My tools that got me through INKtober 2019
1. Col-erase Colored Pencils
These are the pencils I would sketch with before I started inking. I love that these do not smudge as bad as a graphite pencil, and erasing them is a breeze. They don't leave deep scratch marks either, so they are ideal for sketching, erasing and inking over. The various blues allowed me to sketch in the lightest, build shapes with the middle value and darken with the Indigo.
2. Erasers
Just a standard nylon eraser. And just a standard kneaded eraser. BUT the Tough Stuff Eraser is my go to workhorse. These erasers are very tough (duh) eraser and can remove a lot of errors, including ink--if you are fast enough. It is retractable--click out what you want to use, store it away so it doesn't get gross when you are done. Lastly was a "cat tongue" sand eraser. This was great for stubborn pencil marks and the errant ink splash here and there.
3. Pentel Pocket Brush Pen
This is my go-to inking powerhouse. I have had this pen for about 10 years and the synthetic bristles have held up over that time. The ink will last a long while too, so re-fills don't become an issue. I also love that I can get super thin lines and beastly lines in one tool. Lastly, the ink is also super-dark which is great for large backgrounds and hair/fuzz/fur.
4. Tombow Brush Pens
These are my go to pens for inking any illustration. They have a brush nib so they can give you thick and thin lines with very little change in pressure. The ink is nice and rich and the two styles give you thick lines as well as super thin ones. And for $4.25 for both of them they are a steal!
5. Uni-Ball Signo--White
This is my standard, white, gel pen. Great for last second highlights, glints in an eye, or some streaks in hair. I have used a ton of white gel pens, and this one, by far, gets the job done.
6. Staedtler Pigment Liner
These are just your basic, run-of-the-mill technical pens that are very similar to Micron Pens, but just a different brand. I like the gray barrels, and the nibs seem to last a little longer. I used a 01 and 05 during inktober. I only used these for hatching and cross-hatching lines, never for outlining. The ink seems a little too gray for that.
7. Pentel Brush pen
I picked up this brush pen (along with some others) on a sale that I could not refuse. The other friends of his were not waterproof, so they did not last too long. This one, however, is! BUT it took FOREVER to dry and often times would bleed with the WN gray markers.
8. Winsor & Newton Brush Markers
I picked these up on a whim (and with a coupon) and I have to say they are quite fantastic. The values in between the grays is perfect, they are not too dark, nor too light. The nibs are soft and flexible on one end and crisp on the other.
(not pictured) Strathmore 300 series Mixed Media sketchbook
I had been using Canson's Mixed Media paper for the last 3 INKtobers, but this year I stumbled upon Strathmore's Mixed Media paper, and I am a fan. The paper is super smooth for pencil and ink and the ink stays put with absolutely no feathering. Also, I layered a ton of the WN markers page after page and I rarely had any ink touch the next page. It performed beautifully!
These are the pencils I would sketch with before I started inking. I love that these do not smudge as bad as a graphite pencil, and erasing them is a breeze. They don't leave deep scratch marks either, so they are ideal for sketching, erasing and inking over. The various blues allowed me to sketch in the lightest, build shapes with the middle value and darken with the Indigo.
2. Erasers
Just a standard nylon eraser. And just a standard kneaded eraser. BUT the Tough Stuff Eraser is my go to workhorse. These erasers are very tough (duh) eraser and can remove a lot of errors, including ink--if you are fast enough. It is retractable--click out what you want to use, store it away so it doesn't get gross when you are done. Lastly was a "cat tongue" sand eraser. This was great for stubborn pencil marks and the errant ink splash here and there.
3. Pentel Pocket Brush Pen
This is my go-to inking powerhouse. I have had this pen for about 10 years and the synthetic bristles have held up over that time. The ink will last a long while too, so re-fills don't become an issue. I also love that I can get super thin lines and beastly lines in one tool. Lastly, the ink is also super-dark which is great for large backgrounds and hair/fuzz/fur.
4. Tombow Brush Pens
These are my go to pens for inking any illustration. They have a brush nib so they can give you thick and thin lines with very little change in pressure. The ink is nice and rich and the two styles give you thick lines as well as super thin ones. And for $4.25 for both of them they are a steal!
5. Uni-Ball Signo--White
This is my standard, white, gel pen. Great for last second highlights, glints in an eye, or some streaks in hair. I have used a ton of white gel pens, and this one, by far, gets the job done.
6. Staedtler Pigment Liner
These are just your basic, run-of-the-mill technical pens that are very similar to Micron Pens, but just a different brand. I like the gray barrels, and the nibs seem to last a little longer. I used a 01 and 05 during inktober. I only used these for hatching and cross-hatching lines, never for outlining. The ink seems a little too gray for that.
7. Pentel Brush pen
I picked up this brush pen (along with some others) on a sale that I could not refuse. The other friends of his were not waterproof, so they did not last too long. This one, however, is! BUT it took FOREVER to dry and often times would bleed with the WN gray markers.
8. Winsor & Newton Brush Markers
I picked these up on a whim (and with a coupon) and I have to say they are quite fantastic. The values in between the grays is perfect, they are not too dark, nor too light. The nibs are soft and flexible on one end and crisp on the other.
(not pictured) Strathmore 300 series Mixed Media sketchbook
I had been using Canson's Mixed Media paper for the last 3 INKtobers, but this year I stumbled upon Strathmore's Mixed Media paper, and I am a fan. The paper is super smooth for pencil and ink and the ink stays put with absolutely no feathering. Also, I layered a ton of the WN markers page after page and I rarely had any ink touch the next page. It performed beautifully!