The process I go through to create each new page has evolved considerably since I began drawing Paradigm Shift back in early 1999. When I started, I was using a loose script, 10”x15” bristol, improvised pencils, Micron pen inks, and an old Mac clone. By the time I finished this book in early 2002, I was using panel-by-panel scripts, 11”x17” vellum, thumbnailed layouts, nibbed dip pens, and a PowerMac G4.

I initially wrote this tutorial as I was finishing the last few pages of Part One, and it represents a good snapshot of how I did things as of winter 2002. While my tools and process have continued to evolve and become more refined since then, the thought process remains largely the same. Just as my tool have changed since I first wrote this, this certainly is not the only way to craft a comic page. Every artist finds what works best, but this provides an insightful glimpse into the way I work.

Step One