Sketchbook Drawing Tip: Soften your Linework with Diluted Ink

I was out sketching the other day, (at the Montreal Biodome) and wanted to try a slight tweak to my sketchbook drawing method. Nothing too revolutionary – just the simple idea of sketching with diluted ink.

Sometimes I’m in the mood for an aggressive high-contrast drawing. It can be a lot of fun – especially if you’re working quickly (like these 5 min gesture drawings).

But other times I feel like having a black line under a watercolor sketch is a bit overpowering.  Of course you can also sketch directly with watercolor (with no drawing at all).  But that can be a bit nerve wracking. I find it takes a lot of focus. Or a willingness to draw three drawings and keep only the best one 🙂

So – this is a bit of a middle ground. A more relaxing way to draw.

I took a small…