How to Color for Comics

    (Antarctic, 2004)
™ and © Antarctic Press

Guru–EFX didn’t hold back any secrets in their thoughtfully oversized guide to the trade’s tips and techniques. Some might find the colors a little too digitally wet even on pieces with warm, dusty palettes, but it’s a brilliant step–by–step to get you coloring like the pros—or, if you prefer, coloring your own way with a full bag of tricks. Besides, it’s an Antarctic publication, which means its first duty is to teach you how to achieve manga/anime effects in your work, and on that point it thoroughly succeeds. The tone of the lessons is friendly, funny and well–paced, though there are a few layout issues that might clarify the process better, it’s understandable that even some of those are due to the dictates of the images that have to be shown. Digital painting techniques, for the advanced colorist, are legitimately stunning, like when a sketchily drafted plane transforms into a photographic masterpiece under the Guru gang’s stylus. Best of all, most of the lessons here speak to the physical colorist as well as the digital one, with advice on what treatments go with which elements of a composition. Even professionals might find themselves picking up a move or two from this fantastic book.

— Brendan McGinley
Jump to issue:
  • Dlx 1
    Deluxe Edition #1
    Cover: $24.95
    W: Lee Duhig, Doug Dlin  ·  A: Guru-eFX
    A Guide to Computer Coloring; Polybagged with CD
    1 copy for $24.95
  • TPB 1
    #1
    Cover: $4.95
    W: Lee Duhig, Doug Dlin  ·  A: Guru-eFX
    No copies available
  • Dlx 2
    Deluxe Edition #2
    Cover: $14.95
    W: Lee Duhig, Doug Dlin  ·  A: Guru-eFX
    Polybagged with CD
    No copies available
  • TPB 2
    #2
    Cover: $4.95
    W: Lee Duhig, Doug Dlin  ·  A: Guru-eFX
    No CD
    No copies available