There is no fixed order for line and wash work, although be warned that washing colour on top of black lines can often dull them so it helps to consider this when planning a drawing.
One of the most popular ink techniques is the line and wash method – mixing dark lines with washes of dilute colour (either ink or watercolour). If you make a mistake, just accept it and work with it often the mistakes are the best bits. This gives the lines more freshness and a sense of life. As you get more confident, however, it is much more satisfying to just go for it. If you are just starting out and a bit nervous about not being able to undo mistakes, try sketching in pencil first before drawing over the top with ink. Any paper that’s too absorbent will cause the ink to bleed. If you want to try working in this way, opt for a ‘sized’ paper – paper with a resistant gelatine layer. Working on a wet surface will give you much less control over how the ink behaves, but this can be part of the fun of experimenting. Just like watercolour paint, ink reacts differently if it is applied wet-in-wet rather than wet-on-dry.
If you’re in a hurry to dry your ink, use a hairdryer. Always remember to watch your arm – you don’t want to swipe your sleeve across the wet ink.
Wet ink must be handled with even more care once it has been applied to the paper. Keep stepping back from your work as you build it up and stop applying ink when you’ve reached a good balance of light and dark. It’s very easy to over-darken using pen and ink yet virtually impossible to reverse it. Working tonally can be very expressive, and the trick is to use dark ink and then dilute it to indicate the lighter areas of the subject.
#India ink drawing for acrylic painting how to
6 Manage your tonesĪ common question is how to use ink to create different tones.
#India ink drawing for acrylic painting full
But be prepared to make mistakes while using ink: the reward for going wrong are drawings full of the sort of spontaneity, passion and rawness rarely seen in carefully plotted pencil work. This might seem scary at first and can discourage artists from using the medium. Pen and ink marks cannot be easily undone or corrected. Cross hatching, stippling and squiggly, circular marks will all add texture, as well as build the shading and form you need. Try out different strokes while using India ink. If you are just starting out, you could try using just the tip of a finely pointed sable brush as an alternative to buying a nib. As a guide, use a reed pen for frequent, short strokes or try a round tip for wide, smooth lines. The size and shape of the nib will affect how much ink you need to use, what your marks will look like and how many times you need to dip your nib back in the ink. There are a variety of pen nibs available for drawing and each offers a different effect. When all else fails, resort to the white ink pot. If you blot it straight away, the ink will get into the paper. After this it is safe to blot to absorb any remaining unwanted ink. Rough paper makes it easier to lift off the ink – first use a moist brush to absorb excess ink and then flood the area with clean water. Heavy grade, roughly textured watercolour paper is useful for making corrections. Waterproof inks are best for line work while water-soluble ink should be used for washes. India ink is a standard staple for ink artists – it’s permanent and waterproof. Whether you’re a beginner wondering how to use drawing ink or want to improve your India ink techniques, this expert guide has some useful advice which will help boost your skills.Ĭhoose your inks to suit your purpose. Link copied to clipboard Ink can be a challenging medium at first, but follow these top tips on how to use ink and you’ll soon be making the most of its distinctive properties
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