In this comic art tutorial we’ll be drawing Goku from the anime series Dragon Ball Z. You’ll get an inside look into the entire process, from the initial draft, all the way through to the final inks.
We’ll start out by establishing the pose, proportions and placement of Goku using a simple mannequin model structure. At this stage it’s all about ensuring as much energy is incorporated into the gesture as possible in hopes of it translating into the final comic book illustration.
With the foundations of Goku’s pose established, we’ll then move onto the drafting stage where we’ll begin designing his classic orange and navy blue costume. This is where things become challenging, as the flow of the material is determined and the folds, wrinkles and creases within his clothing established. This can be tricky, but remembering that clothing folds have form to them helps, not only in the initial rough sketch but also in the rendering faze where those forms are actually described through the use of tone.
After the rough sketch is done we’re ready to move straight onto the final inks. Since the final art work will ultimately be presented as inked line art, the refined pencilling stage is essentially skipped. It can be tough gaining the confidence to ink straight over a rough draft, but once this skill is mastered it cuts the production time of a comic book illustration almost in half. So it’s worth it!
The first task we’ll be tackling throughout the inking process is establishing the main outline of the drawing. Here, we’re not concerned with shading, rendering or any additional details that would come later on. The only thing we need to focus on at this point is defining the key contours with sharp, energetic line work. As we make our way around the illustration, outlining the outside contours around the larger shapes first, then working our way in, the lines are weighted to make them appear more dynamic and to give them a professional quality.
After we’ve got Goku’s outline inked in, we’re ready to venture into the rendering and detailing. This is the final pass of the comic book illustration process, where the forms and materials are lifted off the page with added dimension and visual appeal. When it comes to rendering, the aim of the game is to always describe the area that you’re placing the crosshatches upon with form. The way in which we do this is by ensuring each hatch runs along the surface it’s being placed on, rather than conforming to a rigid grid of its own. Every small stroke and dot of detail must have a purpose in the grand scheme of the drawing, so that when all is said and done the overall composition reads well visually.
I hope that you enjoy this comic art tutorial and that you get a ton of insight out of it.
Thanks for watching!
-Clayton
Software Used: Manga Studio
Production Time: 7 Hrs
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