Ok, so I have this comic, and I've been experimenting alot with the visual department. Alot of people say that the computer way is better, and some have stated that the colored pencil look brings it out.

What do you guys think? Here are two comparisons.

Colored Pencils



Computer



So? A short explanation would be nice. A simple "Pencils" or "computer" isn't really helpful. Some of you may say that it should be what you think is better, but I personally like both. I just don't want to lose readers.

Being a fan of hand drawn work, I'm instantly biased but speaking from a non-objective point of view your colored pencil work is a lot more detailed than your computer coloring. Not only is it better drawn but the color variation is better and you actually have backgrounds instead of a boring green gradient. My main recommendation would be for you to use a textured brush (or the spray paint if you use windows paint) and add two or three darker shades of white to the speech bubbles so it doesn't look so out of place. Hand drawn work rarely looks good with digital text but if you shade the bubbles then it'll look a lot better.

Thanks for the tip. I might apply that.

I think your colored pencils are at least 5x better than your computer work.

My crit on your computer work is the color density of the images. There should be an alternation of lights and darks to make the images more visible. Like in the bottom panel, brown hair black bg doesnt really make the brown hair visible. The brown hair should be of a lighter tone.

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btw if you check my stuff I ALWAYS use photoshop. I suck so bad at colored pencils its embarrassing. (though maybe I'd post up some of my own colored pencil work lol)

But Kinuchio, you really cannot win by traveling the 'which is technically better route' where art is concerned. In my opinion both your pencils and your computer work show relatively equal degrees of artistic competence. I prefer your pencils because the way you are using them in comparison to your computer work, presents more detail and literally looks less claustrophobic to me. BUT for dramatic impact, for psychological manipulation of the reader's mind, it's difficult for hand drawn and colored material to compete with the visual effects that can easily by added and manipulated through computer work.

Now if you really didn't mind the sheer time involved in the process you could simply combine both by starting off with colored pencils and then working on the results, using computer generated effects, once you have scanned your work.

IF you want to really develop your computer work, then that too enters the equation. The only way to get better at computer-based art work is to DO computer based art work.

Your pencil work is certainly more detailed (and, in the example you gave, easier to read, since the computer stuff has so dark backgrounds). A question, though - what tools do you use when drawing on the computer? Mouse? Tablet? Do you scan a pencil sketch and then go over that, or do you draw freehand on the computer?

See, you have the technical skill - very evident in your pencil work - but where you seem to struggle is the act of getting that existent technical skill (esp. regarding backgrounds) to translate into your computer work. Practise makes perfect and all that, and with the example you've got here of your computer work, I'd say work on the backgrounds, and work on getting as much detail into the comp. work as in your pencil work. :)

Thanks for the tips. As for how I make my comics, I start off with a rough sketch of the entire thing, then I ink it in, then I scan it. I do all the editing, text, and bubbles in a Program called Paint.Net (Unless I color in pencil)

I just don't get how to color in computer. I try practicing, but it just doesn't seem to work. My colors are all flat, and the shading doesn't come out as great as the pencil. I've read dozens of tutorials, but It doesn't work out.

But, I'll keep practicing, so thanks. d(^_^d)

I think your color pencils are more superior than your computer work. I think you could do everything traditionally with color pencils, then if you want, inhance a thing or two on the computer.

I agree with previous comments, if you're going to do computer, you're going to need to get much better at it.

I always like to go with whatever looks best, my computer art is much better than my hand-inking, so I go with that myself. But if I was a more talented inker, with a steadier hand I would probably go that route