inking by hand

[Tim Winstead]

I ink all of my work by hand...I suck at it!...any suggestions as to how I might improve my inking skills?. Thanx..Tim

[gazorenzoku]

What do you use?

Whatever it is, the main thing is PRACTICE. Yes, there are tips that can be learned, how-to books that can be read, and all of that, but you have to ink a lot to get good at it. Don't worry, it takes time for everyone.

[rcar]

Yes, practice, practice, practice. If you are using a brush, it does take time to get the feel for it. Make sure you are turning the paper so you are always pulling the brush. Then, practice, practice, practice.

[Greg Stephens]

"Practice" is good advice.

Beyond that, I've always used fine-point pens to ink- never tried a brush- and have given thought to both inking digitally and not inking at all. To me it's sort of a necessary evil, since I pencil fairly tightly to begin with. But in the digital age, it's not nearly as necessary as it has been in the past.

[gazorenzoku]

I tried digital inking, but I just didn't like it very much.... could be I needed more practice at it, though. I do love digital coloring though!! It is so much fun!

vince

[thrdgll]

One of my big mistakes in the past was trying to ink everything with the same tool, a brush. I thought if I wanted to truly master brush inking, I had to do everything with it (except lettering). The end result was total disgust. I don't use the brush at all these days.

Anyway, don't get stuck on one tool or one type of pen. If you're using a brush, ink only those elements that really seem to require brush lines and switch to other tools for details.

Now....anyone want to give me a few watercolor tips?

Ashley
www.thrdgll.com

[gazorenzoku]

That is an interesting point, but I think that kinds of depends on the person. I have been using a brush only for almost a year now (though I letter and color/greytone on a computer), and I can't get enough of it yet. I love the brush.... maybe it's just a personal preference.... Recently I have been feeling the urge to do some experimentation with the pen again, but I will never stop loving the brush....

For some people, trying out lots of different tools at first can be fun. For others, it might be a dreadful task that stops them from drawing altogether. Some people need to use lots of different things, some people have a certain set of tools that they love and hate all else, and some people might have only one tool that they like. The trick is to find out what kind of person you are, and find out what you like, and then see if your penciling method can be made to match that inking tool without making any changes that will irritate you.

Right now I do very rough sketches on very large typing paper and use a light table to ink with a brush onto a nice piece of illustration paper. If you use a light table, penciled detail just seems to get lost, so what's the point? I am thinking about experimenting with inking directly over my pencils for a change of pace, though...

Anyhow, for someone who shares the same kind of personality as Ashley, limiting yourself to one tool might not only make you miserable, it might ruin your chances to use that tool forever (if you start to hate it).

[ragtag]

A little side note. If you go with a brush, spend some extra cash and get a good quality brush (red sable hair brushes). I tried inking with some cheap synthetic brushes using Winsor&Newton IndianInk (the waterproof version), and the brushe tip was just all curls within days (the same brushes held up fine with watercolor).

Ragnar

p.s. I've used brushes, my toothbrush (to spray with), toilet paper, dip pens, rapidograph pens, airbrush and normal pens for inking. Brushes and toothbrushes are my current favorite.

[gazorenzoku]

Do you get a mess when you spray with the toothbrush? How do you control the spray so it only ends up on the page and not all over on the chair and whatever else is around?

I've never used the spray technique, but I would like to give it a try...

vince

p.s. I use a "Men-so" brush for my inks. It is a detail brush used in Japanese painting. I don't know if it is available outside Japan, but it is a really awsome brush that holds up to ink for a long time and gives an incredible flexibility. I started using it when I was studying Japanese painting, but I liked it so much I decided to use it for comics too. I love it!!

[rcar]

I tried inking with a crow quill pen and a 102 point on bristol board. But fibers kept getting in the point and messing up the art. Any advice on this? Am I pressing too hard? Get a better grade of board? It was cold press with a smooth surface.

[ragtag]

If you want perfect masking, you can get transperent adhersiv masking film used for airbrushing. You can draw on it, then use a scaple (surgery knife, exacto knife...something very sharp) to cut out the parts you want to splatter with ink. If you're carefull, you can put the film back in place, and pull of other parts.

If you don't want to be that exact, just cut out some paper or acetate and tape it in place or hold it down with weights and use that. You could also gently spray the back of it with spray glue or use rubber cement.

You can also get this floating rubber masking fluids. Then you can just paint your mask onto the drawing, and rub it of afterwards with your thumb. This is mostly usefull for small areas.

Or you can do it freehand. Just make sure you have your drawing vertical, as the toothbrush will drip.

I don't have any great method for avoiding ink spills when using a toothbrush. Just cover stuff up with newspapers and work in a place where a few spots and spills won't matter. I usually use a toothpick to drag across the brush, but sometimes resort to using my thumb instead, as it gives better control (and a black thumb).

Ragnar

p.s. Don't use book plast/wrap, as the adhersive is way to strong and is likely to mess up your drawing.

rcar: try different paper/board types. A good art shop might be willing to give you samples of different paper you can bring home and play with.

[InkAddict]

...also, most adhesive things come now in low-tack and high-tack types.

Be sure to experiment with the low-tack adhesive papers (I messed up a few drawings using high-tack on drawings )

[gazorenzoku]

Is does "tack" refer to the strength of the adhesive?

vince

[losttoy]

I have not inked by hand for a long time. The last time I did inking was in December 1997. When I started my comic strip, I tried to ink again and it just looked bad, being out of practice. I then started using the computer and was using the brush tool in Photoshop. This gave me the same quality of inking on paper, but at least I could use the "undo" option and use layers to easily make corrections if I goofed up. I suggest this technique if you make a lot of mistakes and the history palette can come in handy.

Although, yesterday I was doing a illustration for work. I needed to come up with a picture of a woman holding a baby. Since I wanted the lines to look clean and smooth, I drew it using the pen tool in Photoshop (although earlier versions of Photoshop do not have paths and you will need to use Illustrator). Using the pen tool was a lot better as I could adjust and move the points of a line and the curve of the line. After I have made the lines in the paths palette, I go to the brush toolbox and choose what line weight I want it, I select a line (or you can select multible lines) and hit stroke path. Just change the brush size when you want a different line weight.

[gazorenzoku]

I've noticed that it is easier and quicker to do some things on Photoshop, like the technique you described. I still just prefer the look and feel of a hand inked line in my own work, so sometimes I will do some things that require certain curves or straight lines or whatnot in Photoshop, print it out, slap it on the light table, and ink over it on a seperate sheet of paper. I recomend this for people who like the power of Photoshop but prefer hand inking to computer inking.

Yey, Vince recomended something. Everyone stop what you are doing and build a tuna fish statue!

vince

[Tim Winstead]

I just dropped a line off at planetcartoonists message board about this very topic. Apparently , I know little about the use of masking on my work for the purpose of the "spray" technique using a toothbrush. I was wondering myself how this can be done without ruining the rest of your piece while at the same time, not taking all day to do it? Anyone out there have a particular favorite I can refer to and try.? Thanx

Also, in reference to a post by gazorenzoku....about the use of a light table for inking..I have a light table that my dad build..oh..about 30 years ago..which recently, (several years ago ) I retrofitted with flourescent lights, which I use to some exent almost daily. But I gotta tell you...I much prefer the inking directly over the rough...then going back to erase the sketch lines..seems more time consuming than needed, but personally..I think it lends itself to a much sharper piece....and it really doesn't take that much time.I've tried the transfer bit from a rough to a "finished " piece..but I just never did like it too much. I suggest you try it and see what YOU think. You may or may not like the method at all..but at least you'll know...Thanx

[gazorenzoku]

Right now I work in such a way that my pencil drawings are not very detailed. What I do is get everything in place, make it look as good as I can without getting too detailed, and then go over it on a light table. Then I turn the light table off and finish the work.

If I were producing something with detailed hatching or something where the pencil work was more important, then I would definitely not want to use the light table at all... Actually, I might be doing something like that soon.

Basically, if I work with pen, it is way more fun for me to do it the way you described. If I work with brush, it is more fun for me to use a light table...

vince

[lcachola]

I tried inking with a crow quill pen and a 102 point on bristol board. But fibers kept getting in the point and messing up the art. Any advice on this? Am I pressing too hard? Get a better grade of board? It was cold press with a smooth surface.

Get a better grade of board - or at least a different brand. I tried using Caslon bristol board with a speedball nib because it was cheaper than using Strathmore bristol board and I had the same problem you had. I currently only use Strathmore 400 series using a size 0 watercolor brush for drawing and a Speedball nib (size A-5 or B-6) for lettering. I use pens and liquid paper for minor touch-up on my brushwork.

[sandycarruthers]

The Hunt 102 is an excellent choice of pen, but you need to work with it alot to master it. Always create your lines in quick definite motions away from you(meaning: you'll have to spin your paper to accommadate this. 2 Ply bristol works great, either smoothe or toothed, but I'd recommend Strathmore overall. Be wary of the Blueline Pros... some of their boards are awesome, while the cheaper ones...well, ya get what you pay for. When doing your strokes, make sure to hold your pen firmly, with the reservoir hole(the part with the ink in it) is facing upwards. For short deft strokes, move only your wrists to execute your line. For longer lines, hold your wrist form and move at the elbow. When you start a line, place your pen point at the beginning of the line and look at the end point where it is going to go, and swooosh! Just like playing golf, you'll get a great line! Consistant, clean and damn cool! Also, when you are dipping your ink, only dip the nib to just above the reservoir hole. Clean your nib frequently as you work, and work with ink that is not soupy. Take pages and practice this swooping/arm technique. You'll be most pleased with the results! Hope this helps!

[rcar]

Thanks Leonard and Sandy. I will give the strathmore a try. And thanks for the inking tips I will also give that a try.

[gazorenzoku]

I don't worry about expensive materials, since 99% depends on the ability of the artist, and not on the pen.

I'd say the skill of the artist and the kind of materials the artist uses are both fairly important.

[gazorenzoku]

Sorry to cause any misunderstanding. I didn't mean to say that only art done with expensive tools is good art. I meant what I said at face value: "The skill of the artist and the tools used are both equally important." The examples you gave seem to proove that point. Those people who make their own supplies are probably very aware of how important their supplies actually are. And yes, they are incredibly resourceful as well. And in the sense that they allow the tool making process to be part of the art making process, the art they make with those tools is certainly on a different level from someone like me who just buys my supplies.

However, one should not neglect the expensive supplies simply because they are expensive. Though there will always be supplies that are sold at a high price for no apparent reason, there is a reason that most expensive supplies are expensive. Use them and you will find out.

Think on this: our culture has developed certain feelings about felt pens and expensive paint brushes, probably due to the difference of cost that comes about from the difference in cost of the materials used to make those supplies. Of course, there are also differences in the perminence of the ink as well... marker drawings just don't last as long as drawings made with india ink or sumi ink.... but let's just talk about the drawing in terms of it being just finished, and not 10 years down the road.

It would be wrong to say that the felt tip pen or magic marker is a useless or a base tool, and that the expensive brush is a superior tool because of price or common opinion. However, it would be appropriate to say such a thing if using the expensive brush gives you a result that is the closest to your intent. However, if using a marker gives you the effect you are after, and using an expensive brush does not, then in that case the marker could be called superior. Either way, the choice of tool has a great impact on the work. That is why I said what I said.

Once again, sorry to cause any misunderstanding. I think that you and I both agree on one thing: the tool is important. It seems to me that you are just saying, "hey, there is a whole world of cheap tools that should not be neglected... wake up!!!" I totally agree with that. I love cheap tools. I love felt tip pens and markers.

However, I use a rather expensive brush right now because I am totally in love with the line it gives. I have shopped around, and this is the only brush for me right now. Should I be forced to use a marker if I don't want to?

[losttoy]

Vince gave a good exaple on how the choice of tools can effect your art. Although I would also like to expand on what he said by saying that it is also the media in which you are drawing on.

I was reading a book about Charles Shultz where he wrote that when he was young he used to draw on the cardboard inserts that you get when you buy a shirt. He got discouraged until he used professional paper. You it was about the ink hold.

Ink hold is the term used when describing the ability of the paper to hold the ink at the surface of the paper rather than bleeding into the fibers of the paper causing lines to look wider and fuzzier.

Just to use a handfull of examples (or else I could be typing here forever):
Cardboard inserts in shirts have very bad ink hold. Your standard 20 pound bond paper, the kind you use for typer writers and photocopiers, has a slightly bad ink hold. Resume or Laser paper, the kind you use for your printer at home or for color photocopying, usualy have a ceramic wash and has a good ink hold. Glossy paper, the kind you find in your brightly colored comic books, has great ink hold.

The thing is each of these papers do have their advantages and disadvantages. Let's just say that we should be happy that Charles Shultz found professional paper or else he would have gotten discouraged and we would never been able to enjoy 50 some odd years of Peanuts and Lucy pulling the football away from Charlie Brown.

[gazorenzoku]

no biggie.

I think that if a person spends enough time cartooning, and also happens to be an online forum fiend, after a while that person will find him/herself involved in a forum discussion about different cartooning tools... and if that person has enough cash to pay an occasional visit to the art supply store, then he/she may eventually want to experiment with various different tools....

Anyhow, that's how I interpreted the spirit of this particular thread. But I can definitely see how you might have felt that it was an elitist group of people dissing markers and expounding on the heavenly nature of expensive tools. There is a lot of that kind of attitude around.

vince