- 1). Create a new document in Photoshop set to the required size of your page, and a resolution of at least 400 dots per inch for good print quality. A standard comic book page is usually 11 inches tall by 17 inches wide. Although the image will be significantly smaller when it is printed, the drawings are produced at a larger size so image quality is not harmed when the comic is set out and printed.
- 2). Create a new layer. Sketch the layout of your panels. In the majority of comic books, especially Western comics such as those from America, Britain and Canada, there will be between one and eight panels on each page; each depicting a "scene" in the comic's story. Decide where each panel will sit on the page in order to best tell the story, then draw a quick sketch of the size and shape of each panel.
- 3). Sketch the contents of each panel. Draw each sketch roughly at this stage as you are just getting the basic idea of where everything goes right now. Focus on the characters and what the main action is. Don't get bogged down with detail and don't allow too much scenery unless you are setting up the scene, as this will clutter the panels, making it harder to see what is happening. Leave space for speech bubbles.
- 4). Add more detail to your sketches. At this point, you can flesh out the characters, including their features and clothing, plus any items of importance in the scene. These could include a car one of the characters is driving or a gun a character is shooting. Once again, do not put too much detail into the background unless it is important to the plot or setting the scene.
- 5). Click on the shape tool, and select a shape that matches your first panel. Draw the panel using the shape tool. If the shape is solid color, create another shape in a different color inside it, so all you can see of the original shape is an outline as thick as you want the frame to be. Link the shape layers together and merge them. Select the inner frame using the magic wand tool and delete it. Repeat for your other frames.
- 6). Create a new layer. Zoom in so you can get a close-up look at the sketch. Select a thick brush. Ink the outline of the character or object in focus in the panel. Select a thinner brush. Ink the outlines of the other characters in the scene. Select a thinner brush still. Ink in the rest of the line work, including all the details. Repeat for the other panels.
- 7). Click the "visible" option next to your sketch layer to turn it invisible. Select the text tool. Click where you want your first speech bubble to be. Type in your dialogue. Repeat for all the other pieces of dialogue in the comic. Create a new layer. Select a brush with a medium thickness line. Draw in your speech bubbles.
- 8). Select inside each speech bubble using the magic wand tool and holding down the "Shift" key so you can select multiple areas. Create a new layer. Move this layer behind the speech bubble layer. Increase the size of your selection by 2 pixels. Choose a white ink. Select the "bucket fill" option. Click inside each of your speech bubbles to give them a white background. Save your comic.
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