Best Comic Ink: Part 2

So a while ago I wrote about my then-favorite ink, Holbein. I'm still a Holbein fan, but I've discovered another ink I think I like even better.

Dr. Ph Martin's Black Star ​Matte

I've tried a few of the Dr. Ph Martin's varieties, and most have left me wanting. But the Black Star Matte​ flavor is excellent. It's become my go-to ink. I mean, to be honest, I'm really splitting hairs at this point; the Holbein ink is quite comparable. Also, I have a tendency to change my mind ad nauseum.

​Nevertheless, this is great ink. Covers just as well as the Holbein, but it doesn't gum up my brushes quite as bad or as fast. And it flows ever so slightly better.

 
black-star-matte.jpg
 

What Makes a Good Ink

What the Black Star Matte and the Holbein inks share is that — unlike average-coating inks which absorb into the paper requiring multiple coats to create a deep rich black tone —​ they sit on top of the paper and are fully black with a single coat. This is what I look for in ink coverage, a rich, dark black with a minimum of coats, ideally only one. 

But flow — how well the ink moves from brush to paper — is also key. The darker the ink, though, the thicker it tends to be, and thus the worse it tends to flow from brush to page. The Black Star Matte, for my money, has the best balance of these characteristics, flow and coverage. The Holbein standard comes in second, and the Holbein Special third, for what it's worth.

​These are all great inks, though, and you'll do well to use any of them. But I wanted to incude another ink option here in the blog. And it just so happens that this one is my current favorite.

​Happy inking!

More Brushes

A friend recently asked me to recommend a good inking brush, so I told him about my two favorites: The Winsor & Newton Series 7 and the Raphel 8404. I have loved and used both these brushes for a while now and they're both terrific.

​Winsor & Newton Series 7
The W&N has a reputation for lacking quality control at the factory, but mine's been pretty good. Maybe not perfect — it tends to start to splay a bit during long inking sessions — but still one of the best brushes I own. And really, is there such thing as the perfect brush? I'm starting to think not. But the Series 7 is as close as I've seen.

Raphael 8404
I've liked the Raphael nearly as much — and on certain days more — than the W&N. It doesn't hold quite as much ink, but it has great snap and holds a point for longer than the W&N. It was my go-to brush for a long time, but lately I find myself using the Series 7 a lot as well. Go figure.

My friend got back to me a while later ​with some additional recommendations, courtesy of a terrific brush log. After reading the list I decided to try out all the brushes that got an A. For the most part I agree with what's said in the brush log, with some additions and one exception. Here are my thoughts as well as some examples of these brushes in action.​

Isabey 6227z
The Isabey 6227z is an odd brush and something of a surprise. It's a bit longer and thinner than the inking brushes I'm used to, almost somewhere between a rigger and a round. At first I hated it. It doesn't hold much ink and it doesn't have much snap. But eventually I discovered that this brush, when held more perpendicular to the paper, is particularly good for detail work. For tiny lines it just can't be beat. It's not a brush I'd recommend for general inking, but if you need to do fine brushwork, this brush will be your friend.

Escoda Tajmyr 1212
I've seen the Escoda recommended before. I have to say, I don't get it. This brush doesn't hold much ink, has no snap and can't keep a point to save its life. In my notes I wrote, "Has character," which I later realized meant, "Sucks." I also realized I'd bought an Escoda once before. Didn't use that one either. I honestly don't see why people continue to recommend this brush. Aside from its slightly larger handle, I don't like it.

Kalish Series 1
The Kalish was the real revelation for me. What a great brush! I've only played around with it, but I'm really looking forward to doing some real inking with this thing. It's got a great feel, holds lots of ink, has excellent snap and seems to keep a point for quite a while. Kalish sizing is pretty weird — they use milli-inches as their unit of measurement — so I accidentally bought one that was way too big for me. After ordering smaller ones — a # 2, which is comparable to a W&N #2, and a # 3 — I was quite pleased. Not only do they have everything you want in an inking brush, but it seems to me that the handle is slightly fatter than the W&N and the Raphael, and I really like the way they feel.

​All in all, the Kalish Series 1, the Winsor & Newton Series 7 and the Raphael 8404 are all wonderful brushes for general inking. I'd be hard pressed to pick a favorite at this point. The W&N is the gold standard, though, the brush by which all other brushes are measured. Still, after doing these tests I was amazed at how much I enjoy using the Raphael. And the Kalish promises to be a real contender for the throne.

Any way you slice it, it's a good time to be an inker.​

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Pens & Inks

My hands are finally getting their coordination back. And hallelujah! It's great to be drawing on paper again, though I've been laying off the brush. It's just too much trouble and too messy to risk with my spazzy fingers. My medical travails, however, have once again sparked my interest in alternative drawing tools. Case in point: the recently discovered Kuretake brush pen, as seen on Ryan Andrews' excellent blog. After seeing what he did with it, I just figured I had to try one out. Amazingly, the thing makes lines that are surprisingly comparable to the ones I make with my favorite brush.

Kuretake-Sketches

Kuretake-Sketches

The advantages are numerous. For one, there's no messy prep and no messy cleanup. You want to draw, you just pop the cap off and start drawing; when you're done, put the cap back on and put the pen away. No cleanup. No ink siphoning. The pen uses disposable, replaceable ink cartridges, so you'll occasionally need to replace these. But not every time you draw. Also, the grip is pen-like and a bit easier for my nerve damaged hands to grip. And because it's a pen, it's portable.

There are, of course, downsides as well. The Kuretake-plus-cartridge-replacement combo is likely a tad more expensive than brush and ink. And maybe not quite as expressive. And surely you can't use the brush pen to fill large areas of black as easily. But the primary downside is that the ink that comes with the Kuretake is not even remotely waterproof. This may be fixable, however.

I've since purchased Platinum Carbon Ink cartridges that are compatible with the Kuretake. The Carbon ink is reported to be extremely waterproof. I haven't tried it in my brush pen yet, but I did pick up a Platinum Desk Pen that uses the same cartridges and, if the pen is any indication, it does seem to be quite waterproof indeed.

PlatinumCarbonFoutainPen-Sketch

PlatinumCarbonFoutainPen-Sketch

In addition to my brush pen, the Platinum Carbon Desk Fountain Pen has been quite a revelation. I've tried nib pens, which I like, but which are finicky and suffer from all the same dipping and cleanup issues as brushes. I've tried Rapidograph technical pens, which are also a bear to clean. But this fountain pen is as good as any of them, and in true pen form, it's a snap to use.

What all this ease-of-use means is one basic, but very important thing: I draw more. And that's pretty awesome.