How to Draw Grass with Pen and Ink

00:10:43
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZiopESzIAo

Summary

TLDRThis video tutorial focuses on rendering grass in pen and ink using a systematic five-step process. It emphasizes the importance of layering grass blades, starting with the first row to guide the rest and maintaining perspective by sketching from references. Techniques include thickening the shadow side of overlapping blades, drawing thumbnail sketches to establish composition, and inking using a variety of pen sizes to achieve depth and texture. The tutorial shares insights from top Ink Masters and highlights the need for understanding your subject to enhance artistic accuracy and realism.

Takeaways

  • 🖋️ Render blades in the first row first for organization.
  • 📷 Use references to improve accuracy and confidence.
  • ✏️ Thumbnail sketches help decide composition.
  • 🌱 Maintain perspective with cross-contour lines.
  • 🖨️ Vary line width to show depth and detail.
  • 🎨 Study your subject for better realism.
  • 🖼️ 'Missing edges' technique for flexibility.
  • 🔍 Thickening shadows helps define overlaps.
  • 📐 Use different pen sizes for varying textures.
  • 🖌️ A five-step process ensures systematic rendering.

Timeline

  • 00:00:00 - 00:05:00

    The key to rendering grass involves starting with the foreground blades and then layering blades tucked behind them. It's important to thicken the shadow side of overlapping blades and add cast shadows to keep the layers organized. This session covers a five-step process for illustrating grass in pen and ink and highlights the importance of researching grass before drawing. Reference images and thumbnails aid composition, and understanding the growth pattern of grass blades assists in planning the artwork.

  • 00:05:00 - 00:10:43

    When inking, use varying pen sizes for different elements: larger sizes for shadows and thinner for details. Maintain clarity by leaving gaps in the outlines on the highlight side using 'missing edges' which can be closed later when rendering. The process involves building layers of grass by drawing the blade tips first and adding shadows to separate them from the background. Contrast is key, with thicker lines for foreground elements and gradually shorter, less detailed strokes towards the horizon, employing cross-hatching to add mid-tones. Ink Masters' works are explored for inspiration, focusing on their techniques to create depth and texture.

Mind Map

Video Q&A

  • What is the first step in rendering grass?

    Render the blades in the first row first, then add the next layer of blades that are tucked behind.

  • Why is it important to use references?

    References help you render grasslands with confidence and provide accuracy in drawing.

  • What is a key technique in inking grass?

    Inking the blades in the first row first and immediately thickening the outline on the shadow side is key to maintaining order in the drawing process.

  • What are some tips for maintaining perspective in the drawing?

    Use cross-contour lines and vary line width according to distance to create depth and perspective.

  • How can you ensure your drawings maintain a realistic look?

    By studying the subject in detail and making use of references, you can capture the realistic appearance of grass.

  • Why should you draw thumbnail sketches?

    Thumbnail sketches help in deciding the composition and arrangement before starting the main drawing.

  • What are missing edges in drawing?

    Missing edges is a technique where gaps in the outline are left, allowing for flexibility in defining edges when rendering the background later.

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  • 00:00:00
    the trick with grass is to render the
  • 00:00:02
    blades in the first row first then add
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    the next layer of blades that are tucked
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    behind to stay on track and not get lost
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    in the intertwining of grasses
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    immediately thicken the shadow side of
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    the overlapping blades and add the cash
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    Shadow this will keep you sorted as you
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    layer in your grassy
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    landscape today we'll render grass in a
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    nature scene with pen and ink using a
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    five step process we'll also take a
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    quick peek at how top Ink Masters
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    illustrate grassy Landscapes with style
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    why do research it's important to draw a
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    lot but understanding your subject is
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    more important said Kim junge we all
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    know what grass looks like but drawing
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    from memory it could end up like this
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    grass is rarely the main subject in a
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    piece it's usually a supporting element
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    but if rushed or poorly executed can be
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    distract ing to the viewer and ruin your
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    artwork references provide a better
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    chance to render grasslands with
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    confidence when you're inspired by a
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    landscape download or snap a few photos
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    sketch different species of grass while
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    you're in nature to better understand
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    your
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    subject next decide on a composition by
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    doing thumbnail sketches why bother with
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    the step if like me you've gathered
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    several references to compose a scene
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    then you'll want to assemble these in
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    proportion in a pleasing Arrangement
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    establish the direction of light at this
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    stage note that each of my thumbnails
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    I've drawn the front row of blades at
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    eye level with everything else Vanishing
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    from a onepoint perspective on the
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    horizon
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    [Music]
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    line if you look closely grasp grows in
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    leaves and in clusters as it grows tall
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    or older it falls and folds the Wilder
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    the grass the more crisscrossing the
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    subject study stage is not only a
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    practice session before the final it's
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    where you make key decisions about how
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    to Ink your
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    [Music]
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    piece I went ahead and recreated the
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    scene and pencil as the Contour drawing
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    of my favorite thumbnail
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    [Music]
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    the tiny figure is the vanishing point
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    on my horizon line no need to draw a
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    full perspective grid just a few
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    guidelines in the front row at ey Lev
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    grass I immediately add Shadow keep
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    track of the overlapping blades I've
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    switched from a plastic to a needed
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    eraser it works well to lift off the
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    graphite without smearing the good
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    bristle paper then after penciling in
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    the front row I add the background I'm
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    leaving most of the center blank for now
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    to be added as the inking progresses
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    it's easier to construct the layout in
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    this sequence otherwise if you pencil
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    the entire field all at once those
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    layers of grass become a disorienting
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    maze I'm drawing cross contour lines on
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    the tree trunks these cross contour
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    lines are Loosely positioned towards the
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    vanishing point these lines won't be a
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    the cross contour lines are there as a
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    reminder that threee shapes are not flat
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    but to be given a form at the inking
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    stage for the ink application I'm
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    continuing with my set of Tombo fine
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    liner pens these pens are similar to
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    microns except Tombo tips are more plant
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    Under Pressure they're softer this gives
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    me the ability to vary the pressure on
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    the tip for line quality
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    [Music]
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    again the trick with grass is to Ink the
  • 00:04:25
    blades in the first row first
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    we'll pencil in the next layer of blades
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    that are tucked behind after inking the
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    first
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    [Music]
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    row to stay on track and not get lost in
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    the intertwining of grasses immediately
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    thick in the outline on the shadow side
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    of the overlapping blades then fill in
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    the cast Shadow this will keep you
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    sorted as you layer in your grassy
  • 00:04:58
    landscape you'll note that I'm leaving
  • 00:05:00
    gaps in the outline of the Highlight
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    side this is a technique called missing
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    edges this gives us the option to close
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    those edges when we render the
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    background we're leaving our options
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    open I started with a 03 pen size I used
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    an 05 for the shadows and an 01 for
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    hatching the details
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    [Music]
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    if you're wondering how to hatch the
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    blades it helps to convert your grass
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    references to grayscale also as
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    mentioned I'm referencing my subject
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    studies keep your artwork tidy for the
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    next row of grasses with with your
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    needed eraser otherwise uh gently with
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    your eraser of choice draw the blade
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    tips for the second layer you can
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    connect the bottoms at the inking stage
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    remember to add the cow Shadow
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    immediately to Mark which stroke belongs
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    to a Blade's Edge and which is a
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    separation from the background the C
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    shadow on the second layer is longer
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    than the first row
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    [Music]
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    a
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    [Music]
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    [Music]
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    you'll notice in the Gras reference that
  • 00:07:10
    distant single blades and clusters are
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    swaying sideways to recreate this effect
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    plus the illusion of depth the remainder
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    of our grass becomes like a line texture
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    we'll bring The Strokes closer together
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    gradually as we draw towards the horizon
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    line
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    now we can see more contrast is needed
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    in the front row I switched to my
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    thickest nib to emphasize shadows and
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    gaps in the
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    [Music]
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    Forefront let's add midtones to the
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    blades that are buried behind this is
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    where you could cross-hatch your
  • 00:07:58
    midtones if that's the technique you
  • 00:08:00
    prefer we can revisit this front section
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    once the piece is rendered fully to
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    balance the arrangement of
  • 00:08:08
    [Music]
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    values the next section is critical to
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    establish atmospheric perspective our
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    blades become significantly
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    shorter with gradually fewer details
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    lighter values and thinner Strokes
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    [Music]
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    instead of darkening the Shadows we
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    widen the
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    [Music]
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    highlights let's take a quick peek at
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    how the Ink Masters illustrate grass for
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    inspiration on style Franklin Booth's
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    tiger hunt
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    [Music]
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    Bernie riton
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    Frankenstein canaro Mias gots from
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    berserk Sergio topi if anyone knows the
  • 00:09:14
    title of this piece please share it in
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    the
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    comments Aaron horis to herrow and
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    naif and Philip Harris with query
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    building runes in Princeton
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    the commonalities are all each of these
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    Ink Masters have framed the grassy areas
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    with a bump in contrast either with
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    solid black or solid
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    white they manage the intertwining
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    Blades by augmenting the cast Shadows on
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    the overlapping
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    blades they use thicker line weights for
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    the elements closest to the viewer they
  • 00:09:57
    reduce the size of the grass blades
  • 00:10:00
    becoming significantly shorter with
  • 00:10:02
    gradually fewer details as we move
  • 00:10:05
    towards the horizon line they created a
  • 00:10:08
    texture pattern for the blades that are
  • 00:10:10
    tucked behind further in the distance
  • 00:10:13
    and rendered more details for the blades
  • 00:10:15
    that are closest to the viewer combined
  • 00:10:18
    these techniques create a believable
  • 00:10:21
    illusion of perspective and depth I hope
  • 00:10:24
    that you enjoyed this five-step approach
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    and that your Inky grass turns out the
  • 00:10:29
    the way that you
  • 00:10:30
    [Music]
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    want thanks for watching and I'll see
  • 00:10:35
    you in the next one
Tags
  • pen and ink
  • grass rendering
  • art technique
  • layering
  • perspective
  • art reference
  • thumbnail sketches
  • inking
  • Ink Masters