Each of the illustrators has used pen and ink
as the medium for creating the images.
Robert Lawson David Macaulay
Garth WilliamsE.H. Shepard
Fast Facts
• Some of the first pens were made from hollow reeds or straws.
• Later, pens were created from the feathers of birds, such as geese and swans. These were called quill pens.
• It wasn’t until the 1800s that the first fountain
pens were used.
• Ball point pens first became popular after World War II.
Straight lines
Scribble lines
When pen is put to paper, many different types of lines can be created.
Curved lines
Cross hatchVertical lines
Diagonal lines
Horizontal lines
Dashed lines
Pen and ink illustrations contain many different styles of line.
Can you identify the different styles of line
used to create this image?
Cross-hatch
Straight lines
Straight lines with varied width
Dashed lines
Curved lines
Illustrators use the different styles of line, combined with the size, pattern, and shape of the line to create
value and texture.
Illustrators create value by changing the:
• Quantity of lines
• Closeness of lines
• Area of coverage
• Style of lines
This illustration has areas of light, medium, and dark value.
The light value was created by leaving a blank white space on the page.
The medium value was created with short, thin lines that are spaced so as to allow some of the white paper to show through.
The dark value was created with many lines spaced closely together to cover most of the white paper.
Analyze this image from the book The story of Ferdinand, created by Robert Lawson.
Can you locate areas of dark, medium, and light value?
What techniques did the illustrator use to create these values?
Compare the left and right sides of this image for value.
The left side contains many lines, in many patterns, with many shapes.
The right side is also very detailed, but does not contain the variety of line styles or the quantity of lines.
As a result, it has a lighter value.
The different styles of line in this illustration affect both the value and the texture.
The cross hatch creates a darker value and provides texture to the fabric.
Using only a few, feathery lines creates a lighter value and makes the mouse look soft.
Examine this illustration for texture.
Do you see any areas that are:
Rough?
Soft?
Prickly?
Smooth?
Coarse?
Fuzzy?
Decide which areas of the picture you would or would not like to touch.
How is this illustration rich in line style?
How is this illustration rich in value?
How is this illustration rich in texture?
You are the Illustrator
• Compose your own illustration of an object or animal
• Incorporate value, texture, and a variety of line styles into your illustration
• Analyze your final project for value, texture, and variety of line styles.
Finished early?
Browse the books from the cart and create a how-to manual for the class library on the medium of pen and ink.
Focus on finding examples of different line
styles, textures, or value in the illustrations from the books Ms. Cassidy has provided for us.