Update with Free Software to Create Comics and Graphic Novels

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

art copyright 2018 Howard Simpson

DIGITAL TOOLS OF THE TRADE

Today, we update a previous post about the software you can use for creation. New to the list is MediBang Pro and Mischief - both available for free. And now SketchBook which had free and paid versions, now only offers a full-featured free version.

Do you know of any others I should add to the list? Tell me about them.

RASTER-BASED IMAGE APPLICATIONS

Adobe Photoshop

• The industry leader. It is used for drawing, coloring and painting. Not good to use for lettering.
• Available for Mac OS and Windows.
• Download at http://www.adobe.com/

ArtRage

• This is a powerful and easy to use drawing and painting program. 
• Available for Mac OS and Windows
• Download ArtRage

ArtWeaver

• An alternative to Corel Painter. Artweaver is available in two versions: The Artweaver Free version at no cost and Artweaver Plus version at 29 Euros with more features than the free version.
• Available for Windows.
• Download at http://www.artweaver.de/

Corel Painter or CorelDRAW

• Very popular leading digital art software.
• Available for Mac OS and Windows.
• Download at http://www.corel.com/

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)

• A powerful open source image editor application 
• Available for Linux, Mac OS and Windows
• Download for FREE at http://www.gimp.org/

GIMP tutorials
http://sixrevisions.com/graphics-design/10-websites-to-help-you-master-gimp/
GIMP video tutorials
http://sixrevisions.com/graphics-design/gimp_video_tutorials/

Paint.NET

• An image and photo editing software. 
• Available for Windows.
• Download for FREE at http://www.getpaint.net/

SketchBook Pro

• Offers sketching and drawing software capabilities.
• Available for Mac OS and Windows.
• Download for FREE at https://www.sketchbook.com/

MediBang Paint

• A lightweight digital painting and comic creation program that comes loaded with brushes, fonts, pre-made backgrounds and other resources for Mac and Windows. Has comic book creation tools also.
• Download for FREE at https://medibangpaint.com/en/

Mischief 

• Sketching, drawing, and painting software for Mac OS and Windows.
• Download for FREE or buy at https://www.madewithmischief.com/mischief

Krita

• An open-source raster graphics editor, designed primarily for digital painting and animation purposes.
• Download for FREE or buy at https://krita.org/en/

Thanks to +Juan Ochoa for suggesting Krita.

Clip Studio Paint

• Digital drawing & painting software to create illustrations, manga & comics available on Mac OS and Windows.
• Download at http://www.clipstudio.net/en

Thanks to +Skot Whitman for reminding me of Clip Studio Paint

MyPaint

• Nimble, distraction-free and easy tool for digital painters to create illustrations available on Mac OS, Windows, and Linux.
• Download for FREE at http://mypaint.org/

Thanks to +Ronnie Tucker for suggesting MyPaint.

A word about software choices. Photoshop was created to be used by photographers for retouching photos. It was the creativity of artists that started using it for drawing and painting. So don't feel bad if you can't afford an expensive application. Use free or low-cost tools available. Your creativity can make the tool sing and come to life to fit your needs and style of art. Much like the early creative visionaries did with Photoshop by taking a tool that wasn't intended to create art and bending it to their will.

After all, people have made professional-looking movies on iPhones! There's nothing to stop you from creating a professional-looking comic strip, comic book or graphic novel with whatever tool you choose right now. Start today! Just create something!

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Remember... Just Create!

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copyright 2018 H. Simpson

The Jack Kirby Centennial Tribute Book

The Jack Kirby Centennial Tribute Book is finished and available to download.

Get the Interactive PDF here, where you can link directly to the artists and writers, information about characters Kirby created and more.(301 MB file size)

Remember... Just Create!

Happy Birthday Steve Ditko

November 2nd is Steve Ditko's 90th Birthday and Nicholas Caputo celebrates it with a wonderful look at his cover art through the decades.

Check out his blog here.

Keep up to date with Ditko's current work at Steve Ditko's Comics Weblog.

The Creeper created by Steve Ditko

Remember... Just Create!

If you are interested in more by Steve Ditko, 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.

My PSA for Arts in Education

I created the storyboard art for this commercial.

Keep reading and +1 this blog. Share with your friends. Please comment.
Remember… Just Create!
Copyright 2017 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 Are Comics Better at Than Movies?

What Do Comics and Graphic Novels Do that Live Action Movies and TV Cannot?

Art copyright 2017 H. Simpson

Combine visuals and texts.

Use sound effects as part of the visual narrative.

Use action and speed lines.

Depict action and dialogue simultaneously that are impossible to do in film.

Can read the character’s thoughts.

Use panels to play with the sense of time and space.

Metamorphosis of objects into panels.

Does not have to appeal to a wide demographic.

Time is for represented by space - the panel’s distance from each other.

A page can be designed.

Can use juxtaposition to imply or infer to the reader.

Can infer a comparison between panels, even if they are not next each other.

One page can be a series of panels that make one larger meta-panel.

Reader can stop, think and compare panels and pages.

Rita can flip back and forth between pages.

Narrative captions to explain things, clarify emotions, actions and motivations.

Comic stories can be very complex and nonlinear, yet still be understandable. Because the reader can absorb it at their own pace and reread it.

Pacing is controlled by the amount of dialogue, text, panel size and amount of detail in panel.

• Minimal amount of dialogue in action scenes.
• More dialogue to slow down for thoughtful moments.

Create rhythms with amount and size of panels.

Each panel is a frozen moment to sell that part of the story.

Be representational, impressionistic and abstract at the same time.

Are there any that I missed? Please include them in the comments below.

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Follow and subscribe to 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.

Please support me making video tutorials on Patreon 

Remember… Just Create!

Copyright 2017 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.

Web Comics You Should be Reading

Check out my web comics:

Romantical Tales

My satirical look at old Romance Comics from the 1940s and 50s. Each chapter combined with new art and text. Hey, you might even pick up some dating tips.

How do these stories hold up in the 21st century? Let's see what our two readers, "The Silo Girls" think.

You may even get some love advice.

It would really help me if you would tell me what you think about it and subscribe. Please help me to get 600 subscribers and please the rate the comic.

You may check them out on the platform of your choice Webtoon or Tapas.

http://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/romantical-tales/list?title_no=40991

http://tinyurl.com/jlrho7o

Zone 26

Zone 26 is where anything can happen and usually does! Use your good eye while you are here, as things are not what they appear to be at first glance. Zone 26 is a black and white world.

What is Zone 26? 

"It's like Cartoon Jazz," says Jon (Superman) Bogdanove. Please help me to reach my goal of getting 250,000 views. Please share and comment. I like to know what you think.
Repeated views count, so come back often.

Please help me to get 600 subscribers and please the rate the comic.

You may check them out on the platform of your choice Webtoon or Tapas

https://tapas.io/series/375

http://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/zone-26/list?title_no=40980

Welcome to Tangent City

Check out my webcomic Tangent City - Don't Go There! The place no serious artist wants to go. The number one killer of depth in art is tangents. A look at how to take the detours. Please share and comment. I like to know what you think.

Check it out on Tapas
https://tapas.io/series/433

Keep reading and +1 this blog. Share with your friends. Please comment.

Remember… Just Create!

Copyright 2017 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.