HOW I MADE BACKGROUNDS

Hey there! Let's talk about creating backgrounds in comics. They can be a real pain!!! They take a lot of time, need tons of references, and require some serious skills like understanding perspective, vanishing points, and framing.

In the comics industry, there are different ways to tackle backgrounds. A lot depends on the artist, but in professional settings where comics need to be made quickly, we have to get creative to stay productive. For example, in manga, it's common for teams to have specific people who only do backgrounds, leaving the main artist to focus on characters and key elements.

In my comic "Snow/White," I kept the backgrounds pretty simple. I used straight lines to outline things and flat colors to give a bit of depth. Complex backgrounds were rare, like on the last page. For those, I’d find suitable photos, manually trace them, and simplify the elements to keep the page from getting too cluttered.

For "I Wish I Were a SUPERHERO," I decided to step up the background game, but not too much. I had to find a balance because spending too much time on one page could really slow me down.

Here's my current approach to making backgrounds quickly and efficiently:

• Photo Assembly in Photoshop: first, I put together a background using different photos. If I need a floor with stones and rubble, I’ll merge images of stones, rubble, and bricks to get the scene I want.

  

• Tracing the Photo: once I have the right image (ignoring perfect colors and perspective at this point), I use a tracing technique to turn the photo into a drawing. Illustrator has a basic tracing tool, but nowadays, AI-based tools do a better job. Illustrator just traces contours, but AI tools can give a more detailed and balanced design by recognizing what's in the photo.

  

• Adjusting the Image: The work doesn't stop there. I tweak colors, fix the perspective, and move or remove elements as needed in Photoshop. Sometimes, I draw extra bits to make the background fit better with the comic scene.

  

Now, about AI: I accept it as a helpful tool for tasks like tracing, but I don’t believe it should replace an artist’s skills. Using AI for these tasks can save time and make things easier, but the creativity and expertise of a person are irreplaceable, IMO. This is a complex and hot topic nowadays, but I won't dive into it here. It's not the right place, and... I don't want to bore you!!! ;)

What do you think of my approach? Let me know!