A black pen, a sheet of paper, and a few quiet minutes are enough to try ink stippling. Build three shades using individual dots, then see whether you can make a circle look like a ball.
No special kit needed. Start with a pen you already own. Use scrap paper underneath if the ink might bleed through.
1. Make three shades
Draw three small boxes, about the width of two fingers. In the first box, place dots far apart so plenty of white paper shows. In the second, bring the dots closer together. In the third, add more dots until it looks darker.
Keep the pen and your pressure roughly the same. Change the spacing and number of dots, rather than pressing harder or drawing lines. Lift the tip between marks.
Pause and look at the boxes from arm’s length. Can you tell the three shades apart? If two look similar, add a few dots to the darker one. It is easier to add ink than take it away.
2. Turn a circle into a ball
Draw a circle beside your boxes. Imagine light coming from the upper left. Leave that part nearly white, use widely spaced dots through the middle, and bring the dots closer together toward the lower right.
Build the darker area in several passes. Avoid a sudden boundary between light and dark. If the shading looks flat, step back and compare it with your three boxes before adding more ink.
The circle outline is just a practice aid. You can try another ball using dots alone once you feel comfortable.
3. Try again and compare
Make a second small circle. Choose one thing to change: leave a larger highlight, make the transition more gradual, or slow down enough to keep the dots separate. Keep both attempts so you can see the difference.
Try it together
Give each person their own sheet and pen. Compare how dot spacing changes the shades. Start with the boxes if the ball feels difficult. There is no need to finish everything in one sitting.
Stippling and pointillism
This activity uses black ink stippling to create light and dark values. Color pointillism uses dots of color. They share an interest in separate marks, but this exercise does not require paint or color mixing.
Explore more painting and drawing activities.
What did you notice?
Which shade was easiest? Where would fewer dots help? If you want feedback, describe what you tried and the part you found difficult.
H&H’s project-sharing space is still developing. Visit the community page if you would like to take part. Keep your first sheet and return to this exercise for your next attempt.
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See where dots can lead
For finished hand-dotted artwork, explore Iron Heritage Studio. You can practice this activity without buying anything.