The final step for finishing a coloring page is to scan the pencil draft and basically trace over it with solid black lines on the computer. The first few pages I made for this project were finished with Micron ink pens, but I found it frustrating to not have the option of editing previous pages as I moved along. The editability provided by the digital tablet really helps in going back and making changes to make a more cohesive body of work.
I use a Wacom Intuos 5 (the large size helps in creating more gestural drawings) with my disappointing HP laptop. I hope to replace my computer soon with either a nice big iMac or a Macbook Pro with an additional monitor. I definitely feel the limitations of my puny 13" screen, especially when I have multiple tabs open for image research on Chrome and all the Photoshop palettes and layers to switch between.
I'm still using Photoshop CS3, which seems to work fine for the relatively simple tasks I use it for. I'm hesitant to make the switch to the subscription-based Creative Cloud, just because I don't feel ready to pay $20 a month to basically rent software.
If you look closely at the image below, you can see the pencil draft underneath the dark black lines. The main goal in the final step is to clarify my pencil draft and to add crosshatch and texture to give shape and detail to my figures. I do miss the feel of working with real ink on paper, but can't say I want to go back to constantly redrawing my pages just to correct a few stray marks.
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