Pen And Marker Drawings - 5 Basic Steps How To Draw With A Black Pen Or Marker

Beginners love to draw with pen and markers. When you start to learn how to draw and you see you are already comfortable using the pencil and eraser, it is time to go ahead and add pen and markers to your drawings. It is easy because you don't have the colors to worry about mixing them yet, you just have one color - black, and one material - pen or marker.

Drawing with pen and marker is a very broad subject and it is difficult to cover up everything in one article, I will mention the basic steps so you can immediately start with these drawing materials. Now you can add tones, shadows and texture to your drawing to make them look real. I recommend you experiment with different pen nibs, styles and methods to decide what you like best. Try out your favourite pens in your scrapbook before you start on your drawing.

The 5 basic steps how to draw with pen and marker. I will explain each step shortly later in this article.

Draw the picture you want.

Erase all extra lines and leave only the outlines.

Go over the pencil drawing with a black pen or marker.

Add texture to the drawing.

Add tones for lighter and darker areas.

Draw the picture you want-when you draw, make sure your lines are gentle and light, don't overdo and don't add pressure to the pencil while you draw. Keep it clear.

Erasing - clean up your drawing using a good clean eraser. If your eraser is dirty it may leave a grey color where you used the eraser so clean it before using. Erase all extra lines and leave only the outlines. I must mention that erasing the pencil marks after you added the pen or marker can ruin your drawing.

Go over your drawing with your pen - make your lines even and give it a nice flow. It is time to relax and have fun! - don't feel nervous about it. It's just a drawing. There is no absolute way to do it and you can always make another one.

Add texture to the drawing - according to the surface of the object you are drawing you are trying to describe the texture if it is smooth, bumpy, rough, like wood etc. Use a variety of strokes. Some of the common pen and marker drawing strokes are hitch-hatching, cross-hatching, dotting and scribbling too. You may study different strokes first in your scrapbook before you use it on your drawing.

Add tones and shading to your drawing - these are techniques to add lighter and darker values of the black to show the form of the object you drew. there are light, medium and dark tones. The shading shows where the source of light is coming from. If the light is coming from the top left so you need to add shading to the opposite sides - the bottom right.

Begin To Draw - 6 Basic Components And A Tool List

How to draw is a question asked often among kids, students, mothers, teachers and more. So drawing skills can be accomplished just like writing. It may seem difficult to draw if you never really tried but as you practice you get better and better till you achieve success.

There are 6 components to learn before you start drawing and each one of them is extremely important when you are in the real beginning. So don't go fast with these, take a few days and train your eyes and hands.

6 Components to consider before when you begin to draw:

Lines - start drawing lines. No, I am not joking... take a pencil and paper and start drawing simple curved lines, straight lines, vertical, horizontal diagonal, swirls and spirals. This is also what I do as a 'warm up' every time before I start drawing.

Shape - draw different shapes. Use lines and 'close them up' make free shapes with curved lines or straight lines. Draw the basic shapes too - squares, circles, triangles ovals, rectangles, cones and more.

Form - turn your shapes into forms. A ball out of a circle, a picture frame out of a square etc,

Shading - turn your forms into 3D - make them look real as you add the shading. Add shadung according to the source of light on the form - object. If the light is coming from the top left so those parts of the objects will remain light and all right bottom parts of the objects will get the shading on them.

Cast Shadow - that's the shadow that falls on another surface because lack of light, just like your own shadow on the sidewalk at night when the street light is behind you.

Perspective - that is a formal way to draw what you see. Perspective determines how objects seem to diminish into a distance when you add height, width and depth. Its actual drawing the depth of the object in a right way.

Composition - adds dynamic to a drawing when you draw more than one object. Lets say you draw an apple, and 2 pears. Don't draw them all in a line nor place them in equal places on your drawing sheet. Think of an interesting way to lay them out.

Now that you know these basic components, you must be ready to start. I decided to explain the basic tools you will need for pencil drawings.

A variety of pencils: H2, 6B and 4B. These are different degrees of leads, the softer the lead, the higher the number. Harder leads are for drawing and sketching and softer leads are to shade your drawing.

An eraser: there are different types of erasers: kneaded and vinyl, these just lift the lead from your paper, you can mold them into a point to erase a tiny space or mold them into other shapes to make interesting textures. You don't need to scrub with them - just dab. Gum and rubber erasers are made to erase larger areas.

Paper: there are different kinds of paper for pencil drawings. They vary by colors, thickness, surface and texture. Start with smooth paper like bristol paper then experiment with more quality paper.

Paper Stump: that's made to create different textures in your drawings and also helps to blend.

Now that you know about pencil drawings it's time to sharpen up your pencil and start drawing lines and shapes to train your hand and eyes finding the basic shape of each object. Look at a book - draw it out of a rectangle, draw an apple from a circle and so on.

A Brief Introduction to Oil Painting - The Last Supper

The Last Supper is one of Leonardo da Vinci's most widely-known representative works. It's a late 15th century mural painting with the theme from the Bible Story. The evening before Jesus Christ was betrayed by Judas, he gathered all the twelve disciples together to have a meal and gave them explicit instructions on that ritual. Leonardo da Vinci specifically depicted the reaction given by each apostle when Jesus dropped the bombshell that one of them would betray him before sunrise. All twelve disciples reacted to the news with various degrees of anger, shock, and horror.

Leonardo completed this work in 1498, and at that time, he was not the only artist who chose this particular biblical scene as the subject for a religious painting. Compared to other depictions of The Last Supper from this period, however, Leonardo's work was the best. Unlike other artists who excluded Judas by placing him alone on the opposite of the table from other eleven disciples and Jesus or placing halos around all the disciples except Judas, Leonardo instead has Judas lean back in the shadow with his hands clutching a small bag, which perhaps signify that Judas had been paid for his betrayal. In addition, we can see in the painting that Judas is tipping over the salt shaker. This may be related to the Near-Eastern proverb "to betray the salt", which means to betray one's master.

From left to right, the twelve apostles are sitting in groupings of three. Bartholomew, James Minor and Andres form the first group. All are aghast and Andrew holds his hands up in a "stop" posture. Nearer to Jesus, Judas, Peter and John form another group of three. Peter, who is holding a knife, looks visibly angry. The feminine-looking John seems about to swoon. On the right side of Jesus, Thomas, James the Greater and Philip comprise the next group. Thomas is clearly agitated. James the Greater stunned and Philip appears to be seeking clarification. The last group consists of Matthew, Thaddeus and Simon. It appears that both Matthew and Thaddeus are turned toward Simon to see if he can give them any explanations.

The work is presumed to be started in 1495 while Leonardo completed it in 1498. In order to find the most proper face that fits each apostle, Leonardo spent large amount of time observing people in the market. As a result, in The Last Supper, every apostle appears to act like a real person. This is one reason for why Leonardo's work is much more remarkable and unrivalled when compared to works of other painters.

Plein Air Requires a Direct Approach As the Natural Light Is Ever Changing

Painting outdoors directly from nature can be a little daunting at first but once a routine is established then I consider this Plein Air technique the best practice for both beginners and experienced painters. The artist must paint quickly, be spontaneous and decisive with his brush strokes as the natural light is ever changing. This forced discipline is the best way to improve as an artist in my opinion, as quick decisions must be made and rendered accordingly.

Painting outdoors can be a challenge for any artist but if the elements are on your side then the process can be quite enjoyable. Unlike painting pictures from photographs in the studio, the end result of a Plein Air painting is usually more of a personal statement which is clean and fresh.

I believe it is not always necessary for an artist to travel far to find inspiration. In fact I have been returning to the same scene to paint this group of old mill houses for 25 years. These cottages always appear different due to the changing light, seasons and time of day. My use of artist's licence will be an essential factor also in making sure each finished artwork is unique and original..

Plein Air is my favorite painting method and on this particular morning the light was changing fast so I chose my vantage point and set up the easel. The mill homes displayed a strong composition but required a little imagination regarding color enhancement. I was aware not to paint everything I could see but simplify by selection.

My approach was to suggest the far distance and methodically work forward. I began by covering the whole canvas by blocking in the main shapes and my basic composition was established. The sky was brushed on followed by a distant inlet showing through trees. The old sagging roofs of the mill houses and their leaning water tanks were exaggerated, all of which added character and age.

There was a hint of pink in the sky when I arrived, however it was no longer there due to the changing light but was remembered and included. My attention was momentarily stolen by fighting magpies. However, the aroma of wildflowers along with the sound of wind in trees made me aware that all my senses were simultaneously activated. I felt as though a sixth sense of intuition occurred which was fuelling creativity.

Some rooftops were already colorful, others were shiny, metallic and bland. I changed these colorless areas to bright pink, blue and orange. More artist's licence was used to add bright reds and yellows to white sheets on washing lines. These same colors were applied to curtains, doors and to the many flowers in surrounding gardens. A strong color statement was now becoming apparent.

Another break in concentration occurred when a gust of wind almost blew over my easel. I quickly secured it with a log. To paint from nature, you must contend with it also. There was an old picket fence and letterbox in the foreground. These were included as I considered them to be an essential part of the overall composition. A grey bitumen road occupied the extreme foreground. However, I remembered this was once a pink sandy track many years ago, so I decided to return to that era and use this sandy track as an all important lead into the picture.

Using a sharp tool I scratched lines into the thick wet oil paint on roofs and walls of each mill house. This gave the impression of corrugated iron and timber cladding of which the cottages were made. Free ranging hens and a little wispy smoke from one chimney only added life to suggest that someone is home.

Finally, using the same sharp tool, number 25 is scratched into the foreground letterbox. This signifies the number of years I have been returning to this historical place to paint pictures of these enchanting cottages.

Michael Cartwright is a professional artists who has won many awards. He paints in two distinct techniques, Quirky Cottages and Traditional Landscapes. Both styles explore the beauty of Western Australia's south coast where he lives. Michael's favorite method is painting outdoors ''Plein Air''. However the Quirky technique is produced in his studio as he relys on imagination only.

Original Oil Paintings and Quality Canvas Prints of the two techniques are available. The Prints are produced using an Epson Printer and we use the highest quality inks and canvas available. Each print is U.V. protected and produced with expertise, skill and attention to detail in order to reproduce the beauty of the original artwork.

For An Artist Imagination Is Everything

Whether you are a full-time professional artist or a beginner you need imagination. It doesn't matter whether you want to produce paintings that represent real life scenes of the world around you or invent objects that have never yet existed...

"Your imagination is the key and you should be prepared to use it"

If you are less confident in your drawing and painting skills the results of your artistic efforts might be called by some as abstract art.

No doubt to some, whose confidence levels are greater and have more practised skills, your work might be considered as junk. If you get this kind of response don't despair and feel disappointed with your efforts. Instead, build up an argument to defend your artwork and be prepared to describe its worth to you and tell the story of its origins...

How you became inspired

Why you chose to use the painting medium used

What you see

What you are pleased with about it

You might agree with the criticism of a more experienced artist and want to learn from their experience but it shouldn't take away from the qualities you and your efforts have produced.

Remember this...

"It is your drive and imagination that drives what you want to do with your art, and not theirs!"

This doesn't mean for a moment that you deny scope for improvement. Without your ability to transform your own ideas into writing, drawing, paintings, film, performance art or crafts, no progress can be made.

At whatever stage of personal development it isn't your practical ability alone that gets things done...

Your effort to do the work is required and it is only from this that you show what you think and feel. This is the only way that your art and design can physically exist.

Having said that, it doesn't matter how much work and effort you put in, without ideas and imagination there can be little of artistic merit achieved...

Even if you intend to copy from photographs you still need imagination to convert a machine-made image into a work of Art - you need to be able to see the results in your 'Minds' Eye' before you plan and make the first mark. And, once you have made that first drawing or painting stroke it is your knowledge, experience and imagination combined that give you the confidence to continue making marks.

Using imagination is the only way any artist manages to make and overcome the physical mistakes that will be made...

It is your imagination that controls the process of adjusting imperfect lines, arcs, smudges, splodges and streaks such they appear to produce perfection.

Whether you are attempting to create a picture showing realism or you are more intent upon producing artwork of atmosphere and abstract emotion, what ever the results of your artistic efforts depend as much on your imagination as in the skills of drawing and painting.

And if you find your painting abilities lie in a particular direction, whether it be a particular field of specialist realism or abstraction, why not be happy with what you do?

Never forget that, before you try to separate abstract from representational art, it is good to take note of the fact that all paintings and drawings rely upon seemingly random marks that have no apparent definition. Even newsprint photographs and digital reproductions build images from dots of colour, hence the term 'DPI' (dots per inch).

In Art it is only from the use of your imagination that separates your painting and drawing masterpiece from the computerised technology responsible for producing photographs of a famous personality or star featured in a newspaper press release.

Fine Art - The Deep Meaning of Painting

Fine art is translated from the French term "beaux arts" which means that it originated from France. This art form does not only include visual paintings. Nowadays it includes sculptures, photography, opera, poetry, acting, drawings and music.

When you consider this wide scope, you will start to realize that there is much more to it. Maybe even the way you design your house can be considered fine art.

So why is this form of art a deep meaning of painting? How does one determine what is fine art? In this article, I will focus on the art in relation to paintings.

The core principle is 'beauty'. An artist's work which makes the viewer sees and feels it as beautiful, can be considered as fine art. Perhaps it is better to explain what it is not.

An exact painting of a family sitting on the sofa together will not be considered as this form of art. It may be a lovely painting that looks very life-like, but it is a straight forward painting. There is nothing special about it. It needs to be special and attention grabbing.

An advertisement board painting of the latest luxury sports car may attract many fanatics to an exhibition but nevertheless, it is just a painting which many skillful artists can imitate. It is rarely called fine art.

Reading the above two examples, it can be seen that it has to be more than just looking beautiful.

A painting can be considered fine art when it is not a straight forward painting of an object. It has to be beautiful, unusual, meaningful and portrays the feeling well.

A Vincent Van Gogh painting is an example which is easy to relate to because it is so famous. The chair, fruit, sunflower and the skies are not painted as they are. Van Gogh's paintings were not an exact copy of what he saw. He painted the objects very differently but you can still recognize the object.

This style of painting is a way for the painter to show his feelings which will effectively channel through to the viewer. Fine art is imagining what the object truly means to the painter and having the ability to transfer it onto a painting.

If you see a painting of objects that are painted differently such as rectangular apples, and in addition you can sense what the artist is feeling at the time, then he has successfully created a fine art painting.

If an artist is famous then his paintings will no doubt draw a lot of attention and increase in price. However, this does not mean that you will also like the painting. The beauty of a painting is in the eye of the beholder. What one person considers a fine piece of art, it may look boring and uninspiring to you.

An Analysis of the Creation and Marketing of Art Prints

The mass marketing of fine art reproductions and art prints directed at multiple collectors has been a heavily debated topic since its inception in the late Nineteenth Century. The development of lithography in 1798 by Alois Senefelder created the potential for making duplicate art creations; however, it took another one hundred years of extensive technical developments before quality reproductions could be produced.

These advancements in lithography merged with a growing awareness by art dealers that an untapped (and highly profitable) new art market had opened up, whereas a piece of fine art could be sold over and over, exponentially inflating both dealer & artist profits and exposure, which drew in even more collectors from across America and Europe.

The intrinsic value of an art print, and its subsequent appreciation in financial value, was a happenstance occurrence that came with the almost immediate induction of limited edition prints: I am sure the dealers would have been tickled to create endless runs of art prints based on each popular original in their possession, but technical limitations (the copper and zinc printing plates gradually wore down) forced a production limit, as eventually the quality of each print deteriorated.

Except in rare cases, an art print never has and never will have the high collectible value of an original painting and the use of limited editions (typically a run of 1,000 prints or less and each individually numbered) offsets this problem to a degree by creating inflated value using the age-old marketing strategy of supply versus demand. There is a segment of the population who will buy an art print simply because they enjoy the look of that particular piece and want to hang it on their wall for personal enjoyment. The rest consider themselves modest or serious art collectors and desire a piece that they not only visually appreciate, but has investment potential.

It is human nature to strive to possess something your neighbors do not, and this desire can only be filled by offering your clients objects of exclusivity and scarcity: In this case, ending a print run at a certain point and selling those numbered prints as limited editions. It should go without saying that the smaller the edition, the more valuable the series: Less is more in this case. It is up to the individual artist to weigh potential financial gain against distribution numbers and decide on a reasonable & appealing total number of prints to release in each edition.

Modern Twenty-First Century technology has muddied the waters a bit, merging the once distinct lithographic quality art print into the realm of art reproduction. Originally balked at by purists, artwork recreated using high-end ink-jet printers has finally come into its own, now widely accepted by both the public and art dealers because of its understood practicality and the extreme level of artistic detail rendered. Again, to maintain its appeal and create intrinsic value & investment potential, the artists rely on the practice of limited editions.

The modern world offers a bright future for the advancement and distribution of art prints, something that previous generations could never have predicted. Telecommunications is the artist's best friend, opening up wide international consumer markets previously unavailable to their predecessors in the late Nineteenth Century.

Following non-traditional routes, there is an ever-increasing market for limited edition art prints in public areas such as lobbies & executive offices and as high-end gifts, where the gift-giver wants to make an impression at specific milestone events, passing on their sophisticated taste & knowledge of viability for investment growth to the receiver.

This may all seem appealing to the fledgling artist, but it must be stressed that, when dealing with limited edition prints, the artwork does not stand alone to be judged strictly on its own merit. The artist is just as important (maybe more-so) than the art print, as an art print is only as valuable as the reputation that precedes the name scrawled in the corner of the canvas.

A limited edition art print produced by a highly regarded & successful artist is vastly more valuable than an original painting by an obscure talent or up-and-comer. You may have great potential as a painter, but in this day and age, marketing yourself successfully is the key to adding long-term value to your work and creating the opportunity for your limited edition pieces to be sought after, not only for their obvious beauty & the technical application rendered by the artist, but for consumer investment opportunities presented years into the future.

You need to develop an attitude of full disclosure, exposing your process and thereby enabling art buyers and dealers to understand you are completely involved in the preparation of each piece (the more hands-on the better) and enmeshed in the final artistic result. Being privy to the technical involvement of the artist gives the art buyer the confidence to invest his time and money in you, with the added advantage that an ongoing artist/collector relationship will develop and spread to other parties in the buyer's circles.

If you, as an artist, are seriously considering making artwork a self-sustaining and long-term occupation, you will need to reflect on the advantages of art print creation and then cement a plan of action that will enable you to compete on both a national and global scale. You are an artist, but also a salesperson. Gone are the days of the tortured & penniless painter, creating great artworks in obscurity and lamenting a cold, cruel world which does not yet fully comprehend his/her genius. You have the tools and opportunities: Time to get to work.