Digital inking has its advantages. For instance, I can use different layers to experiment with different elements, and I’m less anxious about inking freehand, as I did with these background characters.

I should just be finishing this, but I guess experimenting with comic inking isn’t the worst form of procrastination. A lot of comic book artists who still work with ink do their pages on 11"x17" paper. Among the advantages: little imperfections disappear when shrunk down to print size, and the larger the scale, the easier it is to manipulate a brush or brush pen.

So anyway, working on a sheet of 8.5"x11" paper made for a panel around 3" wide, and even my tiniest brush pen seemed too thick unless I gave it a featherlight (and shaky) touch. So to see what it would be like to ink in the larger format, I printed this panel at about 5" wide. Turns out that’s a great size for rendering lines similar to the digital ones I’d settled on, using my Zebra fine pen.

I definitely like the look of the gray copic marker over the uniform digital gray, but I still prefer the digital line, if only because the computer has helped me look more competent than I really am. It makes sense to leverage technology, but there’s definitely something more satisfying about putting pen to paper. It’s also more comfortable, because I’m not tied to a tiny graphics tablet on my desk. I think I have to make my next project analog; it’ll improve my skills even if I settle on digital.

My niece has been kind enough to be really cute and bug-eyed in photos lately, no doubt to help her uncle with caricature practice!

The good news is, this exists. The bad news is, I didn’t get to finish the last page, or even start a cover. But not a big deal; I was planning to put more work into it anyway; the loopy-on-caffeine rush job was to have it as complete as possible for my final class. Once I get some feedback and a couple days rest, I’ll finish it up for good and get it out to my 3 fans!

Welp, it’s down to the wire, and naturally I’ve saved a ton of the work for the night before the thing is due! Time to see if my withered brain is up for a good ol’ fashioned all-nighter. I’ll keep you posted.