Script to Comic Interior Page

This was a page from a recent anthology piece I completed with a writer. It was accepted as is for the anthology and we considered expanding the concept into a longer piece titled RED SPRINGS, WA. To begin, I read the script 2-3 times. At first just to get the entire story and then in more detail to figure out how and which moments on the pages I would emphasize.

This was exactly the type of script I like to work from. It's a full script style with one action per panel and all the dialogue numbered. This is great because I place word balloons into my layouts to ensure that there's enough room at the final lettering stage.

After some sketching in Photoshop and deciding on a panel layout - my key panel was panel 5. It was not the most exciting panel, but it was important to establish the full character and costume for the next few pages.

I grabbed a Sketchup model and added some cars as well as some details over the 3d elements. The above is the virtual "set" zoomed out to show how I arranged the characters into the space.

My writing partner checked out the layout and with no notes, I go to tying down the details of the page. The cold open is set in a recently abandoned suburb as if something devastating happened not that long ago. Here I completed the pencils to a stage I use for inks.

This is the final black and white ink completed in Clip Studio Paint and ready for color and lettering. The coloring I sent out to a professional colorist and the lettering I completed in Adobe Illustrator.

Sometimes you see in penciled artwork "BWS", black with stars, here the final rendered color was painted with a beautiful magic hour with stars. The colorist did a fantastic job on the color/lighting.

And finally the completed page with the lettering placed over. The piece was ready to send to the publisher. Click here to read the complete 8 page story.

Grims Two is a freelance digital illustrator and comic artist based in Canada. Published in several anthologies and featured in such projects as 3 Panel Crimes and Platform Comics. Available for commissions and assignments for covers and sequentials.