Pen & Ink Drawing: Basic Techniques for Beginners

Written By april martin

Pen and ink is not just a medium, it’s a mindset. It teaches you how to slow down, observe with precision, and express with clarity. There’s no “undo” button here. Every line is a commitment. Every dot is a decision. And in a world of endless digital tools, this ancient practice becomes a meditative rebellion, an art form that demands presence, intention, and trust in your own hand.

This is more than a guide. This is a gentle initiation into the deep intelligence of the line.

Materials & Tools: Not Just Supplies, But Ritual Instruments

Your tools are extensions of your nervous system. How you hold them, what texture they offer, and how they resist or flow will shape your visual voice.

Pen Types (Each With a Personality)

  • Fountain Pens
    Elegant, flowing, and responsive to pressure. Like a calligrapher’s whisper.
    Best for: expressive illustrations, lettering, and poetic line work.

  • Dip Pens
    The wild card. High control and high risk. Ink flow isn’t regulated; you must learn its mood.
    Best for: dramatic contrasts, intricate detail, and energetic lines.

  • Fine Liners
    Consistent and clean. What you see is what you get.
    Best for: architectural lines, cross-hatching, technical, or comic book work.

  • Brush Pens
    A dancer’s tool. Thick to thin with a flick of the wrist.
    Best for: gesture drawing, dynamic shapes, and expressive textures.

Journal Prompt:
Which pen do you feel drawn to intuitively? Try sketching a simple object with each and reflect: Which tool feels like “you”?

Ink Types (Your Emotional Palette)

  • Waterproof Ink
    Sharp. Committed. No room for hesitation.
    Pair with: watercolor overlays, outdoor sketching.

  • Non-Waterproof Ink
    Soft. Mutable. Can bleed, blur, and bloom like a memory.
    Pair with: ink washes, emotional pieces, experimentation.

  • Colored Ink
    Bold. Mood-driven. Think in symbols: Red for power. Blue for melancholy.
    Pair with: conceptual art or abstract journaling.

Paper Types: The Landscape of Your Marks

  • Weight:
    Heavy (100lb / 220gsm+) for wet techniques. Lighter for line-only.
    Exercise: Try the same drawing on two paper types. Notice how the ink behaves.

  • Texture:

    • Hot press (smooth) – clean lines, precision.

    • Cold press (toothy) – organic edges, expressive grit.

The Anatomy of Holding the Pen+

Drawing is not just in the hand, it’s in the wrist, shoulder, and spine.

Grip

  • Relaxed triangle grip between thumb, forefinger, and middle finger.

  • Don’t choke the pen. Let it breathe. Let you breathe.

Angle

  • 45°–60° works best for most pens.

  • High angle = thin lines. Low angle = thicker, more ink-heavy lines.

Pressure

  • Vary the pressure for dynamic lines.

  • Practice "line breathing": inhale as you press, exhale as you lift.

Micro-Drill:
Fill a page with single lines from light to heavy. Then try: thin-thick-thin. You’re not just learning the tool—you’re training the hand-mind circuit.

Foundational Strokes: The Alphabet of Line Language

Before you draw things, learn to draw marks.

Basic Stroke Library

  • Straight Lines – horizontal, vertical, diagonal.

  • Curves – S-shapes, spirals, ovals.

  • Dots & Dashes – create rhythm and quiet space.

  • Cross-Hatching – tonal layering via angles.

  • Parallel Hatching – tight or loose, used to shape form.

Exercise:
Choose a simple object (a cup, a hand, a rock). Draw it using only lines. Then redraw it using only dots. Then again using only cross-hatching. How does the emotion of the object change?

Shading: The Psychology of Light and Form

Shading in ink is a philosophy of commitment, there’s no smudging. No graphite gradients. Every dark must be built with repetition, rhythm, or restraint.

Techniques

  1. Stippling – dot clusters that feel almost meditative.

    • Light to dark: sparse to dense.

    • Good for: skin, stone, fog, introspection.

  2. Cross-Hatching – layered angles to simulate light falloff.

    • Think: geometry meets shadow.

    • Good for: cloth, bone, architectural depth.

  3. Scumbling – chaotic loops and scribbles; painterly.

    • Good for: hair, clouds, dream-like mood.

Creative Twist:
Try shading the same object using all three techniques. Which one tells the most truthful story about its texture?

Creating Textures: The Voice of Surfaces

Texture brings life to line. Each surface holds a secret, and your job is to uncover it with your pen.

Wood

  • Use wavy lines, directional grain, and knots.

  • Don’t just draw “lines”, raw growth rings.

Metal

  • High contrast. Think shine, edges, and sharp reflections.

  • Use pure black next to white for a punch.

Fur

  • Short, directional flicks. Layered strokes. Various lengths.

  • Observe where fur clumps, bends, or parts.

Fabric

  • Use gravity! Study where folds fall and shadows pool.

  • Combine hatching with contour to show movement.

Texture Sampler Activity:
Draw a 4x4 grid and fill each box with a different texture: glass, sand, bark, smoke. Use only line. No shading cheats.

Final Thoughts: Ink as a Practice

Ink reveals your truths. It shows hesitation. It shows boldness. It teaches patience, humility, and presence. Unlike graphite, you can’t erase it. And that’s the gift.

To begin is to be brave. To commit a line to the page is to say: “I trust this moment.”

This guide is your entry point. But your growth will come from repetition, mistakes, and observation. Ink is not just a tool, it’s a teacher.

Reflective Activity

Create a page in your sketchbook titled “My Mark”
Fill it with every kind of stroke, dot, shape, and texture you feel called to explore.
Sign it. Date it. This is your fingerprint in ink, the beginning of your journey.

april martin https://www.purpleinkwellstudios.com