ink question

[emmanuelxerxjavier]

Hi guys,
so i actually posted this to the sequential art portion of the website, but i wanted to ask from an inker's point of view.
here are the pics, please let me know how i can improve my inking, is it rough, is it too dark/heavy? my agent told me i shouldn't ink my own pencils because i'm not good at it... so inkers, help me out how to improve!. =). I would appreciate your help!. thanks.
http://ic1.deviantart.com/fs15/f/2007/053/0/7/PAIN_page_13_pencils_by_emmanuelxerxjavier.jpg
http://ic3.deviantart.com/fs15/f/2007/053/e/e/PAIN_page_13_inks_by_emmanuelxerxjavier.jpg
other artworks
deviantart (http://emmanuelxerxjavier.deviantart.com/gallery)

[waki]

you are applying finishes to your pencils in your inks. When you add most of the detail to a gestured work in the innking process you are finishing the work. Your pencils are basicall breakdowns.

I think your finished style fits. It's a very stylistic and kind of non wide commercial, but a very enjoyable style. It seems as if it would be very genre specific.

As inking goes, with the pencils shown, you did a nice job. I would have chosen some different line weights in places, done a little different texturing in places, but it fit the pencils.

:cool:

[Cadre]

The primary thing I see is that if you accentuate your light source a bit more when it comes to line weight, it will help images seem more multi-dimensional, otherwise it looks pretty good to me. Thicken the lines further away from light source and make the objects closest to the light source thinner... sounds simple enough, huh? ;)



J


Hi guys,
so i actually posted this to the sequential art portion of the website, but i wanted to ask from an inker's point of view.
here are the pics, please let me know how i can improve my inking, is it rough, is it too dark/heavy? my agent told me i shouldn't ink my own pencils because i'm not good at it... so inkers, help me out how to improve!. =). I would appreciate your help!. thanks.
http://ic1.deviantart.com/fs15/f/2007/053/0/7/PAIN_page_13_pencils_by_emmanuelxerxjavier.jpg
http://ic3.deviantart.com/fs15/f/2007/053/e/e/PAIN_page_13_inks_by_emmanuelxerxjavier.jpg
other artworks
deviantart (http://emmanuelxerxjavier.deviantart.com/gallery)

[emmanuelxerxjavier]

yes, thanks for your comments, actually this script i'm working on is for a horror gritty story that's why i used a dark style hopefully to capture the mood of the story and reflect on the inking :). But yes please give more suggestions on the comercial style of inking on how i can reach and know the difference of that style as well.

[Cadre]

the tip I gave is universal... it applies to all aspects/genres of inking.

example of my inking dark "gritty" style can be found here:
putting links to not overwhelm your thread with not your stuff visually
http://www.cadrecorner.com/Gallery/image_full/236/

The Illegal Immigrants pages here on DW link:
http://www.digitalwebbing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66315&page=4&pp=10

Hope they show what I'm trying to convey... good luck.

[emmanuelxerxjavier]

thanks cadre for the inking guidance, i will try to apply that to my next piece.
THANKS!. :)

[Cadre]

my pleasure... always willing to put my two cents worth in when someone asks... ;)

[denart]

to me dude, your inks are perfectly fine and your art looks great. i said art and not pencils nor inks coz i see your work as a whole. your pencils are more like breakdowns that had to be finished with inks. why not just sample your "art" as whole and not juz as pencils.

for me, there is no "right style" for inks/inking, there are only pointers to follow.. it also depends on the artist on how he want it to look like. your the artist and you dictate what your art would look like when you put the finishes on your own breakdowns.

[quahkm]

You don't need pointers, really. Judging from the little extras you put into the inks, I say you'll do a lot of pencillers proud. I like the fact that you put a lot of effort in putting details which are not there.


What you're doing here is contrary to most pro inkers who just inks whatever there is in front of them.

Good job!


A

[emmanuelxerxjavier]

thanks quahkm for the comment... i actually did the pencils - rather i call it 'quick pencils' only as it isn't detailed yet, mostly the position of the guys and what's happenning so i don't get lost in the action and the pace of the panels... i haven't really tried to ink from tight pencils yet, but i'll try that soon =)....

congratulations in MERCY SPARX, i read the DDP article, man, any comment from a pro such as you would be an honor!. thanks!.

[psychofuckomics]

You can also add depth to the scenes by varying line weights . Try using finer lines for the backgrounds and thicker lines on the foregrounds. You should also use lines weights to aid in the illusion of perspective. For example, in the last panel, all the lines coming from the vanishing point, should get thinner as they receed further into the background. Now, your characters can pop out from the background without compromising the backgrounds... get it.

You are really good at the placing of blacks... the only thing I would've done different is, in panel two, where the doorway in the back ground and the guy's black hair meet. I would have either rendered the hair differently or instead of filling the doorway with black, used lines as shading.... Just to pop out background from extreme background.

Overall it looks like you know what you're doing and your style is pretty cool. Just remember, the inker's role in telling the story is by adding depth, clarity and detail to the penciled work.

Try reading DC Comics' Guide to Comic book inking. It goes into great detail about all aspects of inking.

[Jimmy]

I like your style.

[quahkm]

thanks quahkm for the comment... i actually did the pencils - rather i call it 'quick pencils' only as it isn't detailed yet, mostly the position of the guys and what's happenning so i don't get lost in the action and the pace of the panels... i haven't really tried to ink from tight pencils yet, but i'll try that soon =)....

congratulations in MERCY SPARX, i read the DDP article, man, any comment from a pro such as you would be an honor!. thanks!.


It would be a total waste of time to do tight pencils if you intend to ink over them. I know mine are much looser than yours. But for the past year I have been experimenting with direct color over my finished pencils and by golly the outcome is awesome. With your stroke, I would say it's gonna rule.

Check out some of my colored stuff over at my DA and you'll get the idea.

:)
A

[Jonas Diego]

Try to have someone who uses a brush as an inking tool give your sequentials a go. You've got real skills in figure drawing especially with drapery and cloth. Try to study how your work looks like with brushwork. :)

[emmanuelxerxjavier]

hi quahkm,
i saw your samples on DA and wow the colors are excellent!. (how long do you usually do a page?) Too bad i don't have much skills yet at coloring at Photoshop, but i'll learn it in the near future (if my plan works hehehe)...
keep up the excellent work man!.
thanks
emmanuel xerx

[emmanuelxerxjavier]

hi sir jonas,
thanks for the reply and suggestion on using a brush... actually, i've been searching for a brush pen but to no avail...=(... the brush i'm using is yoka and it's too thick!!... or maybe i'm not using it right... :(... anyway i'll try it again in my next few pages.
thanks :)
-xerx-

[quahkm]

hi quahkm,
i saw your samples on DA and wow the colors are excellent!. (how long do you usually do a page?) Too bad i don't have much skills yet at coloring at Photoshop, but i'll learn it in the near future (if my plan works hehehe)...
keep up the excellent work man!.
thanks
emmanuel xerx


I'm a slow artist, takes me 2 days to do a really tight pencil page. That includes times spent on touch ups in PS. The thing is when you do direct color from pencil pages, all the lines have to be in order or clean, therefore lots of clean up using Photoshop if you're an "untidy" penciller. haha...story of my life.

As for colors, leave it to the pros, being a penciller is hard enough :whistlin:

You too, man...I really like your strokes! And I know they will look fabulous even without inks. You have very fluid lines, bold and dare I say, professional?

Rock on, E...



A

[emmanuelxerxjavier]

You have very fluid lines, bold and dare I say, professional?

Rock on, E...

A

I guess i might say i'm a semi pro - i work with independent writers sofar, haven't cracked my foot yet on big publishers.... i tried to get an agency to help me get into bigger publishers such as marvel/dc, but nothing came out of that...=(.... so i'm staying here with indie publishers... Don't know how to apply to other publishers, maybe trying to mail them my portfolio, but the problem is they usually do a PO Box which can't be carried by local shipping companies here in the philippines, besides, shipping my samples costs too much anyway... hehehe...

i'm glad you do your pencils at 2 pages a day, it feels good that i'm not alone with this dilemna....(the more time we spend on a page, the better it looks)
But doesn't your publisher get a problem with that? :) Anyway i'm sure you can handle that...
usually i do 3 light pencils a day - then i deliver these for approval (takes a few days more to come back) and 1 day to finish up each page in inks or very tight pencils....

I'll try to go to July's SanDiego Convention though to find some gigs...

Also, my publishers haven't yet published any of my works - that's why it seems that i have no project, no exposure yet... =(...
hehehhe, anyway, maybe that's life, keeps the mystery :happy: