Stippling makes value with dots. Many dots close together read dark; a few dots far apart read light. It is slow, but it gives soft, even tones and a texture of its own.
Key idea
More dots, closer together, read darker. Keep each mark a dot, not a dash.
Why it works
Like hatching, stippling works by how much of the paper you cover. Dots have no direction, so a stippled area looks soft and smooth, which suits rounded forms, smooth fruit and soft shadows.
Worked example: Darker without bigger dots
You want one area of a stippled drawing darker. What do you change?
- Value comes from how much paper is covered.
- Add more dots there, closer together.
Answer: Add more dots, packed closer together.
Common mistake
People drag the pen and make little dashes instead of dots, which changes the texture and looks like hair or grass. Hold the pen upright and tap straight down, lifting it all the way between dots.
- A fine pen works best; a sharp pencil works too.
- Spread a light, even layer of dots over every area that is not pure white.
- Go back and add more dots only where the value should be darker.
- Leave the highlights as clean paper.
- Be patient: even a small drawing takes many dots, so start with something the size of your palm.