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How to Ink Line Art

A line drawing is an outline drawing, not including color or shading. When inking line art, pen is used to enhance a plain line drawing. Inking gives depth and perception to an otherwise bland drawing. A drawing is usually inked over pencil, allowing the pencil to be erased later. It is best to use four different pen tip widths to ink line art. Using different widths, you will be able to emphasize lines to create shadow, darker outlines, and lighter inner lines. You can also create the look of a finished drawing without color or shading.

Things You'll Need

  • Felt-tipped pen
  • 3 ball point pens such as Micron in .005, .1, and .5 widths
  • Line drawing
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Instructions

    • 1

      Lay the drawing on a table or other flat surface.

    • 2

      Identify the side of the paper that you'd like the light source to be on. Choose the left or right side of the paper. If you choose the left side, the shadow will be on the right side and vice versa.

    • 3

      Use a felt-tipped pen to trace the outline pencil lines on the shadow side of your drawing. Trace only the vertical part of the line and trace the center of the pencil line, covering it.

    • 4

      Use the felt tipped pen to trace the vertical shadow side of the primary inner lines such as pants, shirt collar or legs.

    • 5

      Use the larger .5 pt ball point pen to trace the other outer lines of the drawing.

    • 6

      Use the .1 pt ball point pen to trace the outer interior lines of the line drawing. Trace any clothes, the hairlines, any outside lines of detail like eyes, lips and nose. Trace the center fold of the mouth too, if it's a person or animal.

    • 7

      Use the smallest .005 pen to trace the fine details, such as drapery folds, pupils of the eye, and hair details.

    • 8

      Allow the ink to dry, then erase any pencil lines that are showing.

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Fine Art

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