FROM PENCIL TO PRINT

I have been plotting this print for about a year now and finally I have bought it to life! It was for my friend Becca’s 21^st, and I knew a year ago that I was going to make her a cute illustration for her room. She likes pink and cosmetics so I put two and two together. For this journey I thought I would take you along with me, from A to B, pencil to print. So this post is a nice little nosey into how I make an idea come to life!

To  create my so-called masterpiece I use the following:

• Sketchbook paper (literally just torn out of my A3 sketchbook so it will fit in my scanner)
• Macbook (They’re overrated, any computer will do)
• Japanese Brush Pen with black ink
• Tombow ABT Dual Brush Pen in black
• A fine paint brush
• Drawing ink in black (Prefer Winsor & Newton ink than this stuff!)
• (Also a pencil and eraser but I forgot them for the photo didn't I )

1. I write a list of the items I need to illustrate, mainly so I don’t forget something.

2. I start off in pencil to create simple guides for the inking. It’s okay to go on the web for image references! How else are you supposed to know what a Charlotte Tilbury face powder looks like? Memory is a deceiving thing. 

3. Mistakes happen, what else can I say. 

4 & 5. Inking time! Let’s load up that brush and create them tasty lines.

6. I get it everywhere, help me.

7. Using my Japanese brush pen I go in for the little details. These are ones that the ink and brush alone can’t achieve as they need a bit more precision.

8 & 9. For type I like to use the thinner side of my Tombow Dual Pen. To put it bluntly, you can read the writing better if I use the pen than a brush. After this step, I erase the pencil lines beneath.

*Presses PAUSE*

*Presses PLAY*

10. I pop my doodles into my scanner and wait for them to become part of the 2D universe.

11. Time for the Wacom Bamboo Tablet to come out! I’ve had this one for years and as you can probably tell it’s done its time. I would definitely recommend one of these lil guys if you are applying color and/or need exactness when it comes to editing.

As this illustration is going to be bought to life with the charm of risograph, we need to choose the colors! I have multiple sample sets from many riso studios across the country. Here I am using Risotto's and Dizzy Ink's. For this print I’m only using two, so we need a line color and a filler. In the end I went for the simple yet neat combo of black and fluorescent pink. Now, if you’re sat there thinking “but Amy, what the hell is risograph?!” I shall enlighten you with this super simple article.

12. Into Photoshop we go. I start with making the white, white and the black, black with the Levels tool.

13. Using the brush tool I get rid of any lines that aren’t needed and fill in ones that need more snazz.

14. A cleaned up page!

15. Each illustration is placed onto a new A3 page ready for the color to be applied.

16. Label your layers! This is always a great habit to get into.

17. Color applied

18. Reminding myself of the percentages of color I want to be put down for the riso print.

19. The finished risograph document! Containing each color correctly labeled.

20. Emailing my riso printers a copy of the jpeg files.

21. WeTransfer-ing the Photoshop file to said printers!

Watch my lil' timelapse of the digital process on YouTube below.....

Excuse the dog filter but YEY! The prints arrived in the mail!

Do you like the sparkly background? I do, it adds to the cuteness. So, there we go folks; from pencil to print! I hope you didn’t find the post too long, but it’s a lengthy process you know. If you liked the print and fancied yourself one, head on over to my Etsy where they are going for a bargain £8! I'd like to thank Rope Press for bringing my print to life, hit em up!