If you don't understand those words under the pictures in the extra comic, I explain below:
The first one is made with Photoshop's lasso tool. I select the area I want to shade, and on a different, more translucent layer I fill it in with black.
When I shade living things with it, the shading seems too hard and makes the character somewhat "stony" as a result, at least to me.
The second one has the same principle, except it seems softer than the unaltered lasso, and the lines are blurred a bit.
I think this is more natural, but it may be too blurry, and make the person or thing seem softer than it is.
The third is like the second, but even blurrier. This usually makes something or someone look really soft, too soft.
The fourth is the burning method that I used for the first 19 comics. One of the burn tool's disadvantages is that you have to burn the layer that the color is on, thereby losing that colorflat. You have to brush it on, and unlike coloring with a black brush, the burning will add and continue to grow darker if you go over an area you've been over with the brush before. An advantage to the brun tool is that it and the dodge tool are probably the best (in my experience so far) in doing hair. That's how the hair of the characters in the second arc cover were done.
I just ask that everone tell me which method you prefer (on the comic page and not here), because I've been mulling this over for about three weeks and have yet to come to a decision on my own.
Thanks :)
