Today, weâll create a nature-inspired drawing. Our tools will be an ordinary graphite pencil and three ink liners. This set of supplies is a great choice for capturing the general shapes and textural details of the objects weâre depicting.
If youâre going to follow along, please feel free to draw any mushroom you like. It may have an completely different shape or texture from my example. You can draw from a reference photo or find a real, tangible mushroom (or even imagine one that probably doesnât exist). The point of this tutorial is to apply the basic principles, sharpen our artistic skills, and have fun.
So letâs skip the long introductions and dive right into the process!
Art Supplies For Our Mushroom Drawing
As I said, you donât need anything fancy for this project; just a graphite pencil, an eraser, and some ink liners from a very thin (0.05) to a rather thick (0.3) line width.
Also, you can choose a nib pen instead of ink liners.
I recommend using a heavier paper â just in case you decide later on that your drawing will be even better with a subtle inclusion of watercolor or some other media.
Create a Pencil Sketch of the Shape of The Mushroom
If your goal is to create a spontaneous, quick ink drawing, feel free to skip this part. However, having a graphite sketch allows thinking the artwork through beforehand and may provide you with a little confidence.
I start with a miniature sketch. The goal is to lay down the proportions and the silhouettes of the shape.
I decided to draw a mushroom with a triangular, elongated cap and a long stem. I’ll also place a small snail on top of the cap, just to make the drawing more interesting and add a bit of narrative.
I begin directly on the final paper, drafting the general shape of the mushroom.
I imagine that I can see through the object, like itâs transparent. A subsidiary core line and ovals help me to visualize that my model is three-dimensional.
Donât strive for perfection here â a mushroom is an organic object, so it canât be absolutely even or symmetrical.
In the image below, youâll find our mushroom sketch alongside the miniature.Â
I refine the sketch, adding some details of the capâs texture and outlining the spiral of the snailâs shell. Snails have two longer tentacles (those with the eyes at the tips) and two shorter ones. The latter usually point to the ground. They are used for olfactory orientation and help the snail in searching for food.
To fill the bottom part of the drawing, I add some fallen leaves, grass blades, and coniferous needles. For now, we’ll leave out some of the details in this area.
Iâm happy with this pencil sketch â it has all the necessary elements, so we can proceed to the next part.Â
Let’s Add Ink To The Mushroom
I use both 0.1 and 0.3 ink liners to outline the contours. A thinner line is better for the lighter objects (or the lighter parts of the objects). Iâm going to create a tonal gradient at the mushroomâs cap, so its bottom part needs a thicker contour.
I try to find a visual rhythm in the lower part of the drawing, where we have all the leaves and grass. The elements should look like a uniform system and redirect the viewerâs attention to the mushroom.Â
With the 0.05 liner, I work on the lighter areas of the drawing, such as the capâs top and the body of the snail. Groups of short hatches and dots are a great way to create a basic texture and give a hint at core shadows.
In the bottom part of the drawing, I use mostly relaxed hatches to plan the darker values.Â
With the 0.3 ink liner, I darken the lower part of the cap, accenting the lower portion. I use cross hatching and stippling to describe the value and the texture. Combining these techniques allows me to achieve the sense of texture and volume at the same time. The cap has some prominent, relief parts â they should remain light for now.
We need a smooth, soft transition from nearly white at the capâs top to almost black in the bottom portion. The sides of the cap become slightly darker to create the illusion that this element is three-dimensional.
I also increase the contrast in the lower part of the drawing.
In the image below, youâll find a close-up fragment of the mushroomâs cap.Â
With the 0.05 ink liner, I add the details. The short hatches create the texture of the snailâs body and the long contour lines accent the volume of its shell.
I also add some hatching to the mushroomâs cap to soften the transition from lighter to darker values.
The stem has a smooth texture, so I apply very fine contour hatching and stippling to reflect this texture.Â
With the 0.05 liner again, I darken the shell with the long, curved hatches.
Iâm going to make the shell rather dark to balance the lightness at the top of the mushroom. Donât forget about the cast shadow under the snail. The cast shadow here should be darker than the snailâs core shadows!
I also accent the sides of the stem and darken the cast shadow that is created by the massive cap. The leaves underneath require some additional hatching, too â we need to balance the light stem and the leafy foundation.
The drawing looks quite believable at this step, but to add to its realism, I add some thin veins of the leaves. Small spots on the leavesâ surface reflect the Fall season and help to convey the mood.
As a finishing touch, I add some dots to the background in the lower part of the drawing, so the natural elements blend into it.Â
Conclusion
Congratulations â weâve made it to the end! I hope that this creative journey was fascinating.
The world of mushrooms is an endless opportunity to be inspired. Just think of those dozens or even hundreds of possible shapes, textures, and colors.
I became so excited about this theme that mushrooms of all kinds started filling the pages of my sketchbook. Here is an example:
Luckily, mushrooms perfectly fit the size and orientation of many sketchbooks. One mushroom sketch a day for a week, two weeks, or a month is a nice artistic challenge, isnât it?
If so, join over 36,000 others that receive our newsletter with new drawing and painting lessons. Plus, check out three of our course videos and ebooks for free.
Composition in Art
Thankfully, composition is one of those things that we can get right with a little planning and knowledge. It doesn’t require “talent” and it definitely isn’t about “guesswork”. There are a few “rules” we can consider when we plan our works so that we can be successful every time.
What is Composition in Art?
There’s obviously more to creating a successful work of art outside of mark-making and medium mastery. Our composition plays an important role in how our works are viewed and experienced by our audience.
But before we define composition in terms of art, let’s look at a related subject.
If you’re a musician, then you know that musical works can also be referred to as “compositions”. There is a structure to a song. Each musician plays “their part”. If a musician plays at the wrong time or plays the wrong notes, then the song becomes a mess. Each part is carefully crafted so that the song is the best that it can be. In some songs, the guitar may have more parts and dominate the song. In others, it may be the piano.
We can compare this musical analogy to art-making. Just like a song, each work of art that we create has a structure (or should have a structure). As artists, we plan this structure and execute it as we create the art.
If we don’t carefully plan the elements that we include, our art can become a real mess.
So when it comes to art, composition is the arrangement of elements within the pictorial space (or three-dimensional space with a sculpture). The positioning and arrangement of elements within a work affect how a viewer interacts with what we create.
Just like with a song, the possibilities are endless. We have total creative freedom regarding how we arrange the elements within our works. But even though the possibilities are endless, it doesn’t mean that we can approach composition with a haphazard approach without planning. We must craft our compositions, just as a skilled composer would.
In some works, a specific element may dominate. In others, a different element may dominate. However, we should always make sure that we don’t have too many elements competing for attention. In a song, we wouldn’t expect to have a guitar solo, a piano solo, and a drum solo all taking place at the same time. In a work of art, we also wouldn’t expect to have all of the elements we include competing for attention.
Instead, we should focus the attention of our viewer on one or two elements within the scene. These elements become the focal point(s). All of the other elements within the work then become the supporting cast members.
Creating Focal Points
A focal point is the area or areas within a scene that command the visual attention of the viewer. In most cases, focal points include the main subject. Every work of art should have at least one focal point.
Focal points should be limited. In many cases, only one focal point is required. You can have more than one focal point, but any number beyond three will be difficult to pull off. If your work has more than one focal point, then there should be one that dominates the others. In other words, there should be one main focal point and perhaps a supporting or secondary focal point.
Focal points can be created in a work using a variety of techniques. These techniques include…
- Contrast
- Isolation
- Placement
- Convergence
- The Unusal
Although we’ll briefly cover each of these techniques here, we cover them in more depth in these lessons…
Now, let’s briefly look at each technique for creating a focal point.
Contrast
Contrast deals with difference. This could be difference in value, color, texture, size, etc. When we include an area of strong contrast, it pulls the viewer’s eye to that location in the work and creates a focal point.
Isolation
If you ever got in trouble as a kid and the teacher put you in the corner, then you know what isolation is all about. When you’re sent to the corner, every other kid in the classroom stares at you. What a terrible punishment!
When we isolate a subject or an element in a drawing or painting, then this element naturally commands attention and becomes a focal point.
Placement
We are visually pulled to the center of shapes. If we think of the picture plane of our work as a shape such as rectangle, then we can expect our viewer to be pulled to the center. If we place a subject close to or exactly in the center of our picture plane, then this subject becomes a focal point.
Although this technique works to create a strong focal point, it’s usually not the best technique to create a visually stimulating composition. When we place subjects in the center of the work, the result is typically static and boring. It’s better to place the subject slightly off center, or better yet – on one of the thirds. More on that in a moment.
Convergence
Convergence refers to the act of guiding a viewer’s eye within a work using visual cues. These may be lines, shapes, contrasting colors, etc. Each element that we include may guide a viewer’s gaze to the focal point. Sometimes, we are drawn to an area within a work simply because the artist has manipulated elements to force our attention to a specific area. We can do this too!
The Unusual
Anything out of the ordinary commands our attention. In the same way, anything that we include in our work that isn’t expected or is drastically different from the other elements within the scene will become a focal point.
Creating a defined focal point is important in creating a strong composition, but there’s more to it than that. We also should consider a few of the principles of design.
The Principles of Design in Artistic Composition
The principles of design deal with the arrangement of the elements of art in work. The elements of art are the basic components or building blocks of art creation.
You can learn more about both the elements of art and principles of design here…
The eight principles of design are…
- Balance
- Proportion
- Movement
- Rhythm
- Harmony
- Unity
- Emphasis
- Variety
(Some art specialists also include contrast as a principle. But since contrast can create emphasis, most people leave it off of the list of eight.)
Not all of the principles of design directly affect our compositions, but most of them do. Here’s a closer look at the ones that do…
Balance
In terms of art, balance refers to the overall distribution of visual weight in a composition. Each object that we include in a work carries with it a visual weight. When we add an element to one side of our composition, we’ll like need to add another or several elements to balance the visual weight on the other side.
Visual balance can be achieved by adding elements or by using negative space. (More on negative and positive space in a moment.)
We can compare balance to a teeter totter or a seesaw. Imagine we have one large object (or person) on one side of the seesaw. The seesaw won’t be balanced.
But, if we add a couple of medium sized objects (or people) to the other side of the seesaw, we achieve an equilibrium. The seesaw is now balanced.
If a work is not balanced visually, it may feel “heavy”. For example, if we include too much visual weight at the bottom of a composition, the weight will pull a viewer’s eye to the bottom. The composition will feel unsettling.
But if we counter-act this weight with an element or two at the top of the composition, then it becomes more balanced.
We should also be aware of how our composition is cropped as this can also influence balance.
Many times, we’ll have elements that extend beyond the confines of the picture plane. If the edges of these elements are positioned in a way so they are close to the edges of the picture plane, this will create added visual weight and perhaps unwanted attention.
Take a look at the images below. In the image on the left, notice how the bird is positioned too close to the edge of the picture plane. The edge of the branch at the top is also too close to the left side of the picture plane.
In the second image, there is enough space provided on both sides of the picture plane to provide a bit of balance resulting in a better composition.
If we position the subjects in our works so that their edges either end a bit further from the edges of the picture plane or extend well beyond the confines of the picture plane, then this visual weight is minimized.
We should also consider each one of the edges of the picture plane. If we have elements that extend off the picture plane on two sides, we may create too much visual weight on those two sides. But, if we allow the subjects to extend off the picture plane on all four sides, we may create a more balanced composition.
Movement
Movement can refer to the illusion of actual movement in a drawing or painting; or it can refer to the movement that a viewer’s eye takes when experiencing your art. In terms of composition, we are most concerned with the latter.
When a viewer interacts with your art, their eyes move from one element to the next. Usually the most commanding element demands immediate attention. After that, the viewer may move on to other supporting elements within the scene.
As artists, we can control this “eye movement” based on how we plan our composition. We can guide the viewer to the most important elements and many times, control how most people will “ingest” our creation. In most cases, we want the viewer’s eye to flow through the work in a certain oder.
Depending on the subject, the order may look something like this…
- The viewer is drawn into the work.
- The viewer is guided to the focal point(s).
- The viewer is guided to supporting elements.
- The viewer is guided out of the work or back to the focal point.
This visual movement is usually achieved by creating contrast, guiding lines, diagonals, and overlapping elements.
Take a look at the work below. When you examine it, take note of how your eyes move through the work.
Perhaps your eye followed a similar route as mine. I entered the work at the bottom of the valley, near the stream. I was guided by the line of darker trees to the center of the pictorial space, then back into the forest. I then followed the line of trees, just in front of the distant mountains. From there, I was guided back to the center.
The positioning of these elements allowed me to see all of the important parts within the work, while appreciating each section of the painting on its own.
We can use the same techniques to have a bit of control on how a viewer interacts with our art. Although we can’t fully control how people will view our art, we can have some influence over their visual experience.
Rhythm
We understand rhythm through repetition. For example, we can hear the beat of a song and its rhythm because it repeats – many times in predictable way. Without repetition, there is no rhythm.
In art, the same is true. We must have repetition in order have rhythm. Visually, rhythm is created by repeating elements. This could be a regular or irregular pattern of repeating shapes or it could be a repetition of a specific subject. Either way, repeating elements produce a rhythm.
Take a look at the painting below. Notice how it has a sense of rhythm.
This rhythm is created through repetition. We can see here how the shapes created for the blades of the flowers are repeated…
And also the shapes for the smaller flowers in the upper left corner…
The shapes created for the irises are no different. They also repeat…
A repeating element within a work is often referred to as a “motif”. Including a motif in your work can often lead to a sense of harmony and unity.
Let’s go back to the music analogy. Most popular songs feature a consistent rhythm throughout the song. The dynamics of the song may change, but the time signature rarely does. And even though the notes may change drastically, the consistent rhythm unifies the song from start to finish.
Our artworks should have this consistency, which leads us to the next principles – harmony and unity.
Harmony and Unity
Our art compositions should also be harmonious and unified. Harmony and unity are so closely related that it’s easy to assume that they’re the same thing. They are very similar, but each should be considered separately in our compositions.
Unity deals with a feeling of “oneness”. This is usually accomplished in a work of art by using the medium in a consistent manner and to a level of completion. We can also think of unity in terms of artistic style. If the style and use of media are consistently used in a work and the work feels complete and finished, we usually can say that the work is unified.
Unity can also be created in a work through simplification. This can be achieved by simplifying shapes, subjects, or color schemes.
The work below is unified and harmonious for a number of reasons. The most obvious way it’s unified is through its use of color.
Harris has simplified the color scheme and used mostly the complementary colors of red and green. The green is very earthy, but still present.
Harmony helps to create unity in a work. While unity deals with the work of art as a whole, harmony deals more so with the individual parts of the work. If the individual parts of the piece all work together, then the art could be considered harmonious.
Another way to think of this is to consider a family. A family is made up of different members. Let’s look at a family in a traditional sense for this analogy. A family may have a father, a mother, a son, and a daughter. Each family member is different and is their own unique person – but the family is still a unit. Some families get along well with one another, while others don’t.
We can create harmony and unity in our compositions by…
- Using the medium in a consistent manner throughout the work.
- Simplifying shapes, subjects, or color schemes.
- Using a consistent style throughout the work.
- Making sure the work appears finished.
- Ensuring that each individual part of the piece works (and makes sense) with the other parts.
Emphasis
We often use emphasis to define the focal point or points within a composition. We’ve already discussed several ways an artist can create a focal point within a work. Each one of these methods relies on emphasis for its success. Emphasis is usually created in a work through some form of contrast.
Take a look at the work below. What do you think is emphasized?
Most of us are drawn to the woman in the scene, more specifically – to her face. Degas has pulled our attention to her using several methods. For starters, she’s centrally located within the picture plane. There’s also strong value contrast around her. Notice how the man next to her is dressed in black, while she wears white. There’s even a dark cast shadow on the wall right next to her light face.
Then there’s the lines of convergence created by the tables and the back edge of the bench.
You’ll also notice that the face of the woman has more details compared to the other elements within the scene. This also helps to pull the viewer’s eye.
All of these characteristics help to influence how we interact with the subject.
Variety
Like emphasis, variety also deals with difference. Our drawings and paintings should include some variety.
Consider your favorite food for a moment. Now consider what life would be like if you had to eat your favorite food for every meal for the rest of your life. For breakfast, lunch, and dinner – you have your favorite food and nothing else. It may be great the first day – but after that, you’d grow very tired of your favorite food.
We can think of our artworks in the same way. We don’t want to bore our viewer’s with the same visual information. Instead, we should include some variety to keep them engaged and make our artworks more interesting.
The trick here is balancing both harmony and variety. If we take variety too far, the work will likely not be harmonious. If we take harmony too far, the work may be lacking variety.
Take a look at the image below. Notice how much variety is present…
Kandinsky has created variety by using a broad range of color, but kept the painting unified through simplification.
Positive and Negative Space
Space is one of the seven elements of art. When we think of space, we often consider it in terms of depth or the illusion of depth in a drawing or painting. However, when it comes to composition, we can think of space in terms of the actual pictorial space on the drawing or painting surface.
The space that is taken up by important subjects or design elements is considered positive space. The areas that surround these locations are considered negative space. Often, it is the negative space that provides an area of “rest” for the viewer.
Take a look at the images below. We first see the original image on the left. In the middle image, the negative space is highlighted with red. In the third, we see the positive space highlighted with red.
Positive and negative space work together to create the composition. A composition can be made up of mostly positive space, an even balance of the two, or mostly negative space.
The following image illustrates a composition made of mostly positive space…
Here’s an example of a composition made of equal parts of positive and negative space…
And here’s one made of mostly negative space…
Each one of these compositions is derived from the same subject and each could be considered “successful”.
Successful use of positive and negative space within a composition is dependent on balance. How this balance is achieved will depend on the subject, the use of the medium, the level of detail included, contrast, and other visual factors.
The best way to craft a balance in a work and ensure that the positive and negative space works for the good of the composition is through careful planning.
Planning Your Composition
Planning is perhaps the most important aspect of finding success with your compositions. Unfortunately, it’s the step that most people skip completely.
Let’s say you decide to go on road trip to a place you’ve never been before. It wouldn’t make sense to just pack your bags, hop in the car, and leave without knowing how to get to your destination. You’d likely take a look at a map or enter your destination into your navigation system. You’ll never arrive at your destination without some form of preparation and guidance.
In the same way, we should plan our compositions before we attempt to execute them. We need to know “where we’re going” with our artworks. We should plan the final result before we set out to create it. We can change our ideas as we work if we wish, but we should have a general idea of what we want the finished work to look like before we dive in.
By planning, we can work out all of the compositional puzzles that go into making a strong piece of art. When we do this, we can focus on the actual process of drawing and painting since most of our decisions regarding composition have already been made.
In most cases, planning a composition involves creating small drawings that lack details. These small drawings are often called thumbnails or preliminary sketches. Thumbnails should be created quickly and should be approached with an attitude of experimentation. The more thumbnails that you create before starting on the final surface, the better your chances are at creating a successful composition.
As you create your thumbnails, be open to trying different things. Experiment with the positioning of subjects and with the balance of positive and negative space. Consider how a viewer’s eye may move through the work. Try vertical-based compositions and compare them with horizontal ones. Experiment with different colors. Keep your mind open.
Many times, we have a vision in our minds of what we want to create and naturally assume that it is this vision that is the most successful. However in most cases, our initial vision is just the “tip of the iceberg”. With a little more “digging”, our original vision evolves into something much more successful. This only happens when we are open to experimentation and we take the time to plan.
The Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds is a compositional theory that is based on the placement of subjects within a composition. It is based on The Golden Mean, which is a mathematical formula that deals with proportional relationships. Since the Golden Mean is quite complex, most artists and photographers rely on the rule of thirds to create a similar effect.
Here’s how it works…
Let’s take a composition and divide it by thirds – both horizontally and vertically. We can imagine lines that run along each of the thirds. These lines intersect in four locations within the picture plane. By placing important subjects or focal points on or near these locations of intersection, we create a more aesthetically successful composition.
Notice how Guillaumin has positioned the figure almost directly on one of these points.
We can also create more dynamic and interesting compositions by placing subjects directly on these lines.
Creating Diagonals
Compositions can be dynamic or static. Static compositions are fairly straight-forward and direct. A static composition makes sense for an informational image – like a scientific illustration. In contrast, a dynamic composition creates a greater sense of story and engages a viewer. In most cases, we want our compositions to be dynamic.
Dynamic compositions can be created by incorporating diagonals into the work. These diagonals may be created with actual lines and shapes or implied lines. They can also be used to help guide a viewer’s eye through the work, as we discussed before.
Look for interesting ways to include diagonals in your work. This may mean that you change the angle of the vantage point of the viewer. Instead of drawing or painting the subjects from a standard point of view, consider the view from above or below, or even from a tilted angle.
Odd Numbers Are Better
When we compose our artworks, we should also consider the number of subjects or elements that we include. The human mind finds balance in odd numbers. The most optimal number to use is 3. This means that if you are composing a still life, it’s best to use 3 objects. This doesn’t mean that we are limited to 3 objects. We can, of course, include more if we wish. But if we do include more, odd numbers are best.
Let’s consider an image with two objects. With two objects, there seems to be a sort of visual competition between the two. It’s difficult to decide which subject is the focal point.
However, when we include a third, the other two subjects act to frame the third, resulting in a more balanced composition.
Conclusion
Composition is not “guesswork”. A great composition is not the result of luck and it’s certainly not about talent. It’s about understanding how a viewer will visually interact with what we create and careful planning.
We’ve covered quite a bit here. It’s a lot of information to soak in. But by practicing these concepts and incorporating them into your artworks, they will gradually become intuitive and your compositions will improve.
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How to Correct Mistakes in Pen and Ink Drawings
A wrong motion can leave an unpleasant blob or smear on your paper. Itâs also possible to lose focus or make an erroneous decision. Anything of this kind may lead to the question: âHow do I correct this disappointing mistake?â
Ink has a reputation of being an unforgiving medium. This idea may be holding many artists back from entering the world of ink drawing. Itâs true that in some cases we may have to start over, but such cases are not as frequent as you might think.
In this article, weâll discuss various tools and techniques that we can use to correct mistakes made with pen and ink. Perhaps you’ll see that you may not have to start over after all.
Related reading: 7 Must Have Pen and Ink Supplies
But before we dive into our solutions, let’s take a look at preventing the mistakes in the first place and the meaning of imperfection.
What Is a Mistake in a Pen and Ink Drawing?
There is a belief that ink as a medium attracts artists that love the sense of control. Some art media, like watercolor, doesnât give us that kind of feeling and requires a different mindset.
If you like to be in control, anything that differs from your initial plan may be considered as a mistake. Sometimes we become so attached to our vision that any accidental deviation â even the lucky ones â should be rejected and considered a mistake. Itâs unfortunate that some approach art in this manner since our “mistakes” may make our art even more interesting or feel more spontaneous.
So what if those little things that we call “mistakes” aren’t actually mistakes?
What if their purpose is to enhance our work â only if we allow them to? And what if itâs rather a matter of individual perspective than an objective thing?
Of course, real mistakes do happen and they should be addressed and not ignored.
For example, if we consider a drawing from life that should be realistic but the values are incorrect – chances are that the result will look neither believable nor attractive. Our eyes are naturally trained to notice the imperfections. If we notice them, then our viewers will too.
The best cure for this type of mistake is practice. The more you draw from observation and train your eyes, the better your drawings will become. This type of mistake is skill-based and will only be rectified by improving your skill – which requires practice.
Even still, I strongly recommend that you keep an accepting and positive attitude to any form of imperfection. If you did something wrong because you lack skill, donât beat yourself up â as long as youâre moving forward, there is progress. Everyone, even people that we view as masters, face difficulties along the way.
The last thing to mention before we continue is time. Always take a break before deciding that a “mistake” needs correcting! Chances are that youâll come back to your drawing in a couple of days and see its beauty and charm.
For me and many other artists, a time gap is crucial. Right after Iâve finished a new piece, I see all of the “problems”. At this point, the mind is still too focused on details â it canât see the picture as a whole! But after a bit of time, I can see all of the things I’ve done correctly and I can appreciate the finished work – “mistakes” and all.
The Power of Prevention
Letâs remember the old truism that prevention is better than a cure. How does prevention look in the context of art made with ink?
When I was preparing this article, I had to think about my own creative process. To be honest, I make things that can be called mistakes quite rarely, therefore there is no frequent need to correct them. Why?
First, I avoid distractions while drawing and make sure that Iâm as focused and observant as possible. This allows me to reach a state of “flow” and, paradoxically, feeling relaxed. The process becomes easier and more fun!
Second, I do my preliminary work. It may include searching for the necessary reference photos and examining them, studying the objects, creating sketches and so on.
Having a pencil underdrawing for your finished artwork helps a lot. When you start a new ink artwork, itâs easy to get caught up in the âfear of blank paperâ trap. Careful thinking through the work with a pencil in hand eliminates the fear. No more guesswork while inking!
Before taking to your nib pen or liner, make sure that you have everything you need at hand (for example, the supplies and reference photos). Take a deep breath, clear your mind, and surrender yourself to the process of creation.
Be Aware of Smearing
While drawing with ink, watch carefully if your newly drawn lines are steady and dry enough. If your ink isn’t dry, it can easily smear. This especially applies to slick, glossy types of paper because inks dry slower on them.
After completing the artwork, let the ink dry completely before erasing any pencil marks that you used as guidelines.
Smears are perhaps the most common mistake when drawing with ink, but also the easiest to avoid with a little patience.
A quick tip: working with a waterproof ink ensures that your beautiful lines wonât be washed away with an accidental drop of liquid like water or tea.
Seven Ways to Correct Mistakes in Ink Drawings
1. Make the Mistake a Part of Your Drawing
Sometimes itâs possible to incorporate an accidental imperfection into the artwork, so no one will even notice it. No matter what kind of mistake it is â a blob of ink, a smear or an irregular line, try to approach it creatively.
A few options to transform your drawing are:
- Add more ink dots or lines to âblendâ the imperfection.
- Draw a new element/object, based on the “mistake”.
- Create a background or pattern.
- Apply some watercolor washes or colored pencil/marker covering.
Chances are that your imperfection, big or small, can be worked around.
Consider your surface when deciding how to “fix” a mistake. Thicker paper is more adaptable to watercolor additions and other methods that are effective for hiding or blending.
2. Cover the Mistake with White
Inks, Gouache, and Acrylics
Chances are that you’re drawing with black ink on white paper. In this case, you can paint over the unwanted ink strokes with white, using any artistic medium at your disposal.
After the white covering is completely dry, you can draw with ink on top or just leave the area as it is.
Here are some supplies I use:
- A white acrylic marker.
- White ink (make sure that its covering is opaque enough).
- White gouache.
Of course, youâll need a brush to apply ink or gouache.
All these supplies can be used to cover a relatively large area. However, keep in mind that larger areas will draw more attention.
The potential drawback of this method is that white paper is rarely pure white, though it may appear so. Your paper and any white covering may seem slightly different visually and may actually draw attention to the mistake rather than hide it.
For example, itâs a common issue that the painted covering looks cooler in hue than the paper. Thatâs why itâs a great idea to add a little bit of yellow (or another color, depending on the situation) to your white base covering.
Another potential flaw of this method is that the painted area will have a different sheen from the paper. Of course, you have to examine the artwork closely to see that difference, but in some cases this contrast in texture can be very distracting. This effect can be hidden under glass however â if you decide to put the artwork in a frame.
There are also various correcting fluids that are used mainly to cover handwriting mistakes. Itâs possible to give them a try, but I donât recommend relying on this option. Such fluids may create a rather coarse, textured covering and the tint is very different from that of your paper.
If your paper isn’t white, you may have to mix paints to match the colors. Itâs a tricky and relatively demanding method, but it may pay off.
Gel Pens
Gel pens are handy when it comes to correcting small areas in the drawing.
Since all pens have their own distinctive features, it’s important to choose a brand that fits your needs. I prefer the tools that provide a dense white covering on the first attempt. This means that you donât have to layer the stokes to get the desired result.
Keep in mind that gel pen strokes, placed on top of ink marks, usually create a relief. The thicker lines require more effort to cover.
In the image below, youâll find some examples of such coverings. Note the difference between the paper and the corrected areas.
This method works for most types of paper. In some cases, itâs the only way to fix the artwork (for example, if thin paper is used).
3. Remove the Mistake with Blades
A variety of knives and blades, including ordinary office knives or an X-Acto knife, may be used to cut off the upper layer of paper that holds the unwanted ink marks.
To remove a mistake, apply the tip of the knife to the paperâs surface with light pressure. Itâs better to slice the paper bit by bit because you could go too deep and create a hole.
This method works especially great with coated paper â the type of paper that has a slick feel and a subtle glossy sheen. Coated paper has a peculiar structure, which makes the ink stay on the surface, so you can remove the top layer of the paper and the correction will be almost invisible.
Any heavier paper type is compatible with blades for this method. Success often depends on how deeply the pigment permeated into the paper.
The smaller an area is that needs correcting, the better your chances are at fixing it with a blade.
4. Use an Eraser with a Rough Surface, a Sand Eraser or a Piece of Sandpaper
An eraser or sandpaper can also be used to remove the portions of the top surface of the paper. A rough eraser can rub the paper layers off until there is a hole.
In the image below, youâll find an example â the eraser has two ends, the reddish one is softer, for cleaning graphite marks, and the blueish one is very rough â it can erase inks.
This method works perfectly on heavier paper with some tooth.
Sometimes after using an eraser or sandpaper, the tooth of the paper looks too rugged and damaged. However, there is a secret to make it smoother and neater!
Take a sheet of thick paper and place it above the corrected area of your drawing. Press the paper sheets with your hand and apply pressure. Apply a soft eraser on top of the blank buffer paper (and the damaged area below it), and use it as though youâre trying to erase something. The paperâs tooth underneath will be all smoothed out like magic!
5. Creating a Paper âPatchâ
The principle is simple: cut a piece of blank paper, which shape and size are similar to the problem area. Then adhere the paper cut-out with a small amount of glue. After the âpatchâ is steady, feel free to modify the selected area.
I personally donât ever use this method because the result is too obvious. However, some folks find great success with this approach, especially if the ink drawing is produced for reproduction such as an illustration.
6. Use Digital Tools to Fix Mistakes
If you donât have to show the original artwork to anyone, it’s possible to complete it just as it is, then scan it and make some corrections in an editing program, like Adobe Photoshop.
You may be interested in the course: Basic Photoshop for Artists
If you use Photoshop, there are basically three tools that you might need: the eyedropper tool (the hot key I), the brush tool (B) and, occasionally, the clone stamp (S).
Digital tools work wonders. You can remove any ink marks that you donât like. In the image below, you can see the result of this approach. I removed the shortest lines of the sample completely.Â
By the way, this sample is from the article on exercises for accurate lines and hatching. (Remember, practicing the basics reduces the number of mistakes and sloppy ink marks.)
Alternatively, some artists scan the artworks right at the stage after the mistake has occurred, get rid of it in the editing program and print it. The work can be continued, but without the hassle of starting over.
7. Redraw
If you tried the methods we’ve discussed and they didnât work, or the mistake is too overwhelming, the only way to fix this issue is to start over.
Sometimes you can lighten the work by tracing over the original drawing using a light box or a well-lit window. This allows you to keep the elements that you consider successful and redraw only the elements that need to be altered.
Starting over should be your last resort. And although it may be disappointing, itâs actually not that bad. Remember, we always get better through practice, and approaching the same subject a second time may lead to better results.
Conclusion
Although there is no perfect and trouble-free way to correct something in an ink drawing, there are many ways to save your artwork. I hope that this post gives you some helpful ideas!
The closing advice is this: think about your process and enjoy your experience while drawing. Imperfections are just a part of life and will be there in every work you create. Everybody makes mistakes from time to time. The less we think about them, the rarer they become.
I wish you much inspiration, and let no fear of mistakes stop you!
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How to Draw a Leaf with Watercolor and Colored Pencils
As winter passes, a single leaf remains on the vine. The young artistâs health improves, but her friend has stopped visiting. When the winter snow melts, he is found in the alley. He had passed away in the cold after painting, next to the vine with a single leaf.
As I write this, Autumn is setting in and the leaves are beginning to fall. These wonderful creations are each a masterpiece of their own. In this lesson, we’ll combine watercolor and colored pencils to create a drawing of a leaf with watercolor and colored pencils.
How to Draw a Leaf with Mixed Media
You will need the following materials…
Surface – Bristol Board (or illustration board, Bristol paper, or another smooth paper). This surface is rigid enough to support a variety of different mediums and strong enough to accept light watercolor applications.
Colored Pencils (I use Prismacolor pencils, but any other brands are fine.) General colors that are used…
- White
- Yellow-Green
- Green
- Dark Green
- Yellow
- Black
- Brown
- Red-Orange
- A Colorless Blender
We’ll use a bit of black watercolor paint to splatter a bit of texture along with tempera paint or gouache to add a few finishing touches. You’ll need a few basic colors of tempera or gouache…
- White
- Yellow
- Red
- Blue
We’ll also use a few different brushes…
- Small round watercolor brush (size 0 – 2)
- Flat atercolor wash brush (ž inch or larger)
- Flat acrylic or oil painting brush (1/2 â 1 inch)
Step 1 â Tone the Paper with A Watercolor Wash
To follow along, print the reference photo from the link below. You can also take your own photo of a leaf.
For both steps one and two, you will need a cut-out of your leaf shape. To create a cut-out, draw your leaf shape on a separate sheet of paper. It isn’t crucial that your leaf match the reference exactly. Focus on the character of the contours (smooth, jagged, straight, wavy, etc.). After cutting out the leaf shape, trace it onto your project paper. For this mixed media piece, we will paint most of the background and draw most of the leaf.
Letâs begin in the background with a watercolor wash.
Step 2 – Watercolor Wash
Moisten the paper by painting around the leaf with clear water. Donât wet the leaf shape. With the paper moist, brush strokes will bleed/blend together, creating an even layer of color. Dilute the black paint with enough water to make a very light grey.
Step 3 â Add Some Texture
The surface of an oak leaf is smooth. I like how the gritty, rough surface of the concrete juxtaposes with the leaf. Using the cut-out from step one, cover and mask the leaf shape in the drawing. This will protect the white of the paper. Use tape to hold the cut-out in place. Splatter and flick tiny flecks of watercolor paint onto the painting. Use the flat oil or acrylic brush for this. You can also use a toothbrush which also creates a nice splatter pattern.
Splatter the watercolor paint from different directions to avoid creating a distinct pattern. Vary the amount of water in the paint to create different values. Try more that one spatter technique (thumb over the bristles, wrist flicks, etc.). Have paper towels on hand to blot away any splatters that are too large or otherwise undesirable.
Once the paper has been covered, you may remove the mask from the leaf shape. The leaf shape is nearly free from speckles.
Step 4 â Debossing the leafâs Veins
The small veins of the leaf are a challenging detail. Usually, I save details for last but in this case, addressing the leafâs veins now will save some work in the end.
Debossing is stamping or pressing down into a surface. Using a hard point, (awl, compass tip, scissor tip, etc.) draw in the smaller veins. They will not show up well now, but after layering color pencil over these marks, the light-colored veins will emerge.
Here’s a closer look at the debossed veins of the leaf…
Step 5 â Add Details with Colored Pencils
The background speckles are a great start but some purposeful marks made with a black colored pencil will make them more convincing. The dark patch in the center of the composition and faint surface cracks add character and specificity to the image. Add small marks that are less circular and mire irregular than the watercolor splatters with the black colored pencil.
Look at the detail below. Can you distinguish the watercolor marks from the color pencil marks?
Step 6 â Adding Color and Value to the Leaf
Most leaves are flat with subtle surface undulations. This means that the value changes that create in the drawing will be subtle.
Starting with the yellow-green pencil, lightly shade near the central axis of the leaf. Develop the thick stem that runs through the middle by adding color along both of its sides. Switch to the green pencil and cover the entire leaf with a base coat of color. (Be sure to choose a natural green for this. Greens that lean closer to yellow-green will produce better results.)
Use pressure changes to control value. Heavier pressure will produce darker applications. The leaf is not the same value everywhere. Keep your values a little lighter than those you observe in the reference photograph, you can always make them darker if you need to.
During this step, I also added an imperceptibly small amount of brown over the background using color pencil. This created a more natural appearance. Use only the weight of the pencil with no additional pressure to add this light application.
Step 7 â Using Black and White
Gradually add black colored pencil to the darkest areas on the leaf. This will darken the value and lessen the intensity in these areas. Use the black pencil to create the cast shadows under one side if the leaf as well. Notice how soft the edges of the cast shadows are. Begin in the darkest areas of shadow and gradually lighten your pressure. Be sure to keep your strokes together to avoid a “scribbly” look.
Use the white colored pencil to blend the pencil strokes out of some areas on the leaf. See how some areas (near the stem) of the leaf look smoother while other areas remain rough (below).
Both the white pencil and the colorless blender will smooth the speckled quality of your colored pencil stokes. However, the white pencil weakens the color’s intensity and will lighten it as well. The colorless blender will not weaken the intensity and may actually darken the colors.
Of course, the blender pencil is not really darkening the color. It is, however, smudging color into the tiny white speckles that show through our colored pencil strokes. Eliminating the white speckles optically darkens the color.
Use the yellow pencil on the stem at the end of the leaf followed by some shading along its bottom edge with the red-orange pencil. A few speckles are added with the black pencil and the stem is done.
Step 9 â Using The Colorless Blender
Now it’s time to blend and smooth any remaining areas of the leaf that did not receive the white pencil. This will give the leaf a uniform surface that contrasts well with the rough background. We’ll avoid using the blender pencil on the cast shadow though. The unblended pencil helps to further describe the fine bumps of the gritty surface.
Step 9 â Subtle Adjustments
The bulk of the artwork is finished. Now it’s time to take a hard look at our piece and make some adjustments if necessary. I feel as though my leaf needs to be darker in value. I can still add some green over the blended leaf, making some areas darker.
Step 10 â Finishing Touches to Our Drawing of a Leaf
Time for the tempera (or gouache or poster paint). Sometimes these paints are referred to as opaque watercolor because the binder (also called vehicle) is the same as watercolor â gum arabic. Gum arabic is soluble and can removed with a damp sponge if you donât like what you have done. It is forgiving as a binder.
Tempera can also work as a semi-transparent paint. The milky blue/grey reflections in the leaf are created with semi-transparent applications of tempera (see below). Add a little water to a light blue mixture to create this effect. The white reflections and yellow speckles do not have extra water in their mixture so these marks remain opaque.
You can also add some extra detail to the background with white and black tempera paint as well. This will help to unify the whole composition since the medium is used throughout the work.
Thatâs it. We’re done. This leaf may or may not have have given hope to the woman from the Oâ Henry story, but it sure was fun to create.
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The Sketchbook Medley
For my students, sketchbook prompts are just the first step in the development of a project titled, âSketchbook Medleyâ. I tell my students that they will, later in the year, combine imagery from their sketchbooks to create a more complete piece. This gives students time to consider what sketches they might combine. By the end of the year, they have a well-developed concept.
Below is the project information that I share with students at the beginning of the year when discussing sketchbooks and again near the end of the year when they actually begin the âSketchbook Medleyâ. If you’re a teacher, you may give this assignment a try with your students. If you’re not a teacher, you can still do this exercise using the sketches you may already have in your sketchbook.
Sketchbook Medley Student Handout
Link to Handout (same as image below.)
Sketchbook Prompts
Let’s face it. Sometimes it can be a little difficult to come up with ideas for your sketchbook. There are subjects everywhere, but sometimes too many options leads to indecision. It doesn’t hurt to have a list for some drawing inspiration.
The sketchbook prompts that I use with students differ from year to year. Below are ninety-nine sketchbook prompts you can use with your students or for use in your own sketchbook.
- Draw what you ate for breakfast.
- Draw an elephant dancing ballet.
- Draw a corner of the room you are in now.
- Using only numbers, draw a bicycle.
- Make a rubbing of a leaf, then draw a copy of the rubbing.
- Design an insignia ring.
- Take out what is in your pocket, set it up and make a drawing.
- Draw the following facial expressions; confused, confident.
- Draw a cube with a hole in it.
- Sketch a page of roosters.
- Mrs. Claus accidentally shrunk the Santa suit. Draw him trying to fit into it.
- Draw a dog using only triangles (12 or more triangles).
- Draw a map of the world from memory.
- Draw a ball bouncing down stairs.
- Superman needs a new logo. Design one for him.
- Illustrate the sense of hearing.
- Draw a person climbing over/digging under a wall.
- Sketch a house of cards.
- Draw a map to your home (or if you are home, a map to your school/work).
- Compare your drawing to a real map. How did you do?
- Copy a Da Vinci sketch into your own sketchbook.
- What does the eye of a hurricane look like. Sketch it!
- Sketch a tattered tophat.
- Draw a scarecrow and crows.
- Sketch a cloud that also looks a little bit like something else.
- Draw a person coming out of a picture frame.
- Sketch a tree being blown by the wind.
- What does frustration look like?
- What does success look like?
- Sketch a bundle of pencils.
- Design your own compass rose.
- Design the most comfortable chair.
- Draw the illusion of a hole/tear in your page.
- Draw something that is bumpy.
- Sketch a thin person with big pants held up by suspenders.
- Draw a baby in a suit with a briefcase.
- Draw a family of worms in their underground living room.
- If you are right-handed, draw your right hand with your left hand. If you’re left-handed, do the opposite.
- Imagine and draw the room you are in from above (include yourself).
- Draw an enlarged finger print.
- Draw lightning in a black sky.
- Draw a melting ice cube.
- Sketch two bees drinking coffee.
- Make-up a random, organic shape, then make it a form using value and shading.
- Draw a cow in a chefâs hat cooking little people on a grill.
- Fold an origami animal form (your choice), then draw it from a ž view (partly from the front/partly from the side).
- Draw a meteor streaking through space over the earth.
- Using your first and last initials only, design a personal logo.
- Balance a coin on its edge. Draw it AND the shadow it casts.
- Sketch a line of ants marching through the grass. Draw the view from their level.
- Combine a bull and a bee.
- Cartoon yourself.
- Doodle with your eyes closed for a few minutes, then open your eyes and try to make something of your doodle.
- Draw a giraffe in the city.
- Sketch palm trees.
- Design retro/old-fashioned lettering.
- Create your own mythical creature.
- Draw a cornucopia of things that are important to you.
- Draw a scary face with dramatic shading (high contrast).
- Sketch a sloth in a foot race. (headband, running shoes, a race number).
- Draw dinosaursâ bones.
- Make a portrait of a lightbulb in in a striped sweater.
- Draw a landscape with a lake.
- Draw a pattern based on an animal with a patterned coat/skin.
- Sketch your favorite food.
- Draw something you enjoy doing.
- Draw a flock birds from above.
- Sketch a tulip.
- Design a futuristic shoe.
- Happiness is . . .
- Draw a person named Tom. (If your name is Tom, sketch a “John”.)
- Draw a Vortex.
- Make-up a pattern using shapes and lines.
- Draw blind contour drawings for 10 minutes.
- Draw a huge crater in the suburbs.
- Sketch a Fiddlerâs Crab.
- Draw memory or dream. It’s OK if parts are foggy or disconnected.
- Draw stacks of money from a low angle.
- Draw something that is empty.
- Sketch the closest hallway.
- Draw a cat that is not sleeping.
- Design a flag. What does the flag represent or stand for?
- Sketch your favorite childhood toy.
- Sketch one of your relatives.
- Draw hot air balloons, some close and some far away.
- Set-up a still life of three objects in the room you are in and draw that.
- Draw a zodiac symbol in 3D.
- Draw with only value, donât start with lines.
- Sketch an unusual mode of transportation. You can make it up.
- Illustrate the sense of touch.
- Make a rubbing of a coin and then draw from that rubbing. Try to redraw your rubbing as exactly as possible.
- Sketch a view from the closest window.
- Draw water in a glass.
- Draw a key – double the scale (size).
- Draw Julius Caesar.
- Design a door knocker for a large wooden door.
- Hold a coin in your non-dominant hand. Sketch that.
- Draw a person from life while they sleep. (They’ll never know if you’re sneaky.)
- Sketch a representation of a summer activity.
- Make a sketch of yourself from a mirror, shade as you go.
Now you have lots of ideas, get sketching. If you need more, here’s 101 more drawing ideas.
Now, it’s time for the assignment or project. We’ll combine a few of the sketches together to create a finished work of art. You can use any medium or combination of mediums that you wish. The result should be quite interesting.
The sketchbook medley below is the resulting image from the prompts: “Happiness is…”, “Sketch a page of roosters”, and “Draw stacks of money from a low angle”.
The Sketchbook Medley is a wonderful exercise to stretch one’s creativity and re-engage with old sketches. Use it with you students, or try it yourself!
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Do You Really Need Blending Stumps?
Some people are so dependent on blending stumps (and tortillions) that they won’t even attempt a drawing without them. Many beginning artists simply overuse them and in many situations – they aren’t even necessary at all. When blending stumps are overused – or used when they’re not needed – the resulting drawing can look dirty and unfinished.
But, when blending stumps are used correctly and in the right situations, the result can be very life-like and realistic.
So do you need them? The answer is “yes” and “no”. It basically depends on two important factors:
- The surface of the paper.
- The texture of the subject.
When You Should Use a Blending Stump
There are many times when you need to use a blending stump. For example, if the surface of the subject is smooth and the texture of the paper simply can’t create the necessary texture, then a blending stump should be used. In the drawing below, a blending stump is used to create a smooth texture that mimics the surface of skin.
A blending stump was also helpful in creating the illusion of the texture of skin in this portrait drawing…
In both of these cases, the texture of the skin determined whether or not a blending stump was required. We didn’t decide to use a blending stump until we saw that it was necessary.
But we also shouldn’t assume that just because we are drawing a portrait or an image that includes skin, we should automatically reach for a blending tool.
In the drawing below, we created a portrait. But because the paper was so smooth – a blending stump wasn’t necessary. We were able to create smooth transitions of tone simply by adjusting the pressure placed on the pencil.
Considering the Texture of the Paper
As we can see, the texture of the subject plays an important role in deciding whether a blending stump is necessary or not.
But, the texture of the paper plays an important role in our decision making process as well. In fact, we often decide what papers to work on based on the textures of the subject that we are planning on depicting.
For example, in the first image below (on the left), we worked on charcoal paper, which features a coarse laid pattern. The texture of the paper helped us to create the illusion of the texture of bushes and trees. Clearly, no blending stumps were necessary.
The same is true for the second drawing below (on the right). Here again, the texture of the paper helped us to achieve the textures that we were after. It wouldn’t have made much sense to use blending stumps on either of these drawings.
In most cases, it is a combination of both the texture of the subject and the texture of the paper that determines whether to use blending stumps or not.
In our recent Live Lesson series, we created a drawing of an elephant in the jungle. Here again, we had trees and bushes within the scene, but charcoal paper would have been a poor surface choice because of all of the details in the texture of the elephant.
Instead, we worked on a softer and smoother surface. In this case, we worked on Stonehenge paper, which is 100% cotton.
The image featured distant trees covered with a smokey haze. We could have created this effect by using a blending stump. But because the paper was so soft, we could control the texture that we created simply by adjusting the pressure placed on the pencil. We created the “rays of light” using a kneaded eraser.
By avoiding the use of a blending stump, we kept our drawing clean and consistent. We were still able to create the necessary textures however.
How to Control Graphite without a Blending Stump
The truth is that there is a technique that we can use to achieve smooth transitions of value without using a blending stump. Keep in mind, that even though this techniques is helpful, there will still be times when a blending tool will be necessary to capture the texture of your subject.
We’ll call this technique “circling”. This technique is simply a way to control the application of the graphite on a drawing surface. When used properly, it can help you create a smooth transition and even application of tone in a drawing. If the paper is smooth enough, this technique mimics the results we get with a blending stump. But unlike a blending stump, this technique gives you total control over the value and resulting texture.
Here’s how it works…
The process is very simple. We’ll use the side of the tip of the pencil to make light, smooth circular strokes on the drawing surface. Make sure that you’re not making actual circles. It’s a circular stroke – not a bunch of actual circles.
When done correctly, an even application of graphite is the result.
Should You Throw Out Your Blending Stumps?
Absolutely not! Blending stumps have their place in the world of graphite drawing. There are times when they’re useful and perhaps even required.
Are they overused? Yes, they are.
Just remember, the texture of the subject and the texture of the paper should determine if they are to be used or left in the drawer.
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Plein Air Painting on a Tablet
Today, many successful landscape artists still work in the open air while others hike into nature with only a digital camera, returning to the comfort of their studios to paint from high-resolution photographs. After all, lugging heavy paint tubes, solvents and easels into the great outdoors is not for the faint of heart. So why go to all the trouble? Whatâs so great about painting in the open air in the first place?
Benefit to Plein Air Painting
Plein air painting forces the artist to work quickly. As the sun moves across the sky, there is a notable change to the intensity and direction of light. Even colors change as time passes. Many artists feel that working on location helps them capture a âmoment-in-timeâ experience with their subject. Since plein air painters do not use sketches or photographs, they paint an unfiltered version of what they see. Plein air painters use their own eyes, in the moment, to mix colors as they perceive them.
Photos are a great and powerful tool for visual artists. However, they often differ from our own visual experiences. See for yourself. Photograph a sunset with your digital camera or phone. Then compare that photo to what your eyes actually see. You will notice a difference. My own post-secondary painting teachers forbade the use of photographs as a reference tool in an effort to improve our color mixing skills.
Plein air painting is often characterized by loose, painterly brush strokes that create excitement and a feeling of immediacy. There is no time to pretentiously noodle the canvas with a detail brush when the shadows are shifting before your eyes.
Who Did It Best?
The artist, Monet, is famous for taking several canvases to a single location, changing canvases as the day passed. In this way, he would capture the light and colors of morning and also the afternoon and also the evening. His subject would remain the same but each painting was quite different. Monet would return each day, painting on the same canvases at the same times of day until they were all complete.
Plein Air Painting on a Tablet
Inspired by Monet, I made a plein air painting on a tablet. Drawing tablets and applications are self-contained studios. So your couch is a studio; the waiting room at your doctorâs office is a studio; nature itself is your studio.
The mobility of a tablet makes it convenient for the artists to paint on location. The tablet I am using is a 13 inch iPad Pro and the application I am using is Procreate. Most drawing applications are fine for plein air painting since few features are required.
See also: Procreate – Create Digital Paintings on your iPad Pro
Doâs and Donâts of Digital Plein Air Painting
Orson Wells, a famous actor, once said, âThe enemy of art is the absence of limitations.â Therefore, I recommend the following limitations in this instance.
First, donât use a digital photograph for color selection. I have âsampledâ pixels directly from photographs before when making a digital painting. Instead, use only your eyes to select colors from the application’s color palette.
Second, donât use multiple layers. The benefits of layers are numerous but in this instance, toggling between them will interrupt the direct painting process that defines plein air painting. Also, the loose, painterly look will happen more naturally if you work on only one layer. A physical canvas is, itself, only one layer.
Third, try and limit how much you âzoom inâ while working on location. Enlarging your painting is great for fine details but plein air painting is about capturing the light and mood of a subject, not the tiny details. Also, zooming in can unintentionally cause areas of a painting to become comparatively overworked. So, only zoom in a little and try not to lose sight of the whole picture for too long while painting.
For my subject, I chose a few beach houses along the North Carolina coast. I painted for forty-five minutes at a time, beginning at 3:30 each day for 3 days.
*NOTE* – Tablet screens make images with light. No tablet can compete against the light of the sun. In order to see my screen, I worked in the shade. If natural shade is not available then use an umbrella. Also, increase the screen brightness to the maximum. (Make sure your battery is fully charged and/or carry an external battery.)
The Plein Air Digital Painting Process
DAY ONE
Using a pencil tool, I made a brief drawing on my digital canvas, defining the major compositional elements but avoiding details. After switching to a brush tool, I began âblocking inâ the colors as quickly as possible. I pushed the intensity colors a little bit here.
DAY TWO
Working on location is unpredictable. Fortunately, today’s weather was nearly the same as the day before. Less clouds but the same intensity of light.
I continued blocking in the general colors of my subject matter. In doing so, I noticed a few colors from the previous painting session that should be darker, the green shadowy color on the taller house being one of them.
I also found drawing issues that needed correcting. Never hesitate to correct scale or proportion problems. Donât worry about wasting time in this instance. No amount of color or contrast will help save a picture with drawing problems. My problem was the corner of the house on the far left. It was too far to the right and did not leave room for the steps leading up to the centrally located house.
DAY THREE
After checking my color choices, I darkened some for the shadows on the houses again. When working on location over time you will observe day-to-day differences in color. Only make changes if you like what you see more that what you observed the days before. I liked the contrast that I saw on DAY 3 better than what I observed before so I made the change.
Once all of my colors were in place, I began using more distinct strokes in the sky and on the houses. The large, smooth shapes of color did not harmonize well with the busy texture of the shrubbery.
Conclusion
Painting on a tablet has made it easier than ever to leave the studio. If you struggle carrying heavy supplies or are bothered by the fumes of traditional paints, then try painting on a tablet. With some shade and a full battery, you can get to know your subject face to face.
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Draw a Fish: Pen and Ink Drawing with Digital Painting
In this tutorial, weâll create a special artwork. We’ll combine the advantages of traditional and digital tools. Hopefully, at the end of this post, youâll be inspired by this wonderful combination!
My goal for this project is to practice ink drawing and digital painting skill and create a harmonious mixture of colors to develop a pleasant vintage look. If the result resembles an antique scientific illustration, itâs the kind of stylization I was looking for.
A fish (more precisely, a Bluegill) is the main subject because itâs relatively simple to draw and features a variety of beautiful colors. Our art is usually more successful if we depict that something we truly like and find interesting!
For this project, youâll need some basic art supplies – a graphite pencil, an eraser, and drawing paper of a size that is comfortable for you (mine is a standard A4).
For the inking part, Iâll be using the ink liners. The widths of the pens I’ll use are 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2. Feel free to use any liners you have or even replace them with a nib pen.
Adobe Photoshop will help me in creating the colorful underpainting. You can use any version of this software or download a trial if you donât have one.
As far as I know, many programs for graphics support digital layers and allow you to create wonderful digital paintings. As long as you understand the principles, any software will do this job for you.
I highly recommend using a graphics tablet with a stylus for painting in Photoshop. The main advantage of this device is the pressure sensitivity â the wonderful possibility to change the width of your digital paint strokes on the fly. Some other useful options are available when using a tablet too â so itâs an extremely helpful artistâs friend.
We have so much to explore, so letâs begin!
Understanding the Shape and Sketching the Fish
The first step of our work is dedicated to ink and creating the texture of scales. But before we dive into the inking part, we should outline a sketch that represents the shape of the Bluegill.
However, if you prefer to start the work with the inking tools right away, there is nothing wrong with that. Having a graphite sketch just gives us an opportunity to consider your art beforehand and become more familiar with the subject.
If you arenât familiar with the appearance of a Bluegill, a quick Pinterest or Google Images search will give you an idea of what the fish looks like.
Unfortunately, this fish isnât the inhabitant of lakes and rivers where I live, so there’s no chance to catch it â I have to rely on images. To grasp the main shape and anatomic features, I examined some photos on the web. The goal is to find the common features and capture them in a drawing.
At this stage, feel free to make any measurements to capture the proportions accurately. A fish is a wonderful subject that makes the observation process easy, thanks to its relatively simple and flat structure.
For example, it would be useful to observe the balance between the lengths of the head or tail compared to the overall length of the fish. Also, detect where the fins âstartâ and âendâ. Observation is key to a great representational drawing!
See also: 7 Drawing Techniques For Accuracy
A Bluegill has a rounded body that is close to an oval in the shape and a tail of a medium length.
- A dorsal fin is found on the back of the Bluegill. A fish uses it for balance in the water and sudden movements.
- A caudal fin, also known as a tail fin.
- An anal fin is on the bottom side of the fish. A Bluegill uses it for stability while swimming.
- Pectoral fins are located on each side of the fish, around where the head meets the body. These fins are often thought of as the fish’s “arms”.
- Pelvic fins are located on each side of the fish, near its bottom middle. These help the fish go up and down or turn in the water.
All these fin names can be overwhelming at first sight, but donât worry â everything will be clear on the actual drawing.
For now, just remember that fish fins may have a slightly different structure. Some of them have bony spines and some â rays. Spines resemble spikes. Rays look softer and usually fork near their ends.Â
With a graphite pencil, I outline the general shape of the fish. I block in the body, head, tail, and fin segments. The simpler, the better. We donât need a great number of details right now â only the right proportions.
If starting on the final surface of the artwork right away makes you uncomfortable, there is a solution. Draw a small sketch beforehand to familiarize yourself with everything you learned about the subjectâs features and see what turns out. Chances are that your first small sketch wonât be perfect, but it will definitely give you a clue on what should be changed in the final sketch.
In the image below, youâll find my sketch that represents the general shapes, and a preparatory mini-sketch in the corner of the image.Â
Itâs time to add the details. My primary goal is to convey the character (or the mood) of the fish. Then, I’ll focus on the details. To achieve this, I pay attention to the head and the eyes of the Bluegill, asking myself various questions:
Where does this fish live?
It is native to North America. Bluegills live in streams, rivers, lakes, and ponds.
What food does it like?
Bluegills are omnivores. Our fish eats anything that can fit in its mouth (mostly small aquatic insects or fish).
Does it have many âfriendsâ?
Bluegills are relatively gregarious and tend to be in a group. The more social individuals play an important role, helping the group to find food, locate a habitat, and avoid predators. The more sociable and less aggressive Bluegills take fishing bait more readily â quite an interesting fact, isnât it?
What is it thinking about right now?
While the answers to the previous questions were discovered through the careful research, now itâs up to the artist to make a few decisions.
The answers help to form an impression of the personality of the fish. I conclude that my fish is careful, friendly, modest, and intelligent. Right now, it is in a calm mood. A wonderful picture!
Maybe these questions seem quite paradoxical, but this method really works. The great power of an artist lies in the ability to add perceptible nuances, convey attitude, and tell a story.
I add the following features: the large eye, gill covers, the rays and spines of the fins, and a lateral line (itâs the visible line along the side of a fish). If you wish, you can also mark some relief sections near the fishâs mouth and the prominent âlipsâ.
Feel free to erase the unnecessary pencil lines as you go, but keep them as light as possible.
This set of details is sufficient â now we can proceed to the inking part.
Drawing The Texture of Fish Scales
There are different patterns of fish scales. The scales can be relatively big or small and their shape can be quite versatile.
To look harmonious, all scales within a pattern should work together, as a system. This means that the scales that we’re drawing should be unified â any divergent element can be distracting. The direction of each row of scales is also important and adds to the believeability of the drawing.
Before we start developing the details, itâs great to create some samples of scale texture. Of course, we usually donât see the scales of a fish as a real whole object, but understanding the “nuts and bolts” of this texture will help to stylize it and exclude the unnecessary information.
I used 0.05 and 0.1 ink liners to draw the samples in the image below. Actually, feel free to use any tool you like. Ink liners may be an optimal choice because weâll be drawing the Bluegill with them.
Here is an example process of building the texture of the fish scales.
- Create the contours of the scales.
The scales should be uniform in size and shape, but avoid making them perfectly even or equal â this wonât look natural. The contours may have some gaps for the same reason. Some scales may have slightly uneven edges.
- Add a hint at a darker value.
There are some shadows between the close-fitting scales. I used hatching to create the darker accents. You can also mark the external sides of the scales to make them more three-dimensional.
- Add more hatches and possibly, dots to increase the contrast and achieve the look you like and are striving for.
Now letâs apply our skills to the final artwork!
A Quick Note on Drawing the Texture of the Scales
In this tutorial, Iâll show you a detailed approach, which allows creating a refined texture of scales and requires layering the hatching and occasionally, stippling.
Of course, this manner of drawing scales isnât the one and only. If you feel like you donât have recourses to create something this detailed (and time-consuming), or itâs just not a part of your artistic style, you can always simplify the approach.
Sometimes increasing the size of an average scale in the pattern is a way to complete the artwork faster and with less effort.
Below youâll find an illustration of how fish scale texture can be simplified by reducing the quality of hatching and dots. This is an old artwork of mine, which I had drawn with ink initially, then added a digital painting layer.
In the corner of the image, youâll find an enlarged fragment showing the texture. Itâs just stippling plus some hatches to accent the shape of the fish.
Actually, the texture of scales can be represented in a variety of forms. They can be very simple, like in the image below, or quite complex. Different manners of drawing form different perceptions of the finished artwork. Itâs up to you to decide which kind of appearance and set of techniques fit your preferences.
How to Draw a Fish with Ink Liners
First, I outline the main contours of the Bluegill, using the 0.2 ink liner. The contour in the bottom part of the fish figure is slightly thicker â this is done to add some visual weight and create an illusion that the light source is from above.
Creating too thick of a contour may create a cartoony look, so increase the thickness gradually.
The lines inside the shape of the fish mark the relief (the rays and spines of the fins, the details near the head). These lines may be quite bold. To make them fit in the whole picture, I leave some gaps in the subsidiary contours.Â
I work on the eye. It is not an exaggeration to say that the eye is the most important part of our fish because it adds so much to the mood of the artwork.
I darken the pupil and the sides of the eye, carefully repeating its shape with thin hatches made with the 0.1 liner.
The pupil has a thin lighter rim around it â itâs a great idea to keep that detail in the drawing. And, of course, no credible eye can be drawn without a highlight! I also add a smaller, subdued reflection in the bottom part of the eye.Â
The head of the Bluegill has a subtle texture. I create its illusion with groups of short hatches and dots made with the 0.05 ink liner.
I mark the relief around the eye and darken the âfoldsâ near the mouth of the fish.
I add more hatches to the head, increasing the contrast with the 0.05 liner. The upper part of the head catches more light, so donât overdo this area.
I also darken the opening of the fishâs mouth and accent the prominent details of the head. The goal here is to create an interesting relief.Â
I work on the gills and the bottom part of the fishâs head, using the 0.05 ink liner â in the same manner as in the previous steps. Then I start drawing the scales.
Bluegills have black spots on the hind edge of the gills, and our fish is no exception. I darken the area behind the fishâs head, approximately at the eyeâs level, using long, rounded hatches.
This spot is supposed to be black, but I avoid making it completely solid. If we need more solidity, we can add it later, in the digital part of the process.Â
I continue drawing the scales with the 0.05 liner. The secret is simple: donât outline the contours of every single scale, just mark them. Then apply hatching to create an illusion of light and shadow.
Stippling is a great addition to the groups of short hatches. It helps to vary the texture and make it look more organic.
The scales near the lateral line should be more accented, so I apply an additional layer of thin hatching on top of them and make the contours of the scales slightly thicker.
In the image below, youâll find a fragment of scales texture in close-up alongside the actual drawing.
I continue the work in the same manner. This is quite a monotonous, yet meditative process. At this step, the texture looks somewhat flat because we havenât applied any hatching to create an illusion of the Bluegillâs volume.
A Bluegill usually has 5-9 vertical stripes on its body, but since weâre going to add the colors digitally (which is faster than creating such nuances with ink), letâs leave the pattern relatively uniform now.
The bottom part of the Bluegillâs body is slightly lighter, so I use fewer ink marks there.
Itâs quite easy to become too immersed in the drawing process while working on the textures. Thatâs why I recommend taking short breaks regularly, even if you donât feel like you need one.
Hopefully, an enlarged fragment of the fishâs body texture (including the lateral line) will be a useful visual demonstration of my approach.
Itâs time to cover the tail with scales, making sure that the direction of the new rows conform to the shape of the Bluegillâs body. In other words, donât be afraid to make some changes!
The tail scales usually are smaller than the scales on the body.
To make sure that your texture is uniform enough, try to squint your eyes a bit and look at your artwork. If there are no weird light/dark spots or unexpected gaps, everything is just right.
However, if there is a moderate lack of uniformity, it is probably best to improve your texture. Or, feel free to leave the drawing as it is, if you like it â we shouldn’t strive for absolute perfection here.
Letâs draw the fins. Weâll start with the dorsal one. I darken the areas right near the spines and rays, using the 0.05 ink liner.
The spines and rays themselves remain relatively light. I use short contour hatches and dots to create an illusion of their volume.
There are some darker spots on the dorsal fin as well. I add them with several layers of thin hatches.
Now I work on the fins that are located on the bottom part of the Bluegillâs body. The anal fin may seem slightly darker than other fins because of the spots and three relief spines that create a considerable variety of value.
I accentuate the direction of the pelvic fins (they are closer to the head in the bottom part) with the deliberate use of long, inclined lines. This creates an illusion of âfoldsâ.
The pectoral fin is semi-transparent, so we can easily create a hint of scales that are visible here. This fin is slightly darker at the place where it is attached to the body.
And here is the result of our work at this step:Â
The caudal fin is a tricky one. I cover the gaps between the rays with simple vertical hatching, leaving the rays untouched.
The âbaseâ of the fin is darker. Increasing the contrast here makes the beautiful pattern of rays clearly visible. I also accent the end of the caudal fin, so its middle part becomes lighter in comparison.Â
Itâs time to give our fish more volume. With the 0.05 ink liner, I add rounded hatches to the back and the underside of the fish. These repeat the contours of the body. The hatching in the upper part should end at the lateral line.
I also leave a subtle highlight in the upper part of the fish to accent its three-dimensional look.
A Bluegill has a flattened body, so we donât have to make the value here much darker or increase the contrast dramatically.Â
If I were going to leave this artwork as just an ink drawing, I would add more hatches to the back of the fish. But since weâre going to color it, Iâll leave the Bluegill just as it is now. Having too much ink may overload the artwork and the painted result wonât be as impressive.
Adding Color Digitally
Scanning and Editing the Ink Artwork in Photoshop
First, we need to get a digital version of our drawing. I prefer scanning because this method gives us more control over the result. It is probably easier than making a great photo (which requires special equipment and the right lighting conditions)
Itâs important to have a large file with a high resolution â I scan the drawing at 300 dpi; a higher value is appropriate but not necessary in this case. The high resolution allows transferring a great number of visual details to a digital form.
There are three main modes of scanning an image: black and white, greyscale, and color. I usually choose greyscale when I prepare images for the tutorials, and black and white â for scanning the artworks that are intended to become art or apparel prints.
Images scanned in black and white mode are very contrasting. Just compare two fragments of a fish in the image below. The one on the left side was scanned in greyscale, and the right one â in black and white.Â
Sometimes your scanner allows for individual preferences. For example, a higher/lower brightness or contrast for a particular image. Using advanced settings may be quite useful, especially if your scanner tends to make a scanned image slightly too bright by default.
A scanned image may have various file formats â for example, JPEG or PNG. In our case, this option is not so important.
Here is my scan; a JPEG scanned in black and white mode. Its size is 3508 x 2552 px, the resolution is 300 dpi, and the color model is RGB.Â
I open the file in Adobe Photoshop.
I assume that you may already be familiar with the interface of this program, so we wonât be taking a close look at its features and the abundant variety of tools.
Just in case if you need an easy-to-understand knowledge about Photoshop tools and editing possibilities, please check out this course: Basic Photoshop for Artists.
Before we dive into the coloring part, we go through an editing process.
First, zoom in and examine the image. If there are some “greyish” pixels around your black ink lines, go to Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast and increase the values, dragging the handles to the right side and observing the changes. We need only contrasting black lines on white as a result.
Note: pressing Ctrl+space bar allows to zoom in and out in an easy way.
I change Brightness to 28 and Contrast to 4. How much adjustment you add depends on your image; there is no perfect answer for every situation.Â
Now take a closer look at the drawing itself. Are there any weird marks near the fish, stray points or traces of pencil marks? My image has some, but in general, itâs quite clean.Â
With the Brush tool (The Hard Round type, 100% opacity, #ffffff white color) I cover all the unnecessary marks. Now itâs perfect!
Useful to remember: the hot key for the Brush tool is B.
Removing the visual garbage is important. A clean drawing is important. Such âcleaningâ is especially necessary if youâre going to transform your traditional drawing into a digital design for the printing purposes.
How to Remove a White Background in Photoshop
Now we have a digital version of your hand-drawn Bluegill. But how do we add color it and change the color of the background?
There are some important steps, preceding the fun painting part. First, click on the Background in the Layers panel with the Right Mouse Button, and choose Layer from Background.
If you donât see the Layers panel, go to Window > Layers.Â
Now, with the Magic Wand tool selected (hot key W), click anywhere on the white space around the fish. The Contiguous checkbox on the Options bar should be off â it ensures that youâll select not only the touching white pixels but all of them.
Note: The Options bar is above, right under the main menu of the program.Â
Youâll get the following picture:Â
Iâve made the screenshot above with some dark space of the programâs interface around the artboard, so you can easily see the borders of selection on the perimeter. The Magic Wand tool selected all white pixels in the image.
Now hit Delete button (this will remove the selected pixels), then go to Select > Deselect or just hit Ctrl+D.
Now youâll see something like this â black marks on a âtransparentâ background of checked grey squares.
How to Create a Shape for Digital Painting
We removed the original background. Now itâs time to create a shape that is repeating the silhouette of the fish to paint on it. This shape should also be solid, so we can’t see any patches of the background.
I examine the artwork once again, looking for any visible gaps in the main contour (the silhouette of the fish). My drawing doesnât have such gaps, but if yours does, enclose it using the Brush tool at 100% opacity and #000000 black color picked.
Gaps will affect the selections we get with the digital tools and may cause difficulties in the next steps. If you have a complex ink drawing with a broken contour line that can’t be joined, this method of creating a shape for underpainting won’t work as effectively. Maybe one of the future tutorials will be dedicated to such challenges!
After you closed the contour, click with the Magic Wand tool selected anywhere in the space around the fish. The Contiguous checkbox should be on!
Hit Ctrl+Shift+I or go to Select > Inverse. The selection will change from âaround the fishâ to âinside the fishâ.
Create a new layer, for example, hitting Ctrl+Shift+N.
With the Paint Bucket tool (the hot key G), click anywhere in the selected area. The layer that weâve created just now should be selected in the Layers panel.
The white color was set as the foreground color, so the shape was filled with it.
I press Ctrl+D to deselect the shape, then reorder and rename the layers in the Layers panel. Letâs agree that the layer with the black lines will be âInkâ and located on top, and the layer with the new white shape will be âShape for coloringâ and located underneath.
We are almost ready for painting. Select the âInkâ layer in the Layers panel, reduce its opacity and change the blending mode to Multiply.
The opacity of a layer is changed by sight; you can always adjust it later. Iâve set it to a value of 73%. The ink lines became somewhat lighter and subdued.
Itâs also a good idea to lock the layer by clicking on a small padlock icon. This will ensure that we wonât draw something on this layer later on or wonât damage it any other way.Â
As a finishing touch, select the âShape for coloringâ layer and click on the Lock transparent pixels icon (Iâve marked it with a red line in the image below).
The great advantage of this function is that now we can apply any brush strokes to this layer, and nothing that goes beyond the shapeâs borders will be visible â the transparent pixels will remain untouched.Â
Just a note: always watch your layers! Itâs easy to become distracted and add colorful strokes to the wrong layer, which in this case, will bring a bit of chaos and uncertainty to your file. Especially, if you have more than just a couple of layers.
The Auto-Select function (youâll find it on the Options bar of the Move tool) may be extremely useful because it allows jumping from a layer to a layer with a single click. At the same time, it requires to be as attentive with your brush strokes and selections as possible.
Great job! Now we are completely ready to move on to the painting part.
How to Paint the Fish in Adobe Photoshop
A Bluegill has a distinctive coloring, with deep blue and purple on the head, dark olive-colored stripes down the side, and a fiery orange to yellow belly. I imagine the colors that Iâm going to use as separate elements.
Using the Brush tool and the Color Picker, I add samples of each color to a new layer called âColorsâ.Â
This simple action helps to set some guidelines. This color palette is here not to limit your actions but to form an integral picture (or color scheme) beforehand. You can switch the visibility of this layer off later on if you notice that it becomes distracting.
I also add a new layer â letâs call it âBackgroundâ and fill it with white. Of course, this layer should be located underneath, or it’ll cover your artwork.
With the Paint Bucket tool, I change the color of the shape that weâve created for the coloring purposes. Now itâs #f3f3db, a pale tint of yellow.
Then, with the Brush tool, I cover the upper part of the fish with a #1a5016 dark green color. A great way to get beautiful color transitions is to use a brush with soft edges at a reduced opacity. The diameter of the brush is quite large.
The more strokes you lay on top of each other, the more intense the color becomes â until itâs 100% opacity.
Again, pay attention to the Layers panel â are you painting on the right layer?
To make the demonstration more comprehensive, Iâm going to insert a sample of each brush color Iâll be using into the screenshots. Note that the opacity of these samples will be 100%; usually, we donât use such concentrated color in the painting process.Â
There are some important technical details about the Brush tool; theyâre worth reminding you of even if you are not a complete beginner in Adobe Photoshop.
You can choose the type of brush and its opacity using the Options bar.Â
To make sure that you can vary the width of your digital lines, using a graphic tablet, go to the Brush Settings panel, find the Shape Dynamics, and set the Pen Pressure in the Size Jitter parameter.
Feel free to play with other parameters and check out the result.
And the last tip for now: the fastest way to change the size of your brush is to press keys with the square brackets on your keyboard:
[ makes the diameter of your brush smaller, and ] enlarges it.
Letâs get back to our artwork. Iâve chosen a couple of oranges, such as #eb9b2d and #d7b53d with the Brush opacity of 14% to create some brighter color nuances in the middle and bottom parts of the Bluegill.
Itâs a great idea to imitate the stripes on the body and also touch the fins with these warm colors.Â
With a light beige #e6e6b7 and 26% opacity, I accent the eye and the prominent details of the head. I add a stroke of this tint to the belly of the fish to emphasize its lightness.Â
With the greenish blue tint #7bbbad and opacity of 18-26%, I touch the gill area, the body, and fins.
At this stage of work, be careful with opacity and donât add too heavy strokes of color.
I evaluate the result and reduce the opacity of the âInkâ layer to 70% (remember to switch back to the color shape layer after such actions).
Letâs add some brightness with the green #699910 and yellow-orange #e7cc13. The opacity value is 19%.
I add the green strokes mostly to the upper part of the fish, and orange ones â to its bottom part. The diameter of the brush is still quite large, but I reduce it to create some playful nuances on the fins.
Itâs time to increase the contrast. With the light #f7f6ee, which is close to white, I accent the belly of our fish, lighten the stripes on the body and the upper part of its head.
Then I pick a deep shade of blue, #191f43, and create an expressive shadow that repeats the upper contour of the fish. I extend the shadow to the lateral line, making a soft transition from a relatively intense color to just a hint at it. Remember that the back should have a soft line of the highlight!
The eye needs some darker strokes too. I darken the pupil and create a deep shadow under the eye, then accent the spot on the posterior edge of the gills.
Iâve chosen the dark blue for two reasons. First of all, itâs one of the main colors that are natural for Bluegills. Another important reason is that the blue color is so great in conveying the sense of volume in paintings. Our case is no exception â the fish looks much better now!
I vary the opacity of the Brush tool in this step; the maximum value for the lighter color is 30%, and 50% is for the darker strokes.Â
I use the bright green #46c51f and the dark green #155d29, both at 12% opacity, to accent the stripes and make them more varied in terms of color. The fins also require a subtle touch of green.
I pay special attention to the head and the caudal fin. Itâs important to work on the whole fish, not just the body.
Here the painting process becomes more detailed, so feel free to zoom in and reduce the size of your brush.Â
I pick a turquoise (or itâs aquamarine?) color #69dcd5 at 36% opacity and change the type of the brush to the Hard Round Pressure Size. Actually, any brush type with the clear stroke edges will be a great choice.
I zoom in and add colorful strokes to the head, including the gills, and the body of the Bluegill. The best option is to listen to your artistic voice; sometimes itâs difficult to determine when itâs enough.
I add some strokes to the eye. In the image below, youâll find a fragment close-up.Â
With the dark green #0b4925, I accent the back of the bluegill, the vertical stripes, and the darker areas of the fins. The opacity value is varied depending on the desired result.
As a nice addition, I lay some strokes near the lateral line to make it more visible. This simple action makes our artwork more interesting.Â
I use the light #fffff3 color to emphasize the gaps between the dark green stripes and slightly touch the lighter areas in general. The relief details of the head need some accents, too.
Using a brush of a small diameter allows imitating single scales that are reflecting light. The opacity value changes from 10% to 50%.Â
I add some yellow-orange #ffca11 nuances at 90% opacity, imitating single scales, as in the previous step. The most concentration of this color is on the âbreastâ of the fish, and some splashes of it can be found on the body in the stripes.
To make the bright spots even more vibrant, I adjust the color closer to the yellow hue.
Sometimes you canât say if the artwork youâre working on is close to completion or not. This is especially true for anything that relates to detailed digital painting. If you feel somewhat tired and uncertain, the best option is to take a break and come back to your creation later, with fresh eyes.Â
I add some muted lilac #c8acdd and bright aquamarine #53fff5 strokes to create a true play of nuances in the scales. The gill cover is a great place to put some vibrant colors together.
The opacity varies from 20% to 30%.Â
The artwork is almost complete, but it still lacks some contrast. With a soft brush of a relatively large diameter, I cover the back of the fish with the dark blue #0b1a54 color, emphasizing the pattern and everything that should be darker in my opinion.
Just look at your painting and observe your feelings. If this artwork is believable enough?
As far as I can say, mine is ready. Of course, we could add more and more details, but that we could go on with that forever. Letâs strive for interest and artistic expression, not for an absolute perfection!Â
Are you curious how this digital painting layer looks just by itself, without the ink lines? Here it is:
However, our work isnât 100% finished. Iâd say the Bluegill might look better on a tinted background. Letâs experiment with some options!
To change the color of the background, select the âBackgroundâ layer on the Layers panel, pick a color you like, and use the Paint Bucket tool to cover the whole area with one click.
If you like a textured look, you can place a texture (for example, some stains) on a separate layer, reduce its visibility and change the blending mode to anything that looks appropriate. I decided to use a texture from my collection. The Blending mode of the layer is set to Soft Light and the opacity is 7%.
Iâve created several version. The fish is the same, but with each colored background, it looks slightly different. Color is a relative thing!
Which one do you like best? To be honest, it was extremely difficult for me to decide, particularly because I need all of my painted artworks to be âseasonedâ. I often lay aside the files and come back to them after weeks or months to complete them or change something.
Now this version is my favorite, probably because this greenish background is so fresh and harmonious:
The other variants with brownish backgrounds are perceived as more vintage or antique, which also makes them interesting and appealing.
Pros and Cons of Combining Ink and Digital Painting
Iâd say that the biggest advantage of this artistic approach is its creative power. Just think of all the possible artworks you can create, using the strengths of both media!
While ink is so great at conveying a sense of a texture and creating stunning details, digital tools such as Adobe Photoshop, allow us to experiment with color in an easy way. You’re not limited to any set of colors as happens sometimes with traditional paints!
Plus, a digital workspace provides a remarkable range of various effects, adjustments, and instruments to play with. Just remember how we changed the blending mode of the layer and got a nice subdued result.
You can also save a copy of your artwork or a separate layer in the process, making sure that you can go in a different direction if there is anything you want to change in the future. Another way to âundoâ is to cancel the steps in the History panel. The Ctrl+Z combination is something that many traditional artists wish they had!
But at the same time, your drawing skills must remain strong. We began with an ink drawing using a traditional approach, without the help of technology.
Also, this low-pressure technique is for anyone who is interested in digital painting but feels slightly intimidated by it. This is a great way to become familiar with the tools Photoshop offers for traditional artists.
As for the cons, this mixed media approach is time-consuming. Itâs like creating two artworks in one, plus the time for research and making sketches. However, I bet this wonât scare the artists who are curious and open to the new interesting options. Of course, there is no need to complete the artwork at one sitting! Just take your time and enjoy the process.
The Conclusion
A remarkable feature of this mixed media approach is that sometimes the result becomes unpredictable. Youâre just working, adding new strokes here and there, changing something, adjusting the parameters and⌠suddenly notice that the artwork becomes really beautiful as if this has happened by itself.
Probably everything that relates to art and creativity has a portion of spontaneity and miracle – it doesnât matter if itâs traditional or digital media.
Do you feel that this method is worth trying? I hope so. Please share your creations with us! By the way, a great option to start with this mixed media approach is to add color to your existing ink artworks.
Remember: we learn when we do take action!
Thank you for being with me on this artistic journey. I wish you much inspiration and creative joy!
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