zeds-dead-baby-zeds-dead asked: What kind of drawing pens do you use? Also, how do you format the panels on the paper? do you use a ruler or? Thank you!
Hey, thank you for your questions! I’m going to delve into this a little bit, because I like it when other artists go into how they work and what tools they use.
If I could, I’d carry hundreds of nib pens and brush pens and pencils and whatever else with me at all times, just to have a range of choices. But since that is highly impractical most of the time, this is what I carry with me when I’m out of the house, the bare bones of what I need to work:
Almost all of my line work is done with the black Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pen, in Superfine. Sometimes I’ll use the Fine nib for thicker panel outlines, but not very often because I keep several Superfine nibs around at different stages of degradation for different line qualities. For any cross-hatching, patterning on clothing or backgrounds, faces, hair, and really anything else, I use a size 02 Micron. I used to use Microns exclusively when I first started making comics, but I wasn’t having luck with longevity of use with larger nibs. I learned from answers much like this one that other artists I enjoyed used the Pitt Pens, so I gave them a go and they’re perfect for how I like to work.
For panel formatting, it depends. If I’m outlining an entire page, I use a ruler and a lot of simple math to make sure things look even and succinct on the page. If I’m just making a small 2-4 panel comic in a sketchbook or something, I’ve taken to traveling with these:
Just little scraps of bristol board, cut to specific dimensions that I use frequently, and labeled so I know what I’m working with. I initially made several of these for Hourly Comic Day 2012 when I knew I’d be at work all day, but still wanted a uniform look for my panels, and now I just keep them along with all of my other drawing stuff for quick guides.
Whew, there ya go! Sorry this got a little long-winded!
