Lining Like a Villain (Patreon)

I’m lining some pieces for an upcoming tattoo (for tomorrow...) and in light of my previous tutorial I want to share how I go for outlining images.

I don’t have a set formula aside of using my hand feel to glide through the canvas the same way as I would when I sketch. That and keeping in mind how I want to re-shape or “clean” a stray line. That and forgetting to bring my eraser has taught me wonders of drawing > erasing. That way you get to advance more in a fluid flow instead of stopping to erase all the time.

“Lining like a villain” comes from me always being late from procrastinating or mischeduling my time. I try to be honest and true but at the same time I need to hurry to meet deadlines. Hence me using a bold and tapered brush setting with pressure sensitivity and going at it like I’m Alice in Wonderland’s White Rabbit. Wide brush also give you the opportunity to have bigger ink pools or black shapes that give a nice foundation in your image.

Usually this yields good results. The motion is fluid and the gesture is almost as true as the initial sketch. However it’s not all, as the image needs to be reviewed with fine-detailing to give more depth and polish to the illustration. That’s when I go in with a finer brush to add hatching or very thin lines to capture the subtle details. At this time you can notice more line weight which I always admired in art. Its also important to note that I don’t always clean up EVERYTHING. I leave a lot of stray marks, lines crisscross, some shapes will show lines underneath (usually clothing), and I will even make sure some lines are scratchy and dented on purpose. It’s part of my art personality I leave as signature I suppose.

So what gives is:

1-Draw instead of erasing. Pass the first 15 min cap.

2-Pressure sensitive wide tapered brush is your friend

3-Gradually lower the opacity of your undersketch to make sure you’re focusing on your lines

4-Erase and taper your previous lines towards the middle/end of your process.

5-Thinner brush for fine lining and detailing.

6-Worry later, take breaks also!

In conclusion, be a villain! Draw it like you stole it- uhm hmm... But truly, don’t be like me. Don’t be late. Plan your time ahead so you aren’t in a hurry and push through because the first 15 minutes of anything is always the hardest.

Good luck good draw!