Picking pens and pencils

Start off with pens and pencils, the most basic drawing tools. Explore the

numerous types on the market to see what you’re comfortable drawing with,

starting with some of the following:

 ✓ Pencils: Pencils are great for sketching because they provide a nice

soft line that you can easily go over with ink. Don’t use a pencil that’s

too dark, because you want the pencil lines to be easy to erase and

you don’t want them to be noticeable when the cartoon is reproduced,

scanned, or copied. In fact, a simple, everyday pencil can do the job,

though I prefer to use nonphoto blue pencils, because I don’t have to

erase my lines after I ink them.

 When choosing a pencil, keep in mind that the higher the B# of a pencil,

the softer the graphite and the harder it is to erase. The higher H# of a

pencil, the harder the graphite is.

 However, if your style is such that you want to just use a pencil and not

ink over the lines, then the computer can come in handy. You can draw

with a pencil, scan that drawing into the computer, and convert the

lines to true black. This technique also allows your work to have a nice

sketchy look as opposed to the smoother, cleaner look of inked lines.

Take time to experiment.

 ✓ Dip pens: Dip pens have a metal nib and are usually mounted on a

wooden handle. You dip the metal end nib into a bottle of ink. The dip

pen has been a standard among cartoonists throughout history. This

type of pen works well and produces nice dark lines, although you must

be careful not to smear the lines before they dry.

 ✓ Pigma Micron pens: Most cartoonists use these pens in some capacity,

for drawing or for lettering. They come in a variety of sizes and contain a

long-lasting, nonfading archival ink