Article: If you're working on paper, jumping right to pen and ink can be disastrous. Start by drawing tentative outlines for your characters and action with a pencil. You can add backgrounds later, so focus on framing your characters in each panel. Use a variety of compositions to keep the visual information fresh and interesting on each page. For example, in one panel, you can draw the character's face close up, filling the entire panel. In the next panel, you can draw them standing on the left side of the panel, leaving plenty of room for background information. Don't draw your characters floating in the middle of every panel to keep things fresh. Pay attention to how characters are framed differently in movie shots. You'll notice that characters aren't always filmed right in the middle of the screen. Comics take a lot of visual cues from movies, so use film shots as inspiration for your images. In order to focus on composition first, draw your rough sketches out before you start inking or adding details. You can use a simple style and make your characters basic if you want to emphasize the story and can't draw well! There's no rule that says comic books have to be extremely detailed. An establishing shot refers to an image in film or comics that shows the reader where the action is taking place. This can be a simple drawing of a city's skyline or a detailed depiction of a clearing in the woods. Make your first 1-3 images drawings of your setting so that readers know where the action is taking place. Use a separate establishing shot for each new location. It's normal for a single comic to take place in 4-5 different locations. A common technique is to "zoom in" on the action. For example, you might start by drawing a city's skyline in the first panel. The second panel could depict the street where the story takes place. The third panel might show a single window where we see the character sitting down at a desk. This is a good way to establish where your character is without using written words. Once you've got the layout finished and you've sketched what's happening in each panel, start adding details. Use your pencil or tablet to sketch out more visual information and erase or remove guide lines before inking your characters in black ink lines. Add your textures, facial features, and key details to give your images some definition. Add detail to all of your panels in chronological order if you want a consistent drawing style. If you aren't worried about it though, you can certainly ink and color your panels individually. Once you've finished inking your characters, add color to make them pop off of the page. Draw your backgrounds out and use a variety of drawing techniques to compose your backgrounds. Even if your action is taking place in a city, you don't need to draw a detailed landscape in every panel. In fact, this would result in over-crowded frames that contain too much visual information! If you're working digitally, watercolor brushes can make abstract backgrounds pop and keep the focus on the action. If you're hand-drawing your comics, use cross-hatching, which is a variety of perpendicular lines, to create cool abstract backgrounds. Once you've given the reader an establishing shot to indicate where the action is taking place, your readers will assume the characters are still in that location in the subsequent panels. You don't need to keep reminding them with detailed backgrounds. Hand-drawn comics can be made with markers, colored pencils, or a combination of the two. It's really up to you! Once most of your panels are fleshed out, add minor details or textures to the images. Use a smaller marker to give characters facial hair, sweat drips, or unique features. Go through each panel and ask yourself, "Does this image work on its own as an individual piece of art?" If the answer is no, you should probably keep working on the image and add more details until it looks like a complete piece. If you're going for a simple comic, there's nothing wrong with emphasizing the story over the images. Feel free to stop when you're happy with each panel. Add your dialogue to the speech bubbles by adding them digitally or writing them out. If you're writing them by hand, use a ruler and pencil to draw horizontal lines to write your dialogue out evenly. If you're adding your dialogue digitally, download a free comic book font that readers will recognize to reduce the odds that your dialogue doesn't fit the comic book aesthetic. Common comic book fonts include Komika, Adam Warren's pro font, and Badaboom. These are universally-recognizable fonts that people will immediately be familiar with. Using a non-traditional font can make your comics feel unprofessional. Download free comic book fonts online at https://www.dafont.com/. If you're hand drawing your letters, make sure that you space your letters out equally and keep your style uniform to avoid an inconsistent look. If a character yells or you want to add a sound effect, like "Boom!" or "Ugh!" feel free to put it outside of a speech bubble in a different font.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Sketch out your panels in pencil to get a rough idea for the action. Start with an establishing shot at the beginning to reveal your setting. Add detail and ink your characters, leaving space for the speech bubbles. Color your characters in and compose your background textures. Touch up the illustrations and add minor textures and elements. Finish your comic by adding your dialogue.
Article: Water is the fuel of our bodies. Having a glass of water available while studying will help enhance your concentration during studying. Staying hydrated can benefit your memory as well. Treating your body well is half the battle of entering the right mindset. There are certain foods you can eat that will improve your focus and your general well-being. Studies show that eating high-carb, high-fiber, slow-digesting foods like oatmeal are best for the morning of a test. The food you consume the two weeks leading up to the exam are just as important and affect how well you study. Eat a well balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables. Incorporate superfoods into your diet like blueberries and almonds. This system controls your heart and blood path. Part of healthy studying is a healthy flow of blood to your brain. Studies have proved that 20 minutes stimulating this system improves your memory. Don't feel obliged to go on a run if you don't want to. Bust a move in your living room to your favorite dance track. Let this be your time to unwind and alleviate stress during your study break. The main thing is to get your heart rate up. Once it is faster, continue doing an exercise for at least twenty minutes. Getting a full nights rest (at least 7-8 hours) helps motivate you to study. If you are sleep deprived, studying will feel like a chore. You won't learn nearly as much information sleepy as you will after a good night's rest.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Drink plenty of water. Eat well. Stimulate your circulatory system. Sleep well.