Pen and Ink Hatching, Crosshatching and Scumbling
Basic Pen Strokes for Ink Drawing
The Illusion of Value
We usually think of ink drawing in terms of line, because of the solid black line created with pen-and-ink, we imagine that we can't create tonal value. While this might be, strictly speaking, true - there are many ways that we can create the illusion of value.
Create your own drawing tool using a tortillon or q-tip, rubbed on a scribbled patch of charcoal. Gentle hatching or erasing and re-shading can create subtle layers, or you can brush on powdered charcoal. Sticks of charcoal can be sharpened with a blade, rubbing on sandpaper or even scrap paper, or with a pencil sharpener for fine lines or crisp edges. Using a soft, toothy paper and and carefully preserving your highlights will allow you to get a full range of tone from dark to white.
Crosshatching
Crosshatching uses layers of hatching placed at an angle. Usually, the first layer would be vertical, the next horizontal, the next at forty-five degrees, and so on. This methodical approach can look a little mechanical, so artists often use variation in direction to add interest.
For this exercise you will need a subject - I chose an old jug - and a light source, such as a window or lamp. Light coming from one direction will give you good shadows to work with. Any charcoal will do, though different types will give slightly different results. I chose to keep it simple with a basic charcoal pencil. You'll need a kneadable eraser, a piece of rag for blending, and a paper stump if you have one (or just twist the corner of the rag into a point). I used the Fabriano 'Academia' paper shown, not an ideal charcoal paper as the surface really grabs on to the charcoal, making it hard to blend, but it has quite a strong surface and stood up to quite a lot of repeated erasing and blending.
