So you use the pentool? I used to use that before I got a newer tablet. (My old one was so hard to work with being all slippery I had to use the pentool.)
Now I do my inking freehand with the Intuos4.

Yeah, I've tried inking with my wacom but it never comes out as clean as doing it this way, plus, with the quick key setup to an action, it's very fast.

You forgot to say "pie" in your keywords! 83

ALL ZE PIE

*claps forehead* Arg... make an action - goddammit - 15 years of using Photoshop and I never thought of that! You sir, are so very worthy of pie. *bows*

Hahaha no worries, Duncan harped on me to make an action for doing this for a while, then I finally listened to him and he was right (FOR ONCE) lol

"For everything, there is a first time" -- Spock :D

Cool - will definitely have to try that for my next horrible-sketch to mehtastic ink attempt. :P There is one thing I'm wondering though that I've had a lot of trouble with - fur. Apart from painstakingly using the pen tool to try and show little tufts of fur on a line, I don't know any other way to do it. Any advice there?

Blargh, I wish I still had the patience to use the pen tool. Kudos! It's nice to see it put into some good work.

hehe thanks. It's how I do it for now till I get off my ass and play with Sia or Sai or whatever the hell it is lol

Well, the bright side to that is that it has a pen tool function as well. A 'lil different from the pen tool in PS from what I know, but the same concept.

Quick question, which version of Photoshop are you using?

CS5 but it works well with any version after 5.5

5.5 has the same feature, but it doesn't have the option to simulate the stroke.

Okay, was wondring, I have 6.0 myself.

I'm gonna try this out right now! :O

You best show me the results or I'll punch you in the peenor.

You caught me. I lied. My old bamboo graphire -- http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images.....k%2BsJUqrL.jpg -- bit the dust a couple months ago. I don't have anything for digital arting except my iPad and it's totally inadequate for that ;3;

Scan some doodle and you can do this with a mouse!

Thanks for posting this. I don't have a tablet and am new to drawing. Really helpful to see a professional share some tips. It could really teach us a thing or 2. Hope these improve my crappy art

hehe np :) The good thing about doing it this way is it makes it easy to ink with a mouse if you don't have a tablet.

this wont work for some reason

Hrmm, what version of Photoshop are you using? Is the brush set large enough and 100% opacity? You're right clicking the line you make with the pen tool and doing the stroke path option from that menu? I'm not sure what it could be.

I'm doing what you are saying but its making weird pointed angles instead of a smooth stroke.

Oh, are you holding down the the click and pulling out slightly when you lay down a pen tool dot? That puts a curve on the line, otherwise it treats it as a straight line with sharp angles. So put down the first dot, then on the second, when you put it down, hold the click and pull it out some and you'll see the line it's making curve and you do that with the next pen tool dots too to make the line fit the curve of the sketch. Works just like illustrator.

Ohhhh I see

^.^

magic, gotcha

lol all the magic!

This looks pretty elaborate, and also gives me an excuse to go ahead and try it out for myself on a project that should take me all day!

Takes a bit to get used to but when you do, it goes quickly :)

Thank you, talented stranger. I shall try that as inking I need to learn. :D

I've been trying out the pen tool because of this, before I was afraid of it. thanks!

How do you still get sharp yet visible tips at each end of the line?

I've tried stimulating pressure on the pen line but the stroke tip becomes invisible before it reaches the end of the line.

Did you use a large brush size, set a minimum diameter on your brush stroke, or make an extra long line and erase the tips?

I finally got that stupid "Bind the Stroke/Brush Action to a quick key" part down. This will make things weirdly easy. :)

I'm sorry, may I ask: Is this still the way you do this sort of stuff?

How I ink? Yup!

Wow! I mean I ... I always hear of people doing things with tablets and styluses, I keep trying to use them, but it gets tricky very often, so that whenever I want the full optimum quality, I do things with the Pen tool in Photoshop, outlining the lines, getting a specific concrete thickness. This was something I thought I was the only guy doing, because I never heard anyone say they do it this way, and my mind because of it, had this image of aristocratic furries going:
http://blogimg.ngfiles.com/392000/3.....827_107297.gif
"My word... you see that old chap? This fellow be inking with his pen tool, how bizarre"
http://www.pascoeandcompany.com/med.....sman-fox_1.jpg
"I say...... well, if he wishes to toy around, then let him I say! Not everyone is suit to be an artist...."

... yes, I'm weird!

But here I see that THE Teaselbone is actually not that far off?! This truly is encouraging! I mean I do intend to learn to properly use the tablet anyway, however it still feels good to know that the methods I've been using for years aren't all bad and that it's not impossible to utilize them to create great masterpieces!

Great tutorial. We actually ink the same way, but I use keyboard shortcuts instead of actions ([P]en, click,click, [B]rush, Enter, Backspace). But I'm gonna try using the actions and binding them to one of the pen buttons, see if i can streamline it a little more. Inking is my least favorite part of the process. :p

What kind of Photoshop?

How do you get the curve in the line? I have CS5 and the anchors still create a series of straight lines.

When you press down to put a point, pull with your pen and that should put a curve on the point