Cross Hatching

Ideal for sketching, cross-hatching is predominantly used by pen artists, but creates tonal depth and can produce realistic textures when employed with pencil.
Cross Hatching is ideal when creating a ‘light map’ for your piece. By ‘light map’, I mean the paths in which light takes across your subject. By using different directional strokes, you leave an indication of the different light sources and their strength. Using a compact and meticulous crosshatching technique one can create breathtakingly realistic art. When the individual lines are tightly woven they can be undetectable, and the overall impression smooth, realistic and accurate.