea to tackle a wider range of issues that this generation of characters face.

>tfw I fucking missed the deadline for the Kyoto award due to my own laziness.

>>6191293
I feel you anon, but there was nothing that i could do right with my fuck up hand, but this anon >>6190754 is a life saver, now i have 2 months and 3 weeks to finish my entry, also i found out another annual contest that it's made by Japan's embassy
>>6191070
100 kanojo

>>6190255
What did happen? I was too depressed to read the fight, but now I'm curious

>>6191178
I gave him free use of the logo on the note that he gives me a volume of the book. I also bought one of his books as well.

>>6191406
I remember you asking if people wanted your logos, you did a few. did you pester those other anons for quid pro quos? The implication was you were doing them for practice or something. Do you go to the OC thread and draw OC's and after delievery make external conditions that benefit you?

what a fucking snake.

>>6191450
I only went to the one anon because I also designed a cover and a few internal pages. All of that for 40 USD, I told him he could use the logo even after he denied wanting to pay. Plus he himself said he would send a book, I even gave a method that'd lower the costs substantially.

I made about 4 free logo's and didn't get payed for any of them but me doing extra is suddenly making me snake?

>>6191498
>I offered people 4 free mediocre logos 3 months ago and they didn't even pay me! what the heck!

>>6191509
Didn't read what I posted and I assumed I went to all of them somehow and asked for pay.

Atleast try to be correct. I only asked one anon after doing way more than just a logo and still never got payed for it. He still can use the logo and cover I made.

>>6191533
Forgot pic

>>6190754
>europe-japan contest
Welp, i will have to wait until next year then

>>6191631
It doesn't say it's limited to just Europe. last year's winners come from Cameroon and Philippines

>>6191498
Yeh, that's not how you should do business. Don't say you're volunteering to do something for free and then demand money after the fact.

>>6191534
I never asked you to do all this though. You said you wanted to do it for free because you were a fan. Then you tried to shake me down for money afterwards. I don't want to use your logo now because I don't want to deal with you coming at me down the line and trying to demand more money. I also didn't like how you were calling me a liar when I told you shipping a book to Europe cost $50. Next time if you want money for people, make your terms clear upfront.

>>6191658
But... that's really close to Japan, I'm not close to Japan
Well I'll take it, October it's a good date to finish the one shot

>>6191406
>gave him free
>gives me
that's not how the word free works juden

>>6191682
I contacted one of those websites that names stars; and named a star after your manga, I assume I just send the invoice to your twitter. or?

>>6191533
you're a fucking psycho cunt.

>>6191687
He knows full well he has full freedom to use it, is asking for something that bad? Even if he doesn't send the book atleast he's using it. Anon outright lied by saying I wanted him to pay 40 plus give a free volume. I told him he can have it for free yet himself insisted that he would pay it later. I already sent him all the files, so I don't care about the volume or money. I just want to see him use it.
>>6191704
He has literally everything, the logo, the covers, the character profiles and filler pages in PSD format sent to him. Psycho is making it then gatekeeping it from him. In the end, I got nothing while in this thread he is outright defacing me.
At this point, I'd just buy the new cover if he ever releases it.

Call me all you want but I still gave him everything I did.

>>6191677
I didn’t demand money nor did I force him to pay me. I asked if would pay and he said no, even then I still gave him the files.
>>6191682
I don't care about the money, I asked once then dropped it when you said no. If I really didn't want you to use it, I'd not even send the files. But I did anyways because I want your work to succeed. So you making the assumption that I would hunt you down is outright wrong. The files are 100% yours.

>>6191788
I will chalk this up to a misunderstanding on both our parts and let bygones be bygones and water under the bridge. My advice is next time you want to do business with artists make sure your terms and intentions are clear up front, otherwise it might lead to more misunderstandings. For the record, I think your logo you designed was ok, but the interior pages and cover design you did was professional quality. Good luck on your design career in the future.

>>6191771
Just read this. Now you're calling me a liar again? That behavior does not lead me to want to use your designs. Anon I will just say you are your own worst enemy. Good luck in your book design career.

>>6191771
>Anon outright lied by saying I wanted him to pay 40 plus give a free volume.
Yes, this is exactly what you demanded I do after doing a bunch of work for free that I didn't ask for. I offered to send you money so you could by the books on Amazon for a much lower cost but you repeatedly called me a liar when I told you me personally shipping a book to Europe would cost me $50 in shipping alone. Please leave me alone now.

>>6185523
Gotta go all out with posting scans, mate

Last post I promise I'll have an actual storyboard and script of the first chapter and also several short stories or one shots for crit next time instead of random drawings that are somewhat related-to-comics-but-not-actual-comics. Thanks to the anon who recommended Nakaba Suzuki. I tried copying a little of his hatching. I admire the page with all the armored soldiers and the way the background is drawn. I'll probably reference that page in the future, and the gauntlet design was cool too. Appreciate the recommendation. I've been studying more Hidari and Sachiko Wada design on my own for armor as well. I also thought about rendering styles more, I think I'll just go with whatever texture or material I'm trying to show. I'll probably lean more into the bold shading, thinking about Himukai Yuji's EO design or Frank Frazetta, but combine some hatching with it or to feather. Eh, I'm just gonna stop thinking too hard and just start and see where it takes me. The first attempts will always have the most mistakes anyway.
/blog

Actual last question for a while (I lied last time), any other alternatives sites to /ic/ or /co/ to talk about drawing comics that isn't discord?

>>6192597
I really like the style you are going for anon it's very unique and it pops out, right now my style is more on the generic side and your posts make me want to challenge myself. As for communities that's a good question, wish I knew there was a good place to share about drawing comics.

Are the How to Draw Manga series books any good? I don’t know where to start.

Is anybody going to make the new thread? Should I do it?

NEW THREAD: >>6193034
NEW THREAD: >>6193034
NEW THREAD: >>6193034