How I paint comics: The Techno-Templar #32 & 33 (Double page)

An insight into the making of a double page from my watercolour and ink sci-fi graphic-novel.

In the previous page, Lenz being disgusted by what he discovered, rebels against his chief and temporarily, gets rid of him. He then disconnects the second "diver" who hasn't been hit (yet) by Devlok, putting an end to the combat. After a short contact with Devlok, Lenz get shot by the chief in a last breath. As the situation of their bodies is critical, our protagonists seem on the edge of termination and their copies, or themselves are disappearing ...

This page is large so you are invited to can click on it to enlarge it.

Devlok is a gritty science-fiction set in a world ruled by artificial intelligences. It became real through various edition of self-published soft cover books over the past two years. Every page is painted directly on Arches paper 300g with watercolour and various black ballpoint pens and thinliners. Text, touch up and layout are done digitaly.

Let's take a look at the story-board. Here it was a bit challenging to find the best way to place the tought bubbles to keep a decent read flow, counting that there is also the middle of the book where the binding is and where you can't put anything to read. The six panels of the sequence at the bottom were also interchanged many times as the story was around 90% made at the time.

So, back to the board, rough penciling. Only natural perspectives, no rulers.

Inked.

Working conjointly on other pages and projects.

Colouring, first the darker parts, the "terminator" and the parts that are closer.

Then slowly more and more.

I unfortunately miss more pictures of the process but I hope you enjoyed this post! If you want to read the previous pages, simply follow and scroll down my profile for "The Techno-Templar" posts.

Here are also video flick through of the books