using watercolor with pen and ink sketching techniques to create beautiful artwork - digital pen and pad

One of the most valuable hobbies ever.
Sketch with pen and ink.
It was a hobby at first, but when I finished the first few paintings, I was hooked.
Not only that, it soon became my second "job" after I offered to teach a few friends this technique ".
Create beautiful frames
Capable art is not as difficult as many people think.
I have been teaching pen and ink sketching and watercolor techniques for many years, which shows me that any student, with the right tools and guidance, can create beautiful pictures that will
It takes some time and effort to create a pen and ink base for the final artwork, but the right tools will make the final result better.
I usually start with watercolor paper.
Any good quality 300lb.
Just cold press.
Arch is a nice product, but even a Leaf made of relatively cheap watercolor paper has enough quality in the beginning.
The surface of the hot press is very smooth.
The cold pressed paper has large "teeth" and "catch" the tip of the pen.
This quality adds interesting textures to the finished picture.
Graphite paper and tracing drawings are also required.
I have adopted the tracking and transfer techniques used by most Tolai painting teachers.
This method of tracking the basic profile to ordinary paper and then using graphite paper to transfer the image to watercolor paper saves the student time and effort.
Instead of having students try to copy images for free
On the one hand, students can choose from many basic "patterns", while teachers can concentrate on teaching painting and pen and ink techniques instead of working hard to correctly reduce the basic image.
It will never stop to surprise my class, although each student starts with the same "set of bones" as the foundation of their work, how different each completed job will be.
Pens and skilled pens are definitely a must, but the cost is not necessarily a problem here.
I asked the students to achieve the same good results with the drafting pen, not
Reusable sketch pen and simple Crow feather penpen.
Dip pens can be difficult to control because they are easy to get dirty, but they can't be beaten because of the beautiful fine lines they produce.
The only thing to note, of course, is the use of waterproof ink.
Cheap, non
The refillable pen I use and recommend to my students is located in the scrap
The reservation part of most craft shops and contains waterproof ink.
In addition, check the bottled ink products available to ensure that the bottled ink is waterproof.
If you run out of ink when applying watercolor, it would be a shame to lose all of these working hours.
Method to track the original sketch like you did with tole
Subject of painting.
After completing the tracking, compare it to the original image and make any adjustments to the image using media to media
A soft graphite pencil.
The pencil is too hard to pierce or tear the drawing.
Check if the transmitted image is complete
No missing lines or areas.
Once the image is transferred, the careful work begins to build the composition.
A large image can take hours to complete, and it usually takes several classes to complete.
Use a gentle, almost flick stroke to release the pressure on the tip of the pen at the end of the stroke.
This gives every stroke a feather look.
If you try to keep the uniform pressure at the end of the stroke, it will produce a solid line of thick lines with little brightness or texture.
Build the image in layers, keep the pen almost straight up and down, not in the writing position.
This will bring more weight or pressure to the pen, and turning the tip of the pen will reduce uneven wear.
Build the image in a continuous stroke layer to achieve the final gradient from bright to dark.
Once the pen and ink drawing is completed, let it dry completely.
If the sketch is completely dry, there is less chance of ink running, and usually, if the watercolor wash is light, there is no problem with the ink running, but it is safer than sorry
I offer each student the option to add watercolor or keep the original black and white painting.
Usually, students will finish two sketches in class, one in black and white, and the other as the basis for watercolor.
Tips and tricks one of the tips I teach my students is to try to keep the pen almost straight up and down, often turning the tip of the pen, using short strokes and gentle flick movements.
It's easy to focus on a specific area, such as eyes.
We think that because they are dark in the finished drawings, we need to concentrate.
I encourage my students to process the entire drawing at the same time, rather than focusing on one area.
The image should be built in layers.
More layers = darker parts of the image.
Otherwise, you may find some areas too dark for the whole picture.
Students always have to refer to the full sketch, but each element is overwritten separately.
Before trying to draw a working drawing, we usually practice each element using another discarded watercolor sheet.
A common error is trying to achieve a dark area by pressing hard or focusing on the area.
The best result is always achieved by building dark areas with texture layers instead of heavier pen drawings.
This will also prevent an area from looking over-working or over-contrast.
Paint and brush any student quality watercolors can be used, from simple and cheap pot sets to much more expensive tubes.
The quality of the color and medium is much better in the tube, but some of the colors in the more expensive pot set are very "delicious", making mixing colors unnecessary --
An advantage for some beginners.
High quality brushes can range from a few dollars per brush to 50 or more $60 per brush.
I encourage my students to buy the best brushes for the money they are willing to spend.
Any decent brush will bring water and paint to the paper.
The added cost comes from durability, better materials and brands.
Our passion for new love good can easily be overwhelmed, or believe that you have to buy a specific brand to achieve good results.
This is not true at all.
To illustrate this, I often take a pack of brushes to class and give each student a brush.
At the end of the course, I asked them how much they liked the brush.
They were always surprised to find that the entire package cost 97 cents.
While I don't recommend using cheap equipment on a regular basis, you have to balance the cost of any tool with the purpose you will use it for and how much you will get from it.
I have a set of Kolinsky Red Sables that I really like, but they need special care.
I use them a lot, but you will never see me dip one of them into the masking media!
I remember I was very annoyed with a drawing professor who would never suggest which brush to use in any given task unless a large flat brush was used for washing.
On top of that, he would only say that we have to pick the tools that make the mark we want to make --
Beginners hear frustrating words.
Of course, his point is that we experiment with brushes of all sizes and shapes to find out what kind of markers and brushes we can do with them.
We do our duty to experiment with every tool we can reach.
Now, I believe, with an interest in painting and painting classes, you can almost dream of making any brush, there must be a special one.
However, the only brush needed for the lesson I teach is a 1/2 flat plate for small area washing, as well as two or three fine round brushes for adding details in very limited areas
Once the ink of the drawing is finished, we can add the final polish --
Watercolor wash that will bring finished sketches to life.
You need: completely dry sketch you finished
TipsPaper towelA clean water container for flushing the second container water of our brush between regular white porcelain plates or watercolor plates in colorsA: immerse the brush in watercolor paint, mix the shadows needed for the sky, grass or any area you start using.
Add the Wash to the sketch, use the original picture as a guide, and create a layer of color at a time.
You may need to have the sketch dry between the wash layers so that the paper does not overwork and starts to break down.
You can also use a hair dryer to speed up, but be careful that the concentrated heat will cause your paper to curl irretrievably.
The trick is to always have a Q-
Prepare a tip or tissue to lift a wash that is too saturated or strong.
Since the weight of any area depends more on the darkness or intensity of the pen work, only the bare color needs to be added to show the best effect in the picture.
Sometimes it takes a few layers of color to reach the desired tone, but usually a light hand is needed to avoid overcoloring the sketch.
As shown below, the lighthouse is such a hand --
Color pen and ink drawing.