1. Graphic novel (Photoshop)By
Tamara Wilkins
Graphic novel (Photoshop)

2. My Graphic novel
Before I could produce a graphic novel with Photoshop I revisited my drawn graphic novel for areas of improvement and inspiration.

3. First thoughts
When thinking about my design I thought a lot about colour and style I wanted a fluid style with thick burst of colour to attract the keys attention. Looking at my first graphic novel I thought it was very flat and I wanted it to pop but in a dark atmospheric way to make it more “graphic”. To make my graphic novel stand out I decided to add a 3D element to my designs I took pictures of a small scale manikin and uploaded them into Photoshop in different positions ready to animate later.

4. Layers
From what I have already learnt about Photoshop is its about building bit by bit so that’s what I started to do. I first started with a transparent background and added my first layer. The first layer was my background layer which I added using the gradient tool to give it depth.

5. Detail
Once I had produced my backgrounds it was then time to add some action within the scene. Using the wand, paint and burn tool I cut out my tin solider and gave it an identity. After selecting the area I wanted I used the burn tool to give the effect of rusting copper and then gave the figure clothes.

6. Editing
Once I had built up all my pictures it was time to add detail and combine them in a layout format I added detail such as bubbles, sharp edges and light. I did this using the dodge and burn tool and the shapes tool. Using the shape tool I added circles and used the burn and dodge tool to add contrast, I then added light and dark tones to all my images

7. Combining & Finishing Touches
When all my images were completed I then started to edit them into one large image. Once I had done this I added bursts of text as I decided not to add any within my graphic novel, I did this to add atmosphere. When the text was added my graphic novel was complete.

8. Self Evaluation
Once the brief was set I was excited about exploring my design and developing it technically, however I had little knowledge of Graphic Novels. I started my project off with doing some research, I looked into graphic novels , techniques and styles for inspiration. Once I had some knowledge on how to perform these skills I then produced some rough samples. When planning my process through this project I thought about scanning photos in and layering on top of each image, However it wasn’t the style I was after and decided to develop a new idea. I found my new technique was giving me the effect I wanted so I continued with this process. In the future I would do all my drawings at once as the quality of style differs from image to image as I add bit over a period of time. Although there is room for improvement I think my execution of this project was thought out and had a direct effect on the quality of my work. I think I have shown a good understanding of Photoshop and have incorporated some characteristics of a Graphic Novel.

9. Final Design