I’ve lately returned to pencilling pages in a notebook. For the past… I dunno … 300 pages? I’ve pencilled and inked directly on to the computer, and I think it’s some of the best work I’ve done, BUT I feel like I’m missing something from not touching paper. Not sure what exactly, it may well be all that I’m missing is the satisfaction of feeling pencils touch paper.
So I bought a couple of Sakura drawing pads (roughly A4 in size) they’ve replaced my previous love Canson 180 because… well, they’re a decent amount cheaper (£11 vs an astonishing £27 on amazon – price correct at time of writing, and honestly I’m shook it’s that much – brexit? supply problems? amazon algorithem going mad? dunno – it was about £18 before and I’m sure you can find it that price still)
The Sakura isn’t bad, the paper is pretty nice, the book lays reasonably flat (the canson lays totally flat, though the paper is rougher).
I’ve used it to pencil the most recent work I’ve done, so far there’s about 35 pages of pencilled comics in there – it’s nice to have and look at too. Pencils are generally a nice medium. Though I use HB leads, I seem to have two grades of HB leads – a cheap and expensive set and they are different on the paper. Very odd.
I’ll generally pencil, scan them in to clip studio and then resize and rejig the panels – so there’s still a bit more work to do with them than simply pencilling directly into the computer, but the bg advantage is I can pencil anywhere.
I would LOVE to return to old fashioned inking, particuarlyl with a brush, but I now lack the studio space to do that, but it’s a dream, innit (Plus everytime I did ink traditionally, it’s not long before I run back to the computer with my tail between my legs). I no longer have the eyesight, the subtly in the hand or the patience to work with traditional inking media. Real pity.
I think time can correct that – I taught myself to ink with a brush with my first pro comics gig for 2000ad, in 2000 – largely by stubbornly refusing to give up (and computer inking wasn’t an option, plus I’d convinced myself brush inking was the way pros worked – it’s not, they use whatever makes a mark)
I’ll post some pencils as the work sees print.
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