Yeah. I bought a bunch but I can't seem to do the shading properly...

Anyone got advice and tips to help me out?

(I'm using the manga set by the way)

warefish, I think you are going to have to give people more information. For instance, what effect are you pushing for and what are the current results? Most of the time markers are a bit like water color or acrylic washes. Everytime you go back over something you are leaving a darker or more color rich swatch in comparison to the surrounding area. It's great if you are TRYING to create a shadow effect, but irritating if all you want to do is end up with a uniform area. This is one reason that people are starting to do all their coloring with their graphics package.

Is this the problem you are having or is it something else. Oh and if it IS the problem, sorry, but I don't have a solution. Someone else might.

Use the grays like watercolours as CharleyHorse said. They build up with layers which makes it hard to do with them. Otherwise, you're best off treating them like any other pen and hatching and cross hatching. One of my favorite tricks with them is to use them up and toss them in a box to the side for a bit, then use the "dead" pens to get these ghostly lines that are great to build into gradients. Sometimes if you haven't abused the tips of brush pens you can get some cool sumi-e type lines from them with an ink bottle once they're out of their own ink.

That's most of what I know but I'll let you know anything else I remember.

Im pretty heavy handed when it comes to inking, and the tips of the pens get frayed pretty fast. pisses me the hell off.

There are several sets (even the manga ones)... color sets, gray tone sets, all black sets. Which one are you using?

That would make the difference if we're talking about crosshatching/feathering/etc or more tonal work...



I just strap an anvil to my hand and have at it! Rahhh!!!

Seriously, though, I burn through brush pens quick (when I'm using them)-- it also doesn't help that I'm obsessive about having perfect tips! That's why I'm curious about checking out that pentel, i think it was.

Hrm. All this talk makes me want to do some traditional work! Hmmm.... maybe the next project.

Well, to answer Charley's question, I'm having trouble with using the light(est) grey pen. I don't want the shading* too dark, I want it faint yet clearly visible. I keep screwing it up because I'm used to stroking back and forth when shading with pencils, but with the Pitt pen, the ink gets darker every time you go over what you drew. Is it the paper** I'm using?

-Oh and thanks for the other tips guys!




*I'm using a tonal style
**Standard A4 paper

That will probably happen on any paper. That is the way that they work. A lot like markers. I'm not an expert on this sort of shading, but I'd just be careful to fill in the areas you want without much overlapping, and then go over any parts you want to darken.

Sometimes the marker quality is affected by the paper. Thicker paper like water colour can drink the ink like anything and leave fairly bland colours that need multiple coats to get anything like the normal vibrancy. You can get specialised stuff that's about 70 gsm (I think)that reduces the amount of bleed and "shadow" effect from going over the colour.

I use Ciaou markers but I imagine it's the same way of using them, so for block colours I'd treat it more like you were doing a final inking. Apply the colour only where there isn't any and don't attempt to much at once. If you work fairly rapidly then you can get quite an even coverage without having to put new ink over dried ink. For large areas, don't attempt to much at once or the section you get back to colouring on the other side of the page will have dried and will streak with the new application. Work methodically from left to right (or right ot left depending on your own personal choice).

Hope that helps.

Well, I don't think you're supposed to do it like you're using a pencil. Just a few strokes should do it. I'd act as if you were using a brush and watercolors. But that's just me.