Getting Started: Pens, Ink, Drawing Techniques

Blog post with LOTS more info and pinnable images: bit.ly/3oMu4SX
My Pen and Ink classes: bit.ly/ACpenan...
Fountain Pen recommendations: • Comparing Fountain Pens
Make an accordion sketchbook: • Make your own accordio...
Nib size comparison: • Nib sizes for pen and ...
Scribble sketch example: • Scribble sketch --- an...
Ballpoint Drawing: • How to draw a Tiger Sh...
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Some product may be provided by manufacturers for review and use. Compensated affiliate links may be used, but this video was not sponsored or requested by any manufacturer. For affiliate and product disclosure, visit sandyallnock.c... - My trusted partners in art: sandyallnock.c...
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[@ladyflimflam]

Those with arthritic hands may want to look into fountain pens. As the arthritis in my finger joints progresses using fountain pens and pencils are what have allowed me to draw again.

[@queenbuzybee4074]

Absolutely, and look for larger pens with more girth. I find them easier to hold than small or slim pens when pain flares up.

[@vwood2]

Me too! I’m glad they’re working for you.

[@melissazabower339]

I have arthritis as well. How is a fountain pen easier? Is it a bigger barrel?

[@tracygillard7388]

I have arthritis and nerve damage. I find drawing with pencil easier than pen but have never considered fountain pen. I’ll certainly give it a try. Thanks.

[@SpacemanTheo]

​@@melissazabower339 it really depends on the pen you buy. The reason fountain pens are good for those with chronic pain in their hands is that a fountain pen requires almost no pressure to write with. Just the weight of the pen is enough to put ink down. I highly recommend a Pilot Kakuno or a Kaweco Perkeo if you want a good beginning pen with a large body and light weight and a bottle of Noodlers ink.

[@dianesterling2835]

Thanx for the clear, practical instruction. Of great value & inspiring to me personally. I may spend Sunday afternoon with pen & paper! God bless...

[@loondabo9207]

This was wonderful for getting me started in black and White ink techniques. Thank you

[@SandyAllnock1]

You’re most welcome!

[@mean108]

Good morning, Sandy, You're an amazing artist 👍. So much appreciated for your beautiful artwork. You're so well organized. I have my drawing supplies. Since my mother passed away, I didn't do much of drawing. When I saw your work, it's time for me to get back to do art. So much appreciated, Sandy ⚘️💗.

[@SandyAllnock1]

It’s important to get back to it…it’s good for our mental health 🥰

[@imperfectimp]

This is great! Whenever I try to learn how to draw I always set the bar too high. This feels like the perfect entry level to get cool results without burning myself out for the 100th time.

[@classicaldeb]

As do I!

[@MultiplicityCrafts]

This is such a relaxing form of art! I also feel pen drawings are more forgiving. I appreciate seeing all of the various patterns which I had never tried before. Thanks so much, Sandy!

[@dennissaner2151]

Brings back many memories of what I used to put on the edges of most of my notebook paper while listening to a boring teacher talk about the inner workings of an earthworm. Of course, that was 50 years ago. Glad to see that someone is passing on this mind calming art form.

[@supreamdahotspitter4324]

Dude😂

[@joseluiscastanorestrepo]

Magnificent tutorial, I barely knew the basics of hatching and with this video I discovered that the possibilities are endless

[@vickierumbers4324]

Hi Sandy! What an excellent introduction to pen and ink drawing techniques. I have embraced what I call "zen-doodling". I have learned so much in 10 minutes. Thank you. New subscriber!😊

[@karenzemko6518]

I have done a bit of this but just random doodling. Like the idea of having the patterns in front of me to keep me from getting stuck. TFS

[@Wjgustaf]

My favorite was the drawing of the St. John’s bridge, gorgeous!

[@ruthiesiegel207]

Love this... I use to do pen and ink pictures. I do this now for doodling when I am on hold on a phone call.

[@davidwang3222]

its a great demo for the pen drawing ! I love it. hope to see more landscape drawing techniques . thanks for for your hard work ! Sandy.

[@SandyAllnock1]

Thanks!

[@momodiekatze]

I know I’m probably finding this video really late, but this is fantastic. I’ve been trying to find good practice lessons for my students with pen and ink drawings, so I’m going to try this tomorrow! Thank you for posting!

[@SandyAllnock1]

Glad it was helpful! Hope your students enjoy it👍🏻

[@TheresaPetermann]

I fell in love with pen and ink drawing when I saw Claudia Nice's books. She's amazing. and you make it look easy. thanks as always for sharing.

[@theorangeoof926]

A niche one would be a fluid writer pen, those are funny to operate from the looks of it. It’s a pipe but for paper.

[@LimonTucson]

I appreciate all the time and effort you made to share with us. Thank you.

[@SandyAllnock1]

My pleasure!

[@bhornannawindeedeigh5007]

This is my foray into hatching, although I'll have to wait until my wrist settles down from feeling all "pins and needle-y". It drives me batty when it gets like this and I never know when its going to hit. It's hit and miss with it and the fibromyalgia... its a bad week, but ☝🏾😃 I'm subscribed, so that's a good thing! 😁 Thanks for the lesson... it was fun learning the techniques. Your art is lovely. Thank you. 💐 🙏🏽💞

[@shencyjoseph4396]

Thanks a lot for Sharing such valuable things to the world for free. Never knew pen could create magic to this level on a white sheet of paper. Thanks once again.

[@SandyAllnock1]

My pleasure 😊

[@WhstlblwrBlastingEpsteinsILK]

It's the elegant simplicity that makes ot genius. Thank you for sharing your expertise with us. Absolutely brilliant ❤

[@janweddell3878]

A great tutorial Sandy! Thank you so much for sharing your techniques. I love to "doodle", so I will be trying these out.

[@saki_lao]

Many thanks for sharing this techniques. I just tried out this exercise today and enjoyed it. ❤

[@SandyAllnock1]

Wonderful!

[@deborahmccleary1998]

Wow! Very interesting! You made very understandable and doable. Thanks!

[@deborahrichardson3731]

Personally, I love the gel pens. I've been zen doodling for years, it's very relaxing.

[@sandrafisherhayes3219]

Thank you Sandy! Your tutorial was so relaxing to watch ❤ I love hatching/cross hatching. Doodling is my favourite go to for expressing how I feel...therapeutic too. My favourite shapes are circles, ellipses, cups and houses depending on my mood that day. You have a new subscriber

[@SandyAllnock1]

Thank you so much! Glad to have another doodler on board😍

[@moirahansen1955]

Wow. This is so inspiring. I remember doing something like this in a school art class many years ago. Will have to try it again. Thank you. 👏🖋️🇿🇦

[@yollexart]

This was an amazing simple video. It wasn't to worry or overly involved. It help me visualize the little details. Without feeling overwhelmed by the idea of a large project. Thank you for sharing!

[@katzarm]

I really enjoyed this video lesson and watching you draw the various techniques on your work sheet. I found this lesson to be very educational, as well as interesting to watch. I did download your work sheet, and thank you for posting the work sheet and the video lesson for us. I am looking forward to playing with some pens and papers as I practice steps from the work sheet.

[@chiito6123]

AAAAAA THIS IS SO AMUSING AND RELAXING AND ALSO INSPIRING AT THE SAME TIME!! I'm soo glad i found this!!

[@SandyAllnock1]

I'm so glad!

[@katemccarthy2463]

Furthermore its art one can do anywhere anytime. Im so excited i can't wait to try this. 😊

[@zarnishm2732]

Hi, Many many Thanks for your such an informative video. I Love it. I have Carpal tunnel syndrome , and unable to do art work for many months. Your video made me hopeful that I can start artwork again. Thanks again. 🌺

[@SandyAllnock1]

You can do it!

[@danbolton3180]

Gorgeous sketch of the St.Johns bridge.

[@SandyAllnock1]

Thank you!

[@StephanieReid]

I love the way you teach and I feel like I just learned so much in one video. Thank you so much!

[@SandyAllnock1]

I'm so glad!

[@61countdown]

Thank you, Sandy, for this most informative tutorial. I have something that I would like to share that might help others.I have recently found that my preferred brand of gel pens is not light-fast and have lost a valuable personal drawing that I had done as a result. It was displayed on the wall, and was never in direct sunlight. I always have a blind drawn in that room to diffuse the light. However, now that I think about it, I had a regular living room lamp with a 40 watt incandescent bulb about six feet away from the drawing and it was often on. Hmm. Never thought incandescent light could have such a destructive effect. (I can't use florescent lamps or tubes for health reasons due to the flickering, and I do not like the way that led light sources diffuse the light or how they can effect the color balance and temperature. So for me, incandescent it is.) I happened across an old photo of my drawing and was shocked to see how much detail had gradually disappeared over the course of about two years. The drawing is now stored in a box, but the damage has been done. Perhaps UV glass might help, idk. Has anyone else come across this issue with the light-fastness of gel pens, or any pens for that matter? And can anyone offer any suggestions or have any real world solutions? Your input would be very much appreciated. Thank you, in advance. For those interested, I prefer ball point pens over felt or fountain pens. I've tried Staedtler and other brands of technical pens as well but I personally found them unsuitable for fast, loose and spontaneous drawing and also they did not produce the results I wanted. Maybe I was using them incorrectly, idk. I've been using Uniball Micro and Uniball Micro Deluxe black pens, from .2mm (no longer made) to .7mm, for over 30 years, and Sarasota Zebra red gel pens, .7mm, for about 5 years (since I discovered them) almost exclusively for my pen and ink drawings. Recently I bought some black Sarasota gel pens and then discovered the light fast issue. To date I have not had any fading issues at all with the Uniball pens.

[@SandyAllnock1]

I wouldn’t ever do a gel pen drawing as fine art to be saved for years. It’s more of a craft pen or writing utensil, and they don’t promise longevity…

[@silkeschumann7261]

Thank you very much for a relaxed 10 min of inking basics with beautiful and impressive beginners and advanced practice samples. ❤ I very much enjoy the video.

[@SandyAllnock1]

You're very welcome!

[@brendajennings5438]

Love this, and I like the simplicity. Looks like a great place to start my niece on card making. Thanks for sharing!

[@Billsadventuresinart]

Sandy, thank you. I am always learning from you😊

[@SandyAllnock1]

You are so welcome!🤗

[@ppenicillin]

Wow! I love the way you share all these techniques. Amazing!!

[@ERic-ic8wp]

Thanks for showing what you do .

[@awjfagan]

Thanks Sandy, really enjoyed your tutorial, it’s inspired me to try some silhouette style pictures like your Christmas card.

[@SandyAllnock1]

Have fun!

[@saguaro]

"Tiling" hatching is a rarely used, but nice technique. I can only think of the illustrator Brett Helquist consistently using it, and then perhaps Sergio Toppi, and maybe a few cartoonists like Paul Flora. Are there more artists/examples with this hatching technique?

[@SandyAllnock1]

Me ❤️🤣

[@tonyshaw13]

thank you so much, for showing the different types/styles of hatching as I am just starting out and this will defo help me out

[@SandyAllnock1]

I'm so glad!

[@leannerykard7722]

The Bridge is amazing!!! Thank you for teaching

[@hammerheadcorvette4]

Thanks for this, i am using Inkscape and these techniques are relateable with paths !

[@elenamoulin3252]

Thank you, Sandy! I has been both eager and hesitating to start drawing for years. Fear of failure (I know, it is ridiculous) that was keeping me back. Techniques you demonstrate are fun and accessible. AND you show how those can be used to create!.. You gained a subscriber 😊

[@SandyAllnock1]

You can do it! No need to fear...it's just paper, right? Welcome to the fam here on YT!

[@mkbuike7895]

Your version of the St. John’s bridge is wonderful!

[@katemccarthy2463]

Wow you have hooked me in. My mind is buzzing with ideas. Thank you

[@SandyAllnock1]

I'm so glad! 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@katemccarthy2463]

This is a great introduction to pen and ink. Clear, informative and has opened my eyes to the potential of this medium. I love drawing and using all types of pens and pencils. It's also the push i need to get a fountain pen that I have been wanting for a while. 😂

[@SandyAllnock1]

Consider me your enabler🤣

[@rubenbuitrago6033]

Wow, thanks a lot for your time and dedication to make this wonderful video. I've learnt a bit more today and I'm eager to finish some homework and put my hands down to draw something!

[@SandyAllnock1]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Monica---]

Excellent video, all always. Very relaxing to watch. 😊

[@SandyAllnock1]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Maxx00]

This makes drawing seem a lot less intimidating, thank you so much

[@SandyAllnock1]

You're welcome 😊

[@BP-_-snowiexx]

Thank you so much 💗🖤 I was searching for this type of video. This is so helpful. Thank you again ❤❤

[@SandyAllnock1]

You're welcome! 😊

[@BP-_-snowiexx]

@@SandyAllnock1 ❤️❤️

[@bornsmooth92]

Excellent video! Thank you! Been looking for ways to add to my drawings as I feel sometimes things are either too detailed with the same "texture" or not detailed enough, was pleasantly surprised to see I've been using a few of these already without having a name for them, but will be incorporating what you've shown here! Thanks!

[@SandyAllnock1]

Glad it was helpful!

[@oceandreamer1958]

Thank you, Sandy! I have learned so much from youM

[@irishgirl2419]

That was really cool and very informative. The Christmas card turned out so well and was so unusual - my Christmas cards are done for this year but next year may be a pen and ink Christmas. Your landscape ink drawings are absolutely beautiful.

[@bronwynmalone8531]

Loved this Sandy, thanks so much for the inspiration!

[@deborahmeyers551]

The best tutorial I've ever seen thank you 😊

[@SandyAllnock1]

Wow, thank you!

[@pink25poppies1]

Your bridge was amazing!

[@bine9526]

Thank you so much, Sandy. You are such a wonderful person. ♥♥♥

[@annekeschep8148]

I loved watching you drawing and explaining. Very inspirational and I am absolutely going to try this for cards! Thank you for this great tutorial

[@rebeccawong1]

Totally what I need to learn now … thank you so very much 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@katwashere194]

I recognize the St. John’s Bridge! Very nice

[@SandyAllnock1]

👍🏻

[@goatsplitter]

Every time i stipple, i get really excited and happy to do it until about half way through then it becomes tedious and resentful lol. Every dangol time, and yet i still do it time and time again because of that first half where i love it.

[@SandyAllnock1]

Have you tried stipple paper? I bought some but haven't tried it yet.....

[@goatsplitter]

​@@SandyAllnock1 No I haven't even heard of it. I'm really interested in it now. If not for an "easy mode" on stippling, but for what else I might find to do with it :) Thank you for sharing!

[@scamandra]

Thank you!

[@created2bless322]

This is really cool, new to me. WOW! Thank you

[@bethesdamimi]

Just what I have been looking for thank you!

[@pamelamoniz608]

I enjoyed watching you do this technique with a fountain pen. I really like the different patterns. Your video also reminds me of Peter Draws. He uses fountain pens as well as other types of pens in his art. Your examples of your art at the end are awesome!

[@chantalp.146]

Had all the best of intentions in joining Inktober and purchasing the ink sketching class…. Life happens! 😌 So thank you for this video and swatch/exercises chart! 🌺 I will be there next year!

[@greetingsinbraille.]

Lovely, thanks for sharing Sandy💕👍🏽

[@ARTYCOATY]

Awesome art! You're very talented!

[@sashaz2072]

Thanks so helpful for a beginner!

[@margueritemitchell1829]

❤🎉 hello from British Columbia Canada

[@Roadtaken-fi1cd]

This was SO HELPFUL! Thank you very much!

[@raerae6422]

Much appreciated!

[@SandyAllnock1]

Glad to help!

[@lcomfort8683]

Extreme talent!

[@valsfaves787]

Really fascinating to watch. Loved the artwork!

[@prasoonsingh7376]

Beautiful ,thnq

[@pamelacolson310]

Thank you so much for this tutorial!

[@Volkmannx]

Inspiring, thank you!

[@SandyAllnock1]

You are so welcome!

[@buddycollier5056]

Beautiful

[@SandyAllnock1]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@kellybishop7238]

Wow thank you for the great info

[@marycollier1293]

Fascinating video.

[@anitatrippi7072]

Always so inspiring!

[@teresakroll7297]

thank you for this - really enjoyed it!

[@sueb-t2183]

you are quite the artist!

[@ginamcdonald7854]

Beautiful!!!

[@i_-am_dynamine]

I enjoyed it a lot, thank you

[@sibylleherbe8260]

Wow. Thank you!

[@victoriajane2468]

GORGEOUS! 🎉😮❤

[@MohamedMagdy-jw1fo]

Wow!!!!!!!@!👏😍

[@karenharris3808]

I only draw with a bic in pen . I use copy paper . typing papers. That what temperamental me art likes,

[@SandyAllnock1]

I love drawing with ballpoint pens too!😍

[@karenharris3808]

@@SandyAllnock1 oh ok

[@scholarthefuture7284]

❤ thank you mam ❤

[@SandyAllnock1]

Most welcome 😊

[@jocelynebernice3194]

Awesome!

[@robyndixon8361]

I can't seem to get the link to your blog to work...

[@SandyAllnock1]

Try this sandyallnock.com/getting-started-pen-and-ink-drawing-techniques/

[@williamgillander4917]

Do I have to create an account prior to getting ability to download information on pen techniques

[@SandyAllnock1]

yes but if you want the account removed just email and I'll delete :)

[@Creativewings0]

Nice

[@SandyAllnock1]

Thanks!

[@maamseeetc1784]

❤

[@minimouche9143]

Merci !

[@helenamaria710]

Lovely drawings! Do you pencil in the drawings, like the bridge, first or do you go right in with a pen? 🙏

[@SandyAllnock1]

Sometimes🥰 Depends on if it’s a shape I’m confident I can get in perspective correctly. Most of the time I do a loose sketch for placement of elements.

[@helenamaria710]

@@SandyAllnock1 Thanks.😊 I am trying to get confident with a pen, but it is hard. I have been using a glass one with ink.

[@priyat2542]

What kind of paper we use for this...

[@SandyAllnock1]

Hahnemule Lettering Pads bit.ly/3gMF3XF