Drawing in Pen And Ink: 3 contour hatching methods

[@die_schlechtere_Milch]

i never would have thought that learning how to hatch was so managable. Your analytic style of exposition is really outstanding, just as your great knowledge of, love and respect for the old masters and the history of painting. Thank you very much!

[@mkompan]

Thank you very much! I just started to run online workshops on hatching. Please see my latest video if you're interested.

[@carlmarl6531]

Thick and thin hatching makes shadows look so intense and make expressions somewhat eerie yet strangely beautiful.

[@mkompan]

Thank you. This style can be adjusted to look softer and less graphic, but for the sake of the video I decided to make it very bold.

[@tub8r]

Great job illustrating the different methods of hatching, esp. the first two methods: the Northern curly and the French thin-thick -- continued in classical period by Greuze drawings et al. The "chisel" method may prove tricky -- in stroke ends, overlapping areas without stitches (sometimes referred to as "hay-straw"), and building sufficient tonal variation. So as you mentioned, a simple form like a sphere may appear a bit flat while busy. Though the face was rendered quite nicely, as with the Satyr, conveying chiaroscuro and texture; so is in your other video on Drawing the Head. Although Michelangelo used straight hatching it was in combination with following the form contours.

[@mkompan]

@@tub8r thank you! To my mind chisel hatching is the easiest of these methods in that the first layer serves to establish contrast iand reinforces the dominant shifts in plane. The key with straight hatching on round forms is to keep the strokes fine and closely spaced together, so that they fuse into value and don’t interfere with the sense of roundness. The subsequent layers can be more rounded and contour following, as we see in Michelangelo’s pen work.

[@tub8r]

@ Right, there’s like a hierarchy of strokes by importance. In pop art and comic styles, straight strokes may be used for shadow and background areas - giving the modern stylized look. While in focal areas strokes follow form more closely and with thickness variation.

[@mkompan]

@@tub8r Hierarchy of strokes is a great way of putting it. By calling it the chisel method, I wanted to evoke the way a sculptor blocks off the main forms with a large chisel, snd then reaches for smaller chisels to complete the surface detail.

[@rodericklaperdrix]

😂"It's all gonna feel antiquated in 50 years anyway" Haha best argument ever to go for your preffered style.

[@nurturaanimae]

I will definitely learn a lot with this channel. This among the best added value of KZbin. I hope creator can earn something from this content. Hatching is not easy. It develops humility. We are nothing compared with Dürer or DaVinci and DaVinci himself apologized to God. Hatching developing humility is a way to God.

[@mkompan]

Well, thank you. That’s certainly an interesting perspective.

[@chelseaburgin8366]

Thank you for creating this video - I've always loved the old fashion pen and ink sketches. Especially Da Vinci's work. This was very informative and clear. I can not wait to practice this technique x

[@mkompan]

You're very welcome. I'm glad you found this video useful!

[@byron.tattoo]

What an awesome video! I've been using more hatchings lately in my drawings and this is super helpful🙏🏼

[@mkompan]

Thank you! I’m glad you found this video helpful. Look for my other videos on hatching. They might be of use to you.

[@kplar]

Very Helpful, I've been looking for some guidance on how to replicate art like a woodcut so this was really informative. Thank you

[@mkompan]

My pleasure! Glad you found this video useful.

[@XanderAclepeus]

I love this style.. it makes me want to make a Newspaper AD in the 1800's

[@mkompan]

@@XanderAclepeus thank you!

[@davelindomusic2207]

I think this my favorite KZbin video of all time. Thank you Marc for sharing your knowledge and skill!

[@mkompan]

My pleasure! Thank you for the very high praise.

[@dougg1075]

This is my jam! I fell in love with the cross hatching Bernie Wrightson did in the illustrated book Merry Shelley’s Frankenstein.

[@mkompan]

Wrightson was an early favorite of mine as well!

[@jordansprackman6059]

Great video, you subbed in for a couple of in person classes at the local college when I was taking art classes and I appreciated your instruction.

[@mkompan]

Thank you! These days I spend so much time teaching online that any opportunity to teach in an actual classroom is welcome.

[@jordansprackman6059]

@@mkompan In the future (when I have more time) I will definitely take one of your online classes. Keep making instructive KZbin videos and thanks again!

[@VirginPride]

Chisel hatching, I love it so much!

[@mkompan]

Thank you!

[@GreenlifeFin]

Thanks, such a beautiful drawings you made! Thisnis very useful, because I am just starting to make drypoint printing/etching. Must really practise and learn cross hatching.

[@mkompan]

You're very welcome! Yes, these techniques work great in all sorts of printmaking techniques.

[@sweetbb125]

All these methods are beautiful to my eyes. Thank you for this tutorial.

[@mkompan]

My pleasure!

[@klik64]

You have inspired me to buy a fountain pen and try some cross-hatching drawings. Thanks a lot for passing on your knowledge :)

[@ecksdog]

It’s probably cheaper to start off with a dip pen and bottle of ink as it’s much cheaper to buy a flexible nib than a flexible nibbled fountain pen.

[@mkompan]

You're very welcome! I'm glad to have inspired you.

[@mkompan]

Dip pens are great and are cheaper, but you can get a very decent flex pen for under 30 bucks.

[@wyk3982]

A flex nib isn't required for basic cross hatching. Some people use fine liners for cross hatching drawings in order to get consistent thin lines. I recently watched a cross hatching video where the person used a gel pen.

[@mkompan]

@@wyk3982 you certainly don’t, and I’ve seen fantastic hatching using ball-point pens. Having a fountain pen (or a dip pen) that give you line variation gives you more to play with, kind of like pedals on a piano.

[@mdz0739]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Much appreciated!

[@mkompan]

You're welcome, Michael!

[@VocesNaturalis]

This is an amazing resource! I was looking at Hale's Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters and I couldn't quite figure out the rhyme or reason to the Durer example (which is the same as here). I practice calligraphy and I like working in mostly black and red, but when it comes to drawing sketches I'm always scared of inking them since I'm doing fine work with 4-6H pencils. This (and your other ink work) should really help with translating that certain texture to ink work, especially because I want to blend the hatching with flat blacks like you see in a lot of 20th century expressionist woodcuts.

[@mkompan]

Well, thank you! I'm so glad my little channel is finding a small audience of like-minded people.

[@VocesNaturalis]

@@mkompan I think that, no matter the style, people who enjoy pencil and ink tend to flock together because they like the possibilities for how you can use it. I like a lot of digital art, but where it has more opportunities for blending color, it's not the same when it comes to how finely you can make use of texture via page and medium in traditional art. You can emulate a photograph of a traditional medium with digital art, but you can't capture how it comes out on the surface itself.

[@atelierthhun1165]

Thanks for another great video. For source material can I recommend books published to accompany national gallery exhibitions as good and economical buys. They tend to have a broad range, often feature lesser known artists and are of high quality. I would be interested in your favourite books as a subject for a video.

[@mkompan]

You're welcome! Museum exhibition catalogs are generally a good buy, especially since they often find their way to second hand books stores. A book recommendation video is in the pipeline!

[@engleharddinglefester4285]

Holy cow that was quite a lesson! Thank you!

[@mkompan]

My pleasure!

[@maicirusnon]

Thank you for the tutorial!!!❤

[@mkompan]

@@maicirusnon you’re welcome!

[@anarosol6133]

Thank you so much for your knowledge!!

[@mkompan]

My pleasure!

[@jorgemarioconti]

Excellent!!! Thanks a lot, very useful

[@mkompan]

My pleasure!

[@flohughes3527]

Your page is so helpful !

[@mkompan]

Thank you!

[@danielebraccio2474]

I will surely try these techniques and try to improve my pen and ink work :)

[@mkompan]

Great! Get to practicing. :)

[@Innieminnie]

Wonderful video. I was intrigued by some of Duhrer’s work to pick up drawing as a whole. Hatching is a bit further down the line for me, but I always appreciate watching a master at work. Thanks!

[@mkompan]

Thank you! No need to wait until you’ve achieved some degree of skill before starting to hatch.

[@zxcvbnm6669]

What an awesome video thank you for posting

[@mkompan]

My pleasure!

[@recreepy]

Well done! You've truly impressed me.

[@mkompan]

Thank you! 😀😀

[@samogburn2662]

Great tutorial!! You gained a new subscriber

[@mkompan]

Thanks for your subscription!

[@aiflorsalvatge7374]

what a wonderful video! 💞 i use curly hatching in my work thus my love to old illustrations but i am also interested in thin to thick hatching and you made it look so easy!! thanks a lot 🌼

[@mkompan]

Thanks! I don’t use thick/thin that often. It was really fun to practice. Glad I could inspire you to give it a try!

[@nittlesart]

great video thank you for the knowledge!!

[@mkompan]

My pleasure!

[@jillam7039]

Just found your channel and it’s wonderful and very helpful. Thank you for all that you share and demonstrate.

[@mkompan]

You’re welcome. Thanks for finding my channel and your kind note!

[@billmccaffrey1977]

Thank you for sharing and demonstrating these methods. Of the 3 methods shown here, the thin-to-thick , even well practiced, could be visually distracting. While watching your demonstration, my mind jumped to images of the old Twilight Zone graphic. The pattern seemed too dominant when there was just a single layer of hatch. I will have to give all a try. If looking for future topic suggestions, I think a detailed review of a master work , methods, effectiveness, ... would be great.

[@mkompan]

You’re welcome Bill. Thick/thin hatching is usually reserved for small scale work, and you’re right, in larger formats it might feel distracting. I made the demo large for the sake of clarity. I’m actually planning a video on masterworks. It will be coming sometime next month.

[@neruck]

I just found your channel by this video and Im so happy, such an insightful video, thank you for sharing your knowledge and beatiful portraits btw!

[@mkompan]

Thank you for the very kind word, Samuel. I’m glad you found my channel!

[@GodzillaGoesGaga]

The “Thick/thin” hatching as you call it seems to be a common line-weight or brush stroke hatching used by comic book artists. When done with a brush it looks amazing but a lot of the guys use a quill, a brush and fine liners to get the precision when required. Might be worth you checking out some of the comic book “inkers” if you already haven’t done so. This is probably the most modern form of hatching! ;-). BTW, I still find hatching really hard. I’m working at line weight and consistency. More practice I guess!!!

[@GodzillaGoesGaga]

When I say brush, I should have said “brush dip pen”. Although some inkers use a #2 brush, a lot of them have moved to using a dip brush pen and India ink. Typically like a watercolour brush pen where you fill it with water. However these guys just dip and don’t fill the brush pen.

[@mkompan]

Comic book inking techniques have their origins in 19th century pen and ink illustration and engraving, so it's surprise that "thin/thin" is commonly used. Really, none of these hatching techniques is a somehow long lost method of working. All of them are commonly used by artists today.

[@mkompan]

@@GodzillaGoesGaga Strange to hear that a brush pens are being used by professionals as a regular brush, because that seems to negate all of its only advantage.

[@GodzillaGoesGaga]

@@mkompan You’ll probably find this guy’s inking techniques interesting. He’s done a lot of work fro Marvell comics. He uses multiple tools for inking. kzbin.info/www/bejne/g6TJgHaCaKaYb7s

[@zazzenfuk]

I found this video looking for how Gustave Dore made his art. This kind of helped get the idea but I was hoping to see more examples / work. Still I'll thumbs up and sub! Maybe another video down the road will help me to learn how to do his style!

[@mkompan]

Thanks! Have you seen my video on cross contour hatching? It’s more detailed and might have some of the info you’re looking for. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eoHZYYWcdrpgpa8

[@zazzenfuk]

@mkompan I saw that one first, and it was helpful! You went more in depth and mentioned many of the old masters.

[@moncapino2305]

Beautiful rendering!

[@mkompan]

Thank you!

[@sharonkatz4451]

I have some TWSBI Eco pens. What are the best size nibs for drawing a figure with contour cross hatching? And while I'm at it, what are the best nib sizes for still life drawing (also with cross hatching)? Thanks for these great videos!

[@mkompan]

It really depends on your crosshatching style, and of course the size you're working in. EF nibs are easier to work with since you can build up layers of value more gradually. Wider nib sizes are great if you really want to emphasize the hatching and create bolder work.

[@boyettmchannel9530]

Helo ,,friend,,wow so cute in beautiful dog❤ .

[@mkompan]

Thank you?

[@lousruyters6299]

Thank you!

[@mkompan]

You’re welcome!

[@TheDynamite333]

Yet another great video, thank you Marc. Whenever you mention an art work of a master I always wonder about other works of that master with the same technique. If you don't mind: is there any book that you can recommend about masters' collective sketch works, like pen and ink wash, three crayon technique etc...?

[@mkompan]

Thank you! Books on old master drawings are rarely organized by medium, so you're better off finding books of individual artists. For three crayon technique Rubens or Watteau, for pen and ink wash Rembrandt, etc. That said, I do have a sizable book collection, and could make lots of recommendations. Perhaps a video on this is in order!

[@TheDynamite333]

@@mkompan Thank you very much, I will follow your suggestion. Also, I do want to hear about your recommendations, that would be wonderful.

[@taylorMFilms]

Great video

[@mkompan]

Thank you

[@pumpkblack1127]

Que ejercicios me recomiendas para mejorar mí entintado con pluma de las que usan los mangakas.

[@mkompan]

Los artistas de manga suelen usar "dip pens" con puntas como el Zebra G. Tengo una introducción en mi canal, que ofrece algunos ejercicios para hacer. Aquí hay un enlace: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJWmqWyfrrmFepI Sin embargo, para dibujar Manga, debes buscar un canal que se especialice en ese estilo.

[@wyk3982]

Do you use contour hatching for studio work and in-field, urban sketching? Constantly rotating the sketchbook would be difficult for sketching outdoors.

[@mkompan]

I use it for both. In the field it’s a modified version, however, where I limit the hatching angles to ones I can do comfortably without rotating my sketchbook too much.

[@MrEllinan]

This level of penmanship is amazing and ilustrative. BTW have you ever done a review or book recommendations? I found recently the "Lumen Picturae" from Frederik de Wit and, since you have several videos showing admiration for the dutch engravers I wonder if this book is in your radar, if so, what's the best approach to study from it? Thanks!

[@mkompan]

Thank you! I have seen this book, so I would say it's on the margins of my radar. I think there's value in copying some of the simpler images. The engraver's art has an advantage over drawing in that once an initial line is made with a burin, it can be widened with precision. Such effects are exceedingly difficult to reproduce in pen and ink. I usually prefer to copy drawings rather than engravings, ie. my video on De Gheyn.

[@MrEllinan]

@@mkompan That precise video came to mind as I looked said book and a reviewer stated it works like the Barges plates, as a drawing course that is but with the stylistic choice of it's time. I still believe book reviews from you and literary suggestions would be a nice addition to your channel, thanks for replying!

[@mkompan]

I hear you! A video with book recommendations is forthcoming.

[@cellolalia]

🖤

[@GreenlifeFin]

I really would like to learn to draw a face like these. Could you make a video of just one female face (with one of these cross hatching styles, 1 or 3) and explain where, why and how you put the lines, hatching and why. Like my main point is how to simplify all the details and light like this? I think it’s brilliant and so difficult. Did you use reference photos - should a beginner do, for this kind of drawings? I am a bit lost here, sorry 😁. If this is not a good idea, that’s ok too. If you already have video(s) about this, I am sorry, maybe you could refer to them?

[@mkompan]

This video might just might fit your needs. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5O1mJiLZquij8ksi=Fa1YUh5ANHOkQvO_ Nothing wrong with working from reference, so long as you also regularly work from life.

[@GreenlifeFin]

@@mkompan Oh, thanks a lot 🙏

[@og1kanobi40]

Can you do a Van Gogh style? What style did he use? I know he was a Millet fan among others like Durer I think.

[@mkompan]

That’s a great idea! I’ll put it on my list.

[@og1kanobi40]

Thank you @@mkompan

[@davidwang3222]

Nice lecture about cross hatching. Just one question, these three hatching techniques are used on three people. Can we use them on landscape and another type of drawings ? Thanks !

[@mkompan]

Thanks. These techniques can be used on other subjects, but are better for rendering organic stuff. For rectilinear forms, buildings, etc., the hatching needs to straight. I’ll be doing demos of this soon.

[@davidwang3222]

@@mkompanlooking forward to your next video !

[@JayJayYUP]

Pretty crazy how well you just busted out three different techniques with what looked so easy, I really loved the look of that thick-thin hatch drawing you did. That thick-thin technique also seems like a conceptual nightmare to do on the fly (as I can't really tell when or what part of the line would be thick or thin if you're going for representational drawing). I had a quick question, are you aware how professional pen and ink illustrators managed to do those extremely long lines (like in some of the works of Virgil Finlay or perhaps even some background art from comic artists?). I'd like to think it's some very obvious tool in the studio, but it doesn't seem that way given the natural shakiness of those lines on close inspection.

[@mkompan]

Nothing crazy but thank you. The thick/thin requires some underdrawing. Mapping out where it needs to go darker makes it easier. There’s quite a bit we don’t know about the ways illustrators worked in the early 20th century, but remember that their work was for reproduction and they had access to all kinds of print-making tricks, including the ability to transfer patterns and textures to their images. I’ll do some research on this, but some of the cross-hatching textures in Finlay’s work feel almost too regular to have been done with the hand alone.

[@JayJayYUP]

@@mkompan Thank you so much Marc, been wondering about it for a while seeing some of those pieces like the "The $64,000 Answer", and wondering how one even begins such a thing. Also looking at that piece, would it be fair to say that falls into the first tier of hatching you described? Or just a mix of all 3?

[@soren3020]

Hi Marc, Any advice regarding warming up or artistic block?

[@mkompan]

Hmmm…it depends on the kind of drawing you’re doing. Figure drawing classes usually start with short poses, which are great way to warm up. For anything else, like landscape or still life, a few compositional studies are a good way to work out what you’re going to do, and get things flowing. As for block, it’s hard to generalize, but one thing that helps is not to wait for inspiration (or the desire to make art) to come to you. Set aside time to draw, and force yourself to do it. More often than not, a simple jump-start like this will get your creative juices going. It doesn’t have to be related to your art practice, and really can be anything, a drawing with new materials, a copy of something, or even a bunch of doodles.

[@soren3020]

@@mkompan thank you Marc, sometimes it's just over thinking

[@mkompan]

@@soren3020 sometime drawing has to come first, and the thinking comes afterwards.

[@katsmith8263]

I have another question: if I'm drawing with a pencil ( I use faber castel colormatics 0.5cm), how do I achieve saturation with it (the very black color?). How do I get variation in values with just one pen?! Or I have to use other pencils (colored? And another question about colored pencils and pencils in general: sometimes I get a harsh line, sometimes soft with the same pencil, how do I regulate it?

[@mkompan]

Graphite doesn’t go very dark, since it's naturally a grey material. Make sure you’re using 4B leads (which I believe is the softest leads you can get for mechanical pencils). To go darker, you’ll have to switch to regular pencils that come in 6B and 8B. Staedtler also makes a graphite/carbon pencil that goes very dark. As for your line quality, it could be a question paper, or it could be a question of skill. Hard for me to answer without seeing you draw. :)

[@karinmiller7310]

What pen and ink are you using, please?

[@mkompan]

Please see the video description.

[@c_muhammadirgi5934]

thanks

[@mkompan]

You’re welcome.

[@floravachez3251]

Hi! thank you so much for your very interesting video! can you give me the name of the different artists that you quoted please? I didn't succeed in finding them 😂

[@mkompan]

My pleasure! For curly hatching, look at the work of Jacques de Gheyn or Albrecht Durer. For thick/thin hatching, look at Jacques Callot. For chisel hatching Michelangelo or Raphael.

[@floravachez3251]

thank you so much@@mkompan

[@quercus2949]

How does one become a drawing professor?

[@mkompan]

One gets a job teaching drawing at a university.

[@katsmith8263]

I really need to know how to draw short haired beard (not shaved in several days) !!!!!! Trying to draw Hugh Laurie from the "House MD" TC Series. Could you please show it?!?!I can't do it now!!!

[@mkompan]

I’ll include a drawing of someone with a short beard in my next pen video. :)

[@katsmith8263]

@@mkompan thank you❤🌹🙏

[@ankitdas7374]

Which pen did you use

[@mkompan]

Check the video description

[@moldingsaronarsoy]

❤

[@mkompan]

😀

[@tubsy.]

Could you do a lesson on drawing/inking like Gustav Dore? 😅

[@mkompan]

Not easy, since he used mechanical aids (and a workshop of engravers) to get his lines so straight, but I’ll look into it.

[@tubsy.]

@@mkompan Thank you!

[@morriszachrisson8359]

Can you hatch 100 bucks?

[@mkompan]

Probably, but it will cost $10,000 of my time. :)

[@morriszachrisson8359]

@@mkompan Whom do you use to pay these 10 000?

[@mkompan]

@@morriszachrisson8359 whoever is willing to pay me.

[@morriszachrisson8359]

@@mkompan So you pay each other?

[@is_this_the_real_life_or]

Thank you!

[@mkompan]

My pleasure!