Esterbrook Art
Cartooning is great fun, and having acquired the skill, is a wonderful way to make a good life. However, everyone has to start at the beginning, and here are some suggestions to consider as you set off.
Always use good quality materials, this should be pretty obvious, but it's amazing how many people try to cut corners by skimping. As with most crafts is always much easier to use the best tools. You're going to use pens ink, of holding a pen and dive into the ink, it sounds old fashioned, but this is still a way to get the best results and is used by most cartoonists today. That will require a large, medium and fine tip, are recommended Hunt No.512, No.513 Hunt, and Esterbrook No. 359. New feathers (points) should be wetted before use, you can use a damp cloth or a fine of tissues, or traditionally, her lips. This removes the thin film of oil used in packaging to prevent oxidation, and allows the ink to adhere to the tip. Ink must be black and permanent, good quality, of course, perhaps Higgins.
Pencils, of course, you always must start with pencil drawings pencil and continue to develop his art until you feel confident to proceed to the ink. As a general rule, it is best to start all planes with light pencil lines that may later be the trace and erasure. It is much easier to darken and strengthen a line that do the opposite. Pencils should be "H" and as they are quite cheap, keep a good stock. Keep them sharp with a good quality grinder and throw (or give) them away when they are not much more than halfway down. As mentioned before, are cheap, and use a pencil stub in hand cramps.
When making a drawing (pencil) with the intent of the finished piece to be in ink, pencil make your lines as unobtrusive as possible. For reproduction of the lines, obviously have to be deleted. Again a rubber of good quality should be used, there are many to choose from, but soft is better than hard, not want to damage the paper / cardboard. The clearest of his pencil lines, unless the deletion is necessary, and less partial obliteration of the danger of their lines of ink, or damaging the surface. Also a heavy pencil line can confuse things when you go over it with ink.
A soft pencil as "H" gives freedom to the times. The harder the pencil the more prejudiced the outcome, and also the most difficult to erase. In the drawing of first instance all you can, do not worry too much about what you are drawing, to the feeling of pen on paper / board and the type of effect can be achieved by varying pressure, using the paint and the side of lead, etc. In Thus, to gradually develop his own style as he did when he was learning to write.
Take a piece of white paper under your hand when it rests on a part of the drawing in which the pencil lines appear, this will prevent smudging. It deliberately and carefully crossed out, not give an impression of his mother scrubbing behind ears. Try to remove in one direction only. Never be in too fast, the speed will be developed with practice. First noted slowly slowly, slowly, and do not bother with the ink until it has developed a little confidence and style. Above all enjoy what they're doing, before they will both work as you can handle, and the potential to make a great life.
Chris Haycock is an information publisher, one of whose hobbies is cartooning. For more information on cartooning, including details of a very special insiders course on cartooning, go to http://www.cartoonsforfunandprofit.com