Admittedly, this video is a few years old. I had to record my Instagram post because I couldn’t find the original. That said, I hope you enjoy the tutorial on how I make my mini-comics. It’s a fun way to make a book. All you need is an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper and a pair of scissors. You may need some whiteout if you make a mistake while inking. I definitely need whiteout.
Above is the drawing light board I use. It is very thin and doesn’t take up much space. Here is a link to a similar one. Drawing Board Link. What is super nice about these newer light boards is that you can dim the light, which can make a big difference when you are trying to ink.
I sketch the comic first to work out my pacing and make sure the dialogue fits in the word balloons, then I start inking. To be clear, I place a whole new piece of paper over my sketch. I don’t ink over my pencils. If I make a horrible mistake inking, I have my master pencils to fall back on. Think of it as a Photoshop layer sans the Photoshop. For this first comic, I was in the zone. I have done other comics where I wasn’t happy with the inks and started over. The whole idea, though, is to not be precious with it. Just let go and have fun.
The pens I have used in the past are Microns, but I have to tell you, I have fallen in love with the Tombow brush pens. They come in a hard and soft tip. It’s become my go-to pen for inking.
My later comics I have started adding color using Copic markers. Just another way to give the comic some flare but not necessary. I really like seeing these in b/w.
I hope you enjoyed this brief dive into mini-comics. This is just one way to make a mini-comic. In fact, there is only one wrong way, and that is not to do one at all.
