For anyone interested I thought I would list the tools of the trade I use to illustrate comics, and the steps I take in creating a page.
Tools:
- HB mechanical pencil
- Pelican Black India Ink
- #1, #2, and #3 round brushes by Raphael
- Hunt 102 crow quill pen, sometimes a larger nib if I want fatter lines
- 03, 05, and 08 black Copic pens
- Strathmore 2 ply or 3 ply Bristol board
- white mars plastic erasers
- various sponges, toothbrushes, etc. for inking efx
- white out pens and ink
- tracing paper
- newsprint or thin drawing paper
I rough on drawing paper or newsprint, then usually use a piece of tracing paper overlay over that and trace it off with a copic, using the lightbox to get maximum light coming through the papers.
After reading the script I'll get a general idea of how I want to have panels arranged on a page and line those on the bristol board with a 05 or 08 copic and straight edge because they give a nice solid weighty black line.
Then I usually take my inked roughs and lay under the bristol, on the lighbox, fiddle around to get the best composition I can think of or see, and lightly pencil in the panel on the bristol using my rough underdrawing. Rarely do I ever start my drawing directly on the bristol. I used to, but now believe I can get better ideas committed to the page if I go through my initial process. When the page is fully penciled I'll go in and ink with my inking arsenal. Sometimes I may jump the gun and ink a certain portion if I'm excited with an idea and don't want to lose the train of thought of what I want to accomplish.
I'll typically using brushes for most everything, especially organic living matter, people, foilage, etc. I break out the straight edges, copics, and 102 for more technical matter like machinery, architecture, etc. Once I have my line work and solid blacks filled in on my inked page, I'll go back in with black and white inks for finer inking efx such as spattering, etc.
I'll set aside a page for a couple days then look back on it to see what I can live with, and what bothers me. Then make any corrections or alterations if needed before moving on to the next page or batch of pages. I tend to try working on 3 to 5 page blocks at once because it makes things smoother for me and I have this weird belief the pages will be more uniform and look more related if I work that way.
More insight to come if I have any or if I can answer any questions.
Tools:
- HB mechanical pencil
- Pelican Black India Ink
- #1, #2, and #3 round brushes by Raphael
- Hunt 102 crow quill pen, sometimes a larger nib if I want fatter lines
- 03, 05, and 08 black Copic pens
- Strathmore 2 ply or 3 ply Bristol board
- white mars plastic erasers
- various sponges, toothbrushes, etc. for inking efx
- white out pens and ink
- tracing paper
- newsprint or thin drawing paper
I rough on drawing paper or newsprint, then usually use a piece of tracing paper overlay over that and trace it off with a copic, using the lightbox to get maximum light coming through the papers.
After reading the script I'll get a general idea of how I want to have panels arranged on a page and line those on the bristol board with a 05 or 08 copic and straight edge because they give a nice solid weighty black line.
Then I usually take my inked roughs and lay under the bristol, on the lighbox, fiddle around to get the best composition I can think of or see, and lightly pencil in the panel on the bristol using my rough underdrawing. Rarely do I ever start my drawing directly on the bristol. I used to, but now believe I can get better ideas committed to the page if I go through my initial process. When the page is fully penciled I'll go in and ink with my inking arsenal. Sometimes I may jump the gun and ink a certain portion if I'm excited with an idea and don't want to lose the train of thought of what I want to accomplish.
I'll typically using brushes for most everything, especially organic living matter, people, foilage, etc. I break out the straight edges, copics, and 102 for more technical matter like machinery, architecture, etc. Once I have my line work and solid blacks filled in on my inked page, I'll go back in with black and white inks for finer inking efx such as spattering, etc.
I'll set aside a page for a couple days then look back on it to see what I can live with, and what bothers me. Then make any corrections or alterations if needed before moving on to the next page or batch of pages. I tend to try working on 3 to 5 page blocks at once because it makes things smoother for me and I have this weird belief the pages will be more uniform and look more related if I work that way.
More insight to come if I have any or if I can answer any questions.
Excellent posting, Nick Justus!
ReplyDeleteThere's more info on your chosen tools of the trade and approach to how you create your art, than I have encountered in all of the months since I first encountered your art online. From a fan's perspective, this kind of information is the equivalent of solid gold.
As far as questions are concerned, I would like to know what tools of the trade that you do not use, or have never used, but which tempt you to give them a try?
Where do you buy your art tools or supplies at, and why there, instead of other places that sell such items?
Also, I am curious as to how you would rate yourself, as an artist, and what you consider your respective strengths and weaknesses as an artist are?
I very much like the fact that, not only are you posting on your blog, again, but you have now begun to inter-splice your blog postings with some text entries, as well. I think that this approach will make for a healthier, more robust view of you as an artist, for those who happen upon your blog here.
Have you interacted with any digital art tablets, yet, and if so, what are some of your thoughts about those kinds of devices? How has your use of such tools, assuming that you have actually given any of them a try, impacted your view of your approach to crafting your artistic pieces?
Additionally, what are some of the particular comic book issues, strips, or series that have influenced you as an artist, particularly where your approach to drawing and/or inking the Jesus E. Lee series is concerned?
If you could work on any comic book title for DC and Marvel, which of their respective titles would you choose, if you had your choice - and why?
One area I'm not the best in is digital coloring. When I was in school just a few years ago, the budding colorists were all beginning to really embrace using wacom tablets and whatnot. I can use photoshop and illustrator for simple coloring and lettering, but prefer traditional coloring with dyes, inks, or paints if given the option. One thing I want to try with Jesus E. Lee is color it traditionally by hand, scan the hand colored page, and do additional coloring over that in photoshop. So that's on the horizon.
DeleteI support using tablets and embracing technology to create a finished modern book, but prefer sticking to the penciling and inking, and having someone else more confident in their coloring abilities than I am tackle that portion. Another thing I want to do is color an issue with desaturated simple flats so as not to interfere with my inks. So that might be what I actually do next issue. I'm a fan of Dave Stewart, and his colors in Hellboy for example are what I want to emulate a bit in future issues of Jesus E. Lee.
I tend to buy my art supplies from a great art supply store here in New Jersey, Jerry's Art Outlet. I usually get stacks of bristol or other papers I need there for real cheap during sales. I've often contemplated buying my brushes and bristol online, and sooner or later will probably start to do so. There's just something that feels magical to me about going to an actual store to get my stuff, the whole ambiance of it all. Same goes for going to my LCS to pick up comics. It's an atmosphere addiction type of thing for me.
I think I'll tackle your inquiry about influences and what Big 2 books I'd like to work on a new post soon.