Inking comics is an art that dates back to long before I was born, but sometime after dinosaurs expired, and it will probably still be here when us lot are just distant memories. The art of inking has become more than just a technical procedure that enables art to be shot and printed. It has evolved into an integral part of the comic book art form.

As with all drawing, inking has its own particular specifics. Quality of line is everything, because the wrong line can convey the wrong tone or mood. Clarity is also a key point because the original function of inking was to refine the scribbles of a penciller to a format where the art could be easily read.

For this tutorial I guide you through the stages from blueline, through to inking with a brush and importing the art into Photoshop, ready for colours. I am using Windsor & Newton sable brushes along with a G5 Apple Mac and an Epson GT15000 A3 scanner. I have an A3 printer to do all of this. So, without further ado…