Professional Manga: Digital Storytelling with Manga Studio EX

by Horton; Steve

• ISBN13: 9780240810287
• ISBN10: 0240810287
• Edition: CD
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2008-06-17
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Combine high-end manga storytelling theory and advice with the tools for digital creation in Manga Studio, guided by expert professional manga-ka. Youll discover manga storytelling techniques, from speed lines to technology, from toning to big sound effects. Steve Horton and Jeong Mo Yang then show you how best to accomplish these techniques using the leading manga art creation program, Manga Studio EX. Every ounce of theory is backed up with step-by-step manga illustrations and Manga Studio screenshots that show how these illustrations were created. See the techniques in action in The Other Side of the Tracks, a new manga short story in the book centerfold which demonstrates at least one example from every technique described. You can also follow the continuing story as a webmanga available at comicspace.com. And theres more! The companion CD includes trial version of Manga Studio EX along with high-resolution image files from the book. Smith Micro has also included a coupon for $100 off the full version of Manga Studio EX. --Authors are expert professional manga-ka (creators), with credits such as TokyoPop's Star Trek: the Manga and Dyoz, Image Comics' Strongarm, and Grounded Angel on the web. --There is no other Manga book that melds high-end Manga storytelling theory and advice, with the tools for digital creation in Manga Studio. --In the book centerfold is a new manga short story: The Other Side of the Tracks, which shows at least one example from every technique described. This story will continue after publication as a webmanga. --Demo version of Manga Studio EX on CD (plus exclusive value-adds not found elsewhere) along with high-resolution image files from the book. --Smith Micro (makers of Manga Studio) will provide a coupon in the back of the book for $50 to $100 off the $220 Manga Studio EX software.

Table of Contents

Professional Manga

Short Table of Contents and Synopses

The Building Blocks of Manga

Line Art

Here are tips from the artist on how to draw lines smoothly

Also, heres some instruction on how to draw thicker lines in the foreground and thinner lines in the background

Shading & Textures: Basics This is an introduction to shading as a replacement for color

Most manga is black and white and uses grayscale tones and shading to give weight and balance to the elements of a page

Manga Studio comes with premade textures, but the best artists create their own

Heres how to do so and how to apply a texture to an element

Shading & Textures: Advanced Its important to know how to use the light source, the camera and other directing knowledge to help you shade a scene properly

Also, its critical to shade at a specific resolution so that details and moire patterns dont develop when the page is reduced for print

Also, dont overuse textures

Sometimes none are called for and the art needs to be left open

Speed Lines In a lot of manga, characters can move fast or express a lot of movement within the space of a single panel

Since a comic panel is a single snapshot in time, how best to express that movement? One solution that manga partakes in frequently is speed lines

Speed lines can be straight or circular, parallel or concentric, depending on the kind of motion that needs to be expressed in a panel

Speed lines are also used when a character comes to a realization or epiphany

Heres how to correctly apply the right speed lines to your panel

Manga Studio has this functionality built in, but advanced users will want to tweak the settings or even create the lines manually

Like the other techniques, its critical not to overuse them

One panel per page at most is a good guideline

Pick the fastest or most critical scene on the page and go for it!

Blurring An alternative or a companion to speed lines, blurring is another way to show motion

Since the advent of photoshop, blurring and other digital tricks have become more prevalent in manga

Heres how its done

Backgrounds Beginning manga artists often lack the skills to render backgrounds well

These artists want to skip straight to the characters and the action and skimp on buildings and other boring stuff

This is a pitfall

Backgrounds are just as important as the rest of the page, and its important to both concentrate on them and know how to render them correctly in Manga Studio

Technology Theres a juxtaposition between the simplicity of a manga character and the complexity of the technology that might exist in their world

The characters are meant to be iconic, but the technology is specific

This is often where most of the detail and time is spent

Heres how to make technology look like it is supposed to

Sound Effects and Lettering Special effects can often depend on the creators country of origin

Despite the language in which the book might be translated or presented, the sound effects stay in that original language

Brian Yang prefers to render sound effects in Korean

Korean characters look cool and different when drawn large

Also, manga sound effects tend to morph and change with the action, often becoming part of the scene! Here are some tricks for creating and manipulating SFX so they stand out

Lettering is often glossed over in much translated manga to its detriment

There are a few simple tips to know when lettering manga

Here they are, and heres how to pick a good font and letter the right way

Center Section: Manga Short Story The Other Side of the Tracks This is an original creation of the author, written by Steve Horton and drawn by Brian Yang

This manga uses all the storytelling and Manga Studio techniques used throughout this book and acts as a coda for all the lessons learned

A high-res version

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.