Ink Sketching

Create an ink drawing with me!

Ever since I discovered drawing with ink back in 2017 (with a fountain pen, nonetheless!), I’ve been hooked on the medium. There’s incredible capacity for expression with ink pens, from simple line sketches, all the way to mind-bendingly realistic artwork. If you feel inclined, you can combine ballpoint with virtually any other medium. Ink brush pens, colored pencil, and watercolor remain my favorite partners for this old reliable¹.

One of the things I love about it is that it doesn’t take a lot to get started. Standard ballpoint pens are ubiquitous — many businesses will give really nice pens away for free, and if you are particular and insist on buying new, a new ballpoint pen won’t break the bank.

To do this short lesson you need the following:

• A ballpoint pen in the color of your choice. For this lesson I would prefer a standard style one as opposed to a modern rollerball, but you do you.

• Paper. 60# drawing paper is fine, or even copy paper out of your printer.

• Courage! It can be a little nerve-wracking the first time you sketch with pen, especially if you’re bent more toward perfectionism.

This video runs approximately 8 and a half minutes.