Although many comic book and comic strip artists do most of their inking work with a pen, artists such as Bill Waterston, Will Eisner, and Jack Kirby have turned to ink.A brush can produce a variety of line thicknesses, making a character stand out more or blend into the shadows than if inked with a pen or marker.Less time dipping and more time inking can be achieved by using a brush instead of a pen.How to select an inking brush and how to ink comics with a brush are covered in the next steps.
Step 1: You can choose a brush for inking.
The artist's brushes are similar to those used for painting watercolors.Long handles on painting brushes are not recommended for inking.Longer handles make it difficult for inkers to follow sketch lines made by a penciller.
Step 2: Know the correct brush sizes.
The artist's brushes range in size from 20 to 30.The most common sizes of inking brushes are 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, with 3 being the recommended size for first-time inkers.One company's brush size may not be the same for another company.You can check with your local artist supply store.
Step 3: A good quality brush is what you should choose.
Natural bristles from the hair of a weasel are favored by many artists.Synthetic bristles are cheaper if the brush is made by a manufacturer with a good reputation.If you want to evaluate the quality of a brush, you need to dip the brush in water and strike the middle of it against your wrist.The brush will perform well as an inking brush if the hairs come to a point without split ends.There are good quality natural hair brushes.There are good quality brushes with synthetic hair.Some artists prefer to use a brush pen with ink instead of a fountain pen.Quality brush pens are made by Kuretake and Pentel.You may prefer to use a different type of pen.
Step 4: To complement your brush, choose a quality ink.
India ink is the standard for inking comics.Speedball Super Black is one of the quality brands of ink.Despite being of equal quality, some brands are thicker than others.Some artists prefer to use a thicker ink when inking with a brush than they do when using a pen and a small amount of ammonia to thin the brush ink.
Step 5: The ink bottle has a brush in it.
Only 1/3 of the bristles should be dipped into the ink.This will keep the ink away from the glue.To saturate the bristles, hold the brush in the ink for a long time.
Step 6: The excess ink should be wiped off the rim of the bottle.
You may have to do this many times.
Step 7: Get a fine point by rolling the bristles.
For this, use a piece of paper.
Step 8: The brush should be between your thumb and forefinger.
Step 9: As you apply ink, hold the brush to the paper.
The brush tip should be pointed at the proper thickness.To help hold your brush in this position, place the side of your wrist on the paper and rest your middle finger on it.
Step 10: You can highlight the penciled lines using smooth strokes.
While bending your wrist from left to right, keep your thumb and forefinger locked.Don't try to highlight all the penciled lines, only those that bring out the scene you're inking.Discuss the important lines with your penciler.
Step 11: Less pressure is needed to make a thicker line.
When doing detail work where the light source strikes, thinner lines are more important than thicker lines.Don't load your brush with ink if you're doing a lot of detail work.
Step 12: The penciler's line has a curve.
This will allow you to keep your brushstrokes straight, either horizontal or vertical.Some non-repro-blue pencils can be very waxy, which can cause the ink to run when crossing these lines, so be aware.