Q&A for How to Ink a Drawing

Certainly! Artists use all types of different pens for inking, from sophisticated dip pens with interchangeable nibs to basic ballpoint pens. Use what you have at your disposal and try a variety of different tools to see which work best for your style.

Of course! That's what most people start out with.

You can, but it depends on your art style. It also depends on what you have on hand.

That depends on what kind of ink you have. In general, it's best to keep your ink bottle closed to help prevent spills.

Typically, yes. You can create a drawing entirely in pen and ink, but historically "inking" refers to the process of going over the pencil lines of a sketch to make them bolder and prepare the drawing to be colored.

It all just depends on your art style. If you think that will look best, then go ahead!

It depends on how narrow you want to go. For the super thin stuff, I usually use a Micron 005 point or a 01 point.

Some people do, some don’t. It usually depends on the style, so try different variations until you find a way you like.

Ink can come in a big variety of different colors; you can use any color you want. To find ink, try going to a craft store or looking on Amazon. Traditionally, black ink is used, but it is your choice.

Yes, you can use watercolor to wash certain areas. Whether or not it smears or not depends on the ink and paper you use. Try using high-quality ink and wait for the ink to dry before applying watercolor. You can spray it with fixative afterwards.

Using archival quality paper can prevent inks and paints from changing color.