Thursday, May 03, 2007

A word on tracing.

lost_robot
I am an absolutely awful inker.
No one is going to try and tell you otherwise, but if they do, they are lying.
I hate it.
I've been working on this one page comic about "Streets of Rage" all week for Lifemeter. I liked my pencils fine, but I feel like the inks I've done for it are just awful and soulless.
Blah.
It's done though.
For better or worse, it's done.
Well, the inking is. I started coloring it, and I'm hating how that's looking as well. Understand, I'm not a negative guy.

I've taken to drawing on CDs. These two feature Sagat of Street Fighter 2 fame and Erik Larsen's Dragon.
Sagat says get it together!
The Savage Dragon feels your words. Your sexy words.

5 comments:

Pulpatooner said...

The biggest enemy of good inking is being stressed out about inking. Lightboxing is a great way to relieve that stress. Since you don't lose the original pencils, it's easier to relax and take the casual risks that add life to your line. If you screw something up, you can always white it out. If you really, really screw something up, you can toss that sheet and lightbox a new one.

Don't think this requires any investment, either. My lightbox is a pance of glass I set in my lap with a desklamp between my feet. Once, while visiting my brother, I used the window of an oven with the light on.

chrishaley said...

That oven bit is hilarious.
I've witnessed that panel of glass in your lap lightbox and it made me really nervous for you.
The page I'm talking about inking was actually a blue line print-out of the pencils on bristol, so I've still got the original pencils if I ever get an itch to try and re-ink it.
Part of the problem was the deadline I was on, I think. Fretting over getting it done quickly made way for an even greater case of the jitters.
I did make good use of the white out pen though, and that worked out a lot better than I thought it would once I got to the scanning stage.
Also, here's as good a place as any to thank you, as many of the little tips and what not you've given me came to my aid while making this comic. So, thank you.

Anonymous said...

where is said comic? i wanna feast my eyes on its glory and majesty. you can do no wrong, chris. well, maybe if you kicked babies you could. but only with that.

Pulpatooner said...

You're too kind, I'm sure, Chris. Except, what's this I hear about you kicking babies? For shame, man!

april said...

oh, but it turned out great! things just get old after you've looked at them so long. i'm very proud of yous :)

also, thank you for my savage dragon cd. i am ready for another one.