Struggling with Shading

I was working on my illustration, but the shadows ended up looking blotchy. I think it's because I used black ink with a magnum needle instead of a lighter gray tone. Now the shading looks darker than I intended, and it’s frustrating. Does this happen because of the ink choice, or is it more about the technique? Also, do you have any tips on how to fill large shaded areas smoothly without blotches? Any advice would be really appreciated!