What Is a Pen Sketch?
Pen drawing, artwork executed wholly or in part with pen and ink, usually on paper. Pen drawing is
fundamentally a linear method of making images. In pure pen drawing in which the artist wishes to
supplement his outlines with tonal suggestions of three-dimensional form, modeling must necessarily be
effected by the close juxtaposition of a series of strokes forming areas of hatching or cross-hatching.
Many pen studies, however, are produced with the substitution of tonal washes (layers of colour spread
over a broad surface) laid onto the drawing with a brush, in which case the outlines or other important
definitions of the figures or landscape are established by the pen lines. Inks of various types used in
pen studies contribute additional diversity to the final effects. Historically, three types of ink were
most frequently used. One was black carbon ink, made from extremely fine particles of the soot of burnt
oils or resins in a solution of glue or gum arabic. The finest type of black carbon ink was known as
Chinese ink and was the prototype of the modern black India ink. A brown ink popular with the old
masters because of its warm, luminous colour qualities was known as bistre. It was prepared by boiling
wood soot to obtain a liquid, transparent brown extract. The third important ink was an iron gall, or
chemical, ink. Its principal ingredients were iron sulfate, the extract of gall nuts, and a gum arabic
solution. It was, in fact, the common writing ink for centuries and was employed for most early
drawings. Its colour when first applied to the paper is bluish black, but it rapidly turns blackish and,
over the years, a dull brown and tends to disintegrate.
What is pen and ink drawing?
Pen and ink art is the process of using pens to apply ink to a surface.
It has been popular with artists for many years, originating in ancient cultures. One of the earliest
surviving pen and ink drawings is The Abduction of Briseis, drawn by an unknown Greek artist using pen
and dye on papyrus around 300 BC.
Later, Leonardo da Vinci popularised the precise effect of pen and ink art in his work Five Grotesque
Heads (1494) during the Renaissance era.
Michelangelo, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and Picasso also used pen and ink to create many of their famous
works. The drawing style survived multiple art movements and is still a popular mode of expression
today.
Nowadays, most pen and ink drawings use black ink, which allows pen and ink artists to show high
contrast. The result is a clear, clean, crisp image with lots of detail.
Pen and ink drawing tools
Pen and ink artists use several pen styles. Using a mixture of tools can make your work more distinct
and allow you to develop your unique style.
Fountain pen drawing is akin to ink art of the past, and unlimited ink colours can make for an
eye-catching piece. This pen style can be trickier to draw with, but ink splatters and subtle
inconsistencies are also part of its charm.
Fineliner pens feature very fine nibs, ideal for adding small details to your drawings. They are the
most straightforward pen for beginners to draw with, as they have a fixed nib width. Many fineliner pens
are also waterproof, which means the artist can add another element to their drawing with a watercolour
or ink wash later.
Brush pens often feel and look like a fine paintbrush and function similarly. Light pressure results in
a fine line, while more pressure creates a thicker line. They are best for experimenting with weight and
line width, offering more variation in your pen and ink drawing.
Pen and ink art isn’t only about the pen. Selecting the right paper can make all the difference with
your pen and ink drawing workbook.
Choose artist-grade, good-quality paper with a smooth finish for best results. Thicker paper will also
ensure your ink or wash doesn’t seep through.
History
Pens are the oldest and most popular of all the drawing media of the Western artist, in part because of
the variety of linear effects provided by the three basic types of pens and their adaptability to the
changing styles of draftsmanship over many centuries. These three basic types are quill pens, cut from
the wing feathers of fowls and birds; reed pens, formed and trimmed from stems of bamboolike grasses;
and metal pens, fabricated from various metals, especially fine steel. The outstanding master of the
reed pen, the Dutch artist Rembrandt, used it often in combination with the quill pen and washes to
produce the richly suggestive atmospheric illusionism of his works. The reed pen never had the
widespread popularity of quill or metal pens, but for special effects it has served artists admirably;
for example, the 19th-century Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh in his last years used it in his drawings to
produce the blunt, powerful strokes that were counterparts of the heavy brush strokes typical of many of
his canvases.