Sketching and Inking Process - Scarecrow Wreath

This is a sketch/inking process for a drawing I'm working on. I'm yet to color it but at least you can see the process.

     Enjoy!

Sketch:

First, I block everything in. The wreath outline and the base for the body, including the head. I also put basic facial guidelines.

Now I add details likes hair and clothes on the scarecrow, and guidelines to other things like the cone flowers in the background and a soon to be sunflower along with a leaf (which I later get rid of).

After a while, I've added more details, fleshed out the face and drawn other things like the acorn and pine cone branch where the leaf was. And put leaves on the other side.

After I drew out everything, I lightened some lines and went over the whole drawing with a mechanical pencil. In so doing I also added a tree/wood pattern to the wreath.

Inking:

First, I used a fine-point sharpie that was older so the ink flow was thinner than if it was new.
I started on the clothes and hair, along with the hay-based hands.

Next, I inked more hair and added the bows, along with the face using a new fine-point sharpie which makes a bigger ink-flow. I inked the outer edge of the wreath with a 1.0 Sakura Micron pen.

I also inked the outside of the edge of the pine-cones with the sharpie then I inked the inside using a 005 Sakura Pigma pen.

After I inked the cone flowers with the new sharpie but the inner-part was inked with the 005 point pen. I also inked the sunflower but I forgot to take a picture.  After all that was done I added the wood with the 005 point pen.

In the end, I added some thicker lines and I erased.

May God Bless You, Your Family, Friend; Along With The Health Of Yourself, Family, Friends, And All Who Know You. ~ Amen

~ Firefly

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My Process For Inking -

My Process For Inking -

I've been questioned on "how do I create ink-drawings?"; Well, this is how in a nutshell!

I've done a much more detailed post on this, that can be found here.

First I sketch me out a drawing:

When sketching I start with a normal #2 pencil for the lines that show off the form then making the initial lines; Then I switch over to a mechanical pencil to tighten up lines so I see for sure what I want. - When I sketch I do actually sketch out the hatching and cross hatching but it's just as a guide I'll stray a little bit but I do follow it a lot as well. I'll also sketch out shapes for shading just so I know where to go. (More on sketching with 2 pencils here.)

Inking:
Before the actual inking I use my kneadable eraser to ghost out lines (for more information on that click here) then I actually take out my pens. - And speaking of which, I start with a smaller sized pen tip and go thicker as I go along; For pen brand(s) I normally use Sakura Microns or Prismacolor pens, sometimes I use something else like a sharpie or something but not always. (Reviews for pens here)

I ink the main lines first then move on to the details like hatching or patterns, it takes a while but it's easy to make a mistake and you can't really fix it; Correction fluid isn't really ideal although you could use a white pen but it's not a perfect correcting agent.

Once inked I erase my pencil lines, depending on paper and eraser I might have to go over lines to darken them again; Often when erasing the lines become dulled.

Tips:

• If at all possible, ink at a table or at least use a clipboard, the harder the surface the smoother your lines look.
• Don't press hard on a pen, you could: bend the tip, force too much ink out, or cause not enough to come out causing your ink to look sketchy.
• Keep a paper behind your picture when inking (if you are using a sketch book), this is so if ink bleeds it won't go on the next page.
• When you want to add shading and you already added hatching, make lines got the opposite direction of the lines you've already set, this will make a criss-cross effect that will make it appear darker.

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I hope this was helpful to those who asked!

May God Heal and Bless all You Know and Love. ~ Amen ~

~ Firefly

[Tip of the Week; Week 4: Play With Lighting!

[Tip of the Week: Play With Lighting!

I don't know about you, but I almost always, shade from the same direction; This isn't necessarily bad, but it's not particularly good either! I suggest try and shade in other directions than your default.

Example: You shade always from the left? Shade from the right, or from above!

I created a simple process when I challenged myself to this just recently!

My Process: 

1: Draw a similar object 3 times in a horizontal row; I say horizontal so you can compare and make the objects close to the same size. (Don't worry about perfection just make sure it's recognizable) 

2:  Make an arrow next to each object pointing in the direction you want to shade; this is to remind you which way you are going so as to not make unidentifiable shadow directions.

3: Pick your media ( I used colored pencils).

4: Mark off the shadows as outlines then color/shade how you normally would you default direction  only in a new direction.

5: Take your time! And don't be ashamed to use references if needed!


That's my tip for this week! I hope it was helpful.

Have fun!

May God Bless You, Your Family, Friend; Along With The Health Of Yourself, Family, Friends, And All Who Know You. ~ Amen

~ Firefly

Useful Links:

Would You Like To Read More Blog Posts Similar To This One? Take A Look At The Official Blog Archive.
Would You Like To See My Drawings? Click here.

Have A Question?

Ask The Firefly!