Anvilhead Ink Test

Confidence with inking is (slowly) improving! If folks can’t tell from looking at this, I’m going for a Toppi style to the textures and mid-tones. Not calling this a success, just a step in the right direction… Or at least a direction. Need to gain a little patience and self-control. Self crits are the obvious blotting and crosshatching direction changes are far too random.

Test inks for Anvilhead drawing, page 4 of graphic novel Metal Messiah.

To be honest, I have very rarely liked my own work in inks – but I’ve rarely done test runs before jumping into a project. Must slow down and get in the right frame of mind before starting… Maybe even warm up? If I’d practiced inking as much as I’ve sketched I’m sure I’d be better off by now!

-Captain Obvious

Ink Test

Dusted off the old inks yesterday afternoon. I won’t post the entire piece, but I’m only semi satisfied with this style. Still seems a bit too busy, unplanned:

Ink test for Metal Messiah - a cartoony face/skull screaming at the viewer with blue line work eliminated.

Not only testing out what skills I lost maintained, but also a technique I picked up somewhere of printing my own blue-lines. Saves a ton of time erasing since I can edit out out those non-photo blue lines easily in Photoshop, which also takes the pressure off seeing as I didn’t just destroy ruin ink over original pencils and can have another go without much effort:

Ink test for Metal Messiah - a cartoony face/skull screaming at the viewer with blue line work visible underneath.
Ah… progress?

Back to it – determined that his book will see light of day!

-Sean