Traditional Drawing Correction Tools

[Reign]

So I was drawing one of the borders of one of the panels in my comic, and accidentally drew the line way too long. I have heard of comic artists using white out to clean up mistakes, and I’m wondering if anyone has had experience using it? Does it show up on the scanner, or does it blend in with the paper well? Or is it just a matter of messing with the contrast on the scanned line art? Or are there any better ways of correcting a mistake? (This is traditional art, not digital.)

[skicoak]

I can't speak for anyone else but white out/cover ups always left a slight "shadow" image that bugged me.

I love digital's mistake covering capabilities so much.

[Shanny8]

It depends on what you're using. When I worked traditionally I used a Pentel correction pen and/or Dr Ph Martins Bleed Proof White- it did okay for the mistakes that I would make. You can always come behind that once you scan in the work and use whatever art program that you have to clean up the mistake beyond that.

[Reign]

@Shanny8

Oh, that’s a good idea! I didn’t think about that. Because originally what I do is ink the original, scan it in, print up a copy, and color the copy.

[inkycharland]

When you do scan traditional work in, here's a video about adjusting. I guess, I shouldn't assume you have Photoshop, but other programs may have something similar.

[rajillustration]

White out does work (and white out tape, which is much more fun to use), so does white acrylic paint (make sure it's not a transparent color of white--the bottle will usually tell you how transparent it is) and I've even read about people who just straight up cut the top layer of the paper out with an exact-o knife (though I feel like that would take longer? You'd have to have thick watercolor paper)

But, when you go to scan, you will still see a little bit of the edge just from the shadow (that and the paint might be lighter than your paper) so you'll still have to go into levels and take off the top 10-20% of the light values and probably bounce up the darkest values, which you should be able to do from your scanning settings if you don't have Photoshop, CSP, or Gimp. It's best to go into levels anyway, to get rid of any old pencil lines and texture from the paper.

[ben]

I just use white out and any greys or shadows in my line art just got away when I level my blacks and whites in photoshop

[punkarsenic]

since you're scanning your work, your best bet is to digitally edit out mistakes. you can use whiteout and all sorts, but chances are you'll have to eek out residual remains digitally.

Cartoonist Ivan Brunetti recommends Liquid Paper or Wite-Out - though if you're not drawing over whatever you're whiting out, white acrylic does the trick.

that said, an important part of working traditionally is learning what mistakes to embrace, so dont go crazy with the white out (though an extra long panel border is a just use)

[Reign]

@punkarsenic

I would totally embrace it, but this is how the border stands currently.

[rajillustration]

Lol, I have done this same exact mistake too many times to count.

[nostalgicroxas]

White out tape would make a more flat appearance but it will likely get a shadow either way when you scan it into a computer. It'll require you to do a digital touch-up anyway. If it's an alcohol based ink (like Copics) you can use 70% alcohol to water it down and get it out, but it might take eons and just leave a stain on the paper anyway.