Yes! We can take shortcuts!

Did you know as an comic creator you are more than allowed to take a shortcut here and there? It’s true! You want to know something else? Everyone does it! So this week I want to share some shortcuts I have found immensely helpful when trying to speed up my work.

Use references!
Drawing is not an exam. Or if it is, it’s at least an open book one. If you’re finding yourself stuck on how to draw a particular thing, or if you’ve never drawn it before, find yourself a reference. Not only will it speed up the process, it has the added benefit of giving you an idea of how you can construct a similar expression, scene or background next time.

If you do art digitally, learn your keyboard shortcuts
Take some time to familarise yourself with your program of choice and its keyboard shortcuts beyond Ctrl+Z (Cmd+Z on Mac). For instance, in some Adobe products, you can easily duplicate a selection by holding down “Alt” (“Option” on Mac). This saves you at least two to three keyboard commands! You can usually find these settings in the preferences for your program so go have a look and see how you can maximise your workflow.

Draw some standard backgrounds and reuse them
Depending on the type of story you are creating, you can often just reuse backgrounds. Many artists, particularly those that have to produce 40 panels a week often repeat backgrounds or even use 3D renders to help speed things along. Be sure to balance it however so as to not bore your audience.

On the flip side, not every panel needs a background
Resist the urge to put a background into every panel. You run the risk of not only tiring yourself out, it can draw the focus away from your characters. Save them for when you need to place the characters in a scene or if you feel you need to remind the audience of where your characters are.

What shortcuts have worked for you? Share them in the comments below! Is your comic incredibly detailed or do you try to keep it super simple? Comment below and let us know! And join us on Sunday evening for our Quackchat at 5:30PM(EST).

Till next time lovelies!