Manga Studio studies at the library

Some painting studies in a library using Manga Studio pencils (mostly) set to 80% opacity with a very portable MacAlly iceCad graphic tablet. What I learned is that library visitors are good for candid extended studies. Tech note: I had to abort a different trip because MS wanted the install disc before launching–which I didn't have; so now, for future location sketching, I'll add a disc image (.dmg) to my backup thumbdrive.

Painting with Manga Studio

These studies were painted using Manga Studio EX4 based on the ballpoint sketches of a pick-up basketball game from my previous post. I mostly used various Pencils on these.

Coloring without exporting to Photoshop seems more and more feasible.

• update: some storyboards drawn and colored with MS only

• more studies (including rendering with rulers and 32-bit color vectors)

A tonal storyboard using Manga Studio only

Here's my first B/W tonal storyboard done entirely with Manga Studio--no Photoshop, as I would normally have used to add the tones on an assignment like this. By turning on "[Use Size as Screen Value]" I was able to change brush sizes and get a fresh view at the same time. Using Pencils I frequently alternated "[Compare Darkness Compositing]" modes. (This is for a new tablet game-unannounced).

Grainy Manga Studio Pencils: work-around C

A) Pattern Brushes            B) Bitmap           C) Convert to Tone

Continuing my experiments from my previous post, I stumbled upon a third work-around to simulate grainy pencils in Manga Studio (and probably the best). What I tried this time was drawing on a raster layer with the Color Reduction Method set to Convert to Tone on Noise. Why is this the best? —because this way saves the steps of applying any filters (B) and of setting rulers for any necessary shapes (A).

Grainy Manga Studio Pencils

Recently, a colleague (who I had introduced Manga Studio to) told me that a client insisted on a natural pencil look. He therefore used Alias Sketchbook Pro instead. Since I prefer the MS interface, I wondered if there are any work-arounds to satisfy such a client. 
     First, I tried to copy various old pencil sketches (traditional) using only Pattern Brushes. Surprisingly, the linework reminded me of those I was able to draw using Corel Painter.

Although the sketches above were the closest that I could get to a natural look, using any shape tool added extra steps because the rulers had to be set first. So, below, I further experimented by applying Random Dither Bitmap filters instead, some to the lines only and some to the tones too.

Conclusion:
A) It's very possible to simulate grainy pencils in MS.  B) Although the Pattern Brush gives the better results, the compromise for speed by using the Bitmap filter is instead the best work-around.

Dry-media in Manga Studio EX4

This is a location zoo sketch from my previous post re-drawn using the "Brush Pens" in MSEX4 to simulate dry-media.

Painting with Manga Studio's Pencils

Because the Pattern Brush in Manga Studio stresses my computer's processor, I'm exploring the tonal potential of the simpler Pencil Tool.  Here's a "painterly" studio version of a location pen sketch from my previous post, of a mother showing a photo she just took with her smartphone to her 2 boys. Since one can't pencil lighter values over darker ones (unlike Photoshop's misnamed "Pencil"), they were erased rather than painted over opaquely, as the screenshot in transparent mode over a green background shows. Revealing lighter values instead of applying them was a brain-twisting exercise though.

Surfing at the library

As I've said in earlier posts, I think the coloring capability of Manga Studio EX4 is underrated. This color rough, based on last week's Bic pen sketch at the library, was done to further explore versions of "Brush Pens" and a Wacom tablet (which I can color with all right on, but which for drawing still feels like my first day on ice skates).

Some recent B&W storyboards using Manga Studio EX4

These were done loosely with vectors and finished with a Tone Layer (85L 30%).