My weekly art workload always includes drawing with India ink. I use India ink more than pencils, pens, markers, paint, or pretty much any other art media.
I started drawing with this stuff when I was 13 years old; my parents had bought me “How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way.” and I found the sections on drawing with India Ink fascinating. Practice started with a small bottle of Higgins and a Windsor Newton sable brush. I was clunky, slow and my lines looked as though they had been drawn while riding on a bus. Slowly through the years I practiced and made this stuff a part of my daily life. Eventually drawing with it became second nature to me and now, I cannot imagine doing my art without it.
Things are a bit different now of course; I don’t use Windsor Newton sable brushes anymore (my technique and hand pressure destroys almost any supply I touch, therefore I switched to cheaper brushes) and I dropped Higgins many years ago in favor of Speedball. While in the past I used brushes exclusively, I now have a large collection of tools; dozens of pen nibs, a toothbrush, an ink compass, and a large collection of cheap, worn down brushes which are covered in tape that barely holds them together. Everything is stored in one large, black drawing box. All items in this box, erasers, pencils, pens, jars, are coated in ink. The stuff gets on everything; it shows up in every aspect of your life. And in a similar fashion to car engine oil, it stays on your hands way longer than you want.
It’s on my shirts, pants, my pillow, even my blankets. I often ask myself: “How does this stuff get everywhere?” only to remember drawing with ink while in bed was my own foolish decision. Why draw like this? I have a desk; I have a work space; why do I have to work in bed, at the dinner table, in the living room? For me it’s the satisfaction of being able to relax while working. To feel at home when doing comic book art. The relaxation keeps me working, keeps me from slacking off, and often times inspires me to push myself and make things I wouldn’t dare try in a professional environment. I guess it’s similar to many painters I have known who eat their lunches at their easel and wear their painting clothes to bed.
So I have this messy box, filled with materials that are half broken and barely stay together. This goes with a media that tends to spill and get on everything, permanently. These aspects are what make India Ink such an amazing media. All of these negatives give way to it’s gigantic positive nature. India Ink is powerful stuff when used well. I have never found another media that can create life and energy like this stuff can. It’s messy, it’s hard to use, it’s unforgiving, but it can do such amazing things, taking the time to learn it is worth the effort.
And on that point, I will also say that India Ink, when practiced with, does not need expensive or fancy tools to look good. Broken materials can still make beautiful work. Do not feel as though you need to buy 40$ brushes to make your work look spectacular. A 3$ brush in the right hands can do the trick just as well.
Therefore; I encourage all you folks who are reading this and who want to enjoy the art of drawing with India Ink, to go out, buy a bottle and experiment. Get a few cheap brushes (maybe even get an expensive one if that will make you happy) and see what appears from your journey.
You may find after using it a few times, that although India Ink is difficult to use, it is even harder to stop using. It’s fun, wind and gives you limitless potential.
I’ll end my thoughts here. I hope all of you have a great weekend.
