INDIA INK

I have thought for a long time that I should be doing my inking with a brush. Or at least give it a try.
So not long ago I found my trusty bottle of Higgins India Ink, dug out a pretty good looking brush, and gave it a try. Wow, what the heck was wrong? The lines were almost see through. I thought india ink would give you a smooth black line. Then I started thinking how long have I had this bottle of ink? As a matter of fact it seems as though I have always had the same bottle if India Ink.
It could be 30 years old!.

So I retired my Higgins Ink and bought a brand new bottle of Speedball super Black India Ink. What a difference! Smooth ultra black lines. Now if I could just control those lines a little better I might have something. Line weight has always been a problem in my cartooning. Using a brush does eliminate some of the problem. But it is just not as easy as using a brush for your lines. You have to know which lines to add weight to, and how to taper them to give the drawing that special look.

I have seen some original panels by Chris Ware, his brush work looks like it was done with a machine, and the line are perfectly placed to give the weight at the right place.

Oh well I guess I have to just keep on keeping on. Maybe some day line weight will become second nature.