The Ink-credible Feature, Vol. 2

So you want to learn how to ink, but you don't know the first thing about it? No worries, that's what this News article is here for! Hopefully this article will be able to answer any questions you might have about the basics of inking, specifically about tools and materials.

What do I use for inking?

As comic great Terry Austin says, "Try anything and everything until you find the tools that produce the effects you're looking for". In other words, don't be afraid to experiment. Basically, there are four general types of tools commonly used for inking: pens, brushes, markers, and digital applications. And before you ask, there isn't a "best" method. All of the materials have their pros and cons to them.

Brushes?

Many comic artists and cartoonists ink their work with brushes. A brush can make a variety of line widths with one stroke, and effects such as dry-brush application are only possible with a brush. However, learning to use a brush effectively takes time and practice, and a good quality brush can be expensive. Still, many professionals make the brush their tool of choice for drawing with ink.

Here are a couple good tutorials on brush inking:


What about pens?

When I say "pens", I mean pens with metal nibs: dip pens and technical pens. Pigment liners such as Sakura Pigma Microns and Copic Multiliners are technically markers with felt nibs.

Learning to ink with a pen is usually easier than learning to ink with a brush because the nib is stiff; the pressure felt while holding and drawing with pen is similar to the pressure felt holding a pencil. Technical pens produce lines of one fixed width, no matter how much pressure is applied to the nib. However, dip pens need to be re-loaded much more often than brushes do, and thick applications of ink laid down with a pen dry slowly. Technical pens need to be cleaned regularly to prevent them from clogging, and the initial investment in a good technical pen can be a lot of money. Despite the disadvantages, many artists still use pens to great effect, often in combination with a brush.

My Partner in Crime jeriweaver has two very informative tutorials on inking with a pen:


Markers?

Markers can be used for inking to great effect. Nowadays, there are many manufacturers of markers containing lightfast, waterproof ink, and there are a large number of sizes available. Usually these markers produce one width of line, but there are some "brush pens" out there that imitate the flexibility and line variety of a real brush. The biggest disadvantage of markers is that their cost may start to become an issue over time; most markers are not refillable, so when the ink supply runs out, the artist needs to buy another marker.

It's worth noting that not all markers are suitable for inking professional quality work. "Magic markers" such as Sharpies do not have lightfast ink in them, so over time the ink will fade to a nasty shade of greenish-brown.

Tutorials on inking with markers:


What about digital inking?

Digital inking has gained more and more prevalence over the years. The biggest advantage to inking digitally is the Undo command, not surprisingly. Digital inking allows an artist to save the original pencils, or to work completely digitally if he or she prefers. However, there are some disadvantages to working digitally. The initial investment for digital inking is considerably higher if you don't already have a computer and a program suited for digital inking. Also, problems commonly associated with computers (crashes, memory loss, that sort of thing) also apply here.

Here are a few informative tutorials on digital inking:
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Hopefully that was informative and helpful for all of you aspiring inkers out there. Be sure to keep your eyes open for future installments of The Ink-credible Feature!

The Ink-credible Feature, Vol. 1
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