How do the pros make manga?

[XPManga]

So how do mangaka like the author of Naruto make his pages? Do they do it by hand? By computer? What?

If you know how they do it, please give me the step by step instructions of how they do it.

Thanks

[minakichan]

It's more than you could explain in a forum post but it goes something like this:

Most pros in Japan do things by hand still, although many are moving to digital. Generally, after doing thumbnails and getting their work approved, they start with manga paper, special heavy illustration board which is 2 or more times the size of a printed manga page and has special guidelines for drawing. They'll pencil lightly and then ink with a special dip nib pen (shounen mangaka tend to be partial to what are called G pens for their bold line and versatility). Then they paste screen tone, which is sort of a clear tape with a pattern on it (often the dot shading pattern you'll find on manga pages) to fill in shadows and textures on clothing or the background. After handing it over to the editor and getting it approved, the page is then photographed with a special camera, digitized, and typeset.

That's a VERY loose explanation. I'm guessing you want to try to draw manga, in which case you should probably do a couple years of internet research on your own first. Reading the manga Bakuman is a great starting point.

For comparison, when I draw manga, generally I draw on manga paper with a technical pen, scan it in, and place tones with a program called MangaStudio (ComicStudio in Japan). This is how most people do it in the OEL community. Some draw straight in MangaStudio with a tablet, forgoing analog completely.

[Fish and Chips]

I'm guessing you want to try to draw manga, in which case you should probably do a couple years of internet research on your own first. Reading the manga Bakuman is a great starting point.

Unless you're a woman.

[minakichan]

Unless you're a woman.

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[XPManga]

Interesting.. I never thought they would stick to the old ways of manga today. Well, this what I do in my manga:

1. Pencil (only) out the page. Including bubbles, panels, and even dialogue if i have to.
2. Scan the page into my computer (Mac).
3. Convert the image's file on GIMP by just "Save As"
4. Import the coverted image into Manga Studio.
5. Trace out the page (with a pen tablet) with Lines (for panels), and a "School" Pen (size 0.07mm)
6. Add screentones, if necessary.
7. Add dialogue (Comic San [all capsed])
8. Finally, Export the image.

So basically, I'm both a traditional and a digital mangaka.

[minakichan]

Sounds good~

Try not to use Comic Sans though. It's not a proper comic font and it comes off as very amateurish (if you even just Google Comic Sans, you'll find people's rabid criticisms of it). There are plenty of free comic fonts with proper balance and rhythm; you can try blambot.com for some pretty nice ones (a lot of people use Anime Ace, which is a pretty solid, typically manga font).

[XPManga]

Really? Hmm. Of all the manga I have read, including Naruto, all the fonts look like Comic San...

[Scarecrow]

There is a nice program for the computer called Comic Book Creator or something (I believe Marvel puts it out)... I own it but I never used it other than just play around with it. I'm not very good at putting stories out and stuff but if I were to make a manga, I'd probably use that. You import your pictures after you've done all the tracing and stuff and then ad the bubbles. They have lots of comic book fonts including the big SWOOSH and BANG! type fonts if wish to westernize your comic a bit.

It's pretty cool. And cheap. 20 bucks or something. I'd just buy it for the different bubbles and the fonts. I don't really need help with layouts and stuff but it's there too if you need it. The bubbles and fonts though are really cool.

[Dr.Faust]

UGH!!! I have major writors block.Doing script writing for self illustrated munga is so hard. Any advice

[LadyRushia]

Dr. Faust, this thread is about the process of publishing manga, not scriptwriting. Please stay on topic.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

[quote="minakichan (post: 1319219)"]Sounds good~

Try not to use Comic Sans though. It's not a proper comic font and it comes off as very amateurish (if you even just Google Comic Sans, you'll find people's rabid criticisms of it). There are plenty of free comic fonts with proper balance and rhythm]
Hahaha I even found a video about that.

http://bancomicsans.com/home.html

[minakichan]

Comic sans has no rhythm; all the lines are the same width, and yet the kerning is uneven. The reason it doesn't work as a comic font is that if you're drawing proper comics, your lines aren't going to have the same width; a lack of line variation is one of the biggest tip-offs that a comic artist is a complete amateur who hasn't studied at all. Traditionally, comics are hand-lettered, so you need that organic dynamism of line to pull off a proper comic; some typefaces can imitate that close enough, but Comic Sans fails at it. If you can't tell the difference between Comic Sans and proper comic typefaces, you might need to learn how to ink or draw in the first place.

Also, Comic Book Creator and similar products (like Apple's Comic Life) are fine for amateur productions if you're just trying to make an image just for fun, but they absolutely don't cut it for professional jobs or anything you could self-publish. =/

[Maokun]

Wow, so many people already know and use Manga Studio. I just recently learned of it and got it. Now I plan to learn how to use it, as soon as I can get my hands in a new draw tablet.

To Op, I'd suggest a read of some choice volumes on the How to Draw Manga series. While very little can be gathered from the actual drawing lessons on them (that is, if you want to be at least half serious), the technical information on the processes is spot-on.

This is how most people do it in the OEL community.

Pray forgive my ignorance, what is this OEL thing you talk about?

[minakichan]

OEL = original english language. Basically, most of the manga-style comic creators in English-speaking countries (actually, to be more specific, English-speaking countries outside of Asia, as Southeast Asia does things a little differently). This includes the Tokyopop creators and a lot of Rising Stars of Manga winners or aspiring entrants in the States and the UK, and communities or small press/web portals like Wirepop in North America and Sweatdrop Studios in the UK.

[Maokun]

Thanks a lot. You seem to be quite knowledgeable in these topics. I hope to be able to cultivate your acquaintance in the future.

[ChristianKitsune]

o.o I never knew that about Comic Sans...
I chose to use it in my comic because my character IS an amateur comic artist... O_O That's the only reason...

but... I may be changing my typefont when I redo pages I guess XD

[airichan623]

I've never made a manga beyond 2 pages for art class but here's some tips from me:
1.) I realize that this might be slightly weird 4 XPManga and other male thread contributers, but I find the section of Shojo Beat magazine called Shojo Manga Lessons with Yuu Watase very helpful. (Unfortunately SB went under so you might have to look online or at back issues.) It helps you position panels and the like and learn how to create good dialogue flow.

2.) Also, you can pick up tips by reading the "Author Comment Panels" in many manga. For instance, in Naruto Kishimoto-sensei gives an insight into his work process in the Official Fanbook (available at most bookstores and some libraries) and in his comment pages (I learned about inking through a prank he played on his assistant once) :-). And the author of the OEL Dramacon gives great tips in the back of the first Dramcon volume.

3.) FYI, the rough draft of a manga is called a 'name' (pronounced nah-MAY) in Japanese.

Best Wishes and happy OEL writing!!!

[Maokun]

3.) FYI, the rough draft of a manga is called a 'name' (pronounced nah-MAY) in Japanese.

Actually it is pronounced "nah-meh".

I'm really sorry, it is a pet peeve of mine that english speakers pronounce the ending "e" of words in other languages as "ay"

[JapanAni]

usually the process is: planning panels to storyboard, drawing the sketch, inking and sometimes they usually use digital but most mangaka's use natural screen tones.

I've seen the process of some mangaka's they use copic markers for coloring.