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Fun Stuff => MAKE => Topic started by: bryanthelion on 06 Sep 2007, 05:44

Title: Drawing
Post by: bryanthelion on 06 Sep 2007, 05:44
I'm going to make a new comic soon. but there is a problem.

See my whole drawing style incorporates only two colors. Black and white.

Though, how do I draw african americans?

Do I draw diagnal lines were I want to show their skin color? Do I fill in the white spaces with just black? Or do I just not fill it in and let the reader decide the ethnicity.

Please tell me an honest answer and not goof around or make rascist comments. I really want to know.
Title: Re: Drawing
Post by: Cam on 06 Sep 2007, 10:22
Facial structure helps a lot.

A few examples:
Boondocks comic http://www.gocomics.com/boondocks/
Reggie from pvp online http://www.pvponline.com/article/3268/tue-apr-17?y=2007
Also, I instantly thought of Banksy's Maid http://www.banksy.co.uk/outdoors/images/landscapes/maidinlondon3.jpg




Title: Re: Drawing
Post by: bryanthelion on 06 Sep 2007, 13:12
bansky's maid is a great piece of graffitti

Also, I literally mean black and white.


I might post some pictures of an african american character. Then put stripes and stuff.
Title: Re: Drawing
Post by: Cam on 06 Sep 2007, 13:18
Well, pvp online is black and while, aside from one color strip a week or so.  The boondocks is b&w as well.  And banksy's was Black and fleshtone, but is still two colors in the face.  I guess I don't understand what you are mean by black and white then.  One of my teachers always said, "the problem with communication is the illusion that it is being accomplished."
Title: Re: Drawing
Post by: Emaline on 06 Sep 2007, 14:25
Everyone Drunk But Me (http://www.bigcheesepress.com/brandt.php?c=2005-07-25)



This girl draws only on grayscale and has a black character. For some reason, I remembered her just coloring her in gray, but going through the archives, I guess she doesn't.
Title: Re: Drawing
Post by: bryanthelion on 06 Sep 2007, 15:00
by black and white I mean

Black and White
Title: Re: Drawing
Post by: Cam on 06 Sep 2007, 15:09
by black and white I mean

Black and White

Well, i posted up two examples that were black and white and a third that might as well be.  Then, you said:

Also, I literally mean black and white.

So, I hope that explains why I was looking for clarification.  To me, the first two links I posted were, literally, black and white.  I based that on the strips being done in... black and white.
Title: Re: Drawing
Post by: tomselleck69 on 06 Sep 2007, 16:05
basically if you understand the differences in facial structure you can get away with not having to color the skin. black people do not look like colored-in white people.
Title: Re: Drawing
Post by: 3Z3VH on 07 Sep 2007, 13:54
If the artwork is so simplistic that you can't get the facial structures to show it, perhaps stippling, or even just crosshatching the edges a bit would work.
Title: Re: Drawing
Post by: Emaline on 07 Sep 2007, 14:34
I don't understand how you can draw only using black and white. Especially, if you want to draw black people. Dude, bring some shading into your work. It isn't hard. It isn't hard to learn either. Cross hatching is pretty easy. Pointillism is a paint in the ass, and looks interesting(though probably not the look you are going for).


I have no problem with drawing with black and white/grayscale, so just using only black and white seems a little silly.
Title: Re: Drawing
Post by: bryanthelion on 07 Sep 2007, 17:52
I like the look of only black and white.

Theres just somethign about it.
Title: Re: Drawing
Post by: tomselleck69 on 07 Sep 2007, 20:15
i think pointillism stops being pointillism if you limit the palette to black and white. that's stippling!

rarrr arts!

rarrrrrrr i am arguing about semantics on the internet!
Title: Re: Drawing
Post by: Emaline on 07 Sep 2007, 23:53
So, no shadowing, no shading, no color variations at all? I can't see where this is going to look good.
Title: Re: Drawing
Post by: Dreimon on 08 Sep 2007, 07:04
It might be a good starting point, though. Sluggy Freelance didn't have color. Many newspaper strips probably don't have color. Maybe he can do color Sundays, or at some point, put in some shading. But line-art isn't terrible if he can do it right. Maybe he can do some cross hatching and those sorts of terms. Not a big artist. Like to draw though.

You should start the comic though. I'm sure you'll figure it out. Do you need to draw African-Americans immediately?

In any case, art is only part of what makes a comic. Focus on your story too, probably. And while you're doing your strip and evolving your style, sketch ideas on how to present African-Americans. Do they have Afros or Dreadlocks or different facial structures? Do they dress differently? Do they have certain personalities? I don't mean stereotype, but I understand they have distinct cultures too, like other groups of people.

Is it about African-Americans though? And if so, is it because you relate with them? If you do, maybe you can draw from what you know. Or study how other people draw them.

It's not always about color.
Title: Re: Drawing
Post by: Emaline on 08 Sep 2007, 13:24
I'm not bitching that he doesn't have any color. Whatevs, do a grayscale comic. I have no problems with that. I have no problems at all with something grayscale. But something that is only black and only white? That's pretty iffy. He isn't going to have like gray and colors like that I'm assuming(based on how he keeps repeating, "just black and white"). No variations at all. Just straight black and straight white. That's pretty limited.
Title: Re: Drawing
Post by: iliketodraw on 08 Sep 2007, 18:34
(http://www.n8w.com/newweb/images/isabelle_victoria_bw-m.gif)

Could always try doing it like that?
Title: Re: Drawing
Post by: bryanthelion on 08 Sep 2007, 20:18
your right, I'll try that.

amazing drawing btw.
Title: Re: Drawing
Post by: VladDamien on 12 Sep 2007, 07:34
You can always go with halftones which give the illusion of colour. http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en-commons/9/97/Halftoning_introduction.png (http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en-commons/9/97/Halftoning_introduction.png)
Else, stick to particular facial structures (wider noses and fuller lips in general).

Maybe giving us a sample of your art style could help?