20 INK Tips for BEGINNERS!

Summary

The video script offers an insightful guide for ink drawing enthusiasts, presenting 20 valuable tips to enhance their artistic skills. Starting with the importance of a well-worked-out sketch before inking, it moves on to techniques like using a light pad for sketch transfer, varying line thickness for visual impact, and practicing line tracing for confidence. The guide also emphasizes the use of different pens for detail work and the significance of muscle memory in creating fluid lines. It delves into ink wash preparation with a watercolor palette, choosing the right paper weight, and utilizing rendering methods for texture variety. Artistic advice includes focusing on contrast to direct the viewer's attention, using silhouettes effectively, and employing white ink for highlights. The script concludes with the recommendation to document the finished ink drawing digitally, either through scanning or photography, ensuring the artwork is preserved for future reference.

Takeaways

• 📝 Complete your sketch and make a tonal thumbnail before inking to minimize decisions during the inking process.
• 💡 Use a light pad to transfer your sketch for a clean line art without pencil marks on the final paper.
• ✍️ Employ a mix of thick and thin lines in your line art to guide the viewer's eye and add depth to your drawing.
• 🖋 Practice tracing lines to build muscle memory and steadiness for confident strokes in your final drawing.
• 🎨 Use a watercolor palette and eyedroppers to mix ink washes, and create a swatch key for easy reference.
• 📄 Choose a paper that is 140 pounds or heavier to prevent buckling when using ink washes.
• 🔍 Use different rendering methods in ink to create varied textures and make objects appear distinct from each other.
• 🌿 Master dry brushing to produce various textures, which is especially useful for natural elements like fur and grass.
• 🛠️ Utilize frayed old brushes to create a unique scratchy texture that can add a natural touch to your ink drawings.
• 🌈 Leave a puddle of ink wash on the paper to create a dark rim effect for interesting textures and patterns.
• 🖌️ Apply wet-on-wet techniques for soft gradients, particularly useful for creating lifelike rosy cheeks.
• 🎭 Focus on contrast to direct the viewer's attention to the focal point of your piece.
• 🐾 Use silhouettes effectively to show what's happening in your piece without relying on busy line work.
• ⚫️ Don't be afraid to use very dark or black values and use white ink for line art over black shapes for added impact.
• ⭐ Use white ink for specular highlights as it's easier to add them at the end rather than leaving white spaces.
• 🌌 Create lineless shapes to recede in space and use hard versus soft edges to set objects further or closer in the composition.
• 📷 Make a good digital record of your completed ink drawing, using a scanner or a camera with natural light for the best results.

Q & A

What is the first tip the speaker gives for ink drawing?

The first tip is to work out your sketch as much as possible before you start inking, making artistic decisions ahead of time and creating a tonal thumbnail to guide the ink application.

How does using a light pad help in the drawing process?

A light pad allows you to see your sketch through the paper, enabling you to trace the line art without touching a pencil to your final piece of paper, which is especially useful when transitioning from digital sketching to traditional inking.

What is the significance of using a variety of thick and thin lines in line art?

Using a variety of line widths helps to create different effects, lead the eye around the drawing, and control the order in which the viewer sees different elements of the composition.

Why is practicing tracing lines before starting the final drawing beneficial?

Practicing tracing lines helps to build muscle memory and a steady hand, which is crucial for creating confident strokes that follow the sketch, ultimately improving the technical side of inking.

How does the speaker recommend mixing ink washes?

The speaker suggests using a watercolor palette and eyedroppers to control the amount of ink and water, making a swatch for each shade and creating a key for reference.

What type of paper is recommended for ink washes?

A paper that is 140 pounds or heavier is recommended, as it doesn't buckle as much when water is added, making it easier to create clean line work.

Why is it important to use different rendering methods in ink drawing?

Different rendering methods allow for the creation of various textures and can make objects in a piece look distinct from one another, even if they share similar tones.

How does dry brushing create different effects in ink drawing?

Dry brushing involves applying a brush with pure ink directly onto the page without water, which can create different effects based on the amount of ink left on the brush and the pressure and motion used during application.

What can a frayed old brush be used for in ink drawing?

A frayed old brush can be used to create a scratchy or dry brush texture, which is particularly effective for rendering fur, grasses, feathers, and other textured elements.

How does leaving a puddle of ink wash on the paper create a unique effect?

Leaving a puddle of ink wash on the paper results in a dark rim effect as the pigment collects at the edge of the puddle, creating a unique texture and pattern that adds dimension to the artwork.

Why is it recommended to make a good digital record of your completed ink drawing?

Making a digital record of your completed ink drawing is important for preserving the work, especially since ink drawings can be delicate and prone to damage. A scanner or a good quality digital camera can be used for this purpose.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Ink Drawing Preparation and Techniques

The first paragraph emphasizes the importance of preparing a detailed sketch and tonal thumbnail before starting to ink. It suggests using a light pad for transferring sketches and recommends a variety of pens for different line widths. The artist also discusses practicing line tracing to build muscle memory and the technique of using a pulling motion for fluid lines. Mixing ink washes with a watercolor palette and eyedroppers is also covered, along with the importance of using heavy paper for ink washes to prevent buckling.

05:04

🖌️ Advanced Ink Application and Texture Creation

This paragraph delves into advanced ink rendering methods, such as using different ink application techniques to create varied textures. It highlights the use of dry brushing to achieve various effects and how to utilize an old, frayed brush for a unique texture. The artist also shares a tip on creating a dark rim effect by leaving a puddle of ink wash on the paper and discusses the importance of using a small amount of pressure and frequently reloading the brush for even ink washes.

10:04

🌈 Artistic Approaches to Ink Drawing

The third paragraph focuses on the artistic side of ink drawing, starting with the use of contrast to direct the viewer's focus to the focal point of the artwork. It discusses the use of silhouettes and the interplay between light and dark shapes. The artist also explains how to use white ink for line art over dark shapes and for creating specular highlights. Additionally, the paragraph covers the concept of lineless shapes receding in space and the use of hard versus soft edges to suggest depth.

15:05

📸 Preserving Your Ink Artwork

The final paragraph stresses the importance of making a good digital record of completed ink drawings. It suggests using a scanner for high-quality reproductions or a digital camera with a tripod and natural light for capturing images. The artist shares personal experiences with different tools and invites viewers to share their tips and experiences in the comments section.

Keywords

💡Inktober Challenge

The Inktober Challenge is an annual event where artists create ink drawings for every day in October. It serves as a creative exercise and a way to improve one's skills with ink. In the video, the artist mentions having completed the 2019 challenge and is now sharing new tips based on their experiences.

💡Technical Side of Inking

The technical side of inking refers to the actual application of ink to paper, which includes decisions about ink type, brush control, and the physical act of applying ink. The artist emphasizes the importance of making artistic decisions before starting to ink, to streamline the inking process.

💡Light Pad

A light pad, also known as a light table, is a device that allows artists to see their sketch through the paper, facilitating the tracing of line art without the need for pencil marks on the final piece. It is mentioned as a tool for transferring sketches, especially when the artist prefers to sketch digitally and then ink traditionally.

💡Line Art

Line art is the illustration technique that uses lines to define the shape of objects and characters. The artist discusses using a variety of thick and thin lines to create different effects and lead the viewer's eye through the composition. It's a fundamental aspect of ink drawing that contributes to the overall aesthetic.

💡Practice

Practice is a recurring theme in the video, as the artist emphasizes the importance of honing one's skills through repeated exercises. This includes practicing fluid lines to build muscle memory and a steady hand, which is crucial for confident strokes in ink drawing.

💡Ink Washes

Ink washes are a technique where ink is mixed with water to create various shades and tones. The artist discusses using a watercolor palette and eyedroppers to mix ink washes, which are then used to add depth and shading to the drawings. It's a key technique for adding texture and dimension in ink drawing.

💡Heavy Paper

Heavy paper, such as 140-pound paper, is recommended for ink washes to prevent buckling when water is added. The artist mentions a preference for Arches hot press watercolor paper, which is ideal for its ability to handle the application of water and ink without warping.

💡Rendering Methods

Rendering methods refer to the various techniques used to apply ink to create texture and shading. The artist talks about using a range of methods like washes, dry brushing, and cross-hatching to achieve different effects and make distinct elements in a piece stand out.

💡Contrast

Contrast is the difference in light and dark areas within an artwork, which helps to create visual interest and direct the viewer's attention. The artist advises focusing on areas of greatest contrast to establish the focal point of the drawing and to guide the viewer's eye through the composition.

💡Silhouette

A silhouette is the outline of an object or figure, often depicted as a dark shape against a lighter background. The artist discusses using silhouettes to show what's happening in the piece clearly, without needing complex line work, and to create a strong visual impact.

💡Digital Record

A digital record refers to the process of capturing the final artwork in a digital format, which can be done through scanning or photography. The artist recommends making a good digital record of the completed ink drawing for archival and sharing purposes, using either a scanner or a digital camera.

Highlights

The importance of completing the sketch as much as possible before starting to ink to reduce decisions made during the inking process.

Using a light pad to transfer the sketch onto the final paper without the need for pencil marks.

Employing a variety of thick and thin lines to create dynamic line art effects.

Practicing tracing lines to build muscle memory and steady hand for confident strokes.

Mixing ink washes using a watercolor palette and eyedroppers for precise control over ink consistency.

Selecting a paper weight of 140 pounds or heavier to prevent buckling when applying ink washes.

Considering a watercolor block for sketching to prevent paper buckling during painting.

Utilizing various rendering methods in ink drawing to create diverse textures and effects.

Mastering dry brushing techniques to create different textures and effects with minimal ink.

Using frayed brushes to achieve a unique, natural texture in ink drawings.

Creating a dark rim effect by leaving a puddle of ink wash on the paper.

Achieving even ink washes by using a small amount of pressure and frequently reloading the brush.

Employing wet-on-wet techniques for soft gradients, particularly for effects like rosy cheeks.

Enhancing the visual impact of an ink piece by concentrating the greatest contrast on the focal point.

Using silhouettes effectively to guide the viewer's attention and show what's happening in the piece.

Overlaying white ink on black shapes to create line art and enhance the visual appeal.

Using white ink for specular highlights to avoid the difficulty of leaving white areas in the initial sketch.

Creating depth by using lineless shapes that recede in space.

Manipulating hard and soft edges to control the perception of distance and focus in a drawing.

Making a good digital record of completed ink drawings using a scanner or a camera for archiving and sharing.

Transcripts

hey everyone a couple months ago I

finished the 2019 inktober challenge and

now I'm coming back with 20 new ink

drawing tips I made one of these last

year after the 2018 challenge and I have

a whole bunch of new tips for you so

without further ado here's 20 tips for

ink drawing these tips are gonna be sort

of in the order that I use them as I go

through a drawing from sketch to finish

so if you want to take notes then

they're roughly in the order that you

might use them in alright my first tip

and probably the number one

recommendation I have for anyone who's

getting going with ink drawing is to

work out your sketch as much as possible

before you start inking I found that

early on the less decisions I had to

make while I was inking the better I

wanted to improve on the technical side

of inking the actual application of ink

to the paper so I decided to make all

the artistic decisions ahead of time

down to working out the sketch pretty

completely and making a tonal thumbnail

that showed me exactly what shade of ink

wash I wanted to put where alright tip

number two is once you've got that

sketch pretty figured out use a light

pad to transfer your sketch you can buy

one online for like twenty to forty

dollars or you can even make your own if

you have a glass table and a light light

pad or a light box allows you to see

your sketch through the paper so you can

trace the line art without ever having

to touch a pencil to your final piece of

paper I love this method because it

allows me to sketch digitally print out

my sketch and then ink it traditionally

right away I like sketching digitally

when I want to try out a bunch of

different ideas or use the liquify or

transform tools to edit my sketches

alright tip number three is to use a

variety of thick and thin lines when

you're creating your line art I use a

lot of different pens to accomplish

different line art effects I use the

super fine tip zebra brush pens for big

impactful sushi lines and important

areas of the drawing like the outline of

a character's face or their lash lines

on their eyes I use a couple different

sizes of micron pens to do fine detail

work and technical drawing and then I

try to use a combination of the two a

combination of the thick lines and the

thin lines as well as lines that go from

say

to thin or thin to thick to lead the eye

on the drawing and control the order

that the viewer sees different elements

of the composition creating these

confident strokes that follow the sketch

that you've laid out can be challenging

so tip number four is to practice

tracing lines before moving on to your

final drawing I use a pencil to create a

variety of big fluid energetic lines and

then go over those sketches using the

different pens this creates muscle

memory and a steady hand this is a

process that takes a lot of time and I'm

far from perfect but I noticed that

every time I do this exercise I get a

little bit better and a little mini tip

when I'm tracing really big lines that I

want to feel fluid I use a pulling

motion I pull with my entire arm almost

my entire body even not just the wrist

this is a technique that also takes

practice but knowing how to do it really

pays off number five use a watercolor

palette and eyedroppers to mix your ink

washes I control the amount of ink and

water that I drop into each little dish

and then I swatch out each shade and

make a little key for myself and if you

think you might get confused try putting

your palette right onto a piece of paper

and making the swatches right next to

each dish mini pit number one use the

exact same paper for your swatches as

you're going to use for your final piece

because different papers absorb ink

differently and many tip to wait 15

minutes or so after you finish swatching

because your ink washes tend to dry a

little bit lighter than when you put

them down tip number six use a paper

that's 140 pounds or heavier if you plan

to use ink washes I'm a fan of the

arches hot press watercolor paper I buy

the pads of nine by twelve paper

whenever they go on sale for about

sixteen dollars but there's lots of

different brands hot press and cold

press are both good a heavy paper

doesn't buckle as much when you add

water and it's easier to create center

line work with two if you plan on

sketching directly on to the paper that

you're going to be using then my tip

number seven three you

to consider trying a watercolor block

these are glued or on the edges and they

help prevent the paper from buckling as

much when you're done painting you just

take a knife and unglue the sides if you

need to transfer the sketch you can do

what I do and tape the edges once the

line arts finished and if you want to

get really fancy you can stretch your

paper but I never do that Frank drawings

there's lots of tutorials on YouTube for

stretching watercolor paper though if

you want to try it a little mini tip for

this make sure you use painters tape

when taping your edges and pull the tape

up slowly to avoid tears alright getting

into the meat of an ink drawing now my

tip number eight is to use all of the

rendering methods available to you ink

is such a diverse medium there are so

many different ways to create lush

textures using different methods of ink

application for example I can achieve a

medium grey with a wash

with some scratchy dry brushing with

pointillism with cross hatching the list

goes on and what I love about that is

that I can make two objects in a piece

look totally separate from one another

even if they're similar in tone tone

meaning like the level of darkness the

shade and I do this by varying the

method of ink application jumping off

that last point tip number nine is to

learn to make lots of different effects

with dry brushing dry brushing is when

you take a dry brush you don't add any

water to it you dip it straight into

pure ink and then you apply that brush

to the page you can create different

effects based on how much ink you leave

on the brush you can wipe a lot of it

off for a light ink load or leave most

of it on for a heavy ink load the

motions and pressure you create when

applying the ink also impact the results

you can create lots of different

textures this way in this clip I'm using

a really light dry brush over a piece

that already has washes applied to add a

little bit of texture and variation to

the tone and create a more realistic

appearance of fur on this box

I used dry brushing in this piece to

make the plant textures those grass

textures on the undead plant creature

I used that same technique in this

creature here and also on the fur on her

jacket and for her hair you can make

lots of different hair textures as dry

brushing like I did the hair with dry

brushing here too with like lots of

little round circles using a really

light ink load you can get a great

effect another dry brushing technique

and my tip number 10 is to use a frayed

old brush to create a scratchy or dry

brush texture when I realize I've

destroyed a brush by accident by leaving

paint or glue to dry on it I'm always

pretty down about it but since I started

ink drawing in 2018 all of my destroyed

brushes have a new home in my ink

drawing tool kit frayed brushes are

actually really fantastic for fur

textures grasses feathers rosy cheeks

add ink to the brush white most of it

off same as before and you're good to go

different types of bristles will create

different textures so you can start a

little collection but when they're

afraid they just add that little extra

bit of randomness that looks really

natural and something like fur here I

used the same frayed old acrylic brush

it's a size zero acrylic brush that got

absolutely destroyed by some glue I used

a lighter include for the belly area and

a darker ink load for the back but yeah

just one brush for this whole piece here

tip number eleven is to leave a puddle

of ink wash on the paper to create a

dark rim effect this is one of my

favorite ink wash techniques when a

puddle of wash sits on the page the

pigment collects to the edge of the

puddle and you get a really fun dark

rimmed stain on the page which can be

used to create all different types of

textures and patterns and feels really

unique to kind of these like watery

mediums like ink and watercolor you can

also let it dry halfway and then blend

some of it out like I'm doing here for

for other effects you can use this to

create all sorts of different textures

and here's how it looks like when it

dries you can see that sort of dark Ram

all around the edges with the lighter

interior that is kind

unique to watercolor and ink and watery

media like that

I used it here in this piece so that I

could add a lot of interest and the

sense of additional volume to the cloth

here while really just applying one flat

ink wash that creates more dimension you

can see here how it dried I really like

how this effects looks on things like

clothing so on the flip side of that

don't make a puddle if you want an even

ink wash if you want a really even ink

wash load the brush with the minimum

amount of wash you need to fill the area

and practice using a small amount of

pressure and reloading the brush often

to avoid puddles and if this is

challenging for you then you can try

filling in shapes on a practice sheet of

paper to try to get an even wash before

moving on to your final line art another

technique to mention and my tip number

13 is to use wet on wet to make soft

gradients for something like warm rosy

cheeks wet on wet can be the best method

to get a soft bleeding gradient so you

wet the area first with a thin layer of

water careful to only wet where the ink

should bleed - and then you lightly tap

the ink wash where you want it and you

let it bleed out on its own alright

getting out of the pure technical side

of things and moving into the artistic

side of things

contrast is your best friend and an ink

piece that's my tip number 14 try to

concentrate the area of greatest

contrast where you want the viewer to

look first aka the focal point once

you've figured out your focal point

design the rest of the piece to support

that focal point lead into it and never

overpower it in order to do this I

usually put my darkest dark right up

against my lightest light and a detailed

impactful area of the piece then I

neutralize the rest of the image moving

outward continuing off of that tip

number 15 silhouette is your other best

friend and controlling these these two

elements really carefully is to

we're super-important putting a light

silhouette against the dark shape or

vice versa is a really powerful way to

clearly show the viewer what's happening

in your piece without needing a ton of

busy line work here in this piece you

can see how I use the dark to silhouette

the boys face and this one I use the

dark to silhouette silhouette the light

puppies face and in this one I am

actually doing a dark silhouette on top

of lighter backgrounds tip number 16

remember you can use white line over

black shapes just like you use dark

lines over light shapes don't be afraid

to go to a very dark or even a pure

black value this is where ink shines use

a white ink with a little brush to

create line art over a black shape my

favorite brands are delete or - white

ink and kotake white ink and I'm using a

size 0 faux sable brush you can also use

a white ink pen such as a signal uniball

white pen if your style is more rendered

and less graphic try using a white rim

light to render a dark form or a black

form alright continuing with the white

ink theme my tip number 17 is to use a

white ink for all your specular

highlights trying to leave little areas

white is a huge pain things like I shine

metal highlights and these stars here

are really easy to create with white ink

at the end here I'm using the signal

uniball white pen to draw on all these

little stars it would have been way way

harder to try to leave that white than

to just add it in at the end tip number

18 is lineless shapes will recede in

space this is something you can use to

your advantage here in this piece I've

created three levels of distance and one

drawing the dog closest to us is in the

full range of value with lots of dark

darks and that brings it forward the

second dog and the person are in a

limited lighter value range and they're

set back by this smoky atmosphere

they're still fully lined though and

that keeps them in the mid ground the

fire has no line art and as a result if

falls back in space and becomes a

background element little tricks like

this especially when you plan them from

the

getting can really help a piece come

together tip 19 is to make use of hard

versus soft edges as a continuation of

the last point fuzzier line art created

with a brush or smudged while it's still

wet will appear to blur you can use this

effect to set objects further or closer

in space the hard line art will appear

to come into focus and will seem

important next to fuzzy edges this is

another method you can use to design

your focal point and set back the rest

of the drawing oK we've gotten through

19 ink tips together your drawing is

finished the last thing that I want you

to do am i step number 20 is when your

ink drawing is complete make a good

digital record of it if you can afford

it a scanner is a really valuable asset

the one I have was about $200 it's an

epsilon perfection the 600 photo scanner

and it will last me for many years but

luckily you don't need a scanner to make

a go copy of your art if you have a

digital camera the best way that I've

found a copy using a camera is a tripod

and natural outdoor light and if you

don't have a digital camera just make

the best use of your phone put your

drawing on a flat surface by a bright

window and nice morning light these

photos that you're seeing now we're all

taken with a samsung galaxy s 8 and

natural window light all right I just

finished editing that video I'm feeling

pretty happy with it I feel like they're

all things that I would have really

liked no sooner that would have like

help me move quicker would have improved

my speed and quality if I'd known them

earlier on so hopefully you enjoy the

tips let me know in the comments if you

implement them how that goes for you and

also feel free to leave your own tips in

the comments I'll definitely read them

and like upvote ones you see that you

like I'll try to put another one of

these videos together in the future I'm

always discovering new stuff with ink

that I want to talk about just because

it's such a versatile medium for like

appearing so simple at a first glance so

yeah subscribe if you want to see more

and I'll see you guys next time