12 MORE Art Hacks For Comic Book Artists!

[@MaryOfClaire]

I loved both of these hack videos! Something that I saw a manga artist use was a tiny hand-held mirror (like a makeup or compact mirror) to quickly hold over a page and check proportions and such. I got a tiny one to keep in my pencil jar and I use it all the time! Also: keeping a big brush nearby for brushing off eraser dust (so that my hand doesn't smudge or grease up the page.)

[@ScottSerkland]

Absolutly, Mirrors are also great for when you need a reference for an expression.

[@PuppetMaster8707]

I really do enjoy these I like being a traditional artist more then a digital artist the most technically I get is using a scanner

[@ScottSerkland]

I get it. I prefer to work traditional, but I often work digitally in order to meet deadlines.

[@Derekrife1]

That circle guide thing is actually really genius

[@ScottSerkland]

Thanks. I can’t remember who I got that tip from but it’s a good one.

[@Meantime_Creations]

Your background and shirt color gives that TV show vibe...I used to watch art attack

[@ScottSerkland]

Thanks. That’s kinda what I’m going for. I never saw Art Attack until recently when people kept telling me my videos reminded me of it. I wish I would have seen it earlier.

[@Craftsworldsocial]

18:39 that’s genius omg

[@ScottSerkland]

I hope your talking about the real rolling map ruler and not my Hot Wheels version Holly.

[@M_Emeritz]

Those Lobo pages are freaking awesome!

[@ScottSerkland]

Thanks Mike, Those pages are super old, I drew them in the 90's, I was just looking for some more traditional super hero stuff to show.

[@calb9057]

If you want to do a circle or half of one you can use a coin.

[@ScottSerkland]

True, Just make sure the coin has no ridges on the edges.

[@calb9057]

Ok.

[@jacobstaten2366]

I find it faster easier to control, using traditional tools and techniques, then enhancing it later digitally if need be. As for buying better stuff, like you said, it may not be an option because of cost or access. "Poor is the carpenter that blames his tools."

[@ScottSerkland]

I love that quote!

[@AsjJohnson127]

With the tracing thing, I've used windows before, but it makes my arm tired at that angle, and I'd bought a glass craft table, but light doesn't shine through it as well as I'd like, and I've also used my laptop screen. However... eventually, I discovered a really great, cheap, and portable method: a clear clipboard. Bought one at a dollar store and it's great. Just prop it up at an angle with something and it's as good as a window and without the difficult angle. Though the clipboard begins to crack around the edges after a lot of use and the clip part may break (I bought a second one when that stuff happened), but the clip part isn't even strictly necessary (for most situations), because the plastic has a bit of static that makes paper cling to it just subtly. Plus it has a ruler on the edge, which can also come in handy sometimes. Also handy for when I'm doing something on a wooden table and want a surface without wood grains to write or draw on. Or if I'm not at a table and want something firm to write on. Very general-purpose.

[@ScottSerkland]

I agree with you on some of the drawbacks of the window method and the laptop screen. I do like the clear clipboard idea. Thanks for bringing that to my attention.

[@aznsketcher]

I know you've talked about fan art in your other videos, but you should really consider doing some fan art stuff on the side. your LOBO drawings are pretty cool.....

[@ScottSerkland]

Thanks, I do fan art sketches from time to time I just don't really sell fan art prints. If a fandom calls to me I may draw it, but I just really like creating my own ideas right now.

[@miyagi_draws]

Very fun! I'm going to use the bottle cap/magnet idea. Thanks!

[@ScottSerkland]

You're welcome. thanks for watching.

[@roryherman7823]

Matchbox ruler is Awesome!

[@ScottSerkland]

Thanks! I thought that might be fun.

[@manga-man194]

this is a genius , a genius

[@ScottSerkland]

Thanks Benjamin!

[@wens1714]

Nice hacks ! Thanks for your videos, they are really instructive !

[@ScottSerkland]

Thank you for watching.

[@petemarquez8759]

Thanks again for all the great hacks!

[@ScottSerkland]

Absolutely, Thanks for watching!

[@amandagoodman183]

With the iPad one the app store actually has free lightbox apps. I use one of them as lightbox and it's great and very bright so you don't have to dim any lights. And it also locks the screen so you're not pressing buttons on accident.

[@ScottSerkland]

Thanks Amanda, That makes perfect sense. So happy someone had the foresight to create an app like that.

[@AxiomEcho]

Yaaayyy! I love traditional but trying tgi learn digital (ish) but these are great! Keep it up!

[@ScottSerkland]

I want to start doing more digital comics myself but will always love to work traditionally.

[@AxiomEcho]

Serkworks Art Labs 🙌🙌amen!! Lol ideally, i would like to only use digital for coloring but when I expect too much from myself with digital media

[@n1ghtmar3w0lf3]

i find with sharpies the blacks are slightly different depending on the pen, meaning the black of a fine tip is slightly different then a larger one, plus at times layering them makes it much more solid

[@ScottSerkland]

Interesting I never noticed the difference. Just remember that if you're using sharpies for comics that they will fade over time.

[@n1ghtmar3w0lf3]

i mostly use them for the outlines on the panels

[@Seitoushi]

You can use rubbing alcohol to clean off (and sometimes thin down) ink on quill and dip pens.

[@ScottSerkland]

Thanks for the tip. I'll have to start doing that.

[@slightlylifted]

I love how the studio looks like Nickelodeon built it. Great video!!!

[@ScottSerkland]

Thanks! Nickelodeon was definitely an inspiration.

[@Launchpad05]

Hello. I have a question about covering up mistakes. What's a good type of paper to use for covering up, and drawing over big mistakes that's not as thick as bristol board? Like paper that's on the same level as bristol board, but not as thick. Thanks.

[@ScottSerkland]

I usually use Bristol paper but if you’re worried about it being to thick then I would recommend card stock. Hammermill makes a card stock for laser printers and ink-jets that is pretty good.

[@Launchpad05]

@@ScottSerkland Thanks. Are there different sicknesses to Hammermill;s card stock, or are they all the same thickness. I want it to be thin enough so that it doesn't look like a lump.

[@jilliancrawford7577]

I know this might be controversial, but if you use traditional dipping pens, you can technically "sharpen" them with one of those sponges used for fingernails (those colorful ones where each side has various effects like polishing and buffering). Go in the same order of roughest to to smoothest like the sponge says. I say technically only because it's possible to oversharpen, sharpen unevenly, break or even weaken a nib from eroding surface coating, but that's more of a disclaimer to say that this doesn't make a nib as perfect as new. However, I have a few nibs that, in my opinion, have just as nice of a result as the very first time I've ever used them. I've perchased brand new nibs of the exact same types to compare and the results are nearly identical. I doubt I could sharpen them forever and never have to buy new nibs ever again, but it has certainly helped during times when the art store doesn't have what I need in stock or when I'm broke lol.

[@ScottSerkland]

Wow, That's a great tip and not controversial at all. If I ever do another one of these videos I will be sure to include it. Thanks for the suggestion.

[@corykerr]

Great video, I expect it’ll blow up. Also, I was cracking up at the hot wheels.

[@ScottSerkland]

Thanks Cory! Your pool noodle tip was too good not to steal.

[@kariswg1]

a cheap (dollar store) hot glue gun comes in VERY handy for hacking, instead of (sometimes) tape for holding things down, such as gluing an ink bottle, to a small scrap piece of illustration board, or cardboard, to keep it from tipping over.

[@ScottSerkland]

Awesome tip! If I ever do another another one of these videos, I'll have to steal that idea.

[@Launchpad05]

Hello. I have a question about the blue lead in your video. What brand is that lead, what kind is it, and where can I buy them? Thanks.

[@ScottSerkland]

Sure, They’re Prismacolor drafting leads. Here are the links to were you can get the tools I use for comics: www.serkworks.com/tools

[@frankdavf4599]

Thanks!

[@ScottSerkland]

Your Welcome!

[@fairzanimations]

nice cool job liked

[@ScottSerkland]

Thank you!

[@deedeemcgovern8125]

A vecro dot too for ink cap

[@Onthegoart7790]

I desperately need that ruler!

[@ScottSerkland]

They're pretty awesome. I just added an Amazon link in the description if your're in the market.

[@bennyvermeulen7255]

Faber castel, is a good choice for a pen, also recommended by Ethan Van Sciver and Jimmy Reyes (both professional comic book artists and inker).

[@ScottSerkland]

The big Pitt pen is great for fulling in blacks, I wonder how their smaller brush pens are for inking comics.

[@bennyvermeulen7255]

Serkworks Art Labs I use them sometimes for small areas and some line work, like colouring hair with a brown marker ( copic or other brand) and sometimes make lines in the hair with a small Pitt pen that’s brown, or smaller details while markers bleed sometimes a little to much. You can buy a few and experiment with it, but their almost equally priced as my WN markers in my country. But use them last or you will smear when you go over with normal markers. For big areas still using the WN markers (cheap in my country in compare with other brands and easily available.).

[@zinncomicsandart8811]

I learned from some fountain pen folks that windex is awesome for cleaning dip pens , brushes and tech pen nibs , it's almost magic . I think it has amonia and alcohol ? Any way try it out , It saved my old crusty rapidograph that hadn't worked for a long long time .

[@ScottSerkland]

That’s one that I knew but totally forgot about. Thanks for the reminder. Great tip!

[@CartoonEric]

I like to mix it up with digital and traditional. Want to call it "Tradigital"? =P

[@ScottSerkland]

Me too! and I love the phrase!

[@thebeybladearmory]

That Lobo looks sweet. Where can I see it complete?

[@ScottSerkland]

That was a DC submission I did a long time ago. It was for penciler so I never inked it.

[@WarriorSmurf]

Industrial Sharpie and Sharpie Pro markers don't fade or change color.

[@ScottSerkland]

Good to know!

[@LucasOliveira-vc9mz]

Since where i live there are no brush pen for sale i was realy loking for a way to make one myself...so far havent found any thing...yet

[@ScottSerkland]

That’s interesting. I’m not sure what would be involved in making a brush pen. But I’ve been using a regular brush and ink for a long time. Brush pens can safe some time because you don’t have to dip your brush, but if you don’t have access to one. A watercolor brush and India ink is your best option.

[@aaronwood8012]

When I was a kid we didn’t call it “a hack” we called it “MacGuyver-ing”

[@ScottSerkland]

Yeah, if MacGuyver was an artist I could see him doing these tips.

[@jegsdinogod5091]

Hey at 430....is that lobo?

[@ScottSerkland]

Yep! Sure is!

[@x1KPRODUCTIONSx]

not hating but when you use the rubber band to put the 2 pencils together the rubber band can erase the art a little i would just use a little bit of tape

[@ScottSerkland]

Thanks, yeah tape works perfectly fine too.

[@VictorRodriguezArt]

Great hacka

[@VictorRodriguezArt]

Hacks

[@OGJay08]

What is your method of doing the Kirby Krackle, if you're doing it traditionally?

[@ScottSerkland]

I like using a extra large Faber Castell Pitt pen. It allows you to create various size dots and easier to get good circles than a brush.

[@OGJay08]

@@ScottSerkland Thanks, appreciate it!

[@talimediaart]

Hey Scott, if I can't afford ink, can I use brush pens for my comics? What do you think of templates for drawing? I have a learning disability, so I'm trying to find ways to learn how to draw.

[@ScottSerkland]

Absolutely, I use bush pens all the time, you may want to make sure that the ink is archival, like India Ink (most brush pens are archival) I'm not exactly sure what you mean by templates for drawing. But generally any tool that can help you practice your drawing is ok with me.

[@talimediaart]

Serkworks Art Labs So like the Faber Castell Pitt Artist Brush Pens or the Sakura Pigma Brush Pens.

[@ScottSerkland]

Yep, those are good, That's what I use.

[@puppeli]

if you are learning to draw, i think those brush pens can get pretty expensive. For example i have had brush pens for a long time (maybe 20 years?) but because they are not cheap, i didnt use them all that often. But a few weeks ago i bought fountain pen ink and filled a water brush with it (in this case a Pentel Aquash brush). I have heard that you should only fill the water brush with fountain pen ink or it might get clogged. Anyways, i have now used my improvised brush pen more, than i did the regular brush pens in the last 6 years. Or instead of fountain pen ink, you could also use ink jet printer ink (like some off brand refill ink). The ink is reportedly somewhat runny in a water brush, but i dont think its necessarily a bad thing. Also when you are just a beginner, i would not worry about the archival quality of the ink. Just get something cheap and practice a lot. Like i watched a youtube video yesterday where the artist said that if you can use up 1000 pages of copy paper in a year (like 2 packs of 500 A4 paper) you will get better.

[@aaronwood8012]

“Pental” brand brush pens @ -dick blicks or pat cattans or Amazon- And “thin line” brush pen by sumiro of the akashiya co you can get on amazon. They behave more like a proper brush and last longer than the felt tip disposable brush pens

[@laup2ev]

Tip 11 - Wouldn't using a bow compass be easier?

[@ScottSerkland]

I would absolutely recommend using a compass, but again this are all hacks and there are probably better ways to do all of these things. If you happen to be in a pinch and can’t get your hands on a compass this tip might work. I modified this hack from a technique where you use a yard stick to draw large circles for big projects like murals, circles too big for a compass. It probably doesn’t work as well for comics but I thought I would include it anyway.

[@laup2ev]

True :) I suppose you could also tie a pen to one end of a string, a tack to the other end and draw circles with that. Can use a ruler to measure out a precise sting length.

[@GregoryGiordano]

Good info, man! Some related info- HACK #5: Comic Page Template hack, FYI-- the paper used for the pre-printed Strathmore comic paper is 200 series "bristol", but is more like printing Bristol rather than drawing bristol, in other words, card stock. Unfortunately, Strathmore does not use actual drawing paper for the pre-ruled boards. The yellow pad you're using is 300 series or student grade Bristol Board. So, to be honest, the pad you're using _is_ better than the other product-- it's real drawing bristol, formulated and surfaced for the job. You will get even better results spending more cash on 400 series, but that's not this tutorial. So you're better off hacking your own boards! 7. Archival inks: Not _only_ are sharpies (and most solvent/alchohol markers) a bad idea for archival purposes, they will not just fade, but stain! I've seen allot of original art made in the 80's-on made with sharpies and other similar pens, they turn yellow, green or fade away, PLUS leave ugly yellow or purple blooming bleeds! sometimes up to 1 inch from the lines or black fills! It's not worth it if you want to extend the sales life and general archiving of the original art. LISTEN TO SERK!!

[@ScottSerkland]

Thanks for clarifying those points Greg. That was actually very helpful. I don't really mind the pre-ruled Strathmore or Canson Bristol as long as I like the feel of the paper and it takes pencil, ink and erases without wearing away the paper I'm ok ( That old Blueline Pro paper is garbage) But this hack is great if you want premium Bristol. As far as the alcohol makers go I use alcohol based markers all the time, I know they're not archival ( I wish they were) But I love using them. It sucks that they wont last over time. Of course most of my marker drawings just sit in a drawer away from the elements.

[@petemarquez8759]

Gregory, David Finch uses the pre-ruled Strathmore 11x17 200 series Bristol, and yes it's cheaper than the 400 or 500 series Bristol, just sayin'...

[@jaywalls1905]

Use a magnet

[@jilliancrawford7577]

Wouldn't #7 be cheapest to use a paintbrush and dipping it into the ink instead of buying a pre-loaded brush pen?

[@ScottSerkland]

As someone who uses both methods I would say yes, but the advantage of a brush pen is is it more portable, when I do ink sketches at live events I don't want to risk someone knocking over my ink and some places just don't lend themselves to having an open bottle of ink available.

[@jilliancrawford7577]

​@@ScottSerkland Very true! And years later I have also come to learn that regular brushes, regardless of what they're made for (acrylics, oils, etc.), can hook, ware down, etc. faster than a brushpen because the ink and brushtip are made to work together and are thus technically longer lasting and more durable. Brushpens are made for the ink and brushtip to be friends and work together.

[@brodobaggins4486]

By the look of his room there is no way he works for dc

[@ScottSerkland]

Ha ha, correct, I do not.

[@devingonzalez4026]

if you want to fill in some black area, go buy a pit pen.....

[@ScottSerkland]

You’ll have to watch my 3rd art hack video on inking where I mentioned using 1the Pitt pen.

[@devingonzalez4026]

@@ScottSerkland yeh sorry I was a little grump. I like pitt pen for line stuff. I'll go look at that 3rd art hack vid of yours

[@ScottSerkland]

@@devingonzalez4026 No worries Devin, It was good advice I just needed another video to fit it in.

[@devingonzalez4026]

if you want an light table but you have a tablet, sell your tablet

[@ScottSerkland]

You could probably get a really nice light table for the price of a tablet.

[@aznsketcher]

2nd! :P

[@ScottSerkland]

No prize for 2nd place, actually I don't even have a prize for first.

[@aznsketcher]

haha...reminds me back when Stan Lee gave away No Prize....always wondered what they actually were as a kid...found out later it was just an empty envelope sent to people, haha

[@deedeemcgovern8125]

Ick cap soda cap nice idea

[@ScottSerkland]

Thanks!

[@04Yuta]

1st

[@ScottSerkland]

If only I had a prize for that.

[@04Yuta]

Serkworks Art Labs idk pin me

[@rekhagiribabu7113]

feces decent

[@NoMoreBsPlease]

Ammonia isn't very good for removing ink. An acetone or alcohol would be better. Definitely don't use acetone on an abs brush handle or bristles.

[@ScottSerkland]

Duly noted, thanks for advice!