Just The Inks

Inking sets the tone for the entire finished piece. In a 2-dimensional medium such as comics, the varying degrees of light and dark are often represented using three main ingredients: line weights, solid blacks, and rendering. Different combinations of these ingredients produce different results. For example, animators will often use simpler lines and solid blacks to make it easier for the viewer to follow (and far less time consuming for the artists to draw). On the other hand, some artists will use lots of rendering such as hatching, cross-hatching, or even stippling, to produce highly detailed pieces of art.

My approach to inking is to balance the simple with the complex. I want the images to be clear, yet incorporate some grittiness. I want the character or setting to look realistic enough to be relatable to the viewer, but also look larger than life (because that's what makes it interesting).

Here you will find examples from some of my more popular pieces that show my own style, as well as my many experiments with different styles. Most of these have never been seen by anyone. So, I truly hope you enjoy them, and come away with a better appreciation of the amount work that goes into finished artwork!