How To Draw With Ink

Choose an ink type. India inks are typically shades of black, and can be waterproof or not. Colored inks tend to fade over time. Use non-waterproof with most pens and nibs for art covered by glass, letter writing, and calligraphy. Use waterproof ink with dip pens, quill, brush, and ruling pens.

Choose an inking surface. Absorbent paper with a polished finish provides an ideal surface for pen-and-ink. Other options include art board, mylar, watercolor paper, and drawing paper.

Test the ink flow on a scrap piece of paper. To increase the flow, wiggle the nib, draw the nib through a drop of ink, or carefully draw the nib across a damp paper towel.

Make your images visually interesting by varying the thickness of your lines. This can be accomplished by using pens ranging from zero-point-three millimeters to one millimeter.

Develop different shading techniques, including overlapping and cross-hatching, which is drawing overlapping lines at angles to each other.

Practice many techniques with many pens and tools to develop your own personal style.