Update — I Really REALLY HATE the Pen Tool
I changed my mind. In a previous article I was excited to find a way to professionally ink my pencil work, in preparation for my first ever comic book. The process involved creating a Photoshop action around a freeform pen stroke, which applied a brush to the path. This allowed me to utilize the power of the pen tool, and also granted me the ability for it to feel as natural as an actual pen. This was great in the beginning, but I was beginning to realize that this strategy would not work in the long run, and for many reasons.
For starters the piece that I tested with was not large enough of a sample size, since drawing the main character’s face does not take a lot of time. I soon realized my method would not scale well once I had to draw this cover, which has multiple characters, weapons, and a background. This felt tiresome and time consuming.
Another thing I realized was that in the last piece, a lot of detail was missing. The arch of her eyebrows, the hair, the nose, none of that seemed to translate from pencil to ink. I was going for a more intimidating look, but in hindsight it came out a bit too cartoony for me. The loss of detail is definitely not worth the vector lines.
Additionally, the freeform pen tool still had its quirks. Depending on the brush that was applied, I had to significantly overstep my lines, which required tons of rework and felt completely unnatural. There’s no way I’m ever getting used to that.
Despite all of that, I found a workaround. This brush set contained some ink brushes that I liked, and it was pretty cheap. My Intuos tablet also needed a driver update, which helped prevent pesky jagged lines. Turns out all I need is just a good brush and a steady hand. I’m willing to sacrifice the cleanliness for more detail (and ease of use!).
My writer and I are working on a comic, which is currently untitled. We’re most likely releasing the first chapter sometime in the next month. I’ll post a story on how this came together as well as the cover once I have some pages done! In the meantime check out my first book, my website, and my most recent company, Strongth Fitness. Feel free to send me an email for name ideas, haha.
