Drawing manga

The following is an explanation of MediBangPaint’s basic manga drawing functions.

Comic Template settings

The Manga Manuscript Guide refers to the lines that act as guides for making manga to be printed.
First, let’s open a new A5 canvas.
Once you have opened the canvas screen, open “Edit Menu” → “Canvas Settings” → “Comic Template Settings”.
Tap “Templates”, select “Doujinshi (A5 Size)” and press OK.

The sizes of the canvas and the guide lines do not match, so tap “Canvas Settings” → “Canvas Size” → “FIT TO MANGA GUIDE SIZE.” and press OK.

This gives us a canvas for a manga manuscript. The light blue lines are the manuscript guide.
Please see this article for more about guide lines.

The panel cutting tool

MediBangPaint allows you to easily set the panel layout needed for drawing manga.

(1) ADD COMIC PANEL

Tapping this will bring up a dialogue like the one shown above. Here you can select the line width and color of panels, and add them. Adding a check mark to “Title” will generate a square box for you to enter text on the top of the canvas.

(2) DEVIDE

After adding your panels, you can split your panels with width and height values of your choice. Splitting by 2×2 will give you a layout as seen in the image below.

(3) Kerning

This allows you to set the horizontal spaces between panels. You can choose from between 0~100px.

(4) Leading

This allows you to set the vertical spacing between panels. You can choose from between ~100px.

Operation tool

The Operation Tool allows you to move and alter the shapes of panels.

(1)/(2)

These features cannot be used with panel dividing.

(3)

This alters the stacking order of the panels. It will arrange a panel to the top, when there are several panels stacked on top of one another.

(4)

This alters the stacking order of the panels. It will arrange a panel to be displayed on level lower when there are several panels stacked on top of one another.

(5)

This will delete a panel.

(6)

This allows you to alter the panel’s settings. Tapping it will bring up a dialogue that allows you change the color and line width of the panel.

Tapping a panel you would like to transform/move will select it.
Expanding/shrinking or transforming a panel can be done by moving your pointer on one of its lines.
Moving a panel can be done by tapping and dragging it.

The materials menu

MediBangPaint allows you to select materials for your panels such as tone, etc.
The following are the three types of material available.

• Tiles…Net, etc.
• Tones…Background or screen tone
• Items…Illustrations and figures

The Materials Menu is located on the bottom right of the canvas screen. Tapping tiles, tones, or items on the upper portion will bring you to a new tab.

Tips

This tutorial is working with no log in, which limits the number of downloadable materials.
To remove the limit on the number of downloadable materials, please make an account and log in.

(1)

This is the tiles tab.

(2)

This is the tones tab.

(3)

This is the items tab.

(4)

This will add files from your device as materials.

(5)

This will download materials from the cloud.

(6)

This will add materials from photos taken with your camera. (Your camera app will start up.)

(7)

This will update your tabs to reflect the latest information.

(8)

This will delete materials.

1 Add/download materials

Adding materials can be done through options (4) through (6) listed above. This explanation will cover downloading materials from the cloud.

Tap the cloud icon from (5) to move to the download page as seen below.

After selecting the materials you would like to download, tap “Download” to add them to your materials tab. When you want to delete a material from your tab, tap the garbage bin icon and then select the materials you would like to delete.

2 Using materials

Once you’ve downloaded your materials, let’s give them a try.
First, add the layer you want to add your material to.
Next, select the panel you want to add your material tool with the Select Tool.

Here, open the Materials Menu, and tap the material you want to use. This will bring up the following screen.

Here, you can adjust the angle and magnification of the material. After making your adjustments, tap confirm.

Release the selected range and you’re done. Adding materials after making a selected range allows you to add the material only where you specifically want it.

Tips

Using translucent colors when sharpening tone makes things more convenient.
See the Tone Sharpening article for details.

Tips

Rasterizing Materials…If you do not rasterize your panels or item materials, you will not be able to erase them with the eraser. By setting “Layer Menu” → “Layer Operations” → “Rasterize”, you will be able to draw or erase on them.

The text tool

The Text Tool allows you to type letters on your canvas.
After selecting the Text Tool, tap the area on your canvas where you would like to place your text.

The following “Edit Text” dialogue will be displayed.

(1) Text

Enter the words you would like to add here.

(2) Font

Enter the words you would like to add here.

(3) Text Color

This allows you to choose the color of your text. Tapping it will open an edit color dialogue.

(4) Position

This allows you to select the position of text when you have two or more lines from the following options: Align Beginning/Align Center/Align End.

(5) Bold

This makes your text bold.

(6) Italics

This will make your text italic.

(7) Left to Right

This will take your text read left to right.

(8) Anti Aliasing

Adding a check mark enable anti-aliasing (smoothing out the edges of your lines).

(9) Text Size

This allows you to change the size of your text.

(10) Text Spacing

This allows you to alter the spacing between each letter.

(11) Line Spacing

This allows you to alter the spacing between each line.

(12) Rotation degree

This allows you to rotate your text.

(13) Edges

This allows you to add edges to your text. You can choose the color and width of the edges. Adding a check mark to “Round out the edges” will make the edges smooth.

Once you’re done editing, tap “Confirm” on the bottom right.

You can move the text by dragging as long as you have it selected with the Text Tool or the Move Tool.

When you want to make additional edits to your text, tap the pen icon at (14) or go to “Layer Menu” → “Text Layout Gear Icon”, which will bring up the text edit dialogue box.
Tap the icon at (15) to delete text.

NOTE

Using the text tool will generate a “Text Layer”. You cannot draw on or transform it. While you can draw on it by turning on rasterization from the Layer Menu, you will no longer be able to make edits via the text dialogue box.