Kickstarter campaign

update status – May 14 2021: PROJECT FUNDED!!!

EWH – Ezarieth World Heroes is a brand new universe mixing  Fantasy and Superheroes Full of adventures and excitement!!! 

Comic Book for Fantasy and adventure Fans

A eight year’s effort collecting characters that range from fantasy to mystery and more!

Our stories take you to the world as it was, steeped in magic and fantastic creatures, and the first hero of the age, who’s descendants continue his example over the seven ages of the world.  

Romantic tales of destined lovers or slayers of monsters bent on consuming all before them, the world of Ezarieth offers readers an eclectic selection of what comic books have to offer.  

In the fantastic primitive past, or the technology consumed future, it’s a variety of entertainment for readers looking for something more, something lasting, an escape that resonates with the reasons we read comics in the first place.  

We want you to join us on our journey and make a difference on the real world!!! Help us bring the World of Ezarieth to Life!! Remember: Every Little Action Matters!!! and your Help makes the difference!!!

Why do we read Comics? Because of what the Symbols Represent!

Ezarieth Represents Integrity!! Every Little Action Matters!!!

Comic Book for Fantasy and adventure Fans

Our dream is to bring a brand new Universe to life that could help people to connect to the present moment and act upon it in a positive way!

We believe that trough the most simple everyday activities we can make the difference!!

We also believe in The Power of Magic! and that it can inspire people to create a better world!! We believe that our intentions, words and actions affects the world we live in!!

To prevent the collapse of the two worlds, a time-travel event brings to earth a young girl that holds the secret of human salvation: EVERY LITTLE ACTION MATTERS!!

If you fell you can make the difference in the real world, this project is for you!! BE A HERO YOURSELF – EVERY LITTLE ACTION MATTERS!!!!

This Kickstarter Campaign is for the very First issue of Ezarieth World Heroes: Every Little Action Matters.

Comic Book for Fantasy and adventure Fans

Imagine a Crazy Dragon Goddess bringing chaos to the realm and it’s the job of a young Thief and Elf Prince to bring her down but, how do you kill a god?

On an amazing twist this story is going to blow your mind!

A feeling like this, only comics…

…more than a comic, an experience!!

Find more samples HERE.

Although this miniseries are independent from each other all are interconnected and a greater experience takes place when you read them all.

The dream is to start with Ezarieth and move towards the others to get them all funded at Kickstarter. So, if you are interested in this Brand new Universe, Kickstarter is the place to get it first!!

We believe that trough the most simple everyday activities we can make the difference to create a better world!!

Comic Book for Fantasy and adventure Fans

“ It was on this filthy place that my father thought me the most important lesson of my life: EVERY LITTLE ACTION MATTERS!!”

Every Little Action Matters, is a simple but strong “way of life”!! 

CORE TIERS

Comic Book for Fantasy and adventure Fans

Pledge $12 or more

The Elf’s Chambers

Where the Magic happens.

Became part of the amazing D&D community and be credited in the Thank You List.  
PDF Digital Download, Comic Book Ezarieth #1, read it in your phone, tablet or computer at your convenience. 
PDF Digital Download Wallpaper. (B/W version). 
PDF Digital Download of Two Prints. (Color & Noir). 
Own a copy of this limited edition first printing of Ezarieth World Heroes, a high quality Comic Book for Fantasy and Adventure Lovers. – Physical Ezarieth World Heroes #1 Comic Book – FREE SHIPPING USA Only -INCLUDES:

• Name Credited on the Thank you List
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes #1 – A Cover
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes#1 – B Cover (B/W)
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Digital Deluxe (B/W no letter)
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Print (B/W)
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Prints (Color)
• Ezarieth World Heroes #1 – A Cover

ESTIMATED DELIVERYAug 2021 SHIPS TOAnywhere in the world

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The Elf’s Bundle

Became part of the amazing D&D community and be credited on the Thank You List. 
Get a downloadable, HD resolution, DRM-Free featuring 20 stunning illustrated pages.  
PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes #1 – A Cover. 
PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes #1 – B Cover (B/W) 
PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Digital Deluxe (B/W comic no letters) 
PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Prints (B/W)
PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Prints (Color) 
PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – 22 Cards Game  
Own a copy of this limited edition first printing of Ezarieth World Heroes #1, a high quality comic book that Dungeons and Dragons fans will love.  
Ezarieth World Heroes – Mini-Print 9”x 11” 
Ezarieth World Heroes – Face MaskINCLUDES:

• Name Credited on the Thank you List
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes #1 – A Cover
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes#1 – B Cover (B/W)
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Digital Deluxe (B/W no letter)
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Print (B/W)
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Prints (Color)
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – 22 Cards Game
• Ezarieth World Heroes #1 – A Cover
• Ezarieth World Heroes – Face Mask

ESTIMATED DELIVERYAug 2021. SHIPS TOAnywhere in the world

Pledge $81 or more

The King’s Throne

Let the FUN begin 
Became part of the amazing D&D community and be credited on the Thank You List.
 
Get a downloadable, HD resolution, DRM-Free featuring 20 stunning illustrated pages.  
PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes #1 – A Cover. 
PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes #1 – B Cover (B/W) 
PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Digital Deluxe (B/W comic no letters) 
PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Prints (B/W)
PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Prints (Color) 
PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – 22 Cards Game  
Own a copy of this limited edition first printing of Ezarieth World Heroes #1, a high quality comic book that Dungeons and Dragons fans will love.  
Ezarieth World Heroes – Mini-Print 9”x 11” 
Ezarieth World Heroes – 22 Cards Game OR T-shirt. 
Ezarieth World Heroes – Mug.INCLUDES:

• Name Credited on the Thank you List
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes #1 – A Cover
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes#1 – B Cover (B/W)
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Digital Deluxe (B/W no letter)
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Print (B/W)
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Prints (Color)
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – 22 Cards Game
• Ezarieth World Heroes #1 – A Cover
• Ezarieth World Heroes – Mini-Print 9”x 11”
• Ezarieth World Heroes – 22 Cards Game
• Ezarieth World Heroes – Mug

ESTIMATED DELIVERYAug 2021. SHIPS TO Anywhere in the world

Pledge $108 or more

The King’s Special

Let the FUN begin 
Became part of the amazing D&D community and be credited on the Thank You List.
 
Get a downloadable, HD resolution, DRM-Free featuring 20 stunning illustrated pages.  
PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes #1 – A Cover. 
PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes #1 – B Cover (B/W) 
PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Digital Deluxe (B/W comic no letters) 
PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Prints (B/W)
PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Prints (Color) 
PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – 22 Cards Game  
Own a copy of this limited edition first printing of Ezarieth World Heroes #1, a high quality comic book that Dungeons and Dragons fans will love.  
Ezarieth World Heroes – Mini-Print 9”x 11” 
Ezarieth World Heroes – 22 Cards Game OR T-shirt. 
Ezarieth World Heroes – Mug. 
Ezarieth World Heroes – FaceMask.INCLUDES:

• Name Credited on the Thank you List
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes #1 – A Cover
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes#1 – B Cover (B/W)
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Digital Deluxe (B/W no letter)
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Print (B/W)
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Prints (Color)
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – 22 Cards Game
• Ezarieth World Heroes #1 – A Cover
• Ezarieth World Heroes – Mini-Print 9”x 11”
• Ezarieth World Heroes – 22 Cards Game
• Ezarieth World Heroes – Mug
• Ezarieth World Heroes – Face Mask

ESTIMATED DELIVERYAug 2021. SHIPS TO Anywhere in the world

Pledge $150 or more

Enter the Dragon’s Lair

Let the FUN begin 
Became part of the amazing D&D community and be credited on the Thank You List.
 
Get a downloadable, HD resolution, DRM-Free featuring 20 stunning illustrated pages.  
PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes #1 – A Cover. 
PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes #1 – B Cover (B/W) 
PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Digital Deluxe (B/W comic no letters) 
PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Prints (B/W)
PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Prints (Color) 
PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – 22 Cards Game  
Ezarieth World Heroes #1  
Art Collectors, this one is for you: Commission a one of a king Art Work with 2 characters of your chosen and own an exclusive Original piece of Art by artist Rod Rodollfo (Battlestar Galactica Six, Warlord of Mars, Red Sonja)

FREE SHIPPINGINCLUDES:

• Name Credited on the Thank you List
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes #1 – A Cover
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes#1 – B Cover (B/W)
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Digital Deluxe (B/W no letter)
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Print (B/W)
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Prints (Color)
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – 22 Cards Game
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Wallpaper – Fantasy – B/W
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Wallpaper – Fantasy – Color
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Art Gallery – Covers (B/W)
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Art Gallery – Covers (Color)
• Ezarieth World Heroes #1 – A Cover
• Commissions 11″ x 17” B/W Inked

ESTIMATED DELIVERYAug 2021. SHIPS TO Anywhere in the world

Pledge $299 or more

The Dragon Exclusive

Let the FUN begin 
Became part of the amazing D&D community and be credited on the Thank You List.
 
Get a downloadable, HD resolution, DRM-Free featuring 20 stunning illustrated pages.  
Everything from The King’s Experience PLUS  

SUPER OPPORTUNITY: Own one exclusive Original Artwork from acclaimed published series! Choose any original page from: Battlestar Galactica Six, Warlord of Mars, GRIMM, Red Sonja, G.I.Joe… 
See pages available. If you are a fan of any of the series Rod has worked on, this is a must have. EXCLUSIVE to kickstarter OFFER.

FREE SHIPPINGINCLUDES:

• Name Credited on the Thank you List
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes #1 – A Cover
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes#1 – B Cover (B/W)
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Digital Deluxe (B/W no letter)
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Print (B/W)
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – Prints (Color)
• PDF – Ezarieth World Heroes – 22 Cards Game
• Ezarieth World Heroes #1 – A Cover
• You choose any Rod’s published ONE Original Page 11’x 17” B/W Available at Pinterest: HERE
• https://www.pinterest.com/rodrodollfo/

ESTIMATED DELIVERYAug 2021SHIPS TOAnywhere in the world

A VISUAL GUIDE FOR ART

A VISUAL GUIDE FOR ART: For some of you, I’m sure this won’t come as a big surprise. But for others, yeah, I’m sure it will. So get ready, folks, because what I’m about to share with you will explain why most artists use photographic references!

Well, in the past, an artist would normally get away with drawing something from memory alone. Now though, no, unfortunately not, because the Industry has grown increasingly demanding, particularly within the realm of the superhero genre, and that is why a visual reference is always a good idea, even when it comes down to drawing a manga comic book or a jovial cartoon.

 

Use photo references:

By and large, some sort of ocular example is commonly used to help put things in perspective, just so an artist can make sure a character has the correct anatomy or if a scene is in the correct proportions.

After all, it’s all about structure, reinterpretation, and definition, along with the style you wish to use to follow these artistic principles.

Consistency

One of the main problems many artists encounter, however, has to do with them being consistent with their work.

I mean, how can you draw the same character over and over again, all from different angles, tones, and hues, and each time make sure that the end result looks exactly the same?

Heck, most professionals have a pretty tough time dealing with this one, and that’s most probably why some hire models to pose for them, while others take pictures to use as a visual guide.

Either way, at the end of the day, a reference inevitably helps create a scene in a professional and accurate manner, keeping in mind that they both aid when defining numerous forms, shapes, perspectives, lights, and obviously, shadows.

“Oh, the ugly word”: Tracing? or not tracing?

Another little tip I would like to share with you revolves around tracing a photo.

Please don’t do this, not if it can be helped, because copying a photo can sometimes make your characters appear stiff and lifeless, and as dynamic as a blank piece of paper.

Unless you have a 100 years experience in making a tracing photo into a dynamic and lifelike.

You also have to remember that a certain level of experience is typically required to be able to create a character that looks alive and moving in a scene!

So the quality of your line work will only show when you use a reference and actually build a character from the ground up (all by yourself)!

Seriously, use references for everything, absolutely everything, for backgrounds, vehicles, animals, shoes, lamps, characters, clothing etc, etc, etc.

Now if you need any more help, then please download some of my tools, just sign up  here for free!

With more than 20 poses specially created for comic book artists, including facial expressions, hands, feet, anatomy, plus much much more, I’m fairly confident that this will assist you in your artistic endeavors, especially if you want to…

This article was brought to you by Brazilian born, Rod Rodollfo from Alpha Brain Art Studio. Please feel free to download the Master Page Template used by Rod on many Published Comic Books by signing up  here! And while you’re at it, don’t forget to follow him on his website, twitter, and facebook pages.

_{Disclosure: There may be affiliate links on this page, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Help creators by clicking}

FIVE ESSENTIAL TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR PORTFOLIO

FIVE ESSENTIAL TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR PORTFOLIO. In 2014, my wife and I went to our first ever American comic book convention as a fully married couple.

It was held at the Javits Convention Center, New York City, where over one-hundred-and-fifty thousand people gathered together to celebrate and connect with those in the industry.

Trust me, we both had a right blast, running from one side of the convention hall to another, trying our best to deliver sample pages while looking for some work!

 

Unfortunately, we weren’t too successful, despite the fact that we got to speak to many professionals and received some constructive criticism. Most notably from the legendary artist, Joe Kubert, who was a real pleasure to meet.

Years earlier, around 2011, I remember doing exactly the same thing, only this time I was handing out samples all by myself.

I did get lucky though — extremely lucky — because I somehow caught the attention of a fairly big publisher, Zenescope Entertainment, who contacted me several months later and asked me to do a one-page test.

Obviously, I jumped at the chance, and the next thing I knew, Ka-Pow!, I got the job. 
Well, to get a good gig in the mainstream comic book industry you need to master two distinct disciplines: Drawing & Storytelling. So what I’m going to share with you today is what you need to know in order to impress the editors and get a job with a publisher:

1) FLAUNT YOUR STUFF:   

When you submit your pages you must be able to show that you can draw and tell a clear and concise story. This must include the use of perspective, composition, anatomy, and proportion, as well as other drawing techniques.

Furthermore, you should also be able to demonstrate that you can draw details such as hands, feet, vehicles, and buildings, as this will tell the editor that you have the ability to cover a wide range of visuals. 

2) BE REAL: 

Even though the vast majority of comic books feature superpowered heroes doing spectacular things, like lifting trucks, smashing planes, and, you know, that sort of thing, try to keep in mind that you also have to be able to draw real people doing normal things.

After all, there are real people in comic books (allegedly). 

3) IT’S BEHIND YOU:   

Along similar lines, pay extra close attention to the environments and backgrounds within your work because they are an essential part of the story.

Seriously, creating a grid of lines just won’t cut it, so try to construct your buildings and make them look real! 

4) SCOPE:

It’s always a good idea to try to draw quiet scenes featuring normal people as well as smartly composed action scenes featuring super-heroes.

That way you can show variation through your work. 

5) SEQUENTIAL ART:   

Another way of showing variation is to draw a small three-to-five-page sequence along with a couple of pin-ups!

Well, this is a comic book format, and the editors will want to see that you can draw pages with actual panels!

So there you go, folks. Five quick tips to make your portfolio impress the editors!! Good luck!

NEXT: The #1 Little Dirty Secret

This article was brought to you by Brazilian born, Rod Rodollfo from Alpha Brain Art Studio. Please feel free to download the Master Page Template used by Rod on many Published Comic Books by signing up  here! And while you’re at it, don’t forget to follow him on his website, twitter, and facebook pages.

_{Disclosure: There may be affiliate links on this page, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Help creators by clicking}.

MY FIRST COVER PROCESS, SIX EASY STEPS

MY FIRST COVER PROCESS, SIX EASY STEPS: The very first comic book cover I professionally drew was for ‘Battlestar Galactica: Six’, issue #4, dated April, 2015.

So what now follows is my explanation about how I broke down the process of creating it. But before I do that, I would like to share with you the message the editor sent to me in regards to its specifications and his general request.

Please Note: This message was a highly private discussion that was considered very TOP SECRET at the time! 007 Style! Here’s how it goes: 

 

Hi Rod,

We’d like you to draw the covers for the ‘Battlestar Galactica: Six‘ series, for issues #3, #4, and #5. But can you please do the cover for #4 first? Here is the solicit copy for the issue.

Battlestar Galactica: Six #4 — Number Six, like the other humanoid Cylons, has been designed to be human in every way. If that’s the case, then how can she be sure what she really is on the inside? In order to know the truth for certain, she’ll have to take a leap of faith. But will she fly high or crash and burn?

So when can you provide cover layouts for me to look at?

Many thanks, The Editor.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Battlestar Galactica: Six #4

I was obviously really excited about this opportunity and wanted to work on it straight away! So what now follows is the six-step process I used in order to create it.

Thumbnails

1) I wanted to give the editor six choices for a cover design, so I made thumbnails of each for him to choose from. I also came up with the idea of dividing the character of Six into two parts, part metal, part real! After all, is she Human or is she Cylon? Which was her basic dilemma in this episode, minus her silver wings and nerves of steel (Comment below if you know what’s this in reference to).  2) Once the editor approves and chooses the cover idea it’s time for you to start drawing it, keeping in mind that you have to leave a space in the appropriate areas for the title and credits. It’s also a good idea to number the layouts for easy identification. In this case, the editor chose #2.

Pencils

3) Now it’s time to sketch the idea in the real size. I like to use a blue or redbrush when sketching (just a personaltaste of mine).

Cleaning Pencils

4) At this stage of the creation process I like to change the opacity of this layer & create a new layer called pencils to tighten things up.

Character Inks

5) After that is done, try to turn offyour sketch layer & change the opacityof the pencils, before creating anew layer called inks & start inking.

Background Inks

6) Now that you have completed thecharacter you’ll have to create a newlayer & draw the backgroundbehind them.

Title & Colors

When finished, save your cover in 400dpi, CMYK, TIFF format, and send it over for approval. Once it’s approved it will be sent to the colorist and the logo of the issue will be inserted. Congratulations!! You now have your first comic book cover!!!

NEXT: How To Create a Great Portfolio.

This article was brought to you by Brazilian born, Rod Rodollfo from Alpha Brain Art Studio. Please feel free to download the Master Page Template used by Rod on many Published Comic Books by signing up  here! And while you’re at it, don’t forget to follow him on his website, twitter, and facebook pages.

_{Disclosure: There may be affiliate links on this page, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Help creators by clicking}.

THE SIX STEP DRAWING PROCESS

THE SIX STEP DRAWING PROCESS. When producing a piece of art it’s always important that you choose the right tools to work with, be they digital tools or traditional tools. Otherwise, you won’t be able to produce the desired result with what you have in hand. Trust me, my friend, I know the amount of pressure someone can be under when they have deadlines to meet, and that is why I try to establish a clear and concise workflow I can be comfortable with. 

 

More or less, dealing with a monthly deadline doesn’t allow much room for mistakes. Before going to print each page needs to be ready for the inker, the colorist, the letterer, and the editor to review, which is why I will always choose the most efficient, quick, and easy way to create a comic book page. What now follows are six easy steps for you to establish a simple workflow. Please enjoy.

THE SIX STEP DRAWING PROCESS:

STEP ONE:

The first thing you have to do is to download the master layout template. Please sign up here to do that, and while it’s downloading start to read the sample script and try to make notes about what the story entails. This can include a photographic reference or a persons pose, basically anything that can be useful to create a scene. 

STEP TWO:

After that, create the layout for each page with the aforementioned template. I have developed this tool in order to help people visualize the page layouts on one single sheet. That way we can re-create the layouts in a thumbnail sized image and see what the whole book looks like on the same screen / sheet of paper.

STEP THREE:

The template has the correct specifications for a comic book page, so all you have to do is copy and paste your layouts onto the master template and manipulate it to match the right size of a comic book page. So there. The rough layout is done.

STEP FOUR:

Using the path feature in Photoshop you can create the layout itself. There are two main grid layouts I’ve already shared with you during a previous article, plus you can also download the grids here.

STEP FIVE:

When your layout is finally finished it’s time for you to start drawing on top of your sketches. After all, we need to clean these sketches up and make sure they’re as clear as possible.

This is when your drawing abilities come in handy as well as your storytelling abilities. Now, if you think about it, your storytelling began when you created your layouts, right?

So, when you’re creating your layouts you should think about the rhythm, the framework, the composition, the movement, and the grids etc. Hopefully, by the end of this step, you’ll have a fully penciled comic book page.

STEP SIX:   

Once you get the pencils done, it’s finally time to ink them! There are many brushes and pens you can use to ink your page with and each one is used for a specific task!

Now, we don’t have much time to talk about all of them here, but I’m sure you can find all kinds of resources on the net.

There’s obviously a lot more to consider, but due to time and space, this is all we can cover for this months lesson.

Still, the six step drawing process, should be enough to get you started, and as we all know, an artist’s job is never done even when it is.

So now that you’ve finished a full black and white page and it’s penciled and inked, what next?

NEXT: My First Cover Process

This article was brought to you by Brazilian born, Rod Rodollfo from Alpha Brain Art Studio. Please feel free to download the Master Page Template used by Rod on many Published Comic Books by signing up  here! And while you’re at it, don’t forget to follow him on his website, twitter, and facebook pages.

_{Disclosure: There may be affiliate links on this page, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Help creators by clicking}.

8 PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

8 PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN: The main objective when composing a visual story is to guide the reader through the panels of each page in a clear and effective manner.

For you to get your message across, however, you must be able to understand the eight elements of composition and how to make them all work together as intended.

 

What now follows is a brief explanation about the 8 PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN:

1) Emphasis or Focus:

 To understand this stage of the process you must ask yourself a series of questions.

These include: What’s the most important artistic element within the picture you’re trying to produce?

What’s the message behind it?

And what’s the story you’re trying to tell?

2) Rhythm: 

Although most people think of rhythm in musical terms, where the visual arts are concerned, try to take this as meaning how each of the element’s within your image are placed in the space provided, and how they relate to each other in terms of size, place, and frequency.

3) Proportion or Variety:

 Designs, shapes, and any other brand of visual element, normally help to establish a dynamic action in relation to where they’re physically situated as well as in what proximity they are to each other.

4) Contrast or Economy vs Complexity:

 Or in other words, what you draw is almost as important as what you don’t!

5) Repetition or Pattern:

 A large majority of patterns are usually composed of repeatable shapes or textures so the end result is a well defined underlying structure.

 6) Balance or Imbalance:

The visual balance of elements within your image will make it clear what it’s main focus actually is (i.e. it’s message, it’s meaning, it’s intent).

7) Continuity or Movement:

Continuous lines are usually used to suggest the illusion of movement and simulate motion within a static image.

8) Unity:

This is the final step in developing a picture where each individual element comes together with the intent of making one solid and cohesive whole:

Similar to a human being who’s comprised of different body parts.

There you go, 8 Principles of Design!

The main purpose of composition is to tell a story in the way you want to tell it. Now with the use of good composition you can make the overall narrative a lot easier to follow, whereas with the use of bad composition, the opposite is also true and you can make things that much harder.

In order to do this, however, you first have to figure out what it’s main driving force is going to be!

Usually, good composition will guide the reader’s eyes through your artwork, one panel at a time, so they know exactly where to look and why they should be looking there.

Sometimes this can be a bit confusing though, because how can you transmit your story, your tone, and your intent, while overemphasizing the message behind it?

I tell you what: Let’s start with a “simple example”, shall we?

Doing so by analyzing a persons face. Most notably, Superman’s face, who in my opinion is a very difficult hero to draw because his face needs to represent integrity, justice, dignity, and truth, which are considerably harder to illustrate due to these character traits being less apparent than someone like Batman’s, for instance, who projects a bold shrouded image of mystery, dedication, and suspense.

Making intangible in tangible

Seriously, how can we make these subtle, intangible concepts, into a more solid and tangible one?

That’s why Superman is so hard to draw; because his face is normally unobstructed with these emotionally enhanced components.

Components we have to put in place and make as natural as possible.

So do you see what I’m trying to say, dear reader? I hope so, because if you can understand how to apply this artistic technique, great, the hardest part is finally behind you, and in my eyes, yes, the most rewarding part!

NEXT: The Drawing Process!

This article was brought to you by Brazilian born, Rod Rodollfo from Alpha Brain Art Studio. Please feel free to download the Master Page Template used by Rod on many Published Comic Books by signing up  here! And while you’re at it, don’t forget to follow him on his website, twitter, and facebook pages.

_{Disclosure: There may be affiliate links on this page, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Help creators by clicking}.

Storytelling, rhythm and timing! Have you ever wondered how an artist can tell a story through a series of visual illustrations? If so, then please try to cast your mind back to the silent era of filmmaking, where an actor, like Charlie Chaplin or Mary Pickford, would be able to guide us through an adventure one frame at a time.

There are obviously a lot of elements to think about when you tell a story with a series of static images, such as, facial and body expressions, the juxtaposition of the panels on a page, and the numerous angles and framing of a scene, all of which should be conveyed to tell the story somewhat efficiently.

 

Rhythm

Is another structural element that aides in comic book storytelling. Just try to think of it as the pattern of regular, or irregular, pulses caused in music by the occurrence of strong or weak melodic and harmonic sounds: bam, Bam, bam, Bam, BAAAAAAMMMMM!!!! Basically, the size and juxtaposition of your panels will determine it’s importance and rhythm in your story.

Timing

The ability to convey timing in a comic book sequence is very critical to its success, as it’s an essential structural element people use when it comes down to telling a story.

In everyday life we use tools, like a clock, to measure the nature of time, yet timing in comic books is where an action is extended to enhance emotional intensity.

Kiss Kiss

A good example of this can usually be seen at the end of a melodramatic movie when a hero kisses his girl goodbye.

The two of them are at the beach, during sunset, which establishes the mood of a scene, coupled with the fact that we are seeing a wide camera angle shot of them both running towards each other from opposite ends of the screen. 

Then suddenly there is a close-up of the girl’s face, quickly followed by the hero’s face, before we are presented with numerous other close-up shots focused on their feet running in the sand, their chests going up and down, and their mouths quivering with anticipation and excitement.

After a while, these two lovers get closer and closer together, which is duly noted by some lavish romantic music and a bold and suggestive close-up on her lips, a close-up on his eyes, a close-up on her, a close-up on him, on her, on him, on her, on him, until, eventually, the hero trips over a sea-shell and falls flat on his face. Ops! End scene.

Teen Titan Go

Another example of appropriate timing and the emotional enhancement of a scene can be seen in the following video clip from the Teen Titans TV show. Please, check it out, and try to take note of how the music is timed to coincide with the moment of the kiss…

Storytelling

When you create a layout for a scene, please consider the option of using panels of grids to make things easier for you.

Admittedly, it all depends on what type of a scenario you want to tell, plus what rhythm, timing, and emotion you want the reader to feel.

Although you must remember that emotion is our currency here, and everything we do should be aimed to enhance the story and that big emotional scene where everyone cries and applauds at the end!

Seriously, you have to ask yourself: What kind of feelings do you want your readers to experience and how can you make it happen in the story?

Grid Layouts

Here, let me give you two suggestions on grid layouts you can use as a reference to create your own grids and layout structure.

Every artist should be free enough to choose whatever they feel is right to convey an emotion and tell the story, and of course, these grids are only suggestions and you should not be tied into these. With that said, they are still a very good source of reference.

NEXT: The 8 Elements of Composition.

This article was brought to you by Brazilian born, Rod Rodollfo from Alpha Brain Art Studio. Please feel free to download the Master Page Template used by Rod on many Published Comic Books by signing up  here! And while you’re at it, don’t forget to follow him on his website, twitter, and facebook pages.

_{Disclosure: There may be affiliate links on this page, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Help creators by clicking}.

How to create perspectives really fast is a great way for an artist to give their work some form of structure; because it allows them to present the illusion of depth and space within realistic parameters.

For the sake of argument, let’s say you have a room that’s three meters squared. So by using this mathematical method you can actually define this space with a certain degree of accuracy.

In the late 14th Century, Filippo Brunelleschi, the Italian Architect, formulated the principles of linear perspective. This mathematical perspective system was a great breakthrough when it came down to representing the accuracy of reality through art.

 

More commonly it’s described as, ‘A technique of depicting volumes and spatial relationships on a flat surface’. So as you can see, perspective has everything to do with proportion: ‘The scale and location of an element in space’.

Perspective is basically the tool that allows you to create the right proportion between elements in your piece, and mastering it is vital to any comic book artist.

There are lots of different types of perspectives, which include:

Atmospheric Perspective:

The best way on how to create perspectives really fast is to use a template or a grid. Grids are usually pre-defined and are referenced to create whatever the artist want’s to create.

When needed a grid can also give you the correct measurements, of space and dimension, in order for you to put everything in the right proportion and place.

But, before you use a grid, it is extremely important that you understand the concept of perspective and how you can create them from a sketch, you can find more about it on the video: HERE.

Otherwise, when you use a grid, it can take you in the wrong direction entirely.

Choosing the right tool in the right order to achieve the right result is crucial when it comes down to creating and telling a story. 

Perspective is an extremely complex form to master and it takes a lot of time and a lot of effort.

There’s no need to rush, though, so please pace yourself and study and understand this method very carefully.

After all, creating rich environments can be a lot of fun, and creating them with accuracy and credibility will give you a sense of satisfaction that’s hard to top.

In the video bellow you’ll find a Photoshop process on how to create perspectives really fast! 🙂

The use of perspective is essential for creating credible scenarios. Your scenario can have a foreground, middle-ground, and background element, so by using the perspective tool you can insert all kind of details into your scenario and create a brand new world.

NEXT: Storytelling, Rhythm & Timing.

This article was brought to you by Brazilian born, Rod Rodollfo from Alpha Brain Art Studio. Please feel free to download the Master Page Template used by Rod on many Published Comic Books by signing up here! And while you’re at it, don’t forget to follow him on his website, twitter, and facebook pages.

_{Disclosure: There may be affiliate links on this page, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Help creators by clicking.}

SIX TIPS ABOUT ANATOMY:

Last Post we talked about how you could imbue your art with structure, proportion, and perspective. So this month let’s delve deeper into the subject and start talking about the actual process of figure drawing. After all, now that you have your master proportion grid, you can get to use it in order to create characters and faces in the right proportion, beginning with the following six elements I’ll be sharing with you today. Here are the six tips about anatomy, check this out…

 

1) Skeleton and Muscular System:

Always remember to structure your drawings with the right anatomy, proportion, and perspective. If you don’t do this your final piece will look rather disjointed, to say the least.

2) Faces:

 Again, try to learn to draw a face with the aforementioned set of criteria, otherwise what you might end up with won’t be to your liking. 

3) Facial Expressions:

 On average there are six main facial expressions that all others are created from, ranging from happy, sad, stoic, fear, neutral, contempt, and anger. 

4) Hands:

Hands are used all the time to convey emotions and feelings in comics. So do your best to learn its form and shape so you can represent it the right way and convey the right emotional reactions.

5) Feet: 

Editors love feet, and constantly make sure they’re drawn properly because artists don’t often know how to draw them. So much so, in fact, that certain creators try to hide them off panel, which is like writing a balloon on the page that states: I don’t know how to draw feet!

6) Body Expressions: 

This is a very important aspect when it comes down to telling a story with a selection of characters. Every character should have a different body posture and expression and be able to convey some aspect of their personality.

So, when drawing a character, think about his / her personal traits and how to translate those into a body’s expression.

One of the biggest challenges every artist has to face is how to create a character that looks real and alive!!

These are living, breathing, people, and we rarely see an image of a character that really looks like he or she is alive!

So it’s vital to master the art of figure drawing and be able to create a credible comic book page while serving the actual story you want to tell.

Being consistent is also vital when you want to keep the reader ‘in the story‘ and is another great challenge an artist has to deal with.

Drawing the same character in different angles and poses can be hard and frustrating if you don’t have the necessary experience to fall back on.

So what’s needed in this case is practice, practice, and some more practice or you can get there faster with The Samurai Method.

NEXT: The Best #1 Tool to create Perspectives Faster.

This article was brought to you by Brazilian born, Rod Rodollfo from Alpha Brain Art Studio. Please feel free to download the Master Page Template used by Rod on many Published Comic Books signing up  here! And while you’re at it, don’t forget to follow him on his website, twitter, and facebook pages.

_{Disclosure: There may be affiliate links on this page, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Help creators by clicking.}

THE BASIC THREE ELEMENTS YOU NEED TO TAME – While learning how to draw, the two main disciplines you need to understand and master involves producing a piece of art and telling a simple story. These two disciplines should harmoniously work together on every comic book page you create, with the art of drawing by itself being a skill that requires a lot of time, effort, and education.

 

But to master the art of drawing you will need to first understand how to create a well structured figure or scene, and for that we need to learn how to create basic geometric forms in the right proportion and perspective.

Before we begin, though, I want you to know that we are going to cover the very basics here, only the tip of the iceberg, mainly due to the obvious time and space constraints available. So, let’s start:

THE BASIC THREE ELEMENTS YOU NEED TO TAME

Structure:

Structure: The four general forms every artist works with are: the circle, the triangle, the square, and the rectangle. Most objects can be reduced to these simple geometric shapes, and they can allow you to draw almost anything you require (all you need to do is to merge them into something that you want to produce).

Drawing is about understanding what you see and learning how to transform shapes into forms. These basic shapes, forms, and objects, aid the artist in understanding what they need to know to create a new world, a new structure, and a new brand of being.

But for them to do that they also need credibility!! And that’s why we need to get to the next topic!! 

Perspective:

Perspective:Perspective is a technique used to represent three-dimensional images on a two-dimensional picture plane. There are many different types of perspective, such as overlap, atmospheric, linear, curvilinear, cylindrical, fisheye, isometric, etc, and once you master these perspective techniques you’ll be able to create complex scenes with the illusion of distance and depth.

Proportion:

Proportion: This is all about place and dimension, and I say this because the proportion of one element is relative to where in space it’s located and what size / scale it has in relation to everything else in the scene.

Imagine the nose of a character in relation to it’s place and size on the face. If it’s in the wrong place it won’t give enough credibility to the drawing, and the same can also be said for it’s size too.

A nose that is too big can give a picture a comical feeling and this is a choice you have to make in order to create the right emotional experience for the reader.

Structure could be defined by: Anatomy, Proportion and perspective. when you tame those elements you’ll be able to draw anything. There you go: The Three elements you need to tame!

There are many other elements you also have to consider, like the composition of a figure and trying your best to master that. But, like I said, this is only the tip of the iceberg. We’ll be talking more about composition, perspective, and figure drawings with lots of tools for you to download later on down the line! So in the meantime, stay tuned, and keep those pencils at the ready!! 

NEXT: 6 Basic Lessons About Anatomy.

This article was brought to you by Brazilian born, Rod Rodollfo from Alpha Brain Art Studio. Please feel free to download the Master Page Template used by Rod on many Published Comic Books by signing up here! And while you’re at it, don’t forget to follow him on his website, twitter, and facebook pages. 

_{Disclosure: There may be affiliate links on this page, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Help creators by clicking.}