Alright, I have a few people asking how I make my comic, or asking me for help on making their own. Well, I don't have the time to help you with your own comic, but I can post my process, give you a few pointers, and hopefully inspire you into your own creative comic success . There are several steps I take to make my comic

The Premise

1.) Decide upon your Topic:
Meaning, of course, decide what your comic is going to be about. It can be a fan comic on lion king, it can be based on OC's, it can even be based around a completely original story. But you need an idea with what your going to work on.
Me: I picked Lion King

2.) Topic Focus:
This, of course, is to focus upon the main idea around your Topic. So, if you picked My Little Pony as your main topic, you might want to consider what part of My Little Pony you want to work on. Like a back story of a main character or something. This is also the point where you focus on the time, as in historical time, of your comic.
Me: So, because I picked Lion King, I decided I needed to focus on an focus. Many people have done Scar/Mufasa comics, so I decided to do one based on Ahadi and Uru. That was my Focus.


3.) Setting based on your focus:
If you picked a back story of a main character on My Little Pony, you'll want to make their back story in a correct setting when it comes to the history of the character. If any history of the character, such a birth place, is offered by the canon universe, it's always appreciated by fans when you put that into the story. You can also use this as a good starting point for your setting.
Me: So, I picked Lion King as my topic, with a focus on Ahadi and Uru. I know that Mohatu was a King of the Pride Lands, and Ahadi is eventually king in the books, and Uru Queen. So I know from the semi canon universe offered by books that this will be based in the Pride Lands. I can include other settings in back stories for other characters, but my main setting will be The Pride Lands, during Mohatu's rule.


4.) Characters based on your focus:
So, you have your topic, your focus, and your setting all working together in nice harmony. Now its time to put some characters in! If this is a fan comic, I find that most people prefer fan comics that focus mostly on canon and semi canon characters, not so much OC's. So, make sure all your main characters, in a fan comic, are semi canon or canon. If you are doing an original comic, you get to be completely original. Try not to steal other peoples characters. It is good to be inspired, and being inspired can help you create your own characters, but try to be original. If you think your being original, then find that someone else had a same idea on characters, don't sweat it, you still thought it up on your own.

Make sure you don't get scattered with characters. A good story has 1-4 main characters, any more and you tend to get scattered. Let's look at lovable main characters. Simba and Nala; 2 main characters. Timon and Pumbaa; 2 main characters. Timon, Pumba, Simba; 3 characters. Harry Potter, Ron, Hermoine; 3 characters, so on and so forth. 3 main characters, I always find, is the most appealing. 3, history tells us, is an attractive number. People like the number 3. The most you should really go over 3 is to 4. But once you go over that you start to weaken your characters because your spreading your attention to far too many characters. A good example, I find, is The Legend of the Guardians(Y'know, the Owl book/movie) I liked the story, but there are FARRRR too many main characters to focus on. You get confused. So stick to 1-4 characters.

Of course, secondary characters, such as Snape in Harry Potter, can be as numerous as you want, so long as they hold an important part in your plot. Do not make extra characters just for the hell of it. Like Harry Potter. She threw in a bunch of these characters, like Nevil Longbottom. At first, it seemed he was a random useless character, along with others, but by the end of the last book/movie, you realize that all these little characters JK Rowling through in all helped the story, or had something to do with the plot. For an example of useless secondary characters we will jump to Twilight. I haven't read the books, but have been forced to see the movies. So, main characters are Bella, Jacob and Edward, secondaries are the other her father, vampires and werewolves. Then there are the useless characters such as Bella's mother and school friends. They are there, and they are annoying! They hold no use to the plot AT ALL! These 'filler characters' should really only be seen once or twice. Like in Harry Potter. Most of the characters brought up in Harry Potter were used later as a bigger part of the picture, but when JK rowling mentioned 'filler characters' she very rarely mentioned them more than once.

so, in summer... 1-4 main characters, as many secondary characters as you want so long as they help the plot, as few filler characters as possible and mention them very rarely if at all.

Me: So, I know my story is about Ahadi and Uru during Mohatu's reign in the Pride Lands. So of course, my three main characters are Ahadi, Uru and Mohatu. The holy 3. Then I have my secondary characters, Viccha, Mchafi, and Ukoo(another holy 3) Tehatu, Kewli, Hazina and Babu. Because these characters help with the plot in some way they have names and purposes, but are not my main focus.  My filler characters are lionesses, hyenas, and animals that I maybe show once or twice but don't have names. I will include more secondary characters as the story progresses, but only if they help the story. But for all my main and secondary characters I do do concept work for them. I sketch them out, give them a mini bio, and state when they come in, why they come in, and what they will do for the plot

The Plot
The plot is different than the focus. The focus only tells you what where and who will be a part of your story. Your plot is when you actually start to figure out what your story is about, how it will progress, and how it will end or continue into a new plot. There is your main plot, which is the plot that carries you through the whole story. You should never deviate away from your main plot. In your main plot you may have secondary stories or plots. Such as flash backs, or a story as to why a character is where he is or who he is. But your secondary plots should never be stronger than your main plot. Like secondary characters, secondary stories and plots should on be there to aid the main plot.
Me: So my main plots purpose is a lead on plot. Meaning, an explanation as to why things happened, as my story is sort of a  "Chronicles of The Lion King" sort of thing. So my main plot is focusing on how things came to be, how Uru and Ahadi met, how Scar and Mufasa were born, why the hyenas aren't in the pride lands, so on and so forth. Secondary plots, for example, are like the flash back I had in the beginning of my comic explaining how Mohatu and Jaha got together to produce Uru. Little flash backs and character stories will be my secondary plots, aiding to my main plot.

Concept and Production Work

Time Line:
I'm not sure if everyone does this, but I like to make a time line. This way I can see the beginning and the end of my story, and see all the events that bring the story to its end. I don't get into too much detail with the Time Line, I just plot down main events and happenings.
Me: So, before I started on Mohatu's Reign, I jotted down a time line. I know how my story will end, and I know the main events that get to that end. For example, the hyena's attack on Uru, and how it is resolved was planned out way before I wrote the script or drew it. In my time line I also have where new characters will come in, so on and so forth.

Character Bios:
So, you have your characters thanks to your time line and the step in the premise "Characters Based on your Focus." Thanks to the time line you have when they will come into the story, and you should at least have a vague idea of the name or image you want for the characters thanks to "Characters based on your Focus" Now its time to give them bios and do the concept art. Do a sketch of how you think the character will look, and give them a bit of back story. This helps you feel attached to your character, and also helps you to see whether the character is needed or if its one of the pointless characters stated above that should be voided. Also make a point to jot down for yourself how they enter the story, in according to your time line, and why they were put in the time line in the first place.
Me: So, you saw my concept drawings of characters like Sarabi mother and father for example. They are in my time line as secondary characters, they have a bio, and I know how and when they will come into the story. I do this so I don't create any surprises for myself. Sound characters make my plot sound. I also make sure they will fit into my time line before I create them.

Scripting:
I'm not sure if everyone does this step either, but along with the time line I right a full-semi full script for the story. You should do this so you don't have to do it later on. How can you focus on your drawings if your also worried about how the script should go? The script, of course, is character dialogue, written in play-write style. AN IMPORTANT THING TO THINK ABOUT! Your script should not move too quickly. If your story or script has gone through an entire month or season in the story in 3 pages, your probably moving too fast. People like dialogue, they like development. You can not do these things if your character has grown up, mated, and had babies in 5 pages. Keep it slow, but not too slow .
me: I usually write my scripts 50 pages at a time. For each page I have a 'paragraph' of script, be it dialogue or narration. If you have made a strong time line, like I have, you can afford, like I did, to not write out your entire script.

Pre-Paneling:
I'm not sure if everyone does this step again, and I'm not sure if people know what I mean by this step. Basically, you decide upon the size of your pages, I go with tabloid size, 11x17. And then, I make the panels. This is not a sketching or drawing step. This is when you take a page, lay out your panels, and place the text inside the boxes as you see fit to the flow of that page.
Me: I usually pre-panel the same amount I script, about 50 pages ahead. That way, ever day, I can open up 2 of these pre-paneled and scripted pages and just start drawing, without worrying about the script of panels. Of course, I do occasionally make alterations if I decide something might be viewed better, but by then its just a quick, painless fix.

The Art:

Deciding how to do the Art:
following the steps I take

Draw Your backgrounds
make pre-made backgrounds I can just paste into my comic.
Me: I usually make different backgrounds I can just paste in so I don't have to worry about drawing backgrounds all the time. When I do one background, say a grassland, I also make make 3 of these images in different lighting; night, day, gloomy. that way It can be used in any mood or setting. I have about 20 pre-made backgrounds

Open a new document:
Open a new document to the size of the panel you wish to have the drawing in. I usually then increase the size so that the smallest measurement of the document to at least 3000 pixels. This allows for smooth lines. So basically, the document is a larger scale document of the panel you wish the drawing to be placed into.
me: so if the panel is 500x600 pixels, I would increase the 500pixeled width to 3000, and so long as you have the other side set to increase accordingly via the program, you should have a scale version of that panel.

Sketch your Characters:
On this new document, sketch your characters
me: I do this on 1 layer, drawing a quick sketch of the character

Line Art:
draw over the sketches on a sepperate layer.
me: because my document is set at a 3000x____ pixel size, I can draw with a 4point-7point brush, and get smooth edges. I do this on a second layer, above the sketch layer.

Delete the sketch layer
self explanatory, once you have the outline, delete the sketch layer

Color:
this can be done several ways, placing color directly into the line art, or painting on a front or back layer
Me: the way I color, I select the outside of my line art, inverse it, then on a layer below it fill it with color. I then go back to the line art and select the part I want to fill with color, go to the lower color layer again, and place the color there.

Shading:
me: I shade on a layer on top of both the line art and the color layer. I use solid black, then change the opacity of the layer

Flatten Image:
Merge these three layers, color, line and shade, together

Copy and Paste:
Select the image, inverse it, and copy the image. Then go back to your panel page, and used the "paste into" option to paste it into a panel. The picture will be larger, so make sure you scale the image down so that you can see it in the panel.

Place background:
Place your pre-made background into the space behind the characters. Scale as you see fit.

Details:
I use this time to add the light of the eyes to my characters, whiskers, foreground bushes, and to add effects to the image such as stroke or outer glow

Repeat the Process:
Do this for each panel.

Speech Bubbles:
I place white circles behind the texts, and point them to the appropriate character. I then apply a stroke to the speech bubbles, and change their opacity a bit so you can see a bit of the image behind it, but can still read the text.

Complete!

Now you can post it to DA, or your gallery of preference.



There are many ways to tackle a comic book, but I hope my insight helped. Comic books are a huge take on, but a lot of fun when you take it seriously. Feel free to ask me questions if I am unclear on something.