Thursday, October 7, 2010

Manga Studio Upgrade

When I first started working on Mascara, I started out by using Manga Studio Debut 4.0. I wasn’t sure how long I was going to stick with this graphic novel project, and I didn’t want to invest the more than $200 into the Manga Studio EX without being sure that this was something I was going to continue with.
Well, a couple of days ago I realized that I will be creating graphic novels for awhile, so I decided to take the plunge and buy Manga Studio EX.
When I first installed it, the program totally crashed, so that wasn’t too great. But after I reinstalled it and got everything together, I was like, “This looks like Manga Studio Debut just with different colored windows.” I couldn’t tell the difference between the two programs until I started working with it.
Drawing with Manga Studio EX is way better. I found drawing in Manga Studio Debut to be kind of rough. My pen tablet never felt quite right, and the way the strokes came out were awkward. But upgrading to EX was a total difference. Still, I like scanning my pictures, so I’ll continue doing that, but when it comes to fixing drawings after I scan them—this is great.
I also can’t wait to start creating my own screentones. I just hope that since there are so many extra cool things to try out, I don’t over-tone my pages. 
I was able to find a few different screentones and brushes to use for free. If you use manga studio, you may want to check these out.
  • Brushes – I haven’t tried these out yet. But it looks like they’re pretty good.
  • Tones for Manga Studio at Deviant Art –These are great. And check out the telephone pole backgrounds as well.
If anyone finds any other materials for Manga Studio, let me know.

2 comments:

  1. I was curious what kind of software you used for your art. I sort of suspected it was Manga Studio. Nice to hear that you got EX. I've never used any version of Manga Studio. I'd be curious to hear more about the software and how well you like it.

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  2. At first, it was a little confusing, but the more I use it, the more I like it. And some of it's features makes it way easier to create a manga by yourself.

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