[Marth Matix]

I want to ask what's the best method to outline your own drawings? What I'm trying to do is this...I'm sketching out some characters and the original sketches always get a little smudged up and I want to print copies of my character drawings so I may color them in with pencils. What's the best way to outline a drawing? By holding it with a blank piece of paper on top of it to a window/bright screen and trace with a mechanical pencil or a felt-tip pen? I want to have an outline than I can scan so I can print out copies to color (smudge-free!). What's the best way to do this? Thanks!

[avid reader]

Well... if you are just outlining and not transfering....
There are these marvolous pens called Microns. They don't smudge or bleed. I use them for watercolor and even then they don't smudge. All you have to do is trace your drawing, than erase the pencil marks from your original sketch and the result is a very very clean outline of your drawing. They are a little pricey, but they last a good long time. They range from super thick (like 8mm) to crazy tiny (0.05 mm). They work magic.

Hope that helps. Basically anything else you'll use will smudge if you're not careful. Microns are the only thing I have found that just don't smudge.

[Marth Matix]

Well... if you are just outlining and not transfering....
There are these marvolous pens called Microns. They don't smudge or bleed. I use them for watercolor and even then they don't smudge. All you have to do is trace your drawing, than erase the pencil marks from your original sketch and the result is a very very clean outline of your drawing. They are a little pricey, but they last a good long time. They range from super thick (like 8mm) to crazy tiny (0.05 mm). They work magic.

Hope that helps. Basically anything else you'll use will smudge if you're not careful. Microns are the only thing I have found that just don't smudge.

Where can I purchase microns? I don't have many art stores around my area. Will Office Max, Target, or Wal-Mart carry them? Also, could you please differentiate between outlining and transferring? I'm a little confused there.

[avid reader]

I get mine at Michael's.... umm... you could probably order them online... they do not have them at any of my local walmarts and such... but you could try it. They would probably be in the scrapbooking section. They're called "Micron Pens" and you can buy them in a pack (it's more cost efficiant that way). They're made by "Sakura".

Outlining is outlining a sketch or drawing you have already done, then earasing or fine tuning those marks. Transfering is taking a rough sketch and using tracing paper or a light box to put it on a seperate sheet of paper or canvass. You were talking about using a window for the light (which never ever works for me... I always slip)... so I figured you might be talking about transfering... but yeah... hope that helps.

This post has been edited by avid reader: 12 May 2009 - 01:21 PM

[Quoth the Raven]

I prefer simply a 0.5 ballpoint pen to outline. I've never transferred a drawing on paper before, so I can't really say anything about that.

[Auryporry]

Hey, is there a point in purchasing the color pigma micron pens versus the black pens? If I'm just outlining/transferring, should it matter that I employ black over colored pens?

[avid reader]

Hey, is there a point in purchasing the color pigma micron pens versus the black pens? If I'm just outlining/transferring, should it matter that I employ black over colored pens?

That's really just personal preference. I like black. Colors can be useful though. But it's really up to you.