Portfolio: Beginning Pen & Ink: Tips and techniques for learning to draw in pen and ink Introduction I am surprised by how often people tell me, 'I can’t draw at all…not even a stick figure!' They say this as if drawing is a magical gift bestowed by a melodious and sparkling fairy godmother. But drawing is something that anyone can do; it’s simply a matter of taking the time to learn, practice, and grow. By picking up this book, you are taking a step toward improving your drawing abilities and exploring a medium that has withstood the test of time: pen and ink. You don’t have to be a professional artist to enjoy drawing with ink. The medium is attractive for many reasons, including its portability and relatively low cost. There is a crispness about a pen-and-ink drawing that many people (myself included!) find irresistible. The air of finality and commitment to mark-making is unrivaled in almost any other media. Pen and ink may seem daunting to some; the inability to erase a mistake can intimidate even the most experienced artist. But within this unforgiving nature lies the very beauty of the medium Your final ink drawing does not just show a polished piece of work; it also shows the energy you used to get there, the second-guesses you made along the way, and the unintentional lines that you somehow made work. As you continue to learn and grow in this medium, you may or may not make fewer mistakes, but you will certainly improve at embracing those mistakes and turning them into an advantage. As you journey through this book and your drawing skills progress, you may begin to see how planning ahead helps you avoid needless blunders Not only will you increase your ability to communicate what you see, but you will also learn to communicate about yourself and your environment. Mastering these skills gives you the building blocks of a language through which you can communicate beyond words and reach people with whom you never would have spoken. Now, let’s get started! Drawing basics, including stippling, hatching, and crosshatching The fundamentals of mark-making and line work Helpful exercises on contour drawing, gesture drawing, perspective, and more Instructions for adding color to black-and-white art The basics of value, tone, mood, light and shadow, and texture The flowers stand out because they have lighter and darker values than the negative space around them. The baby elephant stands out due to its smaller size. FOCAL POINT The focal point of a piece demands the most attention. By mastering the focal point, you can control what your viewers see first and keep them interested in your drawing. Without this a CONTRAST One way to make your focal point stand out is to create contrast, or an area of variation. You can do this using value, color, shape, or size, or just by putting an object somewhere unexpected. Portfolio: Beginning Pen & Ink: Tips and techniques for learning to draw in pen and ink PROPORTION In art, proportion refers to how the size of an object compares to the objects around it. When drawing realistically, check that an object looks proportionate to what surrounds it. Proportion comes in handy for implying that some objects are closer than others. Look at the world around you. Notice that objects that are farther away from you appear smaller, while objects closer to you appear larger. This principle works for just about everything. As an object moves off into the distance, it appears smaller and smaller. You can use this principle of proportion to your advantage. By drawing an object smaller, you can make it look farther away. By drawing something larger, you make it appear closer. VALUE When we use the word “value” in art, we are simply talking about how light or dark something is. This is a fundamental principal for any visual artist, but it is particularly significant for a pen-and-ink artist, who often works only in black and white. Value provides the foundation for how the eye “reads” artwork. Variations in value tell us what is in shadow and what is in light, giving form to objects as well as depth to scenes. Without a range of values, artwork can appear flat, lifeless, and uninteresting. TONE & MOOD In your own experiences viewing art, you may have noticed that the lightness or darkness of a piece can influence how that artwork makes you feel. A drawing that is mostly light with very few dark values is called “high-key.” A piece that is mostly dark with very few light values is called “low-key.” High-key drawings make their viewers feel happy or carefree. Low-key drawings inspire feelings of tension or solemnity.
✔ Author(s): Desarae Lee
✔ Title: Portfolio: Beginning Pen & Ink: Tips and techniques for learning to draw in pen and ink (Volume 9) (Portfolio, 9)
✔ Rating : 4.6 out of 5 base on (120 reviews)
✔ ISBN-10: 1633225771
✔ ISBN-13: 9781633225770
✔ Language: English
✔ Format ebook: PDF, EPUB, Kindle, Audio, HTML and MOBI
✔ Device compatibles: Android, iOS, PC and Amazon Kindle
Readers' opinions about Portfolio by Desarae Lee
Josephine Alvarez
The way the author handled complex emotions and relationships was remarkable. I felt deeply connected to the characters, and their growth throughout the story was both inspiring and moving.
Katherine Stevenson
The plot was incredibly well-crafted, with twists and turns that kept me hooked until the very last page. It was impossible to predict what would happen next.
Daphne Garner
The author's ability to evoke a wide range of emotions through their words is truly remarkable. I felt like I was on an emotional rollercoaster throughout the entire book.
