Hatching, Tone, Color

[Xenops]

I have been debating which is better (to put it simply), or which people would prefer:

First option is cross hatching, stipling, or various ink work used for texture, gradation or just to indicate a different "shade". A prominent user of such technique is Osamu Tezuka:



Here you see the detailed and precise line work on the wall and ceiling behind the characters(click on image for close up).

Then we have tone, which is the standard for contemporary manga:



Tone is tiny black dots of various sizes to give the appearance of the color gray without actually using color (making it cheaper to print). Traditionally tone is printed on a sticky film, which is then applied to the original artwork, though in America we can produce the same effect using Photoshop. Here you see tone in the flash-back, in the philosopher stone "blob", Edward's coat and on one of the character's face.

Lastly, we have color:


Self explanatory.

So hatching is cooler because it requires more skill, but is time consuming. Tone is obviously the quickest option, as its job of differentiating surfaces is achieved. Color is probably the most pleasing to the eye, but is also time consuming and requires skill (which few manga artist accomplish well, in my opinion)

So I ask for your opinion, as manga readers, because I plan to write comics and I'm debating whether to spend more time on art, or just do a "quick" job just to finish it.

What do you guys think?

[Jeffbert]

The stories are more important than the media. I still think that the B&W ASTRO BOY is much better than any of the following versions. This is because Tezuka himself was intimately involved, & though the B&W series' 1st 30 or so episodes had very crude animation, they were very entertaining.

Thus, my answer is that if the artwork is more important than the story, I will not likely bother with it. For my purposes, things that scan better than actual shading is preferred, because I use a few images in my reviews.

[Xenops]

[quoteThus, my answer is that if the artwork is more important than the story, I will not likely bother with it[/quote]

I think your opinion is really interesting, because people rave about the artwork in some manga, but the story is absent. An example is "Bride of the Water God".

I guess you're saying you would rather watch an old movie with good story than a CGI filled film with no plot (i.e. Avatar)?

Thanks for your opinion!

~Xenops

[Jeffbert]

Yes! While I might be a bit bothered by crude animation in this day of CGI, without a decent story, characters whom I actually care about, etc, all the high-tech stuff is like icing without cake.

[Tetsuwan]