Help? I want to draw text bubbles like in the Watchmen comics. Cool and sharp, and less round. But I'm a moron and can't draw it right, so any help?
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Something so simple has a pretty complicated skill set and sensibility behind it. Basically he's drawing the bubbles in the same way he draws everything else, and that's why it fits the style so well. The same discipline for linework is at play, both in the art and the text bubbles. So your task here is to improve your line discipline. Drawabox's first lessons should set you off in the right direction.
At 12/9/23 11:53 AM, NoobClock666 wrote: Help? I want to draw text bubbles like in the Watchmen comics. Cool and sharp, and less round. But I'm a moron and can't draw it right, so any help?
I prefer the rounded speech balloons. This is the base shape I use.
But the balloon is not what I start with. I start with the text, forming it in good sizes for balloons. I don't want to much text in a balloon. If it is much text I will split it up in more than one balloon. The text should be aligned with the middle, lines being about equal lengths except top and bottom line, that should preferably be shorter.
When you are happy with the placement and form of the text draw the balloon around it, with a nice space between the text and the outer line of the balloon. Not to much, not to little.
There are so many things to consider making speech balloons, that I've not even touched on.
A simple rule I always seems to get back to is, keep it simple. A clear readable font. Natural reading order placement. Keep fancy stuff as an exception when it can be used to drive home a point.
As an demonstration I put in the balloons in the panel as I would do it.
Of course I'm not saying that I'm better at this than Dave Gibbons. I'm not.
It is just a slightly different take, with a somewhat different feeling to the panel and a different pacing of the text (at least that is what I was going for).
Maybe it can give some ideas on things to think about when doing speech balloons.
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