Manual=Speed!

Note to self:

• Drawing and inking one cartoon digitally – 35 mins
• Drawing and inking same cartoon on a piece of paper – 8 mins.

 

Do the math….

Martin Landau

I love the old “Mission Impossible”, and after hearing about the death of one of my favourite actors, I really thought it was time I gave him a shot.  I first saw Martin in “Space 1999” as Commander Koenig, the first season on which was absolutley fabulous (the second was pants, but we won’t go there…:) ).  Later on, I realised he’d been in “Mission Impossible” (I sort of caught that program in the 70’s before Landau’s stint) and it wasn’t until then that I really was a truly great actor he was, as well as being a gifted cartoonist!
This was drawn in my new sketchbook – a Moleskine Watercolour A4 sketchbook to be presise – which takes watercolour and ink pretty well.  Initially I found that the baby oil I use to blend the pencils came throug the other side of the paper, but I’ve since found that Zest-it pencil blend does not, so I’ll be using that in this sketchbook from now on.  The ink lines are from several different fountain pens each filled with Platinum Carbon Ink.  yes, I know what I said about the ink in the previous post, but that’s because I didn’t shake it (blushes).  I decided to use a sketchbook as I wanted something to collect my sketches in, rather than having them loose!

Since this picture, I’ve started doing Peter Graves – this time using indian ink (Talens) with a dip pen fitted with a waverly nib (a’la Quentin Blake) which I really enjoyed using.  Currently waiting for it to dry…

Waterproof Ink

It’s been a frustrating day at Raven Towers.

In preparation to move my caricature work into a Watercolour folio, I wanted to find some proper waterproof ink (as you know, I use watercolour for the base of my caricature sketches, and having waterproof ink is a must).  So, here is what I’ve tried…

• Noodlers Bullitproof Black Ink (in various fountain pens)
• Platinum Carbon Ink (in various fountain pens)
• Sumi Ink
• Kuretake Black Ink 60
• Winsor & Newton Indian Ink (my last resort)
• Various pigment markers - such as Sakura, Faber PITT, DR, Kuretake Mangaka

The results were dissapointing…..

As you can see, virtually everything apart from the W&N and the pigment markers wasn’t waterproof – even ink that specifically  said that it was.

So, I’m left using either pigment markers, or W&N if I want to use brush or dip pen – fountain pens are OUT (a real shame, as I like my Rotring Artpens…)  I might have to try some Rotring drawing ink and compare that…