Not everything that's sketched for the comic actually makes it into the final pages. Originally, I was creating pages digitally, using a tablet. Unfortunately, the pen met an unpleasant fate- and I have yet to buy a new tablet (though I plan on picking up a new one, soon) so everything lately has been done on paper. This gallery page contains a lot of material that a) served as initial character/location designs and b)pages and/or sketches that never made their way into the story.
Since the death of the tablet, I use non-photo reproduction blue pencils to sketch out new pages, but my thumbnails are done with a soft 4B pencil...I love the softer pencils, even if they have a higher tendency to smudge. After penciling, I ink with Sakura Micron pens (.005- .08) and thick black Sharpies when I need to fill in larger areas of black. Older pages were drawn using printer paper (the horror) but the new pages are now created on 9" X 12" Strathmore Bristol board (smooth). It feeels nicer, the pencils/inks are smoother, and I have less bleed-through.
After the inking is complete, I scan the images (B&W setting, 300 dpi) then open up the completed image in Adobe Photoshop. I use Photoshop to color the pages- the process is very similar to cell-shading. Basically, all my colors are set on different layers, using varying degrees of opacity (so the underpainting can come through). All layers are set to multiply, save for the layers that are for word balloons. I make two layers for those- one black, the other white. I like the irregular shapes and chunky outlines I get from creating the balloons this way- it just seems nicer that making one layer and outlining the balloon shape. The dialogue gets placed in the image last.
After everything is complete, I reduce the image size, save it for the web, and upload it. I always keep a full-sized image (in photoshop format) with all the layers, since we plan on printing eventually.
2003 Webcomics Secret Santa Gift from Davis of Assassin:A Love Story
"Summer Fun '04" by Noelle Dreves, creator of The Ballad Maker
2004 Secret Santa Fanart from Ryan Kolter, creator of Reasoned Cognition