i need help. i am drawing a new comic called 'speed freak' but the only backgrounds i can draw for it are generic grey scyscrapers. it will be a superhero comic, so any suggestions and help?

Look at lots of photographs of buildings. Go outside and look at real buildings. Look out for, and make mental notes of interesting architectural features you see when out and about. Most importantly, study basic perspective so that you can give a sense of size, shape and position when drawing structures.

thats great advice I started doing that last autumn

for me, the trick is to try to avoid thinking of them as "backgrounds"

"Backgrounds" implies that I'll draw characters, and then draw something behind them, like the painted flat in a school play. When I do that, I always end up with a crappy comic. The "backgrounds" become lifeless and flat.

Instead, I try to always think "its not a school play - it's a big budget movie!" Change the camera angle so that you're NOT drawing backgrounds behind characters - you want to be drawing Scenes that have characters in them.

One trick I favor is the "establishing shot." For me, this is a time management thing. I'll put a lot of work into one panel, trying to put in some real detail and give it some thought. You might not be able to put the same effort into every panel, but once youve established the scene, the reader will cut you some slack, I figure.

So try not to think about "backgrounds" - instead, ask yourself - what's the setting for this scene?

- stacey

Stacy's got some good advice, You should try to compose the background at the same time you're drawing the rest of the panel so backgrounds don't look like an afterthought. Though I like to simplify objects in the background so they don't draw attention away from objects in the foreground. Another good tip is when objects get further from the "camera" they not only appear smaller but darker. I'd also practice line of sight and perspective studies.

Pictures, or just go out on the town and start sketching.

Yes, I think Stacey nailed it. Great advice!

thanks for the photo advice, but i live in a small town in scotland. :(

You could search online for photos. Go to google.com and click the link "images" to search for photoes.

well, I say have Speed Freak start out in a part of town that looks a lot like a small town in Scotland. I mean, seriously, it's always best to start with what you know.

Also, use photos. Like, awhile back I was doing a drawing that had a fire hydrant in it. i typed "fire hydrant" into google image search and looked at hundreds of pictures of fire hydrants. All kinds of hydrants, from all kinds of angles. When I went down to the store, I stopped and looked at the fire hydrants along the way.

By the time I drew that hydrant, I was so proud of myself! I had totally drawn a real hydrant - I sat back and waited for everyone to praise me.

Well, of course, no one did - if you get a fire hydrant right, no one even notices it. So no one knows how hard I worked to get that hydrant right.

Currently, my comic is taking place in a small beach town in California. I've never been to a small beach town in California, so I who knows if I'm getting it at all right. Eventually, some angry Californian will call me out. But when I draw those southern california fire hydrants, they'll look just like the one down the street from me!

- stacey

The trick with big buildings and sky scrapers is to make sure they look like real, individual buildings instead of just gray boxed. Look up tons of pictures of buildings, or check out books on archutecture from your local library and study them. Think of the different details on the buildings, windows, moldings, the shapes of teh building, and get a variety. Also I would check out a book on perspective. It's really important when you are drawing buildings and I know I've never wuite nailed it. Also remember that you don't have to draw the whole building every time. Don't try to fit a city in ever panel. Think of what's going to be best for the storytelling.

Google images for refrences.

Yah i'm pretty weak with backgrounds as well, so I'm usually symbolistic with it. just enough to remind the readers where my characters are.

Think i'll try some of the good advice in this thread myself.

Learning perceptive will be a huge help!!
I am still learning it, but it really helps place your character, and it makes everything look interesting when you switch up the perceptive.

thanx for all the advice people, but i'm going to not put speed freak up on dd. i did do some thing other than generic skyscrapers, and that was a fight between the bad guy, burns, and speed freak on top of a plane. two planes, sorry.

If you look at pictures online that seems to help me a lot.

Draw things like your room. Play movies and pause a scene and sketch it. Draw everything that you see.

umm... you guys DID see the post about me not putting it on dd, didn't you? so, sorry for wasting your time, but i will DEFINATELY apply this advice to my next comic.

In general, backgrounds are usually downplayed in comics; not because there isn't enough space but because the characters are generally the focus point. Even in professional comics like the ones Marvel pumps out, an urban background will be a little more several buildings with a few minor details and a blur effect.

My advice, take a picture of yourself standing about 10 feet away from the camera with a bunch of buildings in the background. Notice how the details become smaller and fuzzier the farther it is? Apply this to your art and only draw the details that actually matter. Keep your art simple when it needs to be simple. If two characters are having a casual conversation, you don't need to have a highly detailed building in the background because that will draw your readers' eyes away. Take a look at Prince Valiant for a good example and then check out Winsor McCay's Little Nemo for a not so good example; McCay's art was beautifully detailed and decorated but your eyes always wandered away from the main character while Prince Valiant had just as detailed art but the characters were always focused on the panel.

Hope that helps.

>

Ha! I've just started really looking at Prince Valiant for the first time in years. Brilliant stuff, absolutely.

I agree with Stacey...but what is also very important is to physically see a building...you have to have one somewhere close by. Fell it..the texture. The way rain or water effects it..age. The craking and chipping that time takes on them. It will depend on what your vision of your city is...Clean and shiny or dark and gritty.

Come on, this also comes down to....PRACTICE!!!
Practicing will expanded anyone's drawing repetoire. People always say "how do I draw this?" It's simple, whatever you need to draw go out and practice it. Since you need help in backgrounds for a superhero comic you should look up references on cityscapes, not just skyscrapers, you have to take into consideration of where the hero mainly stays, does he/she fly high above the city or is he/she a gritty anti-hero who takes justice to the streets. You have to know what you drawing and specifically what area you need to be strong in.

Grafighte
Come on, this also comes down to....PRACTICE!!!
Practicing will expanded anyone's drawing repetoire. People always say "how do I draw this?" It's simple, whatever you need to draw go out and practice it. Since you need help in backgrounds for a superhero comic you should look up references on cityscapes, not just skyscrapers, you have to take into consideration of where the hero mainly stays, does he/she fly high above the city or is he/she a gritty anti-hero who takes justice to the streets. You have to know what you drawing and specifically what area you need to be strong in.

You have no idea how right Grafighte is.

Work with a low opacity in Photoshop. If you don't have a tablet, wave your dreams of great art goodbye (Unless you're the DaVinci of mouse coloring or something). Buy one, then try fooling about with layers. They're gonna be your best friend. Use a layer for the base coat, then continue with layers named 'Cloud', 'Cloud light', 'Cloud shade', and so on. As you get better, you'll be able to put them on less layers.