Early History

Artists from several ancient cultures used ink in their fine art drawings. One of the earliest surviving images in Greek art, drawn in pen and dye (on papyrus), is The Abduction of Briseis (c.300 CE) by an unknown Greek artist (Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich).

Renaissance Pen and Ink Drawings

During the Renaissance era, stylus, metalpoint and pen with ink were considered as fine line media as opposed to the broad line of charcoal and chalks. The precise effect of pen and ink is exemplified by the virtuoso draughtsman Leonardo Da Vinci in his work Five Grotesque Heads (Royal Library, windsor Castle).

Later History

Pen and ink was used by many draughtsmen during the Baroque, Rococo, Romantic, Neoclassical art movements and throughout the nineteenth century. Examples include: Foetus in Utero (1512), a scientific drawing by Leonardo Da Vinci using pen and ink with red chalk (Royal Library, Windsor Castle); Running Youth with Left Arm Extended (1504) by Michelangelo using pen and brown ink (British Museum); Pastoral Landscape by Claude Lorrain (1644) using pen with brown and grey brown wash.

Modern

Nowadays, the colour of ink illustrations is richer, and the way of making ink illustrations has become more changeable. In addition to traditional printing technology, digital is a major feature of ink illustration nowadays. With advanced technology, people can use electronic equipment to simulate various materials. To be precise, compared with paper painting, the electronic version is more fault-tolerant, and the illustrator can change his dissatisfaction at will.