The Art of Inking!

No matter how beautifully a page may be drawn in pencil, it cannot be printed in a comicbook unless black india ink is applied to the original pencil drawing. That means someone has to trace over the initial penciled artwork with either a paintbrush or drawing pen, transforming each illustration into a carefully "inked" final product.

However, always remember that an inker is not merely a person who traces a penciled drawing. The inker has to be an artist himself. (Or herself. No chauvinists we!) A gifted inker can make mediocre penciling look great; while a mediocre inker can make great penciling look dull!

Inking is vitally important. The more you know about it, the better. And here's where we begin ...

Inking can tend to be tiresome, and it requires relentless concentration. Therefore, you should make sure your posture is correct. Whatever you do, don't slouch over your drawing board. Sit up straight—slouching will make you weary and listless.

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TIP: The ink in your pen points and brushes will become hard and stiff if you don't keep them clean. Always keep a jar of clear water at hand and soak both brushes and pen points when they're not in use.

Even though india ink is more permanent than pencil, don't get uptight if you make a mistake. You can always paint over your error with opaque white paint, and—as soon as the paint dries—you can ink right over it.

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For ruling lines (which inkers are continually called upon to do) you can use a ruling pen. No need to dip it into the ink, though. You merely load a brush with ink, and then run it over the pen until the pen is filled.

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Later on, when you feel more adventurous, you can actually rule lines with your brush. It's far more difficult, but it often pays off because your finished lines will have more character, more interest. They won't be as stiff and totally uniform as lines ruled with a pen. Merely hold a ruler at about a 45-degree angle, and by varying the pressure of your brush, you can make lines of virtually any thickness.

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Your best bet is to become equally facile with both pen and brush. The pen is easiest when you're just inking black lines, but you'll need a brush for filling in solid black areas. Of course, you can also use your brush for drawing lines, but it's more difficult than the pen—it requires greater control on your part. The lines must be clean, sharp, and decisive—not ragged or scratchy. Still, we suggest you learn to use a brush—learn to virtually draw with your brush instead of merely tracing the pencil lines. You should feel you're creating them anew with the brush—feel that you're drawing them—otherwise the finished drawing may seem stiff and lifeless.

Notice the patches of design below. They were all done with a Windsor Newton #3 sable hair brush. Patches 1 through 4 are called "feathering." This is when your brush "feathers" a number of roughly parallel lines. Notice how some strokes go from thin to thick—all done with the same brush, by merely varying the pressure you place upon the brush. Patches 5 through 8 were done using the side of the brush. This technique is handy for inking hair on a character's head. In case you're wondering, 12 was done by dragging the point of a razor blade along the edge of a ruler.

Try duplicating these various strokes and, even better, see how many of your own you can create.

And now, let's take a few typical examples of inking and study them. We'll see if we can tell what's good about them—and what needs improving ...

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Here's a well-inked panel, shown the size it was originally worked on, and then reduced to the size it would appear in a comicbook, so that you can see how well it reproduces even when scaled down to comicbook panel size. Notice how the lines vary in thickness, and how they're heavier on the underside of the bodies—away from the light-giving solidity to the figures. Note also how clear the picture is, even though there are many figures and a wealth of detail. One of the most important tasks the inker faces is to insure that the drawing will be understandable to the reader, no matter how complicated it may be. One way to achieve this is to use heavy blacks to make the figures stand out from the background, as in this example.

Here we've taken the same panel and overworked it—used too many blacks and too many lines. Notice how complicated it looks in its original size, and how much less clear it is—how much more difficult to understand—after it's been reduced to comicbook panel size. Adding too many details and too much texture in the inking has made the figures blend with the background instead of standing out in sharp relief as the penciler intended. In short, the picture has become much harder to read, less pleasant to look at, and will also be more difficult to color.

Using the same penciled drawing once again, we go to another extreme. This time the inker didn't get nearly enough variety in his lines, or in his black areas. As you can see, his lines are almost all the same weight, with no feeling of "thick and thin." His solid black areas are too skimpy and too spotty; they're scattered all over the panel in no definite pattern, and seemingly for no particular reason. The figures don't stand apart from each other and they all seem to blend in with the background. As you can see, it's just as bad to keep a panel too light as it is to overwork the drawing.

Sometimes a penciler indicates in his penciled drawings where the black areas should go. Other times he leaves it to the inker. However, no matter how the decision is arrived at, the important thing is to know when and where to place your strong black areas, for too little or too much black can weaken or totally destroy a penciled drawing.

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While the black masses of course give a drawing solidity, they also help focus important elements in a picture by attracting the eye toward any desired area. Equally important is the use of solid and strong black masses to create dramatic moods within the drawing. Now, let's study some examples to help us clarify these points ...

Notice how the heavy black areas here are concentrated on just one side of the figure. There are almost no blacks in the light area on the other side. This technique serves to accomplish two things: 1) It gives the figure a feeling of dimension, of roundness. 2) It directs the reader's attention to the character's head by framing the head with massive black areas, directing the reader's eye to the all-important fearful face.

In this panel we have similar lighting, with one bright light source illuminating one side of the body and casting the other side in deep shadow. Even though the figures are drawn quite realistically, note how boldly and simply the heavy black shadows are applied. For the most dramatic effects, keep your inking simple, with just one definite light source in each panel.

Now let's analyze two more typical panels through the use of simplified diagrams. In the top panel, the artist's main purpose was to create a mood of fear and menace. Once again, notice how boldly and simply he applied his black masses. The heavy shadow seems to totally engulf the smaller white figure, which is sharply highlighted for maximum emphasis. In the corresponding panel on the right we've reduced the entire design to its simplest form, so that you can easily discern the crisp contrast between the stark black and white values.

Always remember—the placement of your black areas creates a definite pattern in every picture. This pattern must never be too complicated, or too busy, lest it confuse the reader. Whenever an illustration causes confusion in a reader's mind, it also causes the reader's attention to be diverted, thus breaking the dramatic mood that each preceding panel has attempted to create. In other words, Charlie, keep it simple—and keep it clear!

Here we have an extremely complicated scene. Yet, despite the wealth of detail, note how the placement of the black areas creates a pattern which seems to draw the reader's eye smoothly across the picture. Notice also how the three figures in the center have been given just enough black dabs—especially around their heads—to allow them to stand out from the background.

Next time you study a panel in order to analyze the inking technique, train yourself to squint your eye and try to recognize the way the black areas are massed for design, in the same way as we've attempted to show you by use of the two simplified panels on this page.

Here's a different application of blacks. On the previous page we saw the black areas used in a very realistic way; here we have an example of blacks being used decoratively. Notice how the black highlight lines on the ship seem to be aimed directly at the figures, focusing the reader's attention on Reed, Sue, and the baby. Notice also how the blacks in the upper areas of their bodies encircle the three heads, directing your eye right to the cluster of faces.

Next we have what seems to be a complicated arrangement of blacks but is actually a simple, very direct pattern. In this case, the use of blacks directs the reader's eye around the panel in a smooth, harmonious rhythm. See how the black shapes at the right side of the panel are large and bold, while those at the left are far smaller. The purpose of these smaller black areas is to counterbalance the larger black masses at the right. To prove this for yourself, simply cover the smaller, left-hand black areas with a piece of white paper and notice how the panel seems lopsided and off-balance without them.

Never add blacks merely because you've got some extra ink in your pen or brush. Always have a definite reason—either to enhance the design of the panel, or to help clarify a complicated layout. Of equal importance, of course, is the use of black to emphasize a certain mood. And, speaking of mood ...

Hey, how lucky can we be! Here's a perfect example of the use of blacks to create a certain mood! By squinting our eyes, or observing the simplified panel on the right, we can instantly see that all the black areas are in crisp, simple vertical or horizontal forms, thereby creating a calm, motionless scene—with the dramatic exception of the large, slanting black masses on the winged gargoyle, which add a sudden feeling of shock, of uneasiness, of impending danger and menace!

The large, vertical black designs within the fence bars are also tremendously important in this illustration, for they serve to unify the entire picture. Without them, the whole design would seem to fall apart.

In the panel below we have an entirely different feeling. Here, in order to dramatize the mood of the panel, the black designs seem to be jumping all over the place, creating a scene of chaos and action. But even here, note that the pattern—though seemingly jumpy—is also quite unified and consistent, helping to rivet the reader's eye on the action within the picture. From the standpoint of abstract design, the black areas are arranged to create a pleasing, exciting circular movement.

As you once again squint your eye to study the scene, notice how the two slashes of black across the bottom of the picture, from right to left, add to the action and also act as a unifying force.

For our final two examples, notice how this first picture is handled with extreme realism. The light is obviously coming from the left, casting everything on the right in deep shadow. See how the heavy black shadow areas emphasize the feeling of a horror story. You know it isn't a humor strip or a romance, just by looking at the design of the panel. Also, observe the way the black areas in the background give a feeling of authenticity and detail without detracting from the two important figures themselves. The panel is heavy, it's lush, it's melodramatic; and yet it's clear and compelling. In a word, it's Marvel!

Okay, let's consider the bottom panel. Notice how the large black areas on the building seem to point directly to the most important element of this picture, the leaping figure of Spider-Man above the roof. Of course you've already observed how the black designs in the figures of the police at the lower left serve to counterbalance the large black masses on the building. Another interesting point: the agitated staccato pattern of black and white on the officers seems to emphasize their action and frustration.

In summation, the penciler draws his panels in pencil, and then they must be finished by the inker. And, as you can see, it is up to the inker to decide where, and how boldly, to apply his black ink. The inker figures very importantly in determining the mood, the design, and the clarity of each panel. Thus, when you study a comicbook's artwork, you must always be conscious of two elements—the basic penciled drawing, and the inked version. Together, they add up to a completed illustration which is proudly presented to Marveldom Assembled!

Well, that wraps it up for now, gang. Naturally, we've only been able to scratch the surface of this fascinating, almost limitless subject. However, we hope that in these all-too-brief pages we've been able to give you a valuable and informative overview of what it takes to draw for the comicbooks. All anyone can really do is point the way—give you a few tips, a few suggestions. The hard work, alas, must be done by you.

And yet, the beautiful thing about being a comicbook artist—even about striving to be one—is that you have to love it in order to want to do it. Nobody gets into this field because someone else advised it, or because it seemed like a practical thing to do. No, being a comicbook illustrator is being engaged in a labor of love, and when you really enjoy what you're doing, that's almost reward enough.

At any rate, we've told you all we can—at least for now, in this, the first volume of its type ever published. You've gained some insight into what's required of the comicbook artist, and you've learned the types of things you must master in order to make the grade. The rest is up to you.

One last word before we turn you loose to unleash your talent upon a breathlessly waiting world. To be a great singer, you've got to sing. To be a great pianist, you've got to play piano. And to be a great artist (and Marvel isn't interested in any other kind), you've got to draw! Draw! Draw! Wherever you go, whatever you do, whenever you have a spare minute—draw! Sketch everything you see around you; sketch your friends, your enemies, relatives, strangers, anyone and everyone. Become as facile with a pencil, pen, or brush as you are with a knife and fork. The more you draw, the better you'll be. And we want you to be—the best!

Excelsior!