Just got here by Kyle Webster, I've asked how to lineweight properly and use within stylization, and then he recommended this video of yours. Thank you so much!
I'm from Brazil and I bought here many of the issues of Spider-Man, the tales of origin of the other Marvel heroes, and I have to say, this video was a BIG help because I'm a designer in training, thank you so much , and continue posting what you get!
Paolo you are a wonderful teacher. Even though this is via youtube you are very patient in your instructions, and explain what you are doing. You also show how to do technique as well which was a rare thing to see from my art classes back in college. Man I wish there was youtube back in the '90. Again thank you.
This is the best inking demo I've seen so far. I'm fairly certain that the people watching this one can go ahead and unregister from that art class they were planning. Just get your money back and watch this video multiple times for inspiration. One constructive criticism though, Ditko alone designed the Spider-man costume. Kirby told Stan Lee about the name "Spider-Man" and Stan Lee, not liking Kirby's progress, assigned the costume job to Ditko. io9.com/5363689/who-created-spider-man
Nice demo. Most inkers think that you need a #0 or #1 to get a super thin line. You can get the same thin line with a #4, 6 or 8. The larger brushes just hold more ink and require less dipping into the inkwell. In Fact, I'll say you're better off learning using a larger brush since it will help you develop the proper control and pressure.
Great video! It was super helpful to me. I've been using a Series 7 #2 brush for a while. After watching your video I bought a #6 brush and it feels like I just had major breaktrough with inking. Thanks!
I discovered your work very recent and I must say, your art is AMAZING hope to see you at one of the CONS someday!!! Keep up the good work Mr Rivera!!!
Thanks! I usually do about 4 to 5 cons each year, some of which are listed on my blog. So far this year, I'm slated for Sacramento, Mexico City, and Tampa.
Ha ha I didn't know that this was your video. :-D This is one of the video's I've watched a while ago, way before you came over for your demo at the academy of art at Powell St. Some of the techniques I use now is because of this video, because of your video. For that I thank you. :-)
i really dig this and i was doing an assignment where i have to ink some foliage too and this really helps out a lot. I'm a kubert school student and you should maybe entertain visiting the school for a demo .
Paolo Rivera yeah I Just saw the new studio video so my hopes are dashed but I'm working on an assignment with watercolors on a snowy mtn and the background sky is too intense , how would you make it more faded / saturated
Did I not answer this before? Sorry! Just take things slowly and use a lot of water. Try using something like Payne's Gray instead of straight blue if it's too intense. You could also use its compliment, orange, but that can get tricky very quickly.
Very helpful video. Made me finally consider graduating from Microns to a Series #7 brush. Ever since, I've never looked back. One question though. I'm trying to replicate Wally Wood's style of inking into my work and am having a difficult time hatching lines the way he does on his figures. Do you know how to achieve the effect of hatching like Wally Wood? Also, do you know how he was able to get such thin lines from a brush?
A brush with a good tip should be able to get the finest lines possible. In fact, I usually don't like new brushes because the tip is too fine - I like it to be a little more blunt so that not every stroke begins or ends in a sharp point. Take a look at the 11:00 mark on the video. It's where I talk about the "rat tail" stroke, which is the basis for the hatching that I think you're talking about. The main difference is that you never press down too much, so the line doesn't thicken as much.
Done in Photoshop. I took various drawings that I had done previously and printed them out in blue-line. This is how I typically work - blue-line is easily removed from inks in Photoshop.
I know Winsor & Newton is a quality brush, but what is that series 7 #6 intended for oil, watercolor, acrylic ...all of the above? How do you clean or care for your #6 brush? ...and is there another less expensive brush that you would recommend for folks wanting to practice and make mistakes with? ...I'm guessing another size 6 sable brush, but do you prefer another manufacturer/company?
It's primarily intended for watercolor, but it can be used with just about all media - it just depends on the look you're going for. I clean my brushes with warm water and soap. I clean them the same way I cook chicken: "until juices run clear." For a cheap alternative, I use Silver Brush: Black Velvet. It's a natural/synthetic hair mix and work well with watercolor, gouache, and acrylic. There are plenty others out there, and I recommend checking out James Gurney's blog for examples. One thing to keep in mind: the longer the hair, the longer the brush will last. Small brushes are the first to go, and large ones are more versatile.
Paolo Rivera Hey! ...thanks for the quick response! I picked up sketching again, after a long layoff. I tried the brush with ink method ...really enjoyed it more than pen & ink. I used a size 3 Winsor & Newton, but I'm going to try a 6. I've read in some articles &/or books where some folks would buy larger brushes and then shape them down by cutting/shaving a few bristles away. I will try a 6 without any alterations to the brush. I liked what you had to say about using a number 6, in your video. I will also check out James Gurney's blog. Also, I clean my brushes the same way. I use warm water and a plain bar of 'soap'. I've only taken one oil painting class ...and that's how we were instructed to clean a brush. I enjoyed that oil class, but I think I might like acrylic and mixed media a bit more. I have a lot of experimenting to do at "home" these next few months. Thanks again!
I've been inking with a Winsor Newton Series 7 #2 brush for a few months. While I like the feel of it, I'm not too happy with the lines it makes. What kind of brush would you recommend for an aspiring cartoonist? Also, what paper would you recommend? I'm a fan of rough textures for my pencils but it doesn't have a good effect of my inks. I'd really like to hear your opinion
Angryathiest50 I use the #6 for just about everything. Sometimes the #2 for Spidey's webbing, but the 6 works just as well. If it's giving you trouble, just switch to a pen. I've been doing that lately for various projects that call for it. As for paper, I use Strathmore 500 series 2-ply bristol board, semi-smooth surface. They even sell it in 11x17 packs. Hope that helps.
Hey Paolo, what a fantastic resource this is! thanks! I was wondering if you have any general advice at being better at spotting blacks. Picked up Dynamic Light and Shade by Hogarth, but I could use more to help not sucking.
***** Try doing an ink study of the page in question at a smaller scale. The real trick is making sure that everything remains legible, so concentrate on make the big forms "read" against the background. Isolate what's important in the composition and make sure it's framed accordingly. You can use blacks to create a sense of light, but you can take all manner of liberties in choosing how that light is represented.
Thanks so much Paolo Rivera! Between you posting all these in-depth videos and still giving out advice in the comments section of a three-year old video, I feel like I owe you tuition, or at least an apple.
Your inks are amazing Paolo. I started doing Digital ink recently. At first I was in love with the speed and efficiency of the cintiq but quickly found myself going back to pen and ink. The gesture and texture like you have here in this video were just missing. What are your thoughts on Ink vs digital? Thank you so much for sharing! (By the way.....Your Daredevil 10 cover is second to none. Folks will talk about that cover forever. Paolo for the win!)
Thanks so much, Nicole! I'm actually inking something digitally right now, mostly to save time. It's more of a "clear line" style, though, so it's a natural fit. You really can't beat a brush for texture and happy accidents (yet) but I do almost all my corrections digitally.
Paolo Rivera You're absolutely right! It's only a matter of time before the tech catches up! Overall I was happy with the results of the cintiq. However, when I finished I felt unfilled. I feel no matter how good the tech gets, it will never be as good as "feeling" the paper, and cleaning ink off my hands. That being said....if illustration is your livelihood, you get them pages knocked out anyway you can!
I've never done a dedicated tutorial on it, but I think I've got a Captain America video on here somewhere. I basically just watercolor directly over the ink (which has to be waterproof ink).
Hi, great video, I'm really learning a lot, thanks for your very in depth lesson. Just a question in a previous answer you mentioned to eventually switch to a pen. Could you elaborate more and eventually suggesting a good pen to buy? Thanks again
+sessantasei ricma I still use a brush, but I've been getting into pens for sketching. There are so many, it's best to just buy a bunch and see what you like. I got mine from JetPens and haven't found one I didn't like. If I had to choose, I'd say get the Staedtler Pigment Liner set of 4 (0.1 - 0.7 mm). And Pentel makes a great pocket brush pen.
Thank you! I don't have any for download, but I've seen plenty of decent sized art on Google Images. And if you have Photoshop, I've got a blue-line conversion template available in my tool shop: paolorivera.gumroad.com/l/blue-line?layout=profile
@@PaoloRiverayessir the template does work ..i have been inking over blue lines for some time now..thank you for the reply but what i meant was for the pencils you were inking for the demo. Again thank you for the replies sir
You just gotta do it. If you're looking for inking practice in particular, find artists whose work you like online and do master copies. Draw every day, if you can.
In this video, I'm inking over blue-line printouts of finished pencils. Typically, I use .5 or .7 mm mechanical pencils with HB lead. The ones I'm using now I got from a grocery store, so it really doesn't matter. That being said, if you're looking for a good blue lead, Pilot has my favorite: www.jetpens.com/Pilot-Color-Eno-Mechanical-Pencil-Lead-0.7-mm-Soft-Blue/pd/1476
***** I print them on the same paper I pencil on, 2-ply bristol board. I tend to use the 11 x 17 sheets from Strathmore, 500 series, which is made from cotton, rather than pulp.
This is a great video and I check it out any time I find myself hitting a rough spot when it comes to inking. One nitpick, though - At some point I think the audio goes out of sync with the video. It's not a huge problem, but it can be distracting at times when what you're describing doesn't line up with the actions of your hands.
Yeah, I think it starts at the beginning and just gets worse. I recorded it with my phone, which I don't think was meant to go for that long. I think I'll just do shorter segments in the future. Glad you like it, though!
Really nice stuff Paolo. Love your comic front pages with a lot of detail and great inking technique. The only thing is your microphone. It really clicks a lot. I don't know if it's just me, but with headphones on, the sound really irritate my ears. That's to bad because the content is so important.
Yeah, sorry about that. I just recorded with my phone. Next time, I'll break it up into segments as well, as the audio and video gets out of sync as time passes.
Oh, didn't notice the out of sync part. Maybe it's hard to tell when we can't see you talking. But you should really get a dedicated microphone, because you're inking technique is really good. Helped me a lot with my brush!
Absolutely. I have a few from the Pentel series and use them regularly for sketching and convention commissions. They maintain a very sharp point, though, so it can be tough to make those dots and dashes. I've contemplated trimming the tip so it's more blunt, but I haven't built up the courage yet.
Paolo Rivera I'm using the pentel pocket, and I've been able to practice most of the techniques you detailed in the vid, and dots/dashes went ok, but what I'm having trouble with on this brush pen is the techniques for hair and fur. I can't seem to get the edge to split into the tiny tips at all.
Lionheart72230 Yeah, that might be a bit too small to really get the full effect. You need a pretty good-sized brush to do that. Also, the nylon fibers have more "spring" to them than natural hair. That means they're more likely to hold their intended shape, which is basically a curving cone.
next time i'd show how to use liquid masking, and white gesso on the brush for things like hair and corrections. i've been dabbling in professional comic book illustration since 95'. i didn't learn anything from this, but i watched the whole video, it's still cool to see the magic happen.
I used to do more with white out (I used titanium white Acryla Gouache) but now all my corrections are done digitally. I just couldn't beat it for speed.
Paolo Rivera understood! i wasn't sure if this video was the "here's my current method" or "here's what pros can use". i almost never use white with a brush for corrections, i mainly use it as a tool for drawing. think of what you see stuart sayger or sienkiewitz doing. that sorta approach.
Had Rivera stayed on Spider-man, comics in general would still be relevant today. But, we all know that Marvel spends its money on other things, things other than their actual bread and butter.
