Jamie Tanner, creator of Eisner Award-nominated graphic novel Aviary, has been demystifying the process of drawing comics for backers at his Kickstarter page ever since he launched last fall.  His latest post “On Inking- Stage 1” revealed this encouraging tidbit for aspiring graphic novelists:

“Dirty secret of comics-making: there is no one correct way to ink.”

In fact, for his new Kickstarter-funded graphic novel, Tanner reminds us that drawing comics isn’t all about fancy quills and india ink.  His preferred weapon of choice?  The Pilot V-Ball ballpoint pen!  Yup.  You’ve probably stolen these pens from innumerable waitresses.  They’re just so smooth…

The brilliance of Tanner’s step-by-step guide to inking comics is that he makes it look so effortless.  Just sketch out your idea in pencil, tighten up the details, go over your pencil drawing with pen, and watch as your idea goes from this:

to this:

Incredible.  I love Tanner’s humorous and honest take on making comics (he confesses to a penchant for erasing).  It’s rare that we get to see this much transparency in the creative process, and it’s amazing how Tanner has involved his backers within that process. 

I for one will be secretly practicing my sorely deficient drawing skills by sketching the Kickstarter team as superheroes.  There will be erasing.  Lots of it.        

Read more about Jamie Tanner’s new graphic novel here.