The lightbox is an invaluable tool for any comic artist. Unfortunately, even the cheap ones are expensive. Here’s something I’ve found works well, is easy to assemble, and costs close to nothing (since you probably already have the materials laying around your living/storage area).

You’ll Need:

• An empty beer box (or some other sturdy, fairly deep box)
• A clip or small shop lamp with a bright bulb
• A pane of glass large enough to overlap the dimensions of the box
• Electricity

1. Drink the beer (or have a parent drink the beer).
2. Clip the lamp onto the flaps of the box and thread the cord through the handle hole. Plug into an electrical socket.
3. Put the pane of glass on top of the box. Depending on the type of lamp, you may have to turn it on first. Don’t look directly at the lamp. Don’t taunt it, either.

Victory! You are now ready to use the “lightbox”. Unfortunately, you can’t put much pressure on this setup, but it works really well for penciling in backgrounds, keeping proportions in check, etc. You may also want to tape the edges of the glass so as not to cut yourself, now that I think of it.

This is just a basic set up, feel free to go wild with the thing (and if you do, please let me know!). I find when creating a tool, it’s most helpful to remember its basic function stripped of any aesthetic qualities. This frees my mind up to consider options I might not otherwise.