Bearded Baby Comix

Comics with Gusto by John Stephens

: Ancient Forbidden Mysteries 08



Book Three: Behind the Scenes I receive a lot of questions about the techniques I use. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how a frame is put together.










Each frame begins with some rough sketching in order to lay out the basic elements of the composition. Everything is painted in quickly & loosely.

I put in the lettering on its own layer, and begin painting over the rough sketch to refine the image. I go over each portion in detail until I like the way it looks.

After painting in enough of the elements, I get rid of the background sketch, and use another layer to paint in foreground elements.

The background and lighting are the last things to be adjusted and painted in. I’ve also adjusted the shape of the balloon so the text doesn’t look so jammed.


John Stephens
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