So you’ve always been the kind to scribble in the margins or be intrigued by that blank canvas? Jumping right into the colorful deep end is how this expert-led ink drawing course does it. “Maybe start with pencils.” That piece of mild counsel isn’t worth heeding. Not at all; I present to you ink, the feral stallion of paints. It bleeds, it flows, and it acts as it pleases. And if you’re feeling brave, I’ll do the same.
Who knew that art could be awoken by the pleasant crunch of an ink-filled brush? The teacher is not an authoritarian art dictator. Think more of a friend that is eager to let you splash, drip, and explore with them, and who has ink smudges on their shirt. Faux pas? Add one additional layer. Your whimsical wiggle lines have the potential to steal the show. You’ll begin to long for serendipitous encounters like that.
While classes dote on technique, they push students to dive headfirst into the expressive pool. There will be days when you want to sketch delicate bamboo stalks, with the ink flowing like the wind. Some days it’s just abstract mayhem. You feel what you experience—dancing crows, shadowy thickets. A “correct way” does not exist. You alone.
You can feel the energy in the room. While they fight with dropped balls and stray lines, classmates give each other knowing glances. Not everyone is an art expert. Sessions are always unexpected. While brushes linger in contemplation, there is a little pause. In the next moment, that daring blob of ink that looks like a melting snowman has everyone in fits of laughter.
The more you paint, the easier it is to release your need for perfection. You begin to pursue irrational notions. Deliberate and impulsiveness are both muddled by you. “Let your mistakes talk to you,” the teacher’s slogan, suddenly makes perfect sense. A subtle uprising against orderliness, perfection, and premeditation.
By the third week, you’re looking at your hands, which are now brightly stained black, and you’re probably wondering where this daring artist has been lurking. It turns out that ink drawing isn’t reserved for “artist types.” Anyone up for a delightfully chaotic disaster is welcome to try it.
Be prepared to squint as you see yourself painting tree branches with broad, expressive strokes. Or if you find that there is texture in every place you look, from rain on the sidewalk to coffee spills. When you get home, it’s as if inspiration follows you, babbling in a language you don’t understand.
Does this class have any addictive qualities? Sure thing. Could it be that the true essence of everything you unearth is your own untamed, smeared vitality? Remember, we warned you.