Inking

Inking! How do you do it, how do you choose the right brush or nib, how do you look after said tool, what paper, lead or blue pencil? The list of questions I've posed goes on and on. I've compiled here bits and pieces that I've picked up over the years helping me on my inking journey.

I must say though, I haven't found any one solution. Why? Because art is a very personal thing. You can be shown a million techniques but ultimately you have to come up with your own. Coming up with your own doesn't mean that what was shown you didn't help - it helped a lot - but you take a bit from here a bit from there and that's how you create your own.

Following you will find a list of links and clips which have helped me in my quest for how to ink. Very different approaches to the same problems but all helpful.

First up. Any one who hasn't bookmarked or gone through the archives of the comic tools blog should do right away. Matt Bernier (and others) has systematicly broken down each process to comic creating and gives great tips from different artists on how they tackle the problems they face. Inks, pencils, papers, rubbers and a whole glut of tools are all reviewed and compared. Use this wonderful resourse, it's great!

Secondly. Inkers buy this. Gary Martin's Comic Book Inking book really helped me, especially when it came to using a brush. Martin is very systematic and controlled - not a very exciting inker but he is a clear and comprehensive teacher. Though the best thing about this book is the end, where different artist ink over the same pencils. What's great about this section is that it lets you know there is no right answer and that an inkers style really defines the final image.

When inking other peoples pencils I use a brush but brushes are so hard to look after properly. At $30+ a pop you want your brush to last. I've never gone past 50 pages with one brush and I'm afraid nothing I've found out has helped me so far (appart from Matt Bernier's insanely anal approach - which I can't do). But I do have a solution: brush pens. They definitely don't come close to a good sable brush but they come close enough. I use these Pentel aquawash brush pens (here are some I found on ebay) with Pebeo ink - which was recommended me by Brendan Halyday.

There are a gazillion clips about inking out there but here are a few that have inspired me.

Moebius

Gary Martin




Saen Gordon Murphy



Nat Van Dyke



Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba



Jeff Smith



Francis Vallejo

From these clips you'll find the following parts and other great clips.

I hope this helps anyone out there looking for answers.

Oz Comic Challenge

I'm temporarily without a studio for a while (and have been some weeks) but I can't let that stop me from drawing! Since having joined friendface I've been participating in the weekly oz comic challenge which has been good for keeping my hand in. Of course I should be working on other more pressing projects but working at the kitchen table doesn't seem to get me in the mood.

Not long now though... but while you wait here are my entries to the past 3 challenges. Can you guess who they are?

Nearly there!

Well, it's been a while between posts about the studio. And a lot has happened in between - as you will no doubt notice.

Today A mate and I put up the facia boards and the gutter. Fuck, that's been weighing on me a long time! They went up rather quickly with only on little problem at the end - I attached the gutter hangers on upside down... easily fixed though.

My side of the studio is almost completely painted - just another coat on the ceiling. Skirting and architraves still need doing. A few panes in the front window and then it's done...well, nearly. There's still the other side...

Kensuke pinup/cover B&W

A mixture of masks and helmets to create something unique... I hope. Just needs the ink wash and it's done.

Tank

A panel from a 2 pager I just did for blog about activism.

More distractions

I've got shitloads of work to do and so what am I doing? Drawing stuff for fun.

I was working on Kensuke today and I did ink wash 3 pages but I was inspired to do this little number after having bought American Vampire 3 yesterday.

Prior to this I did this fellow who is heavily (very heavily) inspired by Carl Critchlow's style and a character he did for 2000AD. Look up his site and you'll see what I mean. But this is how one learns. At least, that's what I'm told. 

This is also a rare forray into colour - computer colour - which hasn't gone too badly.

Kensuke part 2 details

Some details from Kensuke. They still need the gouache washes but I'm hoping that will go quickly - I'm already 2 weeks over deadline.

All done with my trustly medium Pentel Aquash brush pen with some crappy ink that rendered my pen not so trusty and Pebeo ink that got it back on track.

There's been quite a lot oon this past month and a half. A lot of progress on the studio but then garlic planting and Easter in the middle of all that has meant comic work has progressed slowly. It doesn't look like picking up either but I keep chipping away!