New Way to do Comic Book Lettering in Adobe Illustrator

This Adobe Illustrator tutorial shows a new way to do comic book lettering for your print comics, web comics, comic strips and graphic novels.

This tutorial presumes you have some familiarity with using Illustrator. This will be tricky for beginners. Even those at intermediate levels and above will require paying close attention to what is happening on screen. It will be to your advantage to follow along with this video and pause it as needed.

I make this look easy in the demo because I've been doing this a lot. I have a sense of what to expect from different blocks of text.

This technique works for balloons and captions.

I wish Adobe had an Appearance Panel in InDesign. 

Abba Studios is the home for learning about software, art, painting, and drawing for artists. There is also some entertainment, such as short films - live-action, animation, and cartoons. Abba Studios also reviews computer hardware and software. Abba Studios take a very thorough educational approach to teaching. We have tutorials, vector drawings, how-to, speed drawings, demos, and tips and tricks about ArtRage and Adobe Illustrator. More software applications to come soon.

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Visual Vocabulary of Graphic Novels and Comic Books

Time to Catch Up

I got side tracked from this, so here are links to what I've discussed so far:

Layout, Panels and Grids

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Balloons and Captions

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Sound Effects

One

Two

Three

Next I'll be discussing:

Actions

Expressions

Feelings and emotions

Symbols

Glyphs

read next - Come and Get it Travel Time
previous - Gentleman Color Theory

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copyright 2013 H. Simpson

Sound Effects and Display Type Techniques for Comics and Graphic Novels

Some Basic Techniques for Sound Effects and Display Type

Rather than use purchased sound effects fonts as your first choice, I encourage you as the artist to do them yourself in pencil and then you or the letterer ink the work. Of course, if it fits then by all means use a font. Sometimes you don't have to reinvent the wheel. 

Here are some techniques to get you started. Don't be limited by them, use these as a jumping off point. 

Don’t compete with the art. Complement the art to enhance and further the storytelling.

You can age, frost, drip and set the type on fire. You are only limited by your imagination. 

And check out these tutorials by Jim Campbell and Todd Klein.

read next - Are You a Passive Line or a Powerful Line?
previous - More About Sound Effects for Comics and Graphic Novels

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If you are interested in using these tools, then I recommend these products and books.

You can support this blog when you purchase a item by clicking the link below, I get a piece of the action and helps me to continue doing this blog. Support an artist today.

copyright 2012 H. Simpson.

More About Sound Effects for Comics and Graphic Novels

Old School vs New School

The state of comic book sound effects make me yawn. Nowadays they mostly look alike. Yes you can buy fonts created specifically to be sound effects. You've seen them over and over again. I would have thought digital fonts would have opened the door to more creativity. It hasn't.

First, let's look at some more old school lettering and then some creative lettering being done today.

Here's some more old school sound effects that are very individual and complement the art and contribute to the storytelling. Something that is sometimes lacking with computer fonts.

I firmly feel that artist should draw their own sound effects. Make them part of the design of the page and fit the sound. The sound effects can be hand drawn and then rendered digitally by the letterer if you don't want to do it yourself..

Here is a great current example from Cafe Suada by Jade Sarson. We should all aspire to this level of creativity.

to be continued…

read next - Sound Effects and Display Type Techniques for Comics and Graphic Novels
previous -  Sound Effects for Comics and Graphic Novels

Keep reading and follow me. If you have found this helpful, please let me know and share with other creators. Are the explanations clear and complete? Feel free to ask me questions.

Remember… Just Create!

Copyright 2016 H. Simpson

If you are interested in further expanding your knowledge, then I recommend these books.

When you purchase a book by clicking the link below, I get a piece of the action and helps me to continue doing this blog. Support an artist today.

Sound Effects for Comics and Graphic Novels

Comic Book Sound Effects

Now let's take a look at sound effects.

I mean it. Take a look.

Now go back and really see them. Are they part of the art? Do they tell the story?

to be continued...

read next - More About Sound Effects for Comics and Graphic Novels
previous - Types of Balloons and Captions for Comics and Graphic Novels

Keep reading and follow me. If you have found this helpful, please let me know and share with other creators. Are the explanations clear and complete? Feel free to ask me questions.

Remember… Just Create!

If you are interested in using these tools, then I recommend these products and books.

You can support this blog when you purchase a item by clicking the link below, I get a piece of the action and helps me to continue doing this blog. Support an artist today.

copyright 2012 H. Simpson.

Types of Speech Balloons and Captions for Comics and Graphic Novels

These are examples of different types of word balloons and captions. These are not the only way to portray these types. You can be very creative in your interpretation of these types.

Dialogue - used with quotes when it's in a caption.

Thought - with captions sometimes a symbol is used in the upper left to let you know who is thinking and/or it is color coded.

Computer - indicates computer audio.

Double Gutter Burst - two balloons one inside the other to indicate yelling; not screaming.

Ghostly

Icicle - indicate cold shoulder being given or pissed off attitude.

Loud Speaker

Monster

Radio/Electronic - indicate speech broadcast via radio, TV or other devices.

Robot - indicate artificial being speaking.

Scream

Telepathic - indicate character is using their mind to communicate.

Telephone - indicate person speaking on other end of phone.

Weak - indicate character is distressed, dying, tired or becoming unconsciousness  in some way.

Whisper - indicate softly spoken speech.

and many more that haven't been done because you haven't created it.

The typeface chosen and color can add to the effect also and should be used where needed.

Hey creators. Are the explanations clear and complete? Feel free to ask me questions.

to be continued...

read next - Sound Effects for Comics and Graphic Novels
previous - Balloon and Caption Placement for Comics and Graphic Novels

Keep reading and follow me. If you have found this helpful, please let me know and share with other creators. Are the explanations clear and complete? Feel free to ask me questions.

Remember… Just Create!

If you are interested in using these tools, then I recommend these products and books.

You can support this blog when you purchase a item by clicking the link below, I get a piece of the action and helps me to continue doing this blog. Support an artist today.

Please support me making video tutorials on Patreon.

copyright 2012 H. Simpson.

Speech Balloon and Caption Placement for Comics and Graphic Novels

Word Balloon and Caption Placement

If you are working from a full script, then put in your text first to get a general idea of space needed.

Do this whether you are working digitally or traditionally.

Then draw your figures. 

Then you can go back and finalize the text position and balloons.

If you are working from a plot, then leave the top third empty, but don't leave empty space. As you draw leave a dead space just begging for a balloon or caption. 

Check out more on balloon and caption placement from one of the masters in the field; Todd Klein on his blog.

Also check out this article by the great Nate Piekos on grammar and aesthetic traditions.

read next - Types of Balloons and Captions for Comics and Graphic Novels
previous - Framing Word Balloons and Captions for Comics and Graphic Novels

Keep reading and follow me. If you have found this helpful, please let me know and share with other creators. Are the explanations clear and complete? Feel free to ask me questions.

Remember… Just Create!

If you are interested in further expanding your knowledge, then I recommend these books.

You can support this blog when you purchase a book by clicking the link below, I get a piece of the action and helps me to continue doing this blog. Support an artist today.

copyright 2012 H. Simpson.

Top 10 Amateur Lettering Mistakes

Top 10 Amateur Lettering Mistakes

Nate Piekos warns amateurs not to make these mistakes by helping them see what them look like.
Check out his web-site Blambot.

Number 5 should be "INconsistent"!

to be continued…

read next - How to Copyright Your Art and Comic Book Creations
previous - What Makes You Beautiful?

Keep reading and follow me. If you have found this helpful, please let me know and share with other creators. Are the explanations clear and complete? Feel free to ask me questions.

Remember… Just Create!

Copyright 2016 H. Simpson

If you are interested in further expanding your knowledge, then I recommend these books.

When you purchase a book by clicking the link below, I get a piece of the action and helps me to continue doing this blog. Support an artist today.

What Makes You Beautiful Speech Balloons?

Word Balloons and Lettering for your Comic Book, Comic Strip and Graphic Novel

Comic Book Speech Balloons and Lettering

You are going to be in one of three situations concerning lettering:

1. You get a plot from a writer/co-writer. In which case, you won't know the exact dialogue ahead of time.

Typically when you do your art you should leave about a third of the panel space at top for word balloons. That doesn't mean you leave empty space, it means you compose your scene so no vital information gets covered.You want to make your lettered page beautiful.

Here's a couple of pages I did from a plot. You can see that I've mostly left space at the top of the panels.

Panel 3 is a little tight above her head.

Panel 2 is tight above their heads, however there is plenty of space on each side as an alternative.

2. You get a full script from a writer/co-writer. Now you do have the dialogue and captions. 

Now you can immediately consider the balloon placement when you do your thumbnails and layouts.

3. You are writing this yourself. Now you do know the dialogue and captions and most likely you keep changing it as you go along. Creative people… sheesh!

In any case you are still considering the whole page design with the balloons. There may not be a written script, as some artists start conceiving the story while they do their thumbnails. Which is what I do when I do the thumbnails.

I've included approximate balloon placements in my page design.

to be continued…

Comic Book Grammar & Tradition

BETTER LETTERER: Comic Lettering Tips

read next - Top 10 Amateur Lettering Mistakes
previous - Introduction to Speech Balloons

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Copyright 2016 H. Simpson

If you are interested in further expanding your knowledge, then I recommend these books.

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A nice method to do thought balloon lettering.

How to Become a Comic Strip, Comic Book and Graphic Novel Artist

Nate Piekos has a nice method for doing thought balloon lettering for comic books, comic strips and graphic novels.

Some of you may think it's old fashioned to use thought balloons. Some people think that about black and white movies. Some won't even watch them. Aww... poor thought restricted babies.

The film The Artist won 5 Oscars last year. You can't get more old school, than a silent and black and white film.

to be continued…

read next - Review Panels in Comics and Graphic Novels
previous - Panels and More Panels

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Copyright 2016 H. Simpson

If you are interested in further expanding your knowledge, then I recommend these books.

When you purchase a book by clicking the link below, I get a piece of the action and helps me to continue doing this blog. Support an artist today.

Blambot.com Blog: STUPIDHEAD preview 2!

Blambot.com Blog: STUPIDHEAD preview 2!: http://www.blambot.com/font_stupidhead.shtml


Check out this sound effect font with a classic look!

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copyright 2012 H. Simpson