In digital inking with Photoshop, there basically two (2) tools you'll constantly be using throughout, the Brush Tool and the Pen Tool . I'm going to briefly discuss the settings I normally use.

On the right is a screenshot of the custom brushes I've modified from presets and used to ink my illustrations with. I try to mimic different pen tip sizes, and the angles are mostly based on how the tip of a normal pen would be angled when I draw with them.

In doing digital art with a 300dpi resolution that measures 20 x 30in, a brush diameter of 20 to 25 px is the largest I've made for thick lines (more on this subject as we go along).

Photoshop Help explains: The Brushes palette provides many options for adding dynamic (or changing) elements to preset brush tips. For example, you can set options that vary the size, color, and opacity of brush marks over the course of a stroke.

The image on the left is where you can adjust preset brushes by accessing the Brushes Palette (Window > Brushes), like the size of the brush (1), angle and roundness (2), and how hard of soft your brush will be (3). Softer brushes will equal to that of an airbrush look.

Shape Dynamics is the option that made a difference to me when I started digitally inking my illustrations in Photoshop. Only two settings are important to me here: The type of control (1) and the Minimum Diameter (2).

Setting the Control to 'Pen Pressure' will set your brush to thin out according to how light you press on your tablet pen. This is assuming you want to draw freehand. Otherwise, its generic response is to taper itself at each end. How thick or thin the taper is determined by adjusting the Minimum Diameter (2) slider.

Setting the Control to 'Fade' (1) essentially makes your brush line fade out or thin out towards the direction its stroked. The amount of fade is determined by adjusting the length of the thickness in pixels (2). Again, how thin you want the tail of your stroke is made by adjusting the Minimum diameter slider.

Freehand with a tablet pen or stroking a path (more on paths in the next page) basically have the same effect.

These are just the basics, and experimentation is always good to find what other line effects you can make or use to better your inked images.