General Inking Discussion

[uncle fester]

I thought I'd post this thread up to go with the Lettering, Writing and general art threads.

I found this tutorial for Photoshop CS4 recently, and it seems most (if not all) of the process can be done in previous versions (Works fine on CS3 but by all accounts the principles run further back)

http://www.farlowstudios.com/tutorials/digital-inking-in-photoshop-cs4-update/

Quite pleasing results can be found using Pen and Brush Tools, and mixing the levels and angles in the options panels of each.

Feel free to add any other links etc as usual 

[Jim_Campbell]

Quite pleasing results can be found using Pen and Brush Tools, and mixing the levels and angles in the options panels of each.

Fascinating ... </spock>

No, seriously, I never knew you could apply a variable stoke weight to a path like that in Photoshop -- in many ways that seems preferable to Illustrator, although it does presuppose some fairly tight pencils to work from ...

Cheers!

Jim

[Richmond Clements]

This reminds me, and also gives me a reason not to go searching old threads... Jim, you recommended a Manga art programme for inking and that, could you remind me what it is..?

[Jim_Campbell]

This reminds me, and also gives me a reason not to go searching old threads... Jim, you recommended a Manga art programme for inking and that, could you remind me what it is..?

Manga Studio Debut 4

Probably the best £30 I've spent this year. The last two compo entries were inked with it, and a strip I'm working on very slowly seems to be coming together ...



Cheers!

Jim

[Richmond Clements]

Cheers Jim!
I've come into a bit of backpay, so I think I'll get this for Bou... only fair after getting myself a hard drive for the XBox and Space Hulk!

[Mike Gloady]

Nice one, Jim.  Pretty. *drool*

[Jim_Campbell]

Nice one, Jim.  Pretty. *drool*

Considering the length of time I've spent on this strip so far, it bloody well should look nice! Brian Bolland speed, but without the Brian Bolland results or, indeed, pay cheque ...

Cheers!

Jim

[Bolt-01]

Jim, you may well be among the more time challenged of the artists who have produced strips for me, but you've a long way to go before beating the record.

Even our esteemed Bart Diaz is no longer the title holder for me.

And it is a nice little strip- you are doing a bang up job on it.

[SuperSurfer]

Good ink work going on there Jim. I'm curious about Manga Studio. What do you feel makes it better for inking than Photoshop?

I've already posted a link elsewhere to the Gibbons Rorschach cover work through. Curious as to why he has sketched in PS then inked in Manga Studio.
http://my.smithmicro.com/mac/manga/index.html#

[Jim_Campbell]

Good ink work going on there Jim. I'm curious about Manga Studio. What do you feel makes it better for inking than Photoshop?

To be honest, apart from the ~£400 difference in the price tag, I just find the pen and brush controls more intuitive. For some reason, I don't seem to be able to get Photoshop brushes to behave the way I want them to. I appreciate that this is probably more about me than it is about Photoshop, but £30 to be able to sit down and just work seemed like value for money to me ...!

Plus, in PS CS3, you can't free rotate the canvas as you work (and you still can't in Illustrator, even in CS4).

Oddly enough, I still sketch in PS, too. This is partly because I like PS' selection and compositing tools better, so it's easier to montage in reference material, select and re-size parts of the composition, and so on.

That said, I'm using PS less for this sort of thing now, and am making an effort to work solely in MSD. I'm still lettering in Illustrator, though, and whenever I get round to colour, I intend to do that in Photoshop.

Oh ... and PS CS3 crashes on me. A lot. No, really, a LOT. Manga Studio -- thus far, fingers crossed -- not at all.

Cheers!

Jim

[Jim_Campbell]

And it is a nice little strip- you are doing a bang up job on it.

Thank you for the kind words, sir!

(It's all in the lettering really ...)

Cheers

Jim

[Jim_Campbell]

Actually, I've been meaning to add one important caveat about Manga Studio since I first recommended it:

I'm a shit inker. MSD has a small amount of stroke correction (you can vary it but not, I think, turn it off completely) which I find very useful, but that's probably because I'm a shit inker. If you're a good inker, then I can imagine that it might drive you slightly potty.

You can download a 30-day trial version, which might be advisable before you shell out any cash ...

Cheers!

Jim

[SuperSurfer]

Thanks for the info about Manga Studio, Jim. Yes, of course, for someone who doesn't have PS I guess it would be an easy choice to opt for Manga Studio on the basis of price.

I haven't settled on a drawing technique I am happy with. For my last comp entry I tried sketching in PS, printing out on paper in blue and inking with bog standard felt tip pens. Next time I am in town I'll try to buy some brush tip markers as I still want to explore inking on paper further. I find that much quicker at the moment. Oh, and perhaps I should try something other than standard photocopy paper.

[Kerrin]

Hey, I like the look of that Stront Dog piece Jim. Nice panel design. Which reminds me, I need to get some more Zarjaz and Dogbreath goodness.

MSD 4 is well worth thirty quid. The pens and brushes "feel" great. That said, I'm starting to get my head round Pshop elements a bit more now, though I think I may need to get a full version for a full range of masking options etc. Possibly a previous version for cheapness, CS3 I guess it would be.

[Jim_Campbell]

Oh, and perhaps I should try something other than standard photocopy paper.

Honestly ...? Good paper makes more of a difference to inking than any of the various pens and brushes that I've used over the years* ... 225gsm Bristol Board is an absolute pleasure to ink on. I'd suggest using a good India Ink for line work, but latterly (before getting seduced by this digital malarkey) I'd taken to diluting black acrylic paint to a vaguely ink-like consistency for filling in solid areas. It's 100% water soluble for brush-cleaning, but there's something deeply satisfying about laying down a black that's so black that light just falls into it!**

Cheers

Jim


*Excepting the Gillott 303 nib -- Dave Gibbons dip pen nib of choice in years gone by. Produces a wide variation of line weight and carries a healthy charge of ink. I'm a firm believer that anything that reduces the amount of time you spend fiddling about and increases the amount of time you spend drawing is a good thing, and the 303 is a fantastic example of that.

** Keeping in mind that -- by my own admission -- I'm a shit inker.