Banner - Pencils to Inks

I decided that I need a new banner for my blog. I really like the stars and the moon, but I think it's a little dated at this point, and I want to have something for the New Year!

Clean workspace please!

So for starters, I clean my desk and get my pencilling tools ready. I usually do prelim sketches on copy paper.

I usually end up using 3 different erasers when I pencil. This is probably a little overkill, but I end up using each to erase different lines. The automatic eraser is the newest addition, and is great for removing pencil that I may have worked up too far and realized I need to get rid of. The other two are for lighter erasing.

Now I have a sketch on the copy paper. This is loose and spontaneous, but it needs to be defined enough to transfer to the actual art board.

Taped to Bristol

I've got the copy paper taped to the artboard, made sure the angles are correct, and then get out my lightbox.

Transferred to the artboard.

 At this point I have now transferred the sketch to the bristol board that I'm going to have the finished art on. This piece is 9x12. I want to keep some of the spontaneity of the original sketch, but I define the lines better.

Detail on the pilot.

Detail on the mecha.

Ready to ink.

I work up the detail on the pilot and then move to the mecha. I am told by my fiancee the mecha sketch looks like a fairy. You can see that I make a notation of the ellipse that I'll need for inking near the shape on the pencils.

 

Here are inking tools that I use, and that I'll need for this piece. French curve, Triangle, Glass ashtray for ink, Notched ash tray to hold brushes, Black ink for drawing and white ink for touch ups. Micron technical pens .005 .01 .05; Faber Castell M Artist Pen. Raphael #1 for line work, #2 for touchup, #2 for dry brushing and spotting blacks, and a G-Nib dip pen.

Once everything is set up and cleaned, I'm ready to go! Inking Ho!

Faces first!

After faces, foreground

Some texture and detail, then move to the design.

Start inking the mecha

Linework on mecha.

Line work done.

At this point the linework is pretty much finished, and it's time to spot blacks. I used primarily brush for the pilot in the foreground, and the G-nib for the mecha, however the tight ruled lines were done with the technical pen. It is now time for black!

Covered up with Post-it notes.

Black texture for the design.

More black

Final Blacks and Textures.

I use post it notes to cover up the parts of the board I don't want to ink. This allows me to continue the stroke through without holding off at the end. I'm overall pleased with the result, but I've made a few mistakes that I need to fix.

All done!

After touching up with the white ink, and adding some texture, I decide that the chest of the pilot jacket looks a little too empty, so I add on the patch.  I sign the piece and I'm all done!