THINK BEFORE YOU INK:
AN INSIDER’S LOOK AT KLAUS JANSON’S NEW BOOK ON INKING COMICS
by Rob Tokar
"Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach." Klaus Janson is about disprove this old adage with the release of his new book The DC Comics Guide To Inking Comics, a follow-up to the succesful The DC Comics Guide To Pencilling Comics.
For those of you who don’t know, Klaus is one of the best-known inkers in comics history, thanks in no small part to his highly acclaimed work on such titles as Daredevil, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, The Punisher and more. With this new book, Klaus shares both practical techniques and personal insights on the often-misunderstood art of comic book inking.
As of this writing, the book is still being edited and has a projected release date of spring, 2003. Klaus was nice enough to share a copy of his manuscript so we could give you a little preview of what he has in store.
Along with the informative-yet-personable text, the book is lavishly illustrated with original drawings as well as previously published comic book art. Its many features of interest include a series of exercises for the aspiring inker, and a comparison of different inkers' styles and methods (with their actual artwork as examples!)
The book’s introduction gives the reader a brief history of comic book inking, explaining how publishers realized that popular artists could pencil more books a month if they didn’t have to ink their own work. Hiring a separate artist to ink over the pencils gave comic books an assembly line’s efficiency.
Many people who don’t read comics (and some who do) believe that a comic book is created from start to finish by one person. While it is done, it is also very rare, especially for comics released by large publishing companies. When these aforementioned uninformed folks discover it’s someone’s entire job to "trace" someone else’s work, they almost invariably say, "Well I could do that!"
These people have probably never seen a comic with an inking credit of "M. Hands" or "Manny Manos," a little comic book joke indicating that it took several different inkers to finish the book. Leafing through an issue completed by several inkers will show anyone just how much input a so-called "tracer" has on the look of the penciller.
In the chapter "To Trace Or Not To Trace," Klaus addresses this old debate over the inker’s contribution and soundly dismisses it as a waste of breath. Klaus writes that the two categories inkers fall into are those who can draw and those who can’t. He contends that the best comic art is that which takes advantage of the individual strengths of the penciller and inker and results in a new, combined style all its own.
Klaus’s book contains generous helpings of both theory and technique. Klaus not only tells what to do and how to do it, but goes to great lengths explaining why to do it, emphasizing the importance of an artist’s ability to make a decision.
One of the earliest decisions an inker has to make is about the tools s/he uses. Klaus recommends beginners stay with the following five basic items to start with: a drawing board, a brush, a pen, paper and, of course, ink.
Ink may seem like a simple purchase to the uninitiated, but Klaus clearly explains the ups and downs of the various products on the market. Some brands of ink leave a perfect dark black line but have a tendency to gum up your pen or brush. Others work well with brushes and pens but require several passes on the page to get a rich, dark line. Finding the balance between the two is practically an art in itself but well worth the effort.
Paper type, too, has a great effect on inkers though, ironically enough, that decision is usually out of their hands (the penciller typically decides.) Klaus outlines the advantages and limitations of various paper types, though he does make a point that it is the comic book inker’s responsibility to be able to handle any kind of paper surface and still stay true to the penciller’s work.
Brushes versus pens is a topic one would expect in a How To Ink book, but Klaus believes that debating which one is the superior tool is a waste of time and any serious artist should know how to use both. That’s not to say he believes one tool isn’t better than another for certain aspects of comic book inking but rather that an artist who can only use one is limiting his ability and, therefore, his value.
Like the section about brushes, Klaus doesn’t hesitate to name names (and numbers) of pens he recommends and describe what their strengths and weaknesses are. The brush section (again, like the pen section) includes photos detailing ways to hold the tool and the effects different grips can provide.
After describing what the tools are, the book tells when to use them (an often-asked question among beginning inkers.) Though an inker should be able to use any tool to meet any requirement, Klaus does suggest that the subject can be a guide to which tool to use.
Drawings of hard or metallic objects (like buildings or machinery) might be inked best with a pen, while shapes that indicate softer materials (hair, clothing) might be more naturally embellished with a brush. Ultimately, Klaus writes, the tool is not as important as the artistic vision one follows.
Beyond tools and supplies, The DC Comics Guide To Inking Comics covers a lot of ground, including an inker’s duties as an artist, storyteller and working professional. Whether you want to become a professional inker or you just want to know more about a vital and often misunderstood part of the comic book art form, pre-order a copy as soon as you can.
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Samples of Klaus Janson's work before and after inking.
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