The previous posts on this subject of the process of penciling have all led up to this glorious moment, actually penciling the final image on the bristol board to lay the foundation for the letterer, inker and colorist. It is time to bring out the all-important creative tool, the Magic Pencil!
It sounds silly, but a lot of young artists do think that there is a special pencil that will make their work look better. The truth is, there is! It is whatever pencil you prefer the most.
If you are comfortable with a certain pencil and are able to lay down an image with confidence with it, then it is the one for you. Your very own magic pencil. Things that may help determine which pencil is right for you will be the comfort of the barrel or grip, the hardness of the lead and the sharpness of the point.
I recommend not using lead that is too hard because it will damage the paper, is hard to see and difficult to erase. Lead that is too soft gets messy, and smears on the page getting on your hands and clothes. Soft pencils also require a lot of sharpening and don’t last as long. A medium hardness, for me, works best. Art pencils using HB lead are a good choice.
I had an anatomy teacher in college, Martha Erlebacher, that drew figures like Michelangelo. Her pencil drawings glowed with a brilliant luster that was unbelievable. When asked what kind of pencil she used she proudly proclaimed, “A number two Ticonderoga!” The common yellow pencil pencil that we all took standardized tests with was her favorite because, as she said, “it had an eraser.”
Besides having an eraser, the lead, or more appropriately the graphite, in a number two pencil has a nice medium density. These pencils can be found everywhere in a multitude of brands, always have erasers, and sharpen easily.
Sharpening is the key to crisp pencil work. Always have a sharpener at your beckon call. Sharpening your pencil is like dipping a nib in ink. Keep your pencil charged with a nice point.
I recommend that you invest in an electric sharpener. You can get battery operated ones for about twelve dollars but for just twice the amount you can get one that plugs in and is always dependable. Trust me, it is an investment you will thank me for if you don’t have one already.
Mechanical pencils are another option and don’t require sharpening. You will find that there are a lot of styles with very comfortable grips and some come with erasers though they usually fall off easily. You can get refills for the lead that come in different hardnesses and widths. If this is your preference I would recommend stocking up on your favorite.
Erasers are about as important as the pencil. We all make mistakes even if we are tracing up from carefully made roughs. The eraser is your friend but it can quickly become the enemy. Too much erasing, especially with a coarse rubber eraser can damage the paper’s surface and make it difficult to draw on and impossible to ink. Too much erasing also leaves mounds of eraser crumbs that become a nuisance.
The eraser at the end of most pencils is made of pink rubber. The Pink Pearl, a beveled eraser that has been popular for years is the same type of eraser. Staedtler Mars is just one of many companies that makes a white vinyl eraser that is much softer than the pink erasers and is much nicer to paper.
Both types of erasers leave lot of crumbs. It is a good idea to have a soft brush handy to brush away these crumbs without smearing your pencil work.
These types of erasers are also used in electric erasers which are a huge asset especially in the final production stages after the work is inked. Nothing in the process of producing comics is more tiring and tedious than erasing the pages to get ready for print.
The kneaded eraser is a much different kind of eraser and is a joy to have around. It looks like a ball of putty and can be molded in all kinds of shapes. It picks up lead like a magnet and leaves no crumbs at all! This is the best reason to use one. Playing with the kneaded eraser is also a great way to relieve tension.
Kneaded erasers are not the best if you press hard on your pencil work. They do not get into the tiny groves as well as the harder erasers. As the kneaded eraser does its job it has a tendency to turn black. You can clean it by regularly kneading it. Eventually you will want to replace it when it starts getting smudgy but generally it will outlast more conventional erasers.
So, there are magic tools after all. Add them to your tool box but remember, the best tool is your talent and that tool gets better with practice. Get out there and draw those comics. I’d love to see them when they are done.
Making Comics Because I Want to.
Gerry Giovinco
