Hatching is a technique used primarily in printing, although similar techniques can be used in drawings, to create variations in value. The premise is that lines that are placed closer together create darker areas. This is helpful when the medium has only two colors. In prints it is often black ink on white paper. If those lines are placed in opposition then cross-hatching is the technique used. This can create even darker areas. Another technique that is very similar is called stippling. These are dots that are placed closer together or farther apart.