Get Started with Stippling

Stippling is a drawing technique that uses nothing but dots to create areas of light and shadow. It can add depth and dimension to simple illustrations or, with a little patience, create stunning works of art.

Stippling is a great technique to add to your drawing toolkit: it’s a forgiving technique that’s accessible to beginners, it requires very little equipment, and once you’ve mastered the basics you can use the same method to create more and more detailed and realistic illustrations. The possibilities are endless!

This class is suitable for beginners, as well as those looking to develop their stippling technique and challenge themselves to produce a pen & ink stippled illustration.

What we’ll cover:

What is Stippling?  We’ll have a look at simple stippling examples and amazing stippled works of art, as well as its use in scientific diagrams and natural history illustrations.

Tools & Technique  I’ll give my personal recommendations for pens and paper to use with this technique, as well as what to avoid. I’ll also demonstrate a basic exercise that forms the foundation of this technique.

Choosing your Subject  We’ll go over what makes a good reference image, and what to think about when deciding on a subject to illustrate with this technique. I’ll also show you how I prepare the reference photo to make my life easier when I start stippling.

Stippling a Crab  I’ll show you how I approach the illustration from start to finish, with tips and advice along the way.

Summary & Your Project  Download my free ‘Get Started with Stippling’ worksheet to practice shading with stippled dots, and have a go at your own stippled illustration using what you’ve learned in this class. Have a look at the ‘Your Project’ tab for more info.

Let me know if you have any questions. I hope you enjoy the class and I can’t wait to see your project photos.

Don’t forget to follow me on Skillshare. Click the ‘Follow’ button next to my name and you’ll be notified as soon as I post a new class.

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