Do manga-ka's really need manga studio to create their own manga?
I believe all the artists you list do their manga by hand. Or at least color by hand. Manga Studio is a program, I think, like Photoshop, which a lot of artists use. Some manga-ka's do all of their work on the computer, or some ink and add screentones with it. They do this because inking pages, coloring, and adding screentone is very hard and time consuming if done by hand. So, the answer to your question, the manga artists you list don't use Photoshop, or Manga Studio, but a lot of famous manga-ka's do. You don't really need it, but it saves time and creates an effect that traditional drawing can't.
In your opinion, did One Piece lose any of its quality as a story over the years, or do you think it is as good or even better than what it was at the start?
One Piece was the Anime/Manga from the Big Three( One Piece,Naruto,Bleach) which clicked the best with me. So maybe I am a little bit biased:One Piece is a Anime/Manga which only got better.To be fair even in the new arcs there are some hiccups but it is kinda understandable since it is impossible to write anything without atleast some flaws. For starters though, Anime and Manga are from the base equal but vary in some key components. The Anime has the biggest flaws which lead to a drop of quality in itself.Some examples:The fights especially Luffys are prolonged which leave a bad impression on some of the better scenes in the MangaSome filler have the Strawhats nerfed/dumbed down, we see the Crew often in comical situations even though they escaped a similar predicament before. Again Luffy is a key offender in this one.For those who think I am just bashing the Anime. No I dont, actually I like most of the fillers it is just the: “ You been in there before, you should know what to do.” Moments are kinda strange.Second point is both Manga and Anime based. Spoilers beware:Marineford is the peak (best arc) at the moment, multiple reviewers and fans will give you this answer and I concur. So if you have something like a Marineford and compare it to some future arcs,of course they look less impressive. But this is the beauty from One Piece.We have gotten a glimpse in Marineford what the best of the best could offer but we have yet to see it all. We had a weakened Whitebeard and Ace( Yes, Ace was weakened because he was in captivity for a long time and I dont really believe they treated him kindly). The Shichibukai(7 Warlords) were mostly playing around. We saw the variety of Devil Fruits, Haki users that both Marines and Pirates had to offer yet at the same time we were left longing for more because it ended with the catalyst who started it all. ( The Death of Portgas D. Ace)So my Verdict:Did One Piece lose in quality?Definitely, NO. They may some flaws here and there but I would still say the quality is either equal or getting better.However, due to it being a pretty long story, there are only some key arcs which really capture the heart of the fans and this is the one thing any author hopes for.
How do you draw on the computer? Artists help!?
I recently joined deviant art and i'm blown away by all of the artwork that people post, but I can't for the life of me understand how they do it. What is necessary for drawing on the computer? Is there a program you need to download, do you need a tablet or do you use a mouse, how do you get the coloring and how do you blend everything so seamlessly? When people talk about doing proper 'line art' what is that? Why would you scan your art and then change it digitally? Is the scanned work just the "outline" so to speak? Please enlighten me on the process because I would like to try my hand but I have no idea what I'm even trying to do.