Developing my Style through Ink

In preparation for my next book, which will be drawn traditionally, I have been putting forth extra time in the day to strengthen my inking skills. My style changes depending on the medium I use. The reason I didn't go with ink for the first book was because I felt like I wasn't too good at it, and that I was much better using a pencil since that's what I had become accustomed to. I opted to use an iPad because of its HB pencil brush tool and became a mostly digital artist. I want that to change, and this is how I do that.

When I doodle all over a page like this, I am able to think about multiple characters. This is when I see my best results in terms of character creation and design. I almost always think of their names, background and personality, and try to see if they can fit into my story and how impactful I can make them without just seeming like another addition to the story with no purpose.

Lately I've also been using more pencil under drawings for finished characters like this. Even though I'm confident in my freehanding abilities, my work is just that much more structured when I have an underdrawing. I also have the ability to play around with design, clothes, pose and what not without having to straight up commit.

I find watching good movies as key to finding inspiration. I recently watched "The Black Klansman" and got so inspired to draw strong black heroins from the 70's. A good idea is worth more than its weight in gold. When you're inspired, take advantage of the moment. There are so many times you'll find yourself uninspired and lacking the creativity to draw something you like. When inspiration comes around, I get straight down to work, creating characters and stories that push me forward.

I continued with the woman from above. I tried to figure an outfit for her by combining her Brooklyn style with Japanese fashion. I also played around with the wolf's face. I'm always seeking the perfect character design for my personal taste.

For this piece, I used my anatomy knowledge to lead me. Every lesson I've posted thus far is what I learned and practiced daily so I would be able to produce dynamic characters and poses suitable for comics. I'll get into clothing practice in the near future.

I find a good moivator for drawing is creating a small scene, or something that would appear in a comic panel. This character most likely won't appear in my story, but giving him dialogue instantly helps bring him to life just that much more.

I struggled with drawing women's faces. I always have one way of doing it. So I found an artist who I admire, @miss.jisu, and I studied her faces over and over until I picked up her ques, such as where to put lines and where not to. Sometimes less is more, and in the case of drawing women faces, I find that to be very true. Too many lines add age and wrinkles. This is how I developed my style as a kid, and it's still how I improve. By learning from other masters.

I hope this gave you a little bit more insight to how I work and think when drawing. Anyways, happy doodles!