This class is about how to make consistent, actionable progress drawing with pen and ink. And more specifically, how to doodle quickly and cleanly, without making mud.

Have you ever wondered why some doodles look like masterpieces even though they’re essentially just scribbles?

The answer has to do with shading.

What You’ll Learn

Shading is a technique that anyone can learn and apply right away. With pen and ink, shading goes a long way to making any doodle look great.

The class is structured in three progressive stages where you’ll learn about:

Shading combinations; what works and what doesn’t
Shading objects and compositions using light and shadow
Shading with textures on different surfaces

Why Take This Class

You’ll quickly learn what makes a doodle instantly more readable. Which is useful for a lot of things, such as being able to:

Capture what’s in your head
Quickly explore concepts
More accurately represent your ideas
Develop your art style

The focus of this class is on practice, so that you can experience how the techniques work, giving you more control over how your drawings turn out.

We’ll go through a sequence of exercises and small, achievable projects at each stage to gain confidence through repetition.

Who This Class is For

Whether you’re just starting with pen and ink or looking for guidance on where to go next with your practice, I believe you'll be amazed at how far you can progress in such a short time with just a few fundamental techniques.

You don’t need prior drawing experience.

Even though there is emphasis on technique, we’ll not be using templates or references. We’re simply doodling together, freehand, straight to ink, from theory to action in creative ways.

Class Supplies

For supplies, I recommend a smooth finish inking paper and one or two inking pens. I’ll go through tools and materials in depth in the “Pen & Ink Supplies” lesson.

Class Resources

Under the class Resource Tab you’ll find a PDF to download with:

My recommended list of supplies for this class and beyond
The Shading Combination Chart Example

Softsunlight

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