Introduction to Illustration with India Ink

Interested in adding India ink illustrations to your artistic repertoire? In this online course, designer and illustrator Hilda Palafox—better known as “Poni”—helps you master this ancient medium that can be applied to a variety of different art forms, such as drawing, calligraphy, and comics.

Tap into her professional experience—including collaborations with companies like Vans, Nike, Google, and Red Bull—and discover how to apply this style in a unique and personal way.

Start off by getting to know Hilda, her work, and her influences before seeing how different artists work with India ink to create a wide range of results.

Next, review the different materials required when working with this technique, such as types of paper, brushes, and the ink itself.

Then, roll up your sleeves and get to work! Learn to create gradients as a first step before exploring levels of depth, three-dimensionality, and blocks of color. After mastering these basic concepts, fine-tune how you handle and use the brush.

Next, dive into the final project by working with India ink at different levels of concentration, followed by blocks of black color, open spaces, and white acrylic paint. Lastly, refine the details and learn how to correct small mistakes that may occur throughout the process.

To wrap up, digitize your illustration and do some simple retouching in Photoshop.

Reinterpret a photograph in the form of an illustration using Chinese ink and the different concepts learned throughout the course.

Designers, illustrators, artists, and anyone looking for new ways to express their creativity with traditional techniques.

No prior knowledge is needed. As for materials, you need:

• a notebook or sheets of watercolor or India ink paper,
• a pencil,
• an eraser,
• black India ink,
• white acrylic paint,
• brushes of different sizes and shapes,
• tape,
• water,
• a watercolor pan,
• paper towels, and
• a computer with Photoshop.