Mastering the Art of Line and Wash: 6 Essential Tips for Stunning Results

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What makes line and wash different from other types of mixed media artwork? Is there a "proper" order of steps to follow for better results and to avoid undesired accidents? How do artists know how much to do with ink and how much to do with watercolor?


I love the eye-catching effects and the balance that can be achieved by using the strengths of pen/ink and watercolor in one same 'line and wash' piece.

On the one hand, we have watercolors’ looser, fluid, spontaneous, vibrantly colored shapes and washes. This is a painting medium. 

On the other, we have ink pens’ precise, lines and marks. This is a drawing medium. 

There are so many opportunities for artists to make their own choices and arrive at visually striking, unique results.
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After several years of practicing with both mediums in isolation, as well as in combination, I've learned a few key things that help me create great-looking line and wash art.

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6 Tips for Stunning Line + Wash Art

​1. Start with a Light Pencil Sketch 

Drawing with a pen can be intimidating because ink is permanent. Once you've drawn a line or mark, there's no taking it back. 

There's nothing wrong with creating a preliminary pencil sketch before jumping into the next part of the process.

I love using an HB pencil for this and make sure to draw lightly so that I can easily erase the graphite later. Make sure shapes, proportions and perspective look good before moving forward.

Take your time with your preliminary sketch. It's the foundation for everything else!

In this tutorial, I take you through my entire process, from pencil sketch, to pen and ink techniques, to watercolor washes. 



2. Understand the Strengths of Each Medium 

To be clear, I don't believe there are any rules in art.

However, I do think any beginner artist would benefit tremendously from learning the characteristics that set the medium on hand apart from others, and how to use it to its full potential before going all out with experimentation.

Why?

Because if you know how to use the mediums separately, there's a greater chance you'll arrive at better results when you combine them.
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Check out my favorite pen and ink tips in this video and the essential watercolor techniques to master in this video.

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Looking for a full line and wash tutorial to follow along with?

In this one, I take you through my entire process, from preliminary pencil sketch, to pen and ink techniques, to bright watercolor washes. 

If you enjoyed this video and found it helpful, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I share a brand new video every week with art tips, drawing and painting tutorials and mindset/productivity tips for artists. *Subscribe HERE*


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3. Create a Balanced Composition 

When combining different art mediums, it can be incredibly easy to overly describe minor details, values, textures, etc., with all of them.

This can lead to artwork that looks overdone, heavy and even flat.

Asking yourself a few questions before getting started and going in with at least a basic strategy is always smart.

One of the first things I ask myself when preparing for a line and wash piece is: 
How much will I do with each medium?

• Am I aiming for 50% ink and 50% watercolor throughout the piece?
• Will it be more of a 30:70 ratio?
• What will I be doing with each?

Find line and wash pieces online that you love, analyze them for a bit and ask yourself: How much work did the artist do with each medium? How was a balance created? Then use this information for your own work.

After that, think of techniques you'll be using with each medium, such as specific alternative shading/mark-making (hatching, crosshatching, scribbling, stippling, etc.), whether you'll be using wet-on-wet or wet-on-dry with watercolor, how many different colors you'll be bringing in, etc.

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4. Choose the Right Paper 

When you're bringing in watercolor it's essential to use paper that's intended for water-soluble mediums. If you're going to be using wet-on-wet techniques and/or layering, I'd recommend using paper that's at least 140 lbs/300 gsm in weight.

Also, when you're going to be using pens on your watercolor paper, it's important to acknowledge that its texture/tooth is going to impact your process and results.

If you use heavily textured paper, your pen/nib is very likely going to "skip" over certain sections, leading to broken lines. Smoother paper will lead to less broken lines.

Different artists enjoy different texture levels. There is no "right" or "wrong".

In this blog post I explain everything you should know about watercolor paper types (Hot Pressed, Cold Pressed, Rough). 

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Arches Hot Pressed Watercolor Paper 100% Cotton 140 lbs 10x14"

Strathmore Hot Pressed Watercolor Paper 100% Cotton 140 lbs. 8x10"

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For a list of my current favorite art supplies, go here. 

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5. Use Waterproof Ink 

You can decide whether to do the painting or the inking first, depending on your subject and the style you're going for.

If you're doing your line work first, it's important to use ink that's waterproof, as your lines will smudge when you apply your paint on top if you don't. This will muddy up your colors and cannot be fixed.

Whichever order you decide to work in, remember to be patient and allow the ink or the watercolor, to dry completely before moving on to the next part of the process. 
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​Check out this blog post for things to have in mind when buying ink pens (and ink tubs) to use in combination with watercolor.
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Micron Pens Set 3 Sizes

Staedtler Pigment Liners Set 6 Sizes

6. Simplify Your Composition 

The dictionary defines simplification as "the process of making something less complicated and therefore easier to do or understand".

Simplify for yourself (so that your process goes more smoothly) but also simplify for your viewer.

If everything has the same level of importance in a visual composition, then nothing is that important. Plus, if everything is equally detailed, it'll likely be confusing to the viewer or even overwhelming to look at.

When working on this kind of piece, learning how to simplify and synthesize is key to communicating the message without having to include every single detail.
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Figure out the essence of what you're trying to draw or paint, whether it's a person, an object, or a setting, and ask yourself what you can simplify.

Ask yourself questions such as: 

• What do I want to pull the viewer's attention toward and what elements/areas are secondary?
• What can I remove while still making this look like a _________?
• How can I limit the amount of colors I'll be using?
• What technique will help me describe this texture with the least amount of marks or strokes?

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I hope this post was helpful. Thanks so much for reading and have fun with line and wash!

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