Since we’ve transitioned to mostly online learning due to COVID-19, we’ve encouraged our SAW community to use whatever tools they have at hand.

Got toothpicks? Dip that in ink and use that. Is that a bunch of ball point pens in your drawer? Use them! Do you have mountains of paper to recycle? Give that a try.

That having been said, we know there are some people who are at the very beginning of their art making journey and don’t know where to start in the long aisles of art stores or endless pages of the internet.

So, our alumni and instructor, Emma, went through her own materials and created an introductory guide to tools and materials for making comics.

Workspace and materials

For some of you, you already know exactly what materials you like and how you like to use them. For others, you still might not be sure. These are some of the specific things that I use, some out of habit, others from watching what other artists use.

I've always avoided over complicating materials for my own practice so I can be doing the good stuff: drawing.

Of course this will be different for everyone. Ask any artist and they’ll have a different response. This is mine.

This is my work space.

Workspace set up

Before coming to SAW I worked on any surface I could (I still do, whether it's my desk, the kitchen table or with my legs tucked up under me on the couch).

I've been lucky to be able to borrow a drafting table which I can, in theory, put at an angle to save my back. It's helpful then to have a flat surface to put your ink and water next to your inking hand.

It's good to have a mix of natural and artificial light. That retractable light was a lucky yard sale find but any old desk lamp you can change the angle on will do.

Note: I still haven't figured out how to use a drafting table effectively so I'd actually recommend sticking to what you're comfortable with.

Rather than a specific kind of desk, I think it's more important to have a designated work area if you can.

This is a collection of my most used physical tools.

Notebooks/sketchbooks

I like working in notebooks for my writing, drafting and sketching. These are unlined Moleskine journals. One is for general use, the other is pocket sized to take with me wherever I go (pre-pandemic obviously).

I don't think the paper is great for sketching, this is just my go to journal out of habit and I like the way it holds pen ink (it's terrible for ink and brush).

Ink

I have Dr Ph Martin's Black Star Waterproof India Ink at the moment (I think because it was cheapest at the craft store). It works pretty well with a brush. I put a small amount in a separate jar when I'm inking to avoid spilling the whole bottle.

(Hot tip: In the past I've also put a rug under my desk to catch the spills because I rent and I don't want to risk damaging the carpet and losing my deposit).

Pens, pencils and brushes

There will be some comics traditionalists that say that Microns are sacrilegious (because you can't get natural variation in your line and you're not working with ink from a bottle, which gives a particularly lovely quality to your lines). I'm of the mind that those people can keep that to themselves. You can see from the image I shared at the top of this post I'm using brush and ink. It's really hard to control and the line quality varies a lot. I think Microns are a great tool that allow you to practice your line control and build confidence making marks on the page. They're also great because they're waterproof so you can go back into them with watercolor and wash without damaging your line work.
I use a Staedtler plastic eraser and it's pretty good at lifting pencil off the page but it does lift of your ink as well. Most comics artists will recommend you a kneaded eraser to avoid that.
I use a refillable mechanical pencil for my pencil work with 2B or HB lead. The great thing about mechanical pencils is that they keep a pretty consistent point without you having to constantly sharpen your pencil. 2B and HB are pretty hard lead so I've found I've had to be really conscious about not pressing down too hard on the page so I can avoid carving up the paper/leaving too much lead there that I can’t erase later.
This isn’t just for taking general notes, I've made many a comic with a ball point pen. We really mean it when we say whatever tool you have at hand.
This brush is the Windsor Newton series 7 size 2 brush recommended by Justine in her inking classes. It was the industry standard in the golden age of comics and has historically been a really good quality brush. Justine knows more than me and has a lot to say, but fair warning they're pretty expensive and sometimes hard to find. (Hot tip: If you've never used a brush before I would personally recommend using a brush pen to get used to a tip that is going to have a lot of give and take in it. My personal favorite is the Kuretake Fudegokochi because its a pretty solid tip that gives good thin and thick strokes. It's not waterproof though so you would have to stick to black and white. It's also not refillable.)

Ruler

A cork back metal ruler is your friend because it reduces the bleed/smudge when you're working with ink.

Light box

This is my second LED portable light box for tracing/transferring images. It comes with a USB connection so you can plug it into your computer or a wall butt. They come in a variety of sizes and are fairly inexpensive. Try ebay or your local photography store if you know you're someone who will want to go over the same image multiple times.

I use it to transfer my rough pencils on to bristol so I can avoid erase marks and keep my original, final pages clean.

Bristol board and tracing paper

This bristol board is 14 x 17 inches (mostly because it’s all that I could find at the craft store near me, comics have traditionally been drawn on 11 x 17) with different textures on the back and front. I would recommend the smooth pressed bristol if you can find it. I'd also recommend trying different kinds of paper for what you're doing. Bristol isn't cheap. It's only real benefit in my experience is that it will take a variety of media pretty well. Water color purists will say different but I'm not a purist and I've found it pretty versatile.

Tracing paper is just good to have around. What ever you can get your hands on.

That's it.

I hope this helps some of you who are starting out gathering arts supplies. There are no right or wrong materials. Use what feels good. Including your iPad or tablet. Digital and physical media speak to each other a lot. At the end of the day, the most important thing is that you’re drawing.

Thanks!

Emma