Ink Drawing Lesson Collection
A simple black line can become anything in the world
Ink, with or without watercolor, is my absolute favorite drawing medium. It’s practically magical. I hope you enjoy exploring these seven ink drawing projects with me (plus two additional Drawing Landscapes videos). I always love to hear your comments or suggestions, or to answer any questions; you can mail me at studio@valwebb.com.
LESSON 1: DRAW SUCCULENTS IN PENCIL (A WARMUP)
Succulents, the strange and wonderful family of plants whose name derives from the Latin for “juice,” have fascinated humans for thousands of years. The Romans planted them in roof gardens, believing they would repel lightning. Christopher Columbus brought exotic-looking succulents and cacti back from the New World as gifts for Queen Isabella.
Their odd shapes and fleshy textures make them ideal drawing subjects, and we’ll use them as models in a simple sketch technique that balances two different line weights - delicate and spidery HB pencil and robust 4B pencil - to create a fresh, informal drawing that is botanically accurate without lots of fussy detail.
I have provided reference images, but if you have succulents in your home or garden, feel free to draw them instead!
Watch the videos all the way through and print the attached pdf pages before you begin to work.
