10 Free Online Classes for Learning How to Illustrate With Ink

Explore this versatile medium and get inspired by free ink classes led by Domestika experts

Used for writing and drawing for centuries, ink is probably the most ancient medium in the history of humankind. The Egyptians used ink to write and draw on papyrus from as early as the 26th century BC, and it's believed that the Chinese were already using ink as far back as 4,000 years ago. Fast-forward to today, there are still infinite ways in which artists use this medium.

Whether you're into calligraphy, illustration, urban sketching, or you enjoy experimenting in your sketchbook, you are bound to use ink in your artwork. This is largely because ink is so versatile, adapting to as many styles as there are artists.

There are several techniques for drawing with ink, with some of the more traditional being hatching, cross-hatching and stippling when using a pen or fineliner. You can also apply ink washes with a paintbrush and achieve various degrees of transparency like you would use watercolor.

A month synonymous with drawing and ink, to spark your creativity this October we're offering ten free classes from our popular courses that'll teach you how best to use ink in your practice.

Free Class: Drawing Exercises

All over the world, mandalas have a deep history (dating back centuries) connected to meditation and spirituality. They’ve been used as visual representations of energy, waves, or sound in science and as a form of self-expression in art therapy. Over the last decade, visual artist Lizzie Snow has been using them as her way to convey her admiration of nature in her artwork.

Find out all about these principles by following this class taken from her course, The Art of Mandala Drawing: Create Geometric Patterns, in which you’ll discover the meditative practice of mandala drawing by exploring ink techniques like hatching, line work, and stippling.

Free Class: Inking 1

Mattias Adolfsson uses his childhood memories to develop creative ideas and art history as inspiration for his illustrations. He draws small thumbnail-sized sketches to plan out his compositions, which he then transforms into full-sized detailed pencil drawings. In this lesson, he shows you how to ink your pencil lines and apply a wash for shading to your piece.

The lesson is taken from his best-selling course, Creative Sketching: Fill Your Illustrations with Life and Detail, in which you’ll learn to create intricate and detailed artworks that maintain balance and harmony.

Free Class: Hatching

In this lesson, illustrator Redmer Hoekstra will show you how to use fineliners and their characteristics to get started with hatching. You can use hatching techniques to achieve several different gray tones, and by using varying directions you can make darker or lighter shades.

The class is part of Redmer's course, Surrealistic Fineliner Illustration, in which you’ll discover a new fantastic reality and learn how to create unpredictable drawings with an artisanal approach.

Free Class: Stain Exercises

Visual artist and illustrator Mika Takahashi helps you explore the possibilities of working with ink through experimentation. In this class, you will get your hands dirty and learn how the ink reacts to water and different types of paper. You’ll start by applying water directly to the paper and then the ink to see the different reactions. Depending on the amount of water and pigment you use, you'll get different stain effects.

All these processes are taken from her course, India Ink Illustration with Japanese Influence, in which you’ll explore the possibilities of India ink through techniques inspired by Sumi-e, from the first lines to the finishing touches.

Free Class: Sketching with Fountain Pen and Ink

Discover storyboard artist Alex Hillkurtz’s approach to capturing the depth and feeling of a place using watercolor and ink - and how to translate that onto your page. He will show you how to use ink to define the darkest parts of a composition, how to suggest details with a few pen strokes, and (importantly) how to know when to stop before you do too much!

You can find Alex’s full process and more valuable tips in his course, Architectural Sketching with Watercolor and Ink, in which you will learn to combine loose ink sketching with watercolor to create beautiful buildings that leap off the page.

Free Class: Play with Ink 1

In this video lesson, artist Laura McKendry looks at different approaches to working with ink, exploring various tools, techniques, and effects. She will show you the exciting and unexpected ways she has discovered to make marks with ink and unusual tools. It's a great opportunity to explore and experiment with your own approach.

Check out her unique processes in this class as part of the course, Illustrating Nature: A Creative Exploration, in which you'll learn to illustrate the natural world with an experimental approach using watercolor and ink.

Free Class: Hand Lettering

Illustrator Melanie Chadwick will show you how she uses fountain and brush pens to add hand lettering to her illustrated recipes, writing out the ingredients and instructions in different ways. She also encourages you to explore different styles for your own pieces.

Find more essential tips in her full course, Illustrated Recipes: Making Delicious Art, in which you'll learn how to illustrate food by mixing digital and analog techniques to make your creations richer (and tastier).

Free Class: How to Choose Paper and Ink

Japanese artist Koshu guides you through the traditional art form of Sumi-e using ink brush strokes and a meditative practice to create deeply expressive artwork. Here, she will show the different types of ink sticks and papers and how they interact with each other: shoenboku and yuenboku.

The lesson is taken from her course, Introduction to Sumi-e Painting, in which you connect with Japanese zen philosophy and let your energy flow through expressive ink brush strokes.

Free Class: Final Stroke

3D drawing starts with learning to sketch a cube and using it as the foundation for representing more complex objects. Industrial and strategic designer Rodrigo Chávez Heres teaches you the importance of line quality in your work, and how the line helps you define depths and orientation.

This lesson comes from Rodrigo’s course, Technical Drawing Techniques for 3D Representation, in which you will develop three-dimensional ideas applying principles of geometry and volumetric drawing.

Free Class: Digitization 1

Juan Carlos, of illustration studio Ink Bad Company, teaches you how to digitize your lowbrow (or retro-inspired) ink illustrations in Photoshop.

Find out all about his methods by checking out this class taken from his course, Lowbrow Illustration: Go Back to the Past in Style, in which you’ll discover Juan Carlos’ tips for creating powerful retro-inspired illustrations with analog and digital techniques.

These classes are free until October 14, 2021. If you’d like to watch the classes after this date, sign up for the relevant Domestika course to get unlimited access to these illustration lessons and many more.

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