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Mikael Bergkvist
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 29 May 2025
Location: Sweden
Posts: 39
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| Posted: 23 February 2026 at 7:05am | IP Logged | 1
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Its an old question, but do you feel that some tools are better for drawing comics than others, objectively?
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 135721
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| Posted: 23 February 2026 at 10:23am | IP Logged | 2
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I have long felt that pretty much anything that will make a mark on the page is good.
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Michael Hogan
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 2088
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| Posted: 23 February 2026 at 4:09pm | IP Logged | 3
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JB,
Would you be willing to share a short list of those tools
(as specifically as possible) which were in constant use at
your drawing table during your career? Thanks.
Michael
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Andrew Bitner
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 01 June 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 7564
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| Posted: 23 February 2026 at 5:07pm | IP Logged | 4
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I was at a convention in NYC shortly after MAN OF STEEL's release. JB was on a panel with... I think it was Dick Giordano? Someone asked this question and JB tugged a black pen out of his pocket and said, "This will do the job" or words to that effect. He used that pen to sign my copy of MOS 1.
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 135721
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| Posted: 23 February 2026 at 5:09pm | IP Logged | 5
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Mechanical pencils, brushes, Q-Tips, wadded up kleenex, sponges, various templates. And, of course, my drafting machine, in service since 1977!
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Peter Hicks
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 30 April 2004
Location: Canada
Posts: 2104
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| Posted: 23 February 2026 at 10:26pm | IP Logged | 6
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What were the Q tips for?
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 135721
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| Posted: 23 February 2026 at 11:06pm | IP Logged | 7
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Special effects. Smoke. Cosmic vistas.
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Matt Hawes
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 16651
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| Posted: 23 February 2026 at 11:40pm | IP Logged | 8
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I used to regularly upload drawing videos to YouTube, which I recorded for a segment of my public access TV program, "The Happy Show!" For most of these, I used a Sharpie because, especially given the resolution of the cameras I used in the early to mid 2000s, and YouTube's then-limitations, a Sharpie would show up better on TV and such. That, and it was quicker to draw with a Sharpie for these presentations.
People would commonly leave comments asking about if Sharpie was a good tool for drawing, and what other pens, etc., would be good. My response was pretty much what JB said about whatever makes a mark. I would say, whatever tool gives you the line you are looking for. I did explain why I used Sharpies on the videos and that I would likely not have used a Sharpie for most of my work intended for publication and such.
Since so many aspiring artists seemed to be asking for a magic pen for drawing, I recorded a drawing video where I used a toothpick to make a point. That being, the ability is in the artist, NOT the tool. The tool is merely a method to get the art onto the canvas. In my video, I drew the Hulk, dipping a toothpick into an ink well to, er, illustrate a point. After the video was uploaded, I had many people asking "Is a toothpick a good tool for drawing?" Of course, it's NOT ideal, but... Sigh, they seemingly missed the whole point of that video, and I did state why I was using a toothpick.
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Dave Kopperman
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 27 December 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 3932
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| Posted: 23 February 2026 at 11:59pm | IP Logged | 9
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I’m sifting through some old work for a show, and I’m amazed as to the amount of mechanical tones I used to use. Amazed both because I had forgotten that I actually had a real facility with it (these days, I’d be more likely to slice the tips of my fingers off than to get that contour down right), and also amazed - and a little sad - that there was a point where it was cheap and plentiful enough for me to be so profligate with it. Though I was never happy with dry brush or china pencil, so if I wanted tonal effects other than hatching, my toolbox was limited.
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 135721
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| Posted: 24 February 2026 at 12:24am | IP Logged | 10
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Since so many aspiring artists seemed to be asking for a magic pen…••• Mostly they want The Trick. When they ask me how I do it, they want me to say I put my left foot in a bucket of warm water and face east.
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Mark McMurray
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 221
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| Posted: 24 February 2026 at 3:54pm | IP Logged | 11
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When asked this question, Joe Kubert would tell us (paraphrased): "Anything can be used to draw. Use what's around you. If you need to, you can use a stick."
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Mikael Bergkvist
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 29 May 2025
Location: Sweden
Posts: 39
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| Posted: 24 February 2026 at 4:47pm | IP Logged | 12
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I asked because for me, there is one difference. When I use so called sharpies, I miss the flow of inks. The sharpies are not very generous with ink, and using them feels strenous. I love brushes, though I am not very good with them.
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