Pencil To Ink Sample

This is a panel taken from the comic book HELLCOP (Avalon Studios/Image 1996), pencilled by Gilbert Monsanto and inked by Gerry Alanguilan. Both pencils and inks are shown to demonstrate a little bit of what inkers usually do.

The first thing I noticed was that the mask seemed awry so on the right you can see just how I "straightened" it out. It's the same thing I did for the round filters sticking out of the mask, the goggles and the symbols. The shoulder pads were a bit more tricky. I placed texture on it that doesn't originally appear on the pencils. Why? Probably because it looked better and I did it because it was OK with Gilbert for me to do so.

Also, in the original drawings had only a hint of mouldings on the arch above a doorway behind the figure. I went in and defined the mouldings even more, to make it clearer that it was indeed a doorway.

I'm glad that I have this kind of freedom when I ink Hellcop. I feel more fulfilled and happier with the job and I feel I really contribute to making the book a better one. I can only do this because I'm allowed to and I would not actively advice anyone else to do it without prior consultation with your penciller and editor.