How to Ink Your Sketches in Paint Shop Pro 8

I love to make drawings and sketches, and I love to color them traditionally and digitally. When it comes to inking my sketches though, I used to dread this the most. My inking used to take way too long, and look bad when I finished. But my tendency to draw on lined paper made it a task that I just couldn't get around sometimes. I've learned many tips along the way - some from experts, others through trial and error - and now I even ink things for fun when I'm bored. Inking shouldn't be a daunting task - it's a part of the creative drawing process, and can be just as fun.

I use Jasc Paint Shop Pro 8 for any digital artwork I create, but any digital art program will work just as well. Many of the pros prefer Adobe Photoshop or Elements. You can even use Macromedia Flash or MS Paint. Most of the tools I describe here (such as the pen tool) can be found in the other programs. Some (like creating layers or Gaussian blur) are specific to more "advanced" programs such as PSP and PS. But these are simply general tips that can help you figure out the most comfortable and enjoyable way for you to make inked drawings on the computer. I also don't have a tablet - everything I do is done with a mouse. As a result, everything that I describe here can be done with a mouse as well.

Let's get started!