Inking for Comic Books: Traditional and Digital Techniques
A course by Sam Hart , Comic Book and Storyboard Artist
Bring parallel universes to life by learning to combine different inking techniques for comic book illustration
The ink in a comic book not only puts solid lines over fading pencils but also gives weight and atmosphere to the scene, emphasizes its light and shadows, and even defines its narrative. Comic book artist Sam Hart tells stories in ink for comics like The Coldest City, Grace O'Malley, and King Arthur.
In this course, he teaches you how to use three different inking techniques to develop a comic book narrative. Create a fully-inked comic book page, combining traditional inks; black and white ink wash; and digital inks. Every page of a comic is a universe. Learn how to bring superheroes, monsters, or parallel dimensions to life with traditional and digital techniques.
This is Sam’s second Domestika course. In his first, Visual Narrative for Comic Books: Illustrate Your Own Universe, he teaches you the essentials of comic book creation, from writing an impactful script to bringing the words on the page to life.
What will you learn in this online course?
14 lessons & 21 downloads
- 98% positive reviews (59)
- 2,948 students
- 14 lessons (1h 56m)
- 21 additional resources (9 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish · Romanian · Indonesian
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
Recommended software & tools for this course
Adobe PhotoshopWhat is this course's project?
Create a fully-inked comic book page using a combination of three inking techniques: traditional inks; black and white watercolors or ink washes; and digital inks.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone with an interest in creating professional comic book art and exploring different inking techniques.
Requirements and materials
Basic drawing knowledge is required.
In terms of materials, you will need ink, brushes, pens, markers, erasers, and other materials specified by the teacher in the course.
Reviews
Sam Hart
A course by Sam Hart
Sam Hart is an Anglo-Brazilian comic book artist based in São Paulo. He fell in love with comic books at a young age and has been reading, drawing, and writing them ever since. He has drawn stories featuring characters such as Robin Hood and The Power Rangers and had one of the graphics novels he illustrated adapted into a film starring Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron.
Aside from creating comic books of his own, Sam regularly teaches illustration and comic book art and is passionate about helping others create their own realities through visual narratives.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
Inks
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What Is Inking?
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Materials
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Traditional Inks: Technique
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Watercolours: Style
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Digital Inks: speed
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U3
The Page
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Narrative Inks
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Inking: Forms, Outlines, and Light
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Inking: Contrast, Volume, and Texture
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Ink Washes
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Digital Get Together
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U4
Print Ready
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Top Tips
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Sending Files
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FP
Final project
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Inking for Comic Books: Traditional and Digital Techniques
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
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Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
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Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
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Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
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Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
This course is designed for intermediate artists who already have basic drawing skills and want to advance their inking, coloring, and comic storytelling techniques.
You will need traditional inking tools like dip pens, brushes, ink, Bristol board, and watercolors, as well as a computer with Photoshop for the digital inking and coloring lessons.
You’ll learn traditional and digital inking techniques, page layout, anatomy for comics, shadowing, using Photoshop for coloring, creating textures, and professional comic production workflows.
Yes, the course teaches both traditional inking (with pens, brushes, and ink wash) and digital inking techniques using Photoshop.
The course provides step-by-step instructions on coloring inked comic pages in Photoshop, including layer management, brush settings, and blending techniques.
Yes, you’ll learn correction techniques like using white gouache, erasers, and digital touch-ups to fix ink mistakes and refine your artwork.
Line weights refer to the thickness and thinness of lines. You’ll learn how to vary line width to create movement, define volume, and enhance depth in your comic illustrations.
Adobe Photoshop
Excelente profesor! Explica muy bien las técnicas y son muy útiles
Excelente profesor! Explica muy bien y aprendí mucho.
Wow, what an incredible course, I'm learning so much, very well explained. Thank you.
esta bueno!
A great crash course on inking comics. The instructions are easy to follow and the exercises give a good hands-on experience with the complexities of inking. Sam demonstrates his approach to inking very well. I would have liked a more in-depth focus on inking techniques but am also enjoying the approach of learning by doing, by following general guidelines. The course leaves it open for you to develop your own style with a basic knowledge, which I really appreciate.