Hi guys, I've been thinking about getting some basic Copic or Blick markers to do some flat color on the black and white ink sketch cards I've been doing..
For those of you who use markers on your ink work, is it better to color *after* the inking is done, or color over the pencils and *then* ink?
I'm hoping that they work well over existing ink, as that'd be easiest for me at my novice coloring level... but I'd love to hear techniques or suggestions, thanks!
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Recreations vs. Original work
So folks who've been watching me for a while have probably noticed that for the last 3 years or so, I've pretty much only been posting recreation work rather than my own original comics or illustrations. Every so often I feel like I should be doing more 'original' work in my own style, like a comic or even more book illustrations. However, I've been kind of depressed and/or anxious for a lot of the last year or so - mostly for fairly obvious reasons (insert various pictures of 2020/21 here), and an assortment of pretty basic personal anxieties.
Doing original work takes a heck of a lot of energy and enthusiasm that I just haven't had for a while, doing compositions, layouts, etc. really takes a lot out of me. Yet, I still feel soothed by the act of inking - it's a great anxiety relief - so I keep myself busy doing recreations. Luckily enough I've had a steady client wait list for 3 years running, so I've always got something to work on. It's also a good way to have steady funds
Summer Cover Recreation Commissions
ETA: My commission list is now closed - I'm going to be focusing on new comics and personal recreation pieces for a while. Now that I've completed both of my last two big illustration assignments, I've decided I'm going to spend the next few months doing cover recreations only...and then pick up some more book illustration assignments in late Fall.If you are interested in a classic cover recreation (silver/bronze age - not really a fan of doing recreations where there's a lot of computer color & typesetting), here is what I'm asking:11x17" cover recreation ($100 each) - all logos, trade dress/etc hand-drawn on Strathmore 300 series brist...
Quandry regarding older, but popular work.
Between 10-15 years ago, I used to draw comic page commissions where I would offer to illustrate a page of script by the commissioner. The idea was that this would set me apart from all of the artists doing mostly pinup work, and it also sounded like a fun project. It *was* pretty fun for a while, although the kind of jobs that would come my way quickly transitioned (so to speak) into mostly fetish or transformation pieces. I was OK with this for a while, and did them for a couple of years. I felt an ego boost from having folks enjoy my work and be willing to pay for it, but eventually wasn't real happy with the subject matter and cease...
Deviantart Birthday Quiz
- How long have you been on DeviantArt? Nearly 10 years. Seems like longer! :D - What does your username mean? Dalgoda was one of my favorite indy comics from the 80s, and I used to draw little cartoon heads of the character on napkins when I'd go to a restaurant. At some point I tried using it as a username on a website years ago, and was told it was not available, hence 'Dalgoda7'. - Describe yourself in three words.
Cartoonist. Daydreamer. Obsessed. - Are you left or right handed? Left for mousing, right everything else. - What was your first deviation? A scratchboard of a theme I'd done years prior, combining Captain America ...
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I use Copics after inking with Micron pens. I highly recommend this combo. Copics are alcohol based so water won't make them bleed, not to mention that Copic markers are refillable. I buy ink refills from Otakufuel on ebay. The refill bottles can completely refill a marker up to 10 times! They only cost about $5-6 per refill bottle as compared to about $8 per new marker. That is a huge money and trash saver! The only issues I've sometimes run into is with ink smudging or getting on the marker tips. That only happens when the ink isn't fully dry on the paper or if the marker is getting too dry so it starts is absorb rather than laydown color. One thing to note, that not many people discuss, is the Copic Colorless blender. The name is rather misleading as it doesn't assist with blending colors. It is is basically rubbing alcohol so it pushes Copic ink around. I use it like an eraser or to clean the marker tips off if colors mix. I personally use the sketch style Copics as they have a nice brush tip. It feels like painting and provides control over thin to thick strokes. You can do plenty more customization with Copic markers and inks but I digress. If you use the Copics with your inking pens properly they will work very nicely together. If you have any question feel free to reach out. I hope this helps with the information you seek.