The Classic Style of Pen and Ink

Advance your drawing style and achieve high contrast in your drawings. Pen and ink is the medium of restraints and precision, where time investment is key – this is why we will spend the first two classes learning the principles and techniques, and develop a feel for working with pen and ink, and the next four weeks will be dedicated to creating one drawing, to give you the time to add the details. We will go very slowly to enjoy the process of drawing, to savor every pen stroke.

A detailed drawing like this requires you to take your time with each particular area. You have to define and refine each part before you move to the next. This is the difference between pen and ink and other mediums. In this class, we will focus on the specific strategy in pen-and-ink, so you can learn the unique approach that other mediums may not offer you to this extent.

You will learn how to shade with pen and ink, which is very different from pencil or charcoal. We are often asked about this, and in this course, you’ll learn 3 ways of shading with pen and ink to achieve smooth transitions between the lights and shadows. Pen and ink is a wonderful medium, but due to ink’s permanence, many artists try to avoid it because they don’t know how to correct their mistakes. You can’t erase! You will learn multiple ways to make corrections and become familiar with the methods used by the Masters and professional graphic artists who adore pen-and-ink for its sophistication and elegance. fix unwanted lines with this permanent medium, directly inspired by how Masters would in their pen and ink drawings.

You will begin to train your hand for precision and your eye for seeing the form, and you’ll be rewarded with an elegant drawing as the result. This course will be your opportunity to incorporate this advanced drawing style into any of your future work and experience it as easy and enjoyable, while your drawings will appear complex.

Appropriate for all levels.

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