The Sleeper's Den

Ahem.

Welcome to my first sort of attempt at something supposed to resemble a tutorial. The best thing I could think of was to take you step by step through the process of inking a picture, and addressing as many issues as possible with your answers to my tutorial poll as a guideline. Because some of the issues you have put to me are quite terrifying (and, to be frank, I don’t think I am the right person to help you with them), I opted for a focus on something in which I at least have a little confidence *g*.

A note before I start:
The only education I ever received art-wise was in secondary school, one hour a week in my first two years there (ages 12-13). The only thing I actually learnt and remembered was a thing my teacher told me at the very beginning: that the single most important thing for any artist is to develop a personal style, a manner that distinguishes him or her from all others. The teacher in question was quite a celebrity in my hometown, and maybe she said it as an easy excuse for not teaching us anything resembling technique; but the fact is that I always did remember those words, and whatever its countless shortcomings, my art is recognisably mine.

I have drawn countless pictures, teaching myself by copying all manner of artists – comics artists (Merho – as a girl; then Wendy Pini; later Enrico Marini, Mike Mignola, Colleen Doran, and Linda Medley), illustrators (Warwick Goble, Arthur Rackham and Aubrey Beardsley), and several greats of the artistic canon (Alfons Mucha, Gustav Klimt). Though I have consulted a number of “How To” books, I have learnt much more from looking at what my favourite artists do. I am afraid I do not believe in the “How To” style. Whenever an art book tells me what I should do, I do it differently. That is not just because I am stubborn (I am, very) and difficult (I certainly am), but also because I don’t want to be a clone. I would therefore ask you not to treat what follows as “How To”. I called it “How Not To”. But if you find something that you can bend to your purpose – well, that’s good, of course :D.

( Warning: very image-heavy! )

1. First Things First: What and When
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2. Stuff I Used:
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3. Design and Draw: The Sketch
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4. Tracing
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5. The Inking
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