Basic Pen Strokes for Ink Drawing

Below about basic stroke for ink drawing.

We are accustomed to thinking in terms of ink drawings on line, because the thick black line drawn with pen and ink, we imagine that we do not create tone. While this may be, strictly speaking, true - there are many ways we can create the illusion of value.

Hatching
The simplest method of value added in the ink drawing is linear hatching. Fine parallel lines fill an area, so that only a small distance, we have the illusion of value. The more lines, shows less white paper, and the darker the value appears. Line weight heavier (solid or with a more pressing NIB), is also a darker aspect.

Crosshatching
Hatching uses layers of hatching placed at an angle. Usually, the first layer would be vertical, horizontal to the next, the next forty-five degrees, and so on. This methodological approach may seem a bit 'mechanical, so artists often use variations in the direction of interest to add.