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misscafeine:

EIICHIRO ODA

ONE PIECE

HOW TO MAKE COLOR ILLUSTRATIONS

[Rough] Decide the basic layout.

Q: What’s the feeling at the draft stage?

I don’t think much about whether the lines are going right. When I’m drawing, I try to think about what the characters think, and getting the expressions right is important. Where my pen goes doesn’t matter.

[Pencils] Draw a draft in pencil over the rough.

The pencils are complete.

Before inking with a G-pen, simply use an eraser to make the pencil lines fainter.

[Inking] Draw the outlines in ink with the G-pen.

Q: What do you think when you work.

As I draw I think ”What is this character thinking about in this situation?”, and ”if this character is doing this, what should be around him?”. So pictures of a character who is not thinking anything but simply striking a pose feel wrong, and I’m not good at them. I’d like people who view the picture to think ”What’s going on here?”. I would like them to stop and use their imagination, and to spend a time looking at it.

The inking is complete.

[Shading] Color the black parts in with a marker pen.

Q: Any message for young people who want to be a mangaka?

Basically, the media of manga is pointless if people don’t enjoy it. If you want to become a mangaka, be prepared to spend a lot of time on it, and make sure you try to make people enjoy your work.

[Coloring characters] Use colored pens called ”Copics” to put in the color.

Q: What do you need to watch out for when coloring?

Not to go over the lines, I guess. Also, for a normal color picture, use lots of color.

Q: You are coloring the skin first, is there a specific order to the coloring?

It’s not fixed, but I color the skin first, it’s an important part, so I can feel relaxed. Also, if there are a lot of caracters, since the skin colors are almost the same, coloring it all at once brings out the mood of the picture.

Q: Is it better to color with Copics than use a computer?

Copics are better, I think. Also, I’m not used to using computers, even if I was, pictures colored by computer are boring, aren’t they?

The shading is all the same, in fact, various techniques have been developed, but in the end, they all have a rhythm so that the shading always looks artificial to the human eye. I’ve always done ONE PIECE this way. I think readers would be unhappy if I suddenly changed.

As long as I draw ONE PIECE, I’ll do it this way.

Q: Do you like the coloring stage?

It’s fun.

Q: Is there anything you are careful of when coloring?

Nothing in particular, but… I’m mindful of things with things with different textures, such as skin and hats. Red is a good color for Luffy’s clothing, don’t you think?

Q: What image do you have?

I guess my image is red. The character have set colors.

Q: Are you influenced by any other artists in terms of coloring styles? Do you have a favorite?

I like all the artists I liked when I was child, but I don’t really take inspiration from anyone. I don’t have a stronger desire than anyone else to color beautifully. I think the most important thing is the feeling.

Q: How old were you when you started to draw manga?

I was drawing manga-like things in elementary school.

Q: Did you already wanted to be a mangaka at that age?

I decided that when I was four. I liked pictures, and I found out that there were adults who drew manga for fun, and then heard that there were adults who draw manga all day and get paid!

Q: And that’s why you decided to become a mangaka?

I thought that if there was such an enjoyable job, then I had to become one. I heard that there were people who didn’t need to go out early everyday to work and then come home late, but could just draw manga at home. I knew I had to go for it. Well, at that time, I didn’t realize how tough being a mangaka was.

[Coloring background]

You should color the sky many times or else it will appear patchy. The simpler an area is, the more coloring it will need. I used to think it was impossible to color sky without it getting patchy, and so I’d always draw with a pure white sky. That’s why my early illustrations all have white sky. At one point I forced myself to color it.

Q: What do you care about the most when you’re coloring?

Vividness. Color usage that is fun to look at. For large pictures, I always draw small test copies on separate sheets, and I try coloring them many times. Then I choose the best, most fun color and start to paint.

[Finishing touches] At the final stage, white pencil or paint is used to make small corrections and finalize the art.

Q: What are you doing now?

I’m adding a little shine and lighter areas to give more depth to the picture.

Q: Is that a normal white pencil?

Normal colored pencils won’t show up above Copics, so I tried many types.

Okay, it’s done.

(via luxjacopo)