The Strippling Technique Using Pen and Ink

The best way to create more realistic pen and ink drawings is by using the strippling technique, a method of applying tiny dots to create an image. By using varying quantities of shading, the strippling technique can make a pen and ink drawing appear so real that it's looks like a black and white photograph.

The strippling technique can also be used with pencils, colored pencils and paint mediums such as acrylics, watercolors, and oils. However, it's most often used by pen and ink artists.

Pens for Strippling

There are a wide variety of ink pens (as well as pen tips) artists use for strippling. To find out what works for you, experiment with several kinds and see what gives you the best results. Don't worry about twisting the pen as just a light tough from the pen to the paper's surface will render a tiny stripple mark. Instead, focus on lightly touching the pen to paper, as this will make your drawing neater, eliminating the problem of "tails" on your stripple dots.

*Rapidographs---Rapididograph Technical Pens are the highest quality of pen you can use for the strippling technique. Plastic barreled pens with refillable ink reservoirs, Rapidiographs come in 13 different nib widths (ranging in size from .5 mm to 2.0 mm.) On a down side, they're also the most expensive and can easily be destroyed in you don't take proper care of them. If you aren't using your pens for awhile, you need to clean out the cartridges thoroughly so any dried ink won't clog the nibs.

*Felt tip pens---If you don't want to in invest a lot of money in your pens and are just starting out doing pen and ink drawings, Micron Pigma Pens are a cheaper (although excellent) choice. They come in seven tip sizes (.5mm to .2 mm) as well as in several different colors. What's more they're easier to take care of than Rapidographs. And, when the ink runs out, you can replace a pen with little cost.

Paper Surfaces

*Smooth (also known as hot-pressed) art papers work best for strippling (as opposed to rough, cold-pressed papers you use for watercolors.) Cold-pressed papers which contain "hills and valleys" make ink blur, resulting in a disconnected drawing. Art papers such as Bristol board and hot-pressed illustration board are excellent choices for pen and ink drawings.

*Vellum---Vellum paper is also a good surface for pen and ink work, rendering outstanding results with the strippling method.

How to Stripple

*First, lightly penci in your design. A mechanical pencil gives a neater drawing than a regular graphite one. If you're not confident of your drawing abilities, then it's perfectly fine to use the gridding method.

*Start with the finest tip pen---For example, use your 005 Migma Pigma Pen (.2 mm width, the finest point of the pens) to begin your pen work. Then, work up to the wider nipped pens. It's much easier to rectify an error with small dots than with larger ones.

*Take your time---There's no rush. The slower you work the less chance of mistakes.

Add Color for Variety

You can always add just a light touch of color to liven up a pen and ink drawing. On the other hand, sometimes it's better to leave it just in black and white as color can cheaper the photographic look you want to achieve in your drawing.

Most of all have fun. If you make a mistake, just start over. But don't rip up your first drawings. It will be interesting to see how you've improved as you continue to use strippling in your pen and ink drawings.