Monday, June 23, 2008
Finally, we are ready for action! Here are the tools that you may need for your ultimate manga production.
Software
There are a wide variety of software applications that you can use to create your manga from scratch or merely to refine it and give it a more polished look. Here’s a list of software that we recommend:
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Illustrator
- Corel Painter
- Paint Shop Pro
- Manga Studio Pro
- Tab Manga
- openCanvas
- The GIMP (free)
Most of these software applications may be quite costly for beginners and hobbyists. Some however, are free like the GIMP. It is not necessary to use these softwares for your manga but it is essential that you scan all manually created mangas into digital format.
Art Supplies
In the age of computers, traditional tools are still not forgotten!
- Pencils – Soft 2B pencils are ideal for sketching and roughing out your drawings while mechanicals are great for sharp, consistent lines that are ideal adding the final touches.
- Erasers – No mangaka can live without this! Use this to remove any mistakes.
- Pens – Pens are used traditionally for inking purposes. If you do use pens, we recommend one that is waterproof, lightfast, smudge-proof and fade-proof.
- Sketchbooks – Great for capturing ideas on the go and sketching them out.
- Paper – Look for paper that works well with ink, particularly those that has a surface ideally suited for pencil art.
- Workplace – You will be spending most of your time here creating your manga, so make sure it’s tidy, neat and has all the tools you need. Have a good office chair that provides a good back support and have sufficient light as well. If you are going to work for long hours on the computer, make sure that your monitor is at least 20-30 inches (or an arm’s length) in front of you. Sometimes playing background music can help you set the right frame or mood to help you focus. Others may find music distracting and prefer silence.
Other Tools
- Scanner : Essential in converting your manual manga artwork into digital data. Please read Tips of Going Digital!
- Printer: To print out your mangas.
- PC Workstation / Mac
- Digital drawing tablet : If you are planning to draw directly onto the computer, the digital drawing tablet might be useful to you. Beware for they do not come cheap! The ones you can get from retail computer stores are like WACOM’S Bamboo Fun™ which comes at an affordable price, depending on how far you are willing to stretch your budget!
- CD/DVD Writer: Useful for backups and saving your work! Don’t forget that you need to submit all your digital manga files in a form of a CD or DVD for the competition.
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