The Perfect Ink (The Voodoo Mix)

Posted by admin in Featured Articles, Work, eComic Lesson | 2 comments

Each artist has their own ways of creating their stories. We have favorite tools, we have a favorite style, whether emulated or unique in our own right.

However, if you are making a comic book in a traditional form, and you have to perform inking…we all have a specific need in common, and that’s the right ink.

There are as many brands of inks that you can use, as there are pens and brushes. However, getting the right consistency is something we all strive for. Why?

Well, if you have ink that’s too thin, you’ll get splotch marks throughout your work—and when scanning, you’ll be doing a great deal of cover-up work. I had that problem myself during he first year of WANTED:HERO, and let me tell you—the last thing you want to do, is spend double the amount of time, inking—because you have to go over everything twice!

If you have ink too thick, you’ll find your pen nibs or brushes gumming up, which can not only be a pain—but it can ruin some brushes if left too long to dry.

So, the question is….how do we get an ink that is black as midnight, pliable, and consistent? Many message boards on the web pose that very dilemma.

Well, I have an answer for you—so grab a pen and paper.

If you have never heard of Dick Blick art supplies…these guys are huge (largest in the USA) and they have the thickest ink I have ever seen in 20 years of cartooning. Go to dickblick.com, and look up “inks”. There you will find the gold in a jar, called “Black Cat”…and they Do mean BLACK. Not only is this stuff as dark as you can get, it’s also very inexpensive. Only $14.99 for a full QUART! However, they run sales most of the time, and I buy the same amount for only $10.98. This ink has been around since 1911.

Now, you can experiment with this ink, by thinning it with water…or you can add one more step, which is what I do. I use “Higgins” water proof India Ink, and simply mix ¼ Higgins, to ¾ Black Cat. When I open the container, before working with the ink—I simply take the back end of a brush, and stir the ink for about 30 seconds, wipe off the handle of the brush, and stat working. The consistency stays the same for over an hour, at which time I simply stir the ink solution again.

…and there you have it—a good, consistent black ink you can rely on, day after day.

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