Tag Archives: step by step

Art Tutorials, Blog

How to Draw An Eye – Step by Step ( Comic Style )

In this tutorial you will learn how to draw a comic style eye step by step. Be sure to practice this often but also to experiment with each stage of this process. You will find your style by experimenting with variations of shapes and rendering so just have fun with it!

In this drawing exercise I will be using a 2H lead on Bristol board smooth paper but you can follow along with whatever art supplies you prefer. Remember to start loose and get some sketches going to warm yourself up.

Step 1 – Drawing the Basic Shape of the Eye

Step 1 - Drawing the Basic Shape of the Eye
Drawing Comic Art Style Eye Tutorial

For this first step I like to focus on the overall shape of the eye as well as the angle from the tear duct to the opposite side where the eye lids meet. I tend to notice an upward tilt and by establishing that early on, it becomes easier to consistently draw them.

This is an excellent time to play with various differences in the shape of the eye. Practice making the shapes more narrow, more rounded, more pointed to one side, and so on. You can create all sort of fun variations for your comic book character types!

Step 2 – Drawing the Iris and the Pupil

Step 2 - Drawing the Iris and the Pupil
Step 2 – Drawing the Iris and the Pupil

For the second step, draw in the iris and the pupil. A good rule of thumb is that the iris is about one third the distance across of the eye. To be honest I experiment with this proportion as well. Sometimes to really push the expression of fear or excitement I will purposely make the iris smaller by comparison. It’s comics so we can get away with it I promise.

Also notice that the iris is touching the top eye lid. This gives a more relaxed look to the eye. Subtle differences in the position of the iris and pupil can change the expression of the character so keep an eye on it!

Step 3 – Drawing the Shape of the Eyelid

Step 3 - Drawing the Shape of the Eyelid
Step 3 – Drawing the Shape of the Eyelid

In this third step, draw the shape of the eyelid. This can pretty much follow the existing edges but I like to taper it a bit taller as it moves around the rounded or middle part of the eye. We have to try to envision the spherical form of the eye ball beneath the skin. Again, play around with this area within your work to find what suits your style the best.

Step 4 – Drawing the Shape of the Eye Lashes

Step 4 - Drawing the Shape of the Eye Lashes
Step 4 – Drawing the Shape of the Eye Lashes

In this fourth step, I like to draw the eye lashes as large basic shapes. This helps me to simplify the process a bit and it makes a lot of sense for comics especially when you are drawing your smaller faces within a scene. Individual eye lashes are great for close ups but that’s about it. Besides you can always add those in as you will see shortly.

I think it goes without saying but this is another on of those times where you can really experiment with a variety of shapes. I will be honest and tell you I didn’t like the look of this stage of the work but I knew I could save it so I pressed forward. Some times you just have to keep fiddling with it and not give up!

Step 5 – Drawing in the Shape of the Eyebrow

Step 5 - Drawing in the Shape of the Eyebrow
Step 5 – Drawing in the Shape of the Eyebrow

In this fifth step, draw in the shape of the eyebrow with some basic angles in mind. I like to imagine the plane changes of the characters forehead when doing this. I also feel that by keeping this step as simple as possible I can lay in the ground work for the details later. If I start by trying to draw in a bunch of little hairs I tend to end up with a mess. No one likes messy eyebrows!

Step 6 – Drawing the Glare and Shadow

Step 6 - Drawing the Glare and Shadow to the Eye
Step 6 – Drawing the Glare and Shadow to the Eye

In this step we will draw the glare and the shadow on the iris. Draw the shadow over the iris as a curve. This helps to push the look that the eye is a sphere and not a flat object. Then draw in the glare on the highest point of the eye, usually right by the pupil. This is another chance to play around with style choices but then again, you already knew that didn’t you?

Step 7 – Draw in the Shadows and Add Some Eye Lashes

Step 7 - Draw in the Shadows and the Eye Lashes
Step 7 – Draw in the Shadows and the Eye Lashes

In this step we can fill in the shadows and add some eye lashes. I tend to change the shape of the eye lashes as I do this. Sometimes I will erase back the perimeter shape so that I can try different effects with the eye lashes. I like paying attention to other comic artists and how they define this area of their work. One of my favorites to study for eyes is the late Michael Turner (RIP). His work is breath taking and the way he rendered eyes was nothing short of AMAZING!

Step 8 – The Final Rendering

Step 8 - The Final Rendering
Step 8 – The Final Rendering

In this final step, soft eraser all those rough lines and clean it up. I like to push and pull the lines here. Some need a little more curve and some need a little less. I also like to add in a bit of cross hatching to the eyes to create a look of tonal value. And, that’s it. You can take these same steps and apply them to all sorts of eye variations.

For some more examples you can head over to our Artist Resources and Templates page here – https://staging.ramstudioscomics.com/index.php/art-resources-templates/

I hope you found this drawing tutorial to be helpful and if you did please share the content with your fellow artists. More on the way soon and good luck with your art!

Sincerely,

Robert A. Marzullo

Ram Studios Comics

Art Tutorials, Uncategorized

How to Draw a Muscular Arm Pose – Step by Step – Tutorial

In this tutorial we will be drawing the outside of a male muscular arm. This time it’s the old, “Which Way to the Beach” pose. We have all done it one time or another, right? Let’s get to it!

Step 1 – Draw out the direction of the pose with the line and circle method. Think of these like the bones under the muscles and at this stage just focus on the length and direction of each section of the arm and hand. Notice the relationship from the wrist to the shoulder and the shape of the base of the hand from this angle.

They are both triangular. It helps to notice shapes like these to make your drawings more consistent.

Drawing an Arm Pose – Step 1 – Arm Structure

Step 2 – Now draw out the cylinder shapes to establish the basic forms. Think of a mannequin or marionette. Keep it simple and still only think about proportions and direction of the segments. Also be open to changes at any stage of this process.  Correcting things early on will save you lots of time and heartache.

Drawing an Arm Pose – Step 2 – Basic Forms

Step 3 – Now soft erase your lines and start to draw more curvature for your anatomy. Notice the way that each area tapers inward to meet the next. The shoulder tapers in to meet the upper arm and the upper arm tapers in the meet the lower arm and so forth. And notice where I changed the shape of the anatomy to go inside and outside of the initial mannequin stage. The basic construction is only meant to be a guide, so I never hesitate to make changes if I see something that could be better.

Drawing an Arm Pose – Step 3 – Anatomy

Quick Tip – Study anatomy often but improve over a long period of time. Don’t let the idea of perfection slow you or stop you from completing your work!

Step 4 – Now like before, soft erase your lines and begin to refine the anatomy a bit more. This time giving more line weight and clarity to the drawing. You can also start to draw in some veins to add to the depth and realism to the drawing.

Drawing an Arm Pose – Step 4 – Refining the Line Work

Step 5 – Draw in the shapes of shadows to your muscles. And if you are working with an inker make sure to sketch the small x’s so they can read the artwork more clearly. You don’t necessary have to do this step if you are your own inker but it doesn’t hurt to get in the habit, just in case!

Drawing an Arm Pose – Step 5 – Adding in the Shapes of Shadows

Step 6 – Now add in your rendering lines and really start to make the artwork pop off the page. Notice how the veins cast a small shadow of their own on one side. And, how they catch light on them even in the shadow of the arm. This is more stylized but it gives the appearance of depth. Overall this is a very stylized arm drawing but that is the fun of comics, not everything has to be entirely accurate!

Drawing an Arm Pose – Step 6 – Rendering and Cross Hatching

I hope you’ve enjoy this quick tutorial on stylized arm anatomy for comics. This is a sample tutorial from my book “Learn to Draw Action Heroes” which you can find on Amazon or at Barnes and Nobel.

If you want more educational content like this and prefer video courses you can get them here – https://ram-studios-comics-art-school.teachable.com

Thank you for stopping by and more tutorials are on the way soon.

Keep drawing keep having fun! 🙂

-Robert

Art Tutorials, Blog

How to Draw Smoke + Clouds + Explosions for Comics

In my latest Youtube video I explain how to draw some of the basic dynamics for smoke, clouds, and explosions. These effects are widely used for comics and other forms of storytelling.

Drawing Smoke Clouds and Explosions for Comics
Drawing Smoke Clouds and Explosions for Comics

Check out the video below to see these two effects created!

Hopefully this post + video will help you get a bit better at drawing these elements within your own work. Remember if you don’t get it right the first time there is nothing to worry about. I didn’t either! Let’s jump in and start practicing.

Drawing Smoke

Let’s first start by drawing some basic smoke coming off a smoke stack. This is used in countless scenes in comics and is pretty much my favorite one to draw.

You can have this effect swirling in the background and make any city scene immediately look 10 times cooler. ( In my opinion of course! 😉

Step 1 – Start by drawing the area of influence or the basic flow of the smoke. Don’t be afraid to swirl it around a bit. I like to think about ribbons and scrolls when drawing smoke.

Drawing Smoke - Step 1
Drawing Smoke – Step 1

Step 2 – Erase back your construction lines or turn the opacity down on your layer. Then draw the smoke again with a bit more clarity. I like to go back and forth from thick to thin forms as the smoke rolls around. This way it looks more organic and dynamic. Use S and C curves for energy.

Drawing Smoke - Step 2
Drawing Smoke – Step 2

Step 3 – Draw in some of the interior lines. These can swirl around any which way you want. I like to start envisioning how the smoke might look with color at this stage. It helps me to think more dimensionally about the work as I go. You can also add in some line weight at this stage as well.

Drawing Smoke - Step 3
Drawing Smoke – Step 3

Next just ink and color it and voila! Comic book smoke! Just play with lots of variations and see what you can come up with. There is no right or wrong way with comic book smoke and art in general for that matter. If you’re having fun then your on the right track! 🙂

Watch my this Youtube video on the subject and get more tips and tricks on creating more effects.

I hope you enjoy the tutorials and more on the way soon!

Check out my Gumroad Store here for Video Course Content and Custom Brushes – http://www.gumroad.com/robertmarzullo

Let me know what other topics you would like to see covered on this blog and I will do my best to answer them with a new tutorial. I love doing break downs like this and your ideas help me to focus on what to do next.

Keep Drawing and Keep Having Fun!!

-ROB

Blog

Drawing Amazing Backgrounds with Perspective – Step by Step

Welcome to my next online Course, “Drawing Amazing Backgrounds with Perspective – Step by Step.”  This course will teach you how to use 1, 2, and 3 Point Perspective to create interesting and imaginative backgrounds.  You will work with me as we draw an illustration for each example.   This will allow you to learn not only how to use these powerful techniques but also how to create environments from imagination.  

Drawing Amazing Backgrounds with Perspective
Drawing Amazing Backgrounds with Perspective

You will learn a variety of techniques to create shapes with dimension through these lessons.  Such as cubes, pyramids, archways, and angles.  By the end of this course, you will have a better understanding of how to draw rooms, buildings, brick walls, windows, furniture, and all with Linear Perspective!

Things we will be Focusing on in this Course

  • Creative Design Thinking
  • Expressive Line Making
  • Depth + Scale within Our Scenes
  • Mapping Out Space in Perspective
  • Adding Values for Portfolio or Client Work
  • Correcting Flaws within the Work

This course is designed to teach you how to draw detailed backgrounds step by step.  You will be drawing an alleyway with one-point perspective, an interior room with two point-perspective, and a view looking up at various buildings using three-point perspective.  These will each be created with a different style to give you the most versatile experience possible.  It is important that you not only learn how to draw with perspective but also how to create a variety of styles with these techniques.  I want my students to be able to relate this information to comics, storyboards, and animation.  If you learn to be versatile as an illustrator you have a much greater chance of success.  This is what I have experienced in my career and I want to share that with you!  Drawing background with Linear Perspective is an extremely important asset to have as an artist.  So let’s get started right now and put Perspective Art in your toolbox!

Get Lifetime access to this Full 7 Hour Course here for $10 – https://gum.co/KzRWK

I am here if you have any questions and I value your feedback!

-Robert 

Blog

Introduction to Digital Painting in Photoshop – Beginner’s Guide

Introduction to Digital Painting in Photoshop - Beginner's Guide
Introduction to Digital Painting in Photoshop – Beginner’s Guide

Introduction to Digital Painting in Photoshop – Beginner’s Guide

Hello Digital Artists!

I have just released a new course, “Introduction to Digital Painting in Photoshop!”  Very excited to be bringing you this course and I hope you learn a ton of great techniques to add to your skill set.  Currently, this course sits at 33 Lectures and a Runtime of 3hrs 55 Minutes.  ( You also get the Art Files + over 50 Custom Brushes to work with. )

In this course, you will learn all the basic tools and how I use them to create professional looking digital art in Photoshop.  This course is designed to get you up and running with digital painting in Photoshop quickly and effectively.  Without all the confusion and complex jargon.  Photoshop is a massive program with tons of options and can quickly become a hindrance if it isn’t explained properly.  I teach this course is an easy to understand way!

After covering all the basic tools and shortcut commands we jump into a scene creation.  You will learn to illustrate this Space Scene from scratch.  You will learn how to create this scene with a very simple approach.  This way you can focus on being able to paint without learning all the complexities that Photoshop has to offer.  This course is designed for the beginner to the intermediate digital artist in mind!

As with any of my courses, if you feel this content needs an additional lecture or two I am happy to help.  Just message me and I will improve the course as soon as possible.  Also, feel free to leave your honest review of this course so others will know what to expect!

( Lifetime access + 30 Day Money Back Guarantee ) 

Thank you for everything you do and more lessons are on the way very soon!

Robert A. Marzullo

Ram Studios Comics

Blog

Intro to Custom Brushes in Procreate – Hair and Fur!

Intro to Procreate Brushes Tutorial
Intro to Procreate Brushes Tutorial

Intro to Custom Brushes in Procreate – Hair and Fur!

Hello Everyone!

I added a new class to my Skillshare called, “Intro to Custom Brushes in Procreate – Hair and Fur”. 

In this class, you learn how to create a custom hair and fur brush step by step. You also learn how to import/export brushes to share with your community.

After creating the brush we demonstrate it by giving this little monster some hair.  I show you how to adjust the brush for various effects as it is being used.

You get the art file and brush document to practice with.  I will be creating more custom brush classes using Procreate so please let me know what you would like to see in the future!  The next class will be on texture brushes.

Thanks for stopping by and you can get the class here on Skillshare – https://skl.sh/2MuEAqU
( You get 2 months free for signing up with this link! )

— NOTE — Remember if you already have my Udemy course on “Procreate Like a Pro”, this has been added and simply need to re-visit the course to view the new lessons.

If you prefer getting the entire course on Udemy,  please use this coupon code – https://www.udemy.com/procreate-like-a-pro-create-awesome-digital-art-on-an-ipad/?couponCode=RAMSTDIOSCOMICS101

Good luck with your studies and I am here if you have any questions!

-Rob

Blog

How to Draw Superheroes – Female Proportions and Suit Designs

How to Draw Superheroes Female Proportions and Suit Design
How to Draw Superheroes Female Proportions and Suit Design

I just created a new Skillshare class to add to my next course on, “How to Draw Superheroes – Start to Finish!”  This will be just another part to the course that will be packed full of great information!

In this particular lesson we will cover basic proportions of the superhero female form. You will learn how I draw a turnaround of a character, then how to apply anatomy and a suit design. Breaking down the process can make it much easier to accomplish.

This can seem like a basic lesson but I assure it is a very important one to practice. Turning the character around on the page gives you a great sense on how they look from these basic angles. Then drawing them in more dynamic poses is easier to envision. Don’t worry, we will get into all that advanced stuff later, I promise!

Get them on Skillshare!

If you want to give this class a look here is the link – https://skl.sh/2K8mb2w

You can also get my class on the male proportions version here –  https://skl.sh/2HCOOY2

Do you prefer Gumroad?

If you want to just buy this course you can get it on my Gumroad page here. Just please keep in mind that you pay for the full course now and get the lessons as they are completed. I will be adding new lessons each week until the course is completed.                           https://gum.co/zgpix

By the end of this course we will cover all the various techniques I use to create comic book heroes. Things like proportions + distortions of the body, dynamic anatomy, suit designs, powers, rendering/crosshatching, shapes of shadows, action poses, foreshortening, and by the end of it we will complete a full scene creation to put all that knowledge to the test.

I hope you will join me for these lessons and I am here if you have any questions. As always keep drawing and keep having fun! 🙂

Robert A. Marzullo                                                                                                     Ram Studios Comics

 

Blog

How to Draw Comic Style Heads – Step by Step – From Any Angle

How to Draw Comic Style Heads From Any Angle
How to Draw Comic Style Heads From Any Angle by Robert A. Marzullo

How to Draw Comic Style Heads – Step by Step – From Any Angle

In this Course you will learn how to draw heads from a variety of angles and different styles. You will learn how to break down the head into thirds with the “Adrew Loomis” method. This will make turning the head on the page much easier to accomplish. You will also learn techniques for mapping out the facial features of your character. We cover front, side, upward angle, downward angle, with both male and female faces.

You will also learn how to draw the heads of your characters with a less structured approach. This comes with practice but it can be very fun and expressive to do.

This course is 25 Lectures and the Run Time is 4hrs 14min.
You get all the Art Files in a single PDF Document at 300dpi to work along with.

NOTE – In this how to draw comics style heads course I reference other lessons that are available on my Gumroad or Skillshare. I talk about the lessons that teach you about drawing eyes, noses, mouths, etc. They are not part of this course but may help you if you need work on those specific areas.

Next the Project File!!

I would love your feedback on these how to draw lessons and I would also like to see your work! Complete the project file that I talk about in the Promo Video. Feel free to message me through Gumroad or Tag me in a post using Twitter or Instagram.
Instagram – @robert_marzullo
Twitter – @RobertMarzullo

Watch the Promo Video here – https://youtu.be/aS_JcZNpmVQ

Check out the full course here –

https://ram-studios-comics-art-school.teachable.com/p/how-to-draw-heads-step-by-step-from-any-angle/?product_id=2447770&coupon_code=RAMSTUDIOSCOMICS777

I hope you find this course to be helpful and good luck with your studies! 🙂

Sincerely,

Robert A. Marzullo
Ram Studios Comics
www.staging.ramstudioscomics.com

Blog

New Lessons on How to Draw Comic Style Hair – Male Characters

How to Draw Comic Style Hair Male
How to Draw Comic Style Hair Male Characters

Welcome back everyone!

In this class you will learn how to draw these 3 hair styles. We will cover basic form and rendering techniques that will apply to not just these but lots of other various hair styles as well. This should give you a basic understanding of how to design your own favorite hair style for your cool characters!

You can get this class here on my Gumroad – https://gum.co/KsSja

Or on my Skillshare here – http://skl.sh/2Bu5spR

Run time is 49 Minutes / 5 Lessons / 2 Art files

You will start with a male face that I have created for you. This allows you to simply focus on the hair drawing and not worrying too much about the characters face. Try creating lots of variations over the same pose. See how much you can change the characters look with a new hair style! Have fun with it! 🙂

If you have any questions I am here to help and thank you for your support of my lessons! More on the way real soon….

Robert A. Marzullo

Ram Studios Comics

Blog

How to Draw Comic Style Eyes – Step by Step on Skillshare

How to Draw Comic Style Eyes
How to Draw Comic Style Eyes

In these lessons you will learn how to draw eyes in a variety of ways. You will learn how to draw eyes on an angle. We will cover how to break down the eye shapes and what to look for when drawing male or female eyes. Then you will learn how to draw youthful or aged eyes. You will also learn some rendering techniques along the way.

This class is 5 lessons / 1 Hour Total. These lessons are not software specific and they only focus on the drawing techniques.

Lesson 1 – Constructing the Eye

Lesson 2 – Drawing Eyes on an Angle

Lesson 3 – Drawing Male Vs Female Eyes

Lesson 4 – Drawing Eyes with Anger and Fear

Lesson 5 – Drawing an Eye Young and Old

You will also get the art files to work along with.

Let me know what you think of these lessons and I am here if you have any questions!

Get these Lessons here on my Skillshare – http://skl.sh/2vO7FX0

Or on my Gumroad here – https://gum.co/Gbvb

Thanks for your support! 🙂

Robert A. Marzullo

Ram Studios Comics

www.staging.ramstudioscomics.com

Watch the promo video here –