Inspiring Ink

I've have always loved black and white ink illustrations such as those in comics or older children's books. Now that I am creating my own ink drawings I am thrilled. We like what we like, and there is no better joy than creating something from our inspiration.

The contrast of ink on white paper makes for amazing values and brooding shadows. The darker gritty comics such as "Batman", "Spawn", and "Constantine" are a few that come to mind that use contrasting shadows to great effect. The subject matter doesn't have to be dark to use ink to great effect though, the possibilities are endless.

There are many inking techniques that I enjoy experimenting with and many I have incorporated as part of my personal style. Hatching and crosshatching are one of my favorites, I really like how these methods create large values that are made from many smaller lines. There is something that is aesthetically pleasing to me in the patterns created from hatching.

Fall always reminds me of my love for ink but it's kept in my heart year round. To me there seems to be something spiritual in contrast, the battle of light and dark creates the values that we are trying to communicate. From the shadows a spark of light reveals a universe, what lives in this universe is up to us we just have to bring it forth from the shadows.


Here are some examples of my ink work.