Wouldn’t it be great if there was an easy, surefire way to make your artwork look awesome?
Guess what, there is!
And not only am I going to give it to you, I’m going to give you FIVE ways to make your art look cool in under two minutes without the use of Photoshop.
Hack No. 1: BLOCK OF COLOR
Notice how a single block of red really makes the character stand out? No need for much else!
Hack No. 2: FAT OUTLINE
Again, a cheap trick to make your pin-up really stand out.
Hack No. 3: COLORED PAPER AND HIGHLIGHTS
In this case, just a crappy piece of recycled gray paper and a white pencil for highlights. Works every time!
Hack No. 4: DON’T DRAW EVERYTHING
Leaving the character open likes this leaves space for the imagination of the viewer. Never underestimate the power of suggestion! Combine with a few faux sketch lines and viola!
Hack No. 5: INK WASH
Add a few splashes of ink wash to your drawing for that extra three-dimensional feel. Splatter at will!
Hope these easy tricks to make your character shots look great was helpful. If you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for our newsletter for more practical advice like this.
Thanks a lot, you are a very generous person and I get really excited every time I get one of your emails, the one about making mistakes is very encouraging, I thank you a lot and find you as a great inspiration, one day I’ll hopefully show you my stuff and thank you even more!
Thanks, Elias! Glad you find inspiration and encouragement in what I do. That means a lot. Thanks for your feedback, aprreciate it!
Keep up the great work. Thank you. Nick
Thanks for tips 😉
You’re welcome, Haris 🙂 Glad you found this useful!
-Palle
Cool thanks for the tips! I really like the color one
Thanks, Chris! It’s all about making the character pop, amazing what can be achieved with just a block of color.
Thanks for the tips Palle! You are becomming my Stan Lee !
Thanks good tips. Like the one with off color paper and white highlights. New member and I have been enjoying the news letter. Do you have a Facebook page I can join?
Hey Jason, welcome on board! I do have a Facebook page, just search for “comics for beginners”. Thanks!
-Palle
Thank you so much for these the block of color may be just what I was looking for, for my background when I don’t have enough room in the frame to justify all the details.
Hey Jonathan, if you’re looking for quick ways to draw backgrounds, be sure to check out this post as well: https://comicsforbeginners.com/art-tutorial-5-hacks-drawing-backgrounds-quicker/
Thanks!
Thank you very much
Your web and resources are the best way to enjoy and learn.
Diego
Hi Mr Pallet, I love the way you present comics and how simple is your ideas, unfortunately I’ve been trying to draw comics but cannot break through it, do you give really basic courses for drawing, I mean really the basics?
I don’t have a drawing course as such, but the video tutorials is a basic course in how to make comics. I will continue to give out little hacks and hints like these in the future. Thanks for the kind words!
Thank you for the tips! They come in really handy!
Your e-mails really help me staying motivated! I hope i can send you my comic ons dat to let you see with what you have helped me! Thank you very much!
Staying motivated is key! Especially since you can’t expect any support from family or friends 🙂 Glad you find the e-mails helpful! Thanks, Dorothy!
I’m making a crime drama graphic novel like you made. you and i have the same taste in crime comics. maybe we could work on a comic together one day.
awesome tips thanks
Hey Palle,,
nice tips man, thanks i will most certainly use those.
Don
Thank you so much for all your wisdom. Every email video is insatiable and helpful it’s like getting a college education minus the 45,000 US dollar tuition a semester..
Thanks Scitel, I really appreciate you saying that!
Thank you for sharing with us your knowledge Palle!
This tips help me a lot, i am making my first ever graphic novel right now, and with your help i noticed that sometimes i waste times on drawing every details. Reading “Devil’s concubine” help me a lot as well. Thanks Palle!
Yeah, knowing what details matter and where to cheat is a key point in creating comics. Normally it takes years to develop that skill. So if you’re not quite there yet, have patience 🙂
Thanks for the kind words!
I am diggin d fat outline n toned paper… thnks. M glad i opened my mail dis mornin????
If you only own pencils and liner pens, how do you suggest making the splashes of ink?
Well, you can’t, really. I use black Ecoline watercolor for pretty much everything. Ink is pricey, messy and tricky to work with. Ruins your brushes too if you’re not careful.
Thank you for all the helpful tips, Palle. Ink washes make me happy. I love the transparency of a watercolor-like effect against solid lines. A nice contrast, I think. You can make some really cool effects with them when using color holds too. With the right brushes, it also works for digital art. Thanks again!
I do almost all of my comics work in inkwash these days. Never heard of color holds tho, what is that?