Great comic book inkers

A penciller, who renders the original drawing in pencil. I think some readers will say they want inkers, and prefer that style, as will some artists certainly. But the art of comic book inking is mainly intended for. A comic book writer should be able to communicate clearly with artists and editors to make sure all the elements of the project come together to create a cohesive whole. Go join our insiders facebook group to get your question in the next interview. On 4 may 2012, john sketched characters and signed comics for 50 hours straight to raise money for.

In comics from 1941, frank giacoias smooth, thick line has been recognizable over a surfeit of outstanding pencillers. This is used primarily in the inking of comic books. When finishing a comic book we generally talk about the writing and art, if the artwork is solid, we praise the artists on the title naturally, but its unfair to honor the artist without also acknowledging the talent that enhances the art. Thanks so much, ive been meaning to spotlight some inkers and colorists, because they can totally make or break the art and its not everyday that it gets a mention. N otwithstanding that gil kane was a beneficiary of some of the finest inking of any artist in the history of comics, his sentiment is largely accurate. Its one of the most important and most unrecognized aspects of comic books.

However, i feel like im not able to fully appreciate the creative process necessary to create them. Scott williams adds a lot to jim lees work and others. By creative bloq staff computer arts 11 march 2014. In the foreword, gary martin says the art of comic book inking is intended for people who want to become inkers working inkers who havent had professional training pencillers who want their work to be more inkerfriendly the majority of editors working in comics todaythis isnt a. Do comic book artists still use ink and paper, or is it all. They use ink to incorporate dynamic lighting, and add shading and textures which may be lacking in the penciled work. There is a reason people still press it into the hands of those whove never read a comic before. Inking was necessary in the traditional printing process as presses could not reproduce pencilled drawings. Also, if you need character reference, ask your editor. Pages in category comics inkers the following 89 pages are in this category, out of 89 total. All it involves is tracing over lines that have already been drawn, right. I eventually realized that an inker can overpower the. Can someone please give me examples of good inkinginkers. The inker sometimes credited as the finisher or embellisher is one of the two line artists in traditional comic book production the penciller creates a drawing, the inker outlines, interprets, finalizes, retraces this drawing by using a pencil, pen or a brush.

This brush pack is ideal for a wide range of uses including comic books, cartoons, hand lettering, and more. Joe rubenstein, bob mcleod, klaus janson and many others each owe a stylistic debt to him. Contrary to the remarks to banky in kevin smiths film chasing amy, a comic book inker is far more than just a tracer. This ink is a black carbonbased ink that is used because it retains its color when put to the page. Jack kirby doesnt really have a place in comic book history. This category is for comic book inkers, specifically those who primarily make a living embellishing other artists pencil work, rather than their own.

The broken inkers brush set is the perfect brush set for creating realistic inky pen effects in photoshop. Hard to say whos the best comic book inker, best overall ever was probably frazetta. To be honest though, some of that may be due to nostaligia, in that the era in which he inked f. Learn about the comic artists secret sidekick, the inker vice. His primary comic book inking experience includes big bang comics for image. If you find an issue in the database that is not shown here, please edit that issue adding frank frazetta as one of the inkers. What to look for in the best pens for drawing comics. Dear inkers, the inkwell awards, the only nonprofit organization devoted to public education and promotion of the art of comic book inking, is asking fans and professionals to choose their industry favorites in this years inkewell awards the official public ballot will be available on the inkwells homepage from february 23rd through 29th.

Before anyone cries outrage at why george perez and walt simonson are not on this list, despite continuing to produce amazing work, please remember that were just talking about seminal works from the last 25 years. I bought that terrible ff movie just to get that documentary and threw out the wretched film. If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the faq by clicking the link above. Though inkers have their own fans and followers, many often go unnoticed or are glossed over by most awards events. Gerry alanguilian makes yus work so much more awesome. From a production viewpoint, their role is to convert t.

Gary martins the art of comic book inking is a professionalgrade guide to inking comic books. This is a fiveminute video of me inking a comic book page using a quill and india ink. Its a great way to get free comics delivered to your door. Generally, a brush or pen is used to ink comic book pages, but some inkers use both.

The most common inking utensils are the crowquill pen and brushes. Please remember that like our companion piece, the 100 greatest american comic book artists, this list follows only american artists from the aboveground publishers. One of the main reasons to go to comic book conventions is to see your favorite comic book creators. Sep 17, 2017 how does a batman comic book inker work. Often we create over the work of those who created before us. Gary martins two volumes of the art of comicbook inking have become the industrystandard manuals for aspiring inkers seeking to take their work to the next level or for working professionals looking to broaden their skills base. A list of the top twenty comic book artists who are creating comic book art right now from superhero comics to small press graphic novels. Simply put, a comic book inker renders another artists pencil drawings in india ink. You can consider inking as a precursor to the actual comic book coloring where you will still need to have a steady hand when using the markers and other drawing instruments. Bennett is joined by inkers sandra hope, jaime mendoza, and art thibert. If you are posting a wip it must be at least 60% finished work in progress. This is our collection of comic issues inked by frank frazetta. What other jobs in the comic book industry would you like to learn about. Mar, 2017 a description of what a comic book inker is for beginners, with quotes from professional inkers.

He drew marvels wolverine with author mark millar as part of the characters 30thanniversary celebration. In comics since the 40s, george roussos was so adept with a brush in his hand that his coworkers appointed the nickname inky to him. Beaver especially since hefner had script approval and he routinely pushed for more titillation, but it was still a great comic by two comic book masters. Since that fateful day in 1938 when superman bounded into life in the first issue of action comics, artists and illustrators have found themselves. What were some of the inkers you dreaded seeing listed in the credits of a comic book. Though often derided as tracers or shaders, comic book inkers are a vital part of the process. The 10 greatest comic book artists of all time creative bloq. Refine your comic book inker job search to find new opportunities in new york new york. Jun 11, 2019 to celebrate the last 25 years in comics, were looking back at the greatest comic book artists from the last quarter century. Inkers, colorists, and letterers the often forgotten.

But when taking the pepsi challenge, i doubt your average comic book reader can tell the difference between digitally produced work and traditional work, nor would they care. The european comics i read are a mixture of everything. Tom has been a marvel mainstay ever since, giving the most mundane of stories a polish and direction which show he truly contributes a great load to the process. Inkers, colorists, and letterers the often forgotten heroes.

In comics from 1941, frank giacoias smooth, thick line has been recognizable. Inking may be one of the most misunderstood disciplines of the comic art world. A descriptive listing and ranking of the 20 greatest american comic book inkers. Kevin nowlan is a tremendous inker that actually overpowers anyone he inkers and turns the art into his. Gil kane who called him an extraordinarily powerful inker, carmine infantino, gene colan and jack kirby all benefited from his heavy, robust linework which always helped tell the story in a simple, direct way. Through the use of high quality ink, you can ensure that it is not going to go through the paper, smudge or smear across the entire comic that youre drawing. Apr 21, 2016 great post dennis and youre so right about that kirby documentary. A tip for beginning inkers, if youve never worked with the penciler before, now would be a good time to call him with any questions or just to introduce yourself and see what hes looking for in the finished product. Masterworks series of great comic book artists vol 1 2. John romita jr was nominated for a will eisner comic industry award in 1989 for his work on daredevil. Text works together with the art to create the story, world, and. Without good ink work, comics tend to not feel right. Professional comic book inker jimmy reyes shares his opinion and experience on what he finds to be the best retail bristol board for comic book inking.

What are some hallmarks of quality comic book inking. Prominent pencilerinker partnerships are frank millerklaus janson batman. The inker is one of the two line artists in traditional comic book production. It is a beautiful relationship that has been around for most of the lifetime of comic books.

Inking comic books by hand surely has its rewards especially if you plan to do the entire comic book project by yourself. The first line of the documentary cemented it for me. Coletta was horrible but even he could not destroy kirby on thor. A good inker can salvage shaky pencils, while a bad one can obliterate great draftsmanship andor muddy good storytelling. Portraying the mass, depth, and form of your objects. Many notable female comics creators exist even though the field of. A rare look at two interpretations of the same pencils, by al williamson and bernard krigstein. May 11, 2017 xxxenophile was a comic book series that phil foglio wrote and drew with a number of different inkers, typically some of the best and brightest comic book artists of the era in the late 1980s through 1995 that was an anthology series of sex stories with a sense of the absurd mixed in. The results are fantastic and superb in quality, but. His style was often thick, heavy with blacks and sported nice contrasts which complimented one of his prime collaborators in the 50s, mort meskin. As with traditional book publishers, this process can be a daunting one. Those incidents scarred him to such an extent that he decided it might be safer for him to change course and apply himself to the tradition of the great comic book inkers.

Writers, artists, inkers, colorists, and more are at the convention on hand to sign autographs, make sketches, chat, and discuss comic books. Take a spin through our collection of amazing artists. The great grand masters of comics are still drawing traditional with pen and ink and watercolor. Feb 08, 2018 what other jobs in the comic book industry would you like to learn about. Xxxenophile was a comic book series that phil foglio wrote and drew with a number of different inkers, typically some of the best. The inker sometimes credited as the finisher or embellisher is one of the two line artists in traditional comic book production. By writing this book, i hope to demystify a very important part of the comic book creative process. How to make a comic book, design, characters, and cover. This is a list of women who have been involved with producing comic books and comic strips. Sinnott and stone are among the best comic book inkers. The 25 greatest comic book artists from the last 25 years. From action blockbusters to the lego movie, the influence of comic artists on popular culture has never been greater.

Overall, this was one of the best books on comic book creation i have read, for example, better than the basic dc comics guides. So he snatched up a windsornewton and proceeded to dazzle the plebs at school with his black and white renditions, attaining the previously unimaginable status of cool. The biggest comic book names since 1992, all combined in one place. In addition, his popularity and skill influenced the next generation of inkers.

Kevin nowlan is maybe my favorite artist in all of comics though man, bill s. I hadnt realized how much his legion inkers had been carrying his water prior to that. Oct 11, 2017 when i first started collecting comics back in the 1970s, i was drawn to the art. How to submit an idea to a comic book company pen and.

To celebrate the last 25 years in comics, were looking back at the greatest comic book artists from the last quarter century. Typically, in comics, there are two artists who work on any book. His primary comic book inking experience includes big bang comics for image, david hahns serena published by an. Old school comic book fan join date may 2014 location philadelphia, pa posts 19,926. Search for full time or part time employment opportunities on jobs2careers. Apr 03, 2018 though inkers have their own fans and followers, many often go unnoticed or are glossed over by most awards events. Patrick tuller is an illustrator and comic book artistinker. Broken inkers for adobe photoshop unique photoshop add. But i would notice that some of the comics drawn by my favorite artists didnt look as good as other comics they drew. It is a great way to get into the mind of your creators and see what makes them tick. The trick here is that almost anything that can put ink on paper can be used from mechanical pens, to sharpies, to qtips or sponges.

Comic book artists do not just settle in shading their works using pencil. While we as inkers know how to draw as well, it is not always our own pencils we sit down to ink. Everything youve heard about this graphic novel, first published as a 12issue series in 1986 and 1987, is true. Im talking about the inkers, colorists and the letterers a. Learn these different styles and comic book art techniques. Apr 12, 2015 hard to say whos the best comic book inker, best overall ever was probably frazetta. If youve purchased this book solely for the art by our spectacular roster of contributors, youll get your moneys worth. Gary martins two volumes of the art of comic book inking have become the industrystandard manuals for aspiring inkers seeking to take their work to the next level or for working professionals looking to broaden their skills base.

The inker plays critical roles in the development of comic book art. Hes actually one of my favorite kirby inkers, and probably my very favorite. Richard dick ayers born april 28, 1924 is an american comic book artist and cartoonist best known for his work as one of jack kirbys inkers during. The comic book writer isnt the artist, but the writer is the source of the ideas that drive the comic. In the foreword, gary martin says the art of comicbook inking is intended for people who want to become inkers working inkers who havent had professional training pencillers who want their work to be more inkerfriendly the majority of editors working in comics todaythis isnt a. The 25 greatest comic book artists from the last 25 years syfy wire. The art of comic book inking rewrite anina bennett p.

What exactly does an inker do and how is this different from colorers and increase the effect of comic books as art. Do comic book artists still use ink and paper, or is it. Though inkers have their own fans and followers, many often go. Great post dennis and youre so right about that kirby documentary. Mar 11, 2014 the 10 greatest comic book artists of all time by creative bloq staff computer arts 11 march 2014 from action blockbusters to the lego movie, the influence of comic artists on popular culture has never been greater. The penciller creates a drawing, the inker outlines, interprets, finalizes, retraces this drawing by using a pencil, pen or a brush. Which comic book artists did you absolutely hate growing up. Famous inkers include tom palmer, al gordon and mike esposito. Like most golden age inkers, roussos toiled in complete anonymity until the advent of the marvel age, when his work under the name george bell made him well known to fans. Every character had that squished square face, weird mouths, just awful.