Blue Pencils

[El Chivo]

Hi Art-dudes

What kind of pencils do use for layouts? I wanna try some out as my pencils usually degenerate into one big grey mess indecipherable to anyone else (or even me sometimes)

Cheers

Chi

[flip-r mk2]

Chi, I use prismacolor col-erase non-photo blue that I got off ebay, quite a light blue but erasable, definitley cuts down on smudging.


filip

[pauljholden]

I use 2h/hb then scan, darken and convert to blueline for inking...

[El Chivo]

Cheers guys

i'll give them a try Flip, & i'll give that a go too PJ , altho at the moment i'm just trying to tighten up my pencils. Tried explaining what i needed today at the Art Shop but they weren't much help

Thanks again

Chi

[flip-r mk2]

The art shop that used to be in Falkirk was like that, when I tried to buy non-repo blue pencils and Bristol board for drawing comics they just looked at me like I was an idiot, ended up getting then through in an art shop in Glasgow. Internet shopping has been a god send for art supplies.
Also used PJ's method as well,but like to layout in blue pencil then tighten up my pencils then blueline on the PC then ink (pen and ink man at the moment), only draw back being that I've only got an A4 printer and can only dream of an A3 one at the moment. 

filip

[Neil McClements]

Unless I'm drawing a pencil picture with no intention of inking or colouring my pencils are 0.5, 4h mechanical pencil and the image goes no further than an outline. All my detail goes in when inked. Quite often once I've drawn a nice clean pencil image I'll scan it in B&W and then print it off and work on that. I've never seen the need for blue pencils.
I've a fantastic book by Sergio Toppi that shows he didn't even bother to erase his pencils. Often you'll find a panel that's inked quite different from his original pencils.
I think what I'm saying that if you've a clear idea of the finished image to me pencils are second to that, a mere guide and are something not to get too concerned with unless someone else is inking them.
Not sure if that'll help of confuse?

[El Chivo]

More often than not i 've only got a vague idea of the finished image as i start so blue pencils seem like a good idea to go back & tighten up in normal pencils. I often change my mind or redo stuff at the inking stage too, but some of the stuff i'm working on is gonna be inked by someone else so i figure tighter pencils are the way forward

Cheers chaps

Chi

[Danbell]

I used them in the past but I use mechanical pencils and the blue leads are far too brittle fof my liking.

[HdE]

The art shop that used to be in Falkirk was like that, when I tried to buy non-repo blue pencils and Bristol board for drawing comics they just looked at me like I was an idiot, ended up getting then through in an art shop in Glasgow. Internet shopping has been a god send for art supplies.

I've had this sort of experience as well. Our sole local art shop prides itself on having 'the most comprehensive selection of art materials you could ever hope for'. However, in several years of casual shopping there, I've been told that:

there's no such thing as a brush pen,
non-photo blue lead hasn't been around since the '70s,
there are no drawing pens that go below a standard 0.5 nib weight,
and
lightboxes only come in A3 size.

So, basically, the staff there are completely clueless.

These days, unless I need something IMMEDIATELY, I'll always source the stuff I need online. Strangely enough, Ebay has usually been the most reliable place to buy things like red and blue pencil lead. Sometimes it takes a bit of hunting, but you can usually find what you need for a decent price.

[mygrimmbrother]

I do exactly what PJ suggests, works a treat.

[Dark Jimbo]

I've never seen the need for blue pencils, and I can't be arsed to faff about with printing off seperate sheets for blue lines or anything. I just use a standard HB, and once I've got pencils I'm happy with I ink straight on top of 'em, and afterwards rub out any surviving pencil. Works a treat for me, and I've never had a problem with smudging or anything. I daresay I'd do it differently if someone else was inking me, mind.

[SuperSurfer]

I have tried drawing on paper, scanning, retouching on computer and then printing in blue on paper for inking.

Problem is the retouching stage in Photoshop. As my pencils are heavy I end up doing so much retouching in Photoshop that I have pretty much inked the piece already.