how to draw designs with a dipping pen and ink

Drawing patterns with a dipping pen and ink

by Sandrine Pelissier

in Drawing, New work, Painting technique, Step by step demonstrations

Using a dipping pen and ink to add patterns to your artwork can seem a bit intimidating at first but it is very easy to draw with a pen and it has many advantages.

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I like to add patterns with a dipping pen and ink

I like to add patterns in my works.

In my work, I am more and more interested in incorporating patterns and repetitive designs into my paintings and drawings. I started by adding patterns with markers and then moved on to using pen and ink for the following reasons:

You don’t have to buy a new marker for each color you want to use, you can make your own mixes with fluid acrylic or ink.
Markers you are using on your artworks have to be archival and acid free and that might not always be the case.
Markers tends to have a short life span
When working with fluid acrylic, you can be sure that your designs will be waterproof and won’t smudge if you decide to paint over them.
Pen and ink is a very affordable,versatile, low cost medium
Pen and ink works well to add design in white on top of a lighter color.

I still love working with markers, especially when drawing outside or when travelling as they have the advantage of being more portable than pen and ink.

Supplies

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Speedball Sketching Project Set

This calligraphy pen and nib set gives you the tools needed to create beautiful works of art. Ideal for drawing, crosshatching, lithography, and fine details. Includes two plastic pen holders and six nibs.

You can draw with pen and ink on a canvas surface.

you can build complex patterns step by step

A drawing pen
Nibs
Fluid acrylic or ink.
The traditional ink for pen and ink is India ink, I am using it when I want to draw in black and don’t need the designs to be waterproof.

My favorite nib is the speedball 512 Bowl Pointed, but you can try different nibs and see what you think works the best for your style.

Speedball 512 bowl pointed nib

Tip: You can add a few plastic beads to your fluid acrylics containers so you get a more homogeneous mix when you shake the container.

Dipping pen and ink techniques

Pull on your pen and don’t push as this would result into spatters. It seems easier to draw with pen and ink when you hold your pen a bit closer to the nib.

If you are having trouble making a line, try to vary the angle between the pen and your surface, sometimes holding your pen more parallel to the surface makes it work better, it increases also the risk of spills, so you have to find the angle that works the best for you.

Wash your pen and nib after each session, particularly if you are using fluid acrylic. Some acrylic might accumulate on the nib over time and you might have to change it after a while, but they are very cheap to buy and you can buy only the nib.

drawing with a dipping pen and ink on yupo paper

It is very pleasant to draw with pen and ink on yupo paper as the surface is very sleek.

Liquitex Professional Acrylic Ink

Liquitex Professional Acrylic Inks are extremely fluid colors that contain super-fine pigments suspended in a state-of-the-art emulsion. Quick-drying, permanent, water-resistant, and non-clogging, they’re ideal for a variety of techniques. – Essential Colors, Set of 6

Surfaces you can draw on with a dipping pen and ink

I am using pen and ink on paper, canvas and board prepared with gesso, although the gessoed board is not the most convenient surface for pen and ink as the texture is a bit gritty.

It works well on paper and canvas and really well on yupo paper as the surface is very sleek on yupo paper.