How do you ink?

EvilChihuahua · Post by **EvilChihuahua** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 7:15 pm

Wacom tablet FTW!

I use a 4x5 Graphire, but I've been thinking of upgrading to a tablet with a screen....

Does anyone know of a good quality monitor/tablet besides the Cintiq? While cool, it falls out of my price range.

Jekkal · Post by **Jekkal** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 5:05 am

Well... why not just get a larger monitor with a better tablet, like an Intuos?

My current arrangement is running a laptop dual-monitor while using a tablet, and it's made work much more interesting and given me a real incentive to learn keyboard shortcuts so I do less cross-screen mousing.

Fabio Ciccone · Post by **Fabio Ciccone** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 5:14 am

jekkal wrote:Well... why not just get a larger monitor with a better tablet, like an Intuos?

My current arrangement is running a laptop dual-monitor while using a tablet, and it's made work much more interesting and given me a real incentive to learn keyboard shortcuts so I do less cross-screen mousing.

Not everyone can afford that

Robin Pierce · Post by **Robin Pierce** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 8:28 am

depends on the comic.

Astorauth gets pencilled and inked with traditional tools.

Most of my short comics get done straight digitally, which is fun too.

I can't for the god of me trace pencils digitally. It just annoyes me too much

Tyras · Post by **Tyras** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 8:32 am

I evolved through all these options; I started with inking with real media, then I spent a few weeks in an awkward digital-tracing stage, and now it's all digital.

Kirb · Post by **Kirb** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 10:32 am

I do everything digitally.

But on occasion I might scan something I inked with a nib pen.

Icedude · Post by **Icedude** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 10:55 am

I've tried inking by hand, inking in GiMP, and inking in Inkscape (and i only have 3 pages done so far

), and i have to say inking in Inkscape is by far the easiest when you have a tablet. I can't adjust most of the scan setting on my new scanner (thats what i get for buying one for £29): so inking with pens is out, and i have shaky hands so GiMP gives awfully shaky results, so inkscape is the best for me

Fabio Ciccone · Post by **Fabio Ciccone** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 11:01 am

There should be a "depends on my mood" option.

Geekblather · Post by **Geekblather** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 11:05 am

Inkscape? Never heard of it.
What's it like?

Icedude · Post by **Icedude** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 1:15 pm

geekblather wrote:Inkscape? Never heard of it.
What's it like?

Well, I havent used any other programs like it so I might not be the best person to describe it, but its an open-source vector program. Works pretty well for tracing stuff, and it's far better than GiMP for doing text.

The website can probably describe it better than i could: http://www.inkscape.org/

Jackhass · Post by **Jackhass** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 1:23 pm

Someone needs to invent a program where you can just scan your pencils in and the program inks it for you...between pencilling and inking regular comics and other projects I think I'm getting carpal tunnel here.

Adobedragon · Post by **Adobedragon** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 1:51 pm

I have carpal tunnel...so I do a pencil sketch, scan, and "ink" in Photoshop using the pen tool. Then I fiddle with the lines using the pencil and eraser tools to give them a little more character and variation in width.

I'd love to ink by hand, but alas, it's just too hurty.

Geekblather · Post by **Geekblather** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 2:54 pm

o.O ooh... vector programmy-
-runs to go play with it-

Should be good for tshirt designs anyway

Awesome.

Guardsman · Post by **Guardsman** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 9:36 pm

Man this topic really developed a life of its own! I think I’ll mess around tomorrow with trying to capture my “process” of inking with that screen capture program Geekblather used. I’ll post it once I’m done ^_^

Oh and thanks to geekblather, for teaching me how to link banners in my sig, sweetness!

Geekblather · Post by **Geekblather** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 12:22 am

-does the Made of Win dance-

The program I used to record that was a free trial of Camtasia Studio, if people are curious. Available on download.com

Turnsky · Post by **Turnsky** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 1:15 am

jekkal wrote:Well... why not just get a larger monitor with a better tablet, like an Intuos?

waaaaay ahead of ya.

Geekblather · Post by **Geekblather** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 1:49 am

Ahh- you ink just like I do.

In the middle of a heap of clutter

McDuffies · Post by **McDuffies** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 2:07 am

You could've at least removed the dirty dishes.

EvilChihuahua · Post by **EvilChihuahua** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 9:32 am

...Turnsky, did you just prop a tablet on it's side, or is that a tablet/monitor?

And the main reason I have for wanting a tablet with a screen is the more intuitive interface. It would remonve that detached feeling you get working with a tablet.

Also, it would look awesome.

Turnsky · Post by **Turnsky** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 10:15 am

EvilChihuahua wrote:...Turnsky, did you just prop a tablet on it's side, or is that a tablet/monitor?

And the main reason I have for wanting a tablet with a screen is the more intuitive interface. It would remonve that detached feeling you get working with a tablet.

Also, it would look awesome.

that's a wacom intuos2 12 x 12", not a cintiq, so yeah, i just put it on its edge... you can see the duck tape along the bottom of it there, too.