As a painter I love colour - and have found it a challenge when I am assigned a black and white illustration. Can the lines stand alone? And how might I soften the look of a thick black line.

I have found that subtle wash work does the job nicely - and the economy of line is put to the test when you have just, well... lines to work with.

Click the thumbnails below to see black and white samples of both the ligne claire and bold strokes styles.