My inking practice is moving along slowly. I find that digital inking is much smoother than traditional inking. My hand is not as steady yet.  Software provides built in adjustable smoothing as a compensation for less steady lines. But, that’s what lots of practice is all about.

Comic Sketch Drawings

I have been watching some other comic artists, on Instagram and Facebook, trying to pick up some tips on their pencil drawing and inking techniques.  I am trying to use blue pencils for under drawings. The approach is to sketch loosely and lightly with pale blue like a Non-Photo blue. It’s a type of sketching with construction marks. Then, the sketch is enhanced by using a darker blue pencil over the top of the light blue sketching. The parts of the light blue sketching fades into the background as dark blue shows more visible in the foreground. It’s much like penciling lightly with a 2H graphite lead pencil and then highlighting on top using an HB or 2B pencil. Graphite can tend to more easily smear and therefore many cartoonists prefer using colored blue lead. It is also easier to remove blue from scanning using Photoshop on import.

I am trying out drawing with a new blue lead pencil. This is a Pilot Color ENO 0.7 NeoX Soft Blue. So far, I like this particular pencil and the lead and color. Unlike many colored leads that are difficult to erase, this NeoX soft blue is very erasable with both a kneaded putty and the Tombow Mono eraser. I am realizing as I practice pencil drawing that I am still way too stiff. I need to relax and loosen up my pencil drawings. It’s a bad habit being so tight. Pencil sketches should be looser. Tightening a drawing should come later on the darker pencil or during the inking stage.

Inking normally requires going slowly, but perhaps I am inking too slowly, and that makes my lines less steady. I have a problem of starting and stopping at the desired spot. Starting and stopping too soon and then re-picking up the line causing an unintentional rough transition in the line. It creates an undesired jitter. Then I often try to adjust the jitter and that creates too thick of a line at a place not intended. In general, thick and thin lines work best as a smooth continual motion. Like I said, it’s all about lots of practice and more practice and pre-planning my inking strokes.

I also can see that my line weights are not being used properly. I need to plan the exterior lighting direction and the physical weight of my character before I start inking. Also, I like drawing action, but I often don’t achieve enough dynamic movement in my poses.  Penciling and inking requires a lot of thought and preplanning.

This latest inking was done with a Zebra WFSS4 extra fine black pen and also partially with the TomBow WS-BS 150 black pen. They are “felt marker” style pens. As I said earlier in a previous post, these are good to use in the beginning when learning inking.

Trying to have a steady line and at the same time controlling pen pressure sensitivity is tough.

Trying out Dr. Beauregard The Squirrel

Character expression inked

That is one ugly tree rat !

Truly a villain comic character.

Reader’s Note : I have been including product information of supplies that I am using or trying out. It is strictly as information and not intended to be a testimony or as advertising.  I provide the information because I know some readers might be curious.  Take it for its worth. Everything is a personal choice and everyone has to experiment to decide what they like or dislike.