FA+
Shop
749
Views
Views
22
Favorites
Favorites
Category
Artwork (Digital) / Tutorials
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 1280 x 1280
File Size 837.3 kB
Report this content
More from Dragonkick
I decided to pick out my favorite examples of the various ways and methods I tend to ink and bunch them together in one place for a quick reference so I can mix and match when I'm inking and not sure what to try next. This is mostly for my benefit but if it helps or inspires anyone I'll be glad. I won't repeat myself if one element shows up what I've noted before on an earlier pic.
1. and 2.
- Shading like I would on a coloured peice, but making those shadows solid black
- light hatching to define the less dark areas of the shadows and to enhance form
- shade it fully, not worrying about it being undefinable, fix with white lines
- Gradient plus dots combo for a comic book fading out look
3.
- 90% of the corners/sharp edges smoothed out. May sometimes look a tad hard to make out since everything is blended together smoothley but I really do like the effect when I pull it off
4.
- Big thick outlines with smoothed edges/corners to give a smooth, thick, flowing border
- Big, noticable variation in line widths
5.
- Coloured inks
6.
- Going from very thin to very thick line thickness in the same sweep to really try and 'pop' the lines/curves out
7.
- Making a point to make some background elements solid black to really help the other parts of the pic pop out and add some contrast
- crammed in some detail, eg, the sweat
8.
- Light hatching but with little dark shading
1. and 2.
- Shading like I would on a coloured peice, but making those shadows solid black
- light hatching to define the less dark areas of the shadows and to enhance form
- shade it fully, not worrying about it being undefinable, fix with white lines
- Gradient plus dots combo for a comic book fading out look
3.
- 90% of the corners/sharp edges smoothed out. May sometimes look a tad hard to make out since everything is blended together smoothley but I really do like the effect when I pull it off
4.
- Big thick outlines with smoothed edges/corners to give a smooth, thick, flowing border
- Big, noticable variation in line widths
5.
- Coloured inks
6.
- Going from very thin to very thick line thickness in the same sweep to really try and 'pop' the lines/curves out
7.
- Making a point to make some background elements solid black to really help the other parts of the pic pop out and add some contrast
- crammed in some detail, eg, the sweat
8.
- Light hatching but with little dark shading
Category Artwork (Digital) / Tutorials
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 1280 x 1280px
File Size 837.3 kB
I am LOVING this to death dude. I think all these things you're doing to push your linework is really helping you jump leaps and bounds with each new pic! Not to say that your older work wasn't already superb. I love that you're doing that halftone background thing. and the very light hatching. I tihnk that really compliments your style perfectly. I LOVE whats going on in that bottom right colored pic. I'd love to see the full version of that. The way you spot-blacked that entire leg really helped to push the depth there, and give a great sense of the breadth of her belly. I think most successful of all is 6. that variety of thin to thick is what's really helping to pop those elements out. I would definitely try to incorporate more of that in your linework. Because you're very bold with your spot blacks and your inking, its juts a matter of knowing when to hold back now. I have that problem with my inking too, because i'm so heavy handed. My professors have told me that when I use TOO thick of lines, and TOO much spot blacks, that my comic pages or illustrations tend to look "muddy" and the details get washed out. What you're doing in 6 though is real spot-on.
Aww, thanks a lot, it means a lot that you think so much of all this.
For the record, that bottom right coloured pic is here - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6050093/
I've been on and off about the hatching, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but I've been looking into different methods of using it.
Ah yes, I always try and have at least one part of the picture that is heavy black, I've always loved heavy blacks in a pic causing it to pop out a little more. Always been a huge fan of 'noir' inking and at the moment this standard of inking is my goal - http://wiimedia.ign.com/wii/image/a.....5051537192.jpg . I'm realising my next step is most likley to use textures in inking, like I have tried doing with the hair in - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6495613 and the dragon before him, but I can't seem to figure out how to put a 'shiny' texture on a character at the moment. Something I'm gonna try and work out next. On that geckoguy one I tried the bare minimum of hatching, still not sure how much to use and I tried using shadow spot blacks as described in your tutourial. I'm slowly working out what inking methods give off the better impression of depth.
Yeah I've been looking at 6 a lot recentley, reminding myself to do that more often, eg, go from super thin to nice and thick in one sweep and in general. If I'm doing an inked line with some variation in it I like to make sure that difference in line weight is very noticable by going from thick to thin to give the picture a pop.
Thanks so much for all your help, and I still feel bad for that debacle with the tutourial you did for me. I've only improved due to help from you.
For the record, that bottom right coloured pic is here - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6050093/
I've been on and off about the hatching, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but I've been looking into different methods of using it.
Ah yes, I always try and have at least one part of the picture that is heavy black, I've always loved heavy blacks in a pic causing it to pop out a little more. Always been a huge fan of 'noir' inking and at the moment this standard of inking is my goal - http://wiimedia.ign.com/wii/image/a.....5051537192.jpg . I'm realising my next step is most likley to use textures in inking, like I have tried doing with the hair in - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6495613 and the dragon before him, but I can't seem to figure out how to put a 'shiny' texture on a character at the moment. Something I'm gonna try and work out next. On that geckoguy one I tried the bare minimum of hatching, still not sure how much to use and I tried using shadow spot blacks as described in your tutourial. I'm slowly working out what inking methods give off the better impression of depth.
Yeah I've been looking at 6 a lot recentley, reminding myself to do that more often, eg, go from super thin to nice and thick in one sweep and in general. If I'm doing an inked line with some variation in it I like to make sure that difference in line weight is very noticable by going from thick to thin to give the picture a pop.
Thanks so much for all your help, and I still feel bad for that debacle with the tutourial you did for me. I've only improved due to help from you.
Additionally, might I say that you have an excellent color palette? I love the look of your flats against the stark contrasted lineart. I honestly think those sorts of pics do well without shading, as the lineart implies the light source enough. Shading might muddy up the details. The subtle gradients like that bottom right pic are really working well for you too.
Aah, thanks. I'm trying to get a point where I don't need colouring to show off details and depth, and frankly I hate colouring, even though I can do it well. I just find dealing with heavy blacks much more fun and satisfying.
There are other things, like never being sure if my two monitors are calibrated and realising I may probably be a little colourblind since I simply can't 'see' why some colouring looks good when people seem to love it. I simply dont have the eye to know if colours look good so I try to just slap some bold, comic book colouring on there since I do like bright, poppy colouring.
There are other things, like never being sure if my two monitors are calibrated and realising I may probably be a little colourblind since I simply can't 'see' why some colouring looks good when people seem to love it. I simply dont have the eye to know if colours look good so I try to just slap some bold, comic book colouring on there since I do like bright, poppy colouring.
Comments