Draw a Ballpoint Portrait with Blending Virtuoso Robin Hilthouse

"I simply have to draw," says Robin Hilthouse, an art lecturer in The Netherlands who teaches traditional and digital drawing techniques.

"It’s second nature. On the bus, on the phone, in a meeting, during my holidays…I couldn’t imagine myself without this amazing way of expression."

With this passionate commitment to drawing, Robin has honed an ability to capture his portrait subjects with uncanny accuracy using just a simple pen.

In this lesson (59 mins), Robin draws a ballpoint-pen portrait of Esther Kiehl, a prolific muse who has inspired hundreds of Museum artists.

The tutorial is a masterclass on blending, an essential drawing technique for rendering volume and light.

Ready to draw with Robin? Let's get started!