2026-07-18 15:00 UTC
I'm learning how to use a dip pen for comic making. Today's practice is focused mostly on using a "maru pen", also known as "mapping pen" for backgrounds, architecture and frames.
Most comics have frames, and among comics that have frames, most are drawn with some sort of a ruler. Who doesn't know how to use a ruler?
I didn't know how to use a ruler! Turns out, using a ruler with a dip pen, especially a G-pen (graphical?), is a very different from using it with a pencil or a regular pen.
I'll leave a video in the comment, so you could understand how and why those terrible smudges happen
Replies (1)
-
@nina_kali_nina@tech.lgbt 2026-07-18 15:05
If you are interested in trying drawing with ink (I hope you are!), and don't want to struggle with your lines ruining your drawing, you might want to ask someone to share pro-tips about dip pens and rulers. Well, or you could read about them in a book! Things I've discovered/found so far: Keep the ruler upside down. There shouldn't be contact between the ruler's edge, the pen and the paper. Plan ahead. Ink dries a long time, moving your ruler on top of a freshly drawn line will smudge it Steady your hand. The pen's edge doesn't touch the ruler's edge, so if your movement isn't smooth, or the pressure is uneven, the line will "slip" Wipe your ruler often