BASICTEXTURESINPENCIL

Apencil’spointcanunleashaworldofcreativesatisfaction.Andalthoughmanyartistsmayviewitasasimplesketchingtool,itcanalsobeusedtoexpressthecaptivatingtexturesofboththenaturalandmanufacturedworlds.Apencilcancapturethefragilebeautyofabutterfly’swingortheimposingformofasteelskyscraper.Fromthedelicatelinescreatedbyasharpened,hardleadpointtothevelvety,deepvaluesofasoftgraphite,therangeoftexturalpossibilitiesisinfinite!

—DianeCardaci

CONTENTS

Tools&Materials

GraphiteTechniques

UnderstandingValue

Texture,Light&Form

Botanicals

StillLife

Wildlife

Landscape

Cityscape

Portrait

Pets

TOOLS&MATERIALS

Graphitepencilartworkrequiresfewsupplies,andfortunately

theyarefairlyinexpensive.Chooseprofessionalpencilsand

paper,ratherthanstudent-gradematerials;theywilllast

longerandensureahigher-qualitypresentation.

PencilsPencilsarelabeledbasedontheirleadtexture.Hardleads(H)arelightinvalueandgreatforfine,detailedwork,buttheyaremoredifficulttoerase.Softleads(B)aredarkerandwonderfulforblendingandshading,buttheysmudgeeasily.Mediumleads,suchasHBandF,aresomewhereinthemiddle.SelectarangeofpencilsbetweenHBand6Bforvariety.Youcanpurchasewood-encasedpencilsormechanicalpencilswithleadrefills.

WoodenPencilThemostcommontypeofpenciliswood-encasedgraphite.Thesethinrods—mostoftenroundorhexagonalwhencutcrosswise—areinexpensive,easytocontrolandsharpen,andreadilyavailabletoartists.

FlatCarpenter’sPencilSomeartistspreferusingaflatcarpenter’spencil,whichhasarectangularbodyandlead.Thethickleadallowsyoutoeasilycustomizeitsshapetocreateboththickandthinlines.

Carpenter’sPencil

MechanicalPencilMechanicalpencilsareplasticormetalbarrelsthatholdindividualleads.Someartistsprefertheconsistentfeelofmechanicalpencilstothatofwoodenpencils;theweightandlengthdonotchangeovertime,unlikewoodenpencilsthatweardownwithuse.

MechanicalPencil

WoodlessGraphitePencilThesetoolsareshapedlikedwoodenpencilsbutaremadeupentirelyofgraphitelead.Thelargeconeofgraphiteallowsartiststouseeitherthebroadsideforshadinglargeareasorthetipforfinerstrokesanddetails.

WoodlessPencil

WoodlessPencil

GraphiteStickAvailableinafullrangeofhardnesses,theselong,rectangularbarsofgraphitearegreattoolsforsketching(usingtheend)andblockinginlargeareasoftone(usingthebroadside).

GraphiteStick

PaperPaperhasatooth,ortexture,thatholdsgraphite.Paperswithmoretoothhavearoughertextureandholdmoregraphite,whichallowsyoutocreatedarkervalues.Smootherpaperhaslesstoothandholdslessgraphite,butitallowsyoutocreatemuchfinerdetail.Planaheadwhenbeginninganewpiece,andselectpaperthatlendsitselftothetexturesinyourdrawingsubject.

BlendingToolsThereareseveraltoolsyoucanusetoblendgraphiteforasmoothlook.Themostpopularblendersareblendingstumps,tortillons,andchamoiscloths.Neveruseyourfingertoblend—itcanleaveoilsonyourpaper,whichwillshowafterapplyinggraphite.

StumpsStumpsaretightlyrolledpaperwithpointsonbothends.Theycomeinvarioussizesandareusedtoblendlargeandsmallareasofgraphite,dependingonthesizeofthestump.Youcanalsousestumpsdippedingraphiteshavingsfordrawingorshading.

TortillonsTortillonsarerolledmorelooselythanastump.Theyarehollowandhaveonepointedend.Tortillonsalsocomeinvarioussizesandcanbeusedtoblendsmallerareasofgraphite.

FacialTissueWraptissuearoundyourfingerorrollitintoapointtoblendwhendrawingverysmoothsurfaces.Makesureyouuseplainfacialtissue,withoutaddedmoisturizer.

ChamoisChamoisaregreatforblendingareasintoasofttone.Theseclothscanbeusedforlargeareasorfoldedintoapointforsmallerareas.Whenthechamoisbecomesembeddedwithgraphite,simplythrowthemintothewasherorwashbyhand.Keeponewithgraphiteonittocreatelargeareasoflightshading.Tocreatedarkerareasofshading,addgraphiteshavingstothechamois.

ErasersErasersservetwopurposes:toeliminateunwantedgraphiteandto“draw”withinexistinggraphite.Therearemanydifferenttypesoferasersavailable.

KneadedThisversatileerasercanbemoldedintoafinepoint,aknife-edge,oralargerflatorroundedsurface.Itremovesgraphitegentlyfromthepaperbutnotaswellasvinylorplasticerasers.

BlockEraserAplasticblockeraserisfairlysoft,removesgraphitewell,andisveryeasyonyourpaper.Useitprimarilyforerasinglargeareas,butitalsoworksquite

wellfordoingafinalcleanupofafinisheddrawing.

StickEraserAlsocalled“pencilerasers,”thesehandytoolsholdacylindricaleraserinside.Youcanusethemtoeraseareaswherealargereraserwillnotwork.Usingautilityrazorblade,youcantrimthetipatanangleorcutafinepointtocreatethinwhitelinesingraphite.It’slikedrawingwithyoureraser!

GRAPHITETECHNIQUES

Thewayyouapplyamediumtopapercontributestothe

overallmoodandstyleofapiece.Armyourselfwithavariety

ofeffectsbygettingtoknowthefollowingtechniques.You

canusemanyofthesetechniquesforotherdrymedia,such

ascharcoalandpastel.

GradatingwithPressureAgradationisatransitionoftonefromdarktolight.Tocreateasimplegradationusingonepencil,beginwithheavierpressureandgraduallylightenitasyoustrokebackandforth.Avoidpressinghardenoughtoscoreorcompletelyflattenthetoothofthepaper.

GradatingwithHardnessBecausedifferentpencilhardnessesyielddifferentvalues,youcancreateagradationbyusingaseriesofpencils.Beginwithsoft,darkleadsandswitchtoharder,grayertonesasyoumoveawayfromthestartingpoint.

StipplingApplysmalldotsofgraphiteforaspeckledtexture.Topreventthistechniquefromappearingtoomechanical,subtlyvarythedotsizesanddistancesfromeachother.

ScumblingThisorganicshadingmethodinvolvesscribblinglooselytobuildupgeneraltone.Keepyourpressurelightandconsistentasyoumovethepencilinrandomdirections.

BurnishingItisdifficulttoachieveaverydarktonewithjustonegraphitepencil,evenwhenusingasoftlead.Toachieveadark,flattone,applyaheavylayerofsoftleadfollowedbyalayerofharderlead.Thehardleadwillpushthesoftergraphiteintothetoothofthepaper,spreadingitevenly.Shownatrightis4Hover4Blead.

TIP

ApplyingGraphitewithaBlenderChamoisUsingachamoisisagreatwaytoapplygraphitetoalargearea.Wrapitaroundyourfingeranddipitinsavedgraphiteshavingstocreateadarktone,orusewhatmaybealreadyonthechamoistoapplyalightertone.

StumpStumpsaregreatnotonlyforblendingbutalsoforapplyinggraphite.Useanoldstumptoapplysavedgraphiteshavingstobothlargeandsmallareas.Youcanachievearangeofvaluesdependingontheamountofgraphiteonthestump.

IndentingTopreservefinewhitelinesinadrawing,suchasthoseusedtosuggestwhiskers,someartistsindent(orincise)thepaperbeforeapplyingtone.Useastylusto“draw”yourwhitelines;thenstrokeyourpencilovertheareaandblend.Theindentationswillremainfreeoftone.

“Drawing”withanEraserUsethecornerofablockeraserortheendofastickeraserto“draw”withinareasoftone,resultinginlightstrokes.Youcanusethistechniquetorecoverlightsandhighlightsafterblending.

HatchingHatchingisconsideredoneofthesimplestformsofshading.Simplyapplyaseriesofparallellinestorepresentdarkertonesandshadows.Theclosertogetheryouplacethelines,thedarkertheshadingwillappear.

CrosshatchingTocrosshatch,placelayersofparallellinesovereachotheratvaryingangles.Thisresultsina“mesh”oftonethatgivesshadedareasatextured,intricatefeel.Foranaddedsenseofdepth,makethelinesfollowthecurvesofyourobject’ssurface.

UNDERSTANDINGVALUE

Oneofthemainchallengesofdrawingismakingaflat,two-

dimensionalimagelooklikeathree-dimensionalobject.By

shading(addingdarkvalues)andhighlighting(addinglight

values),youcanproducethevaluevariationsneededto

createtheillusionofdepthinyourdrawings.

CreatingaValueScaleMakingyourownvaluescalewillhelpfamiliarizeyouwiththedifferentvariationsinvalue.Workfromlighttodark,addingmoreandmoretoneforsuccessivelydarkervalues.

BlendingValuesNowcreateablendedvaluescale—useablendingstumptosmudgeandblendeachvalueintoitsneighboringvaluefromlighttodark.Thiswillshowyouhowonevalueblendsintothenextastheygraduallygetdarker.

AddingValuetoCreateFormAshapecanbefurtherdefinedbyshowinghowlighthitstheobjecttocreatehighlightsandshadows.Firstnotefromwhichdirectionthesourceoflightiscoming.(Intheseexamples,thelightsourceisbeamingfromtheupperright.)Thenaddtheshadowsaccordingly,asshownintheexamplesbelow.Thecoreshadowisthedarkestareaon

shownintheexamplesbelow.Thecoreshadowisthedarkestareaontheobjectandisoppositethelightsource.Thecastshadowiswhatisthrownontoanearbysurfacebytheobject.Thehighlightisthelightestareaontheobject,wherethereflectionoflightisstrongest.Reflectedlight,oftenoverlookedbybeginners,issurroundinglightthatisreflectedintotheshadowedareaofanobject.

TEXTURE,LIGHT&FORM

Lightcontributestothetextureofanobject.Asthelightfalls

acrossanobjectwithastrongtexture,eachindividualaspect

ofthetexturewillcreateitsownlightandshadoweffect.But

theseindividualvaluechangesmustremainsecondarytothe

formshadows,ortheformwillbelost.

Whenyouaredrawinganobjectwithtexture,firstimagineitasasmoothobjectwithnotextureatall.Thinkofthetextureoftheobjectasasortoftranslucentcoat,sotheunderlyingvaluesoftheformwillshowthrough.Itisgoodpracticetodrawafewtexturedobjectsanddevelopalight,middle,anddarkvalueforeachoftheobjects.Thenlookathowtheformchangesasthevalueschange.

SeeingFormAcoconut(shownaboveasbeinglitfromathree-quarterangle)hasaformsimilartothatofanegg.Imaginethecoconutwithasmooth,egglikesurface.Onceyouunderstandthewaythelightishittingtheobject,youcandrawitsform.

Formvs.TextureAcoconutisagoodexampleoftextureversusform.Youmightbetemptedtousedark,heavyshadingtoportraythecoconut’ssurface.However,inthiscase,thecoconut’sformismoreimportantthanitstexture.

StudyingShapesTounderstandhowthelightsourcecreatestheformofthistree,breakdownthetreeintoaballandacylinder.Useroughpapertoaddsometexture,andputdownalayerofdarktonewiththesideofthepencil.

AddingDetailUsingshortstrokes,createtheleaves.Don’tgetcaughtupindrawingindividualleaves—insteadsuggesttheleaveswithapatternoftexture.Asyoudrawtheleaves,leavethetexturelighterontopwherethelightsourcehitsthetree.

BOTANICALS

Whendrawingplants,itisimportanttorememberthatleaves

andpetalscomeinmanyshapes,sizesandtextures.Besides

theirgeneralshape,theiredges(irregularorsmooth),

shininess(glossyormatte),andthicknessmustbecarefully

observed.

PETALS

Drawtheoutlineofthepetal,andaddthegeneralshapeofitscolorationandtheraisedcenterarea.

Deepentheshadingusinglongstrokesthatfollowthedirectionofthepetal.Darkenthemarkingsandcenterline,andthenlightlyshadetheareawherethepetalfoldsbackonitself.

LEAVES

CrotonLeafOutlinethemajorpatterns(topleft),andthendrawinthedeepestvalueswitha2B.Blendthetone,maintainingthevaluesthatindicatethecolorchanges.Liftoutthedetailsalongtheedge(topright).

HollyLeafWiththesideofa2B,layinsometone(topleft).Smudgethetoneandliftoutanyareasthatshouldremainwhite.Thehighlightswillbeimportantforcreatingtheappearanceofthisleaf’sglossyshine.Adddeepertoneswitha4B(accentingthesharppointsoftheleavesandtheraisedveins),andthenblend.Liftoutthelighterveins(topright).

HIBISCUS

Arrowabove:UseanHBpenciltoblockintheoutershapeoftheflowerandpetals.Blockintheleaves.

Arrowabove:Indicatethepetalfolds,pistil,andstamen.Drawthebudandsketchlightlinestoindicatevenationontheleaves.

Arrowabove:Tobeginworkingintone,dipalargestumpintographitepowderandstrokeitintotheareasthatrepresentthedeepestshadowsonthepetalsandleaves.Applythedeepesttoneinthecenteroftheflower.

Arrowabove:Continueaddinglightertonetothepetals.Deepenthecastshadowsonthepetalsandthecenteroftheflower,anddothesameontheleaves.Forthethinstemsandbud,usethepointofthestumptoblendthetoneandsoftentheedges.

Toparrow:Forthelighterleafvenation,liftoutwithakneadederaser.Shadethebuddelicately,usinglightpressure.Usethesideofa4Bpencilforthebranchandmakecircularstrokestocreatetheroughtexture.Useakneadederasertocleanupanystraylines.

Bottomarrow:Toshade,useasharpHBandstrokeovertheflower,followingthefoldsofthepetals.Deepenthecastshadowswitha2Banddarkenthecenteroftheflowerwitha4B.Nextdrawthedetailsofthepistilandstamens,addingsomestippling.

STILLLIFE

Stilllifecompositionsallowyoutodesignthecomposition;

choosethetextures,values,andcolors;andcreatetheideal

lightingsituation.Playaroundwithdifferenttypesoffruits

andcheesestoseehowthelightcatchestheirtextures.

FRUIT

AppleApolishedapplereflectsastronghighlight.Applycarbondust(fromsharpeningyourpencils)withcircular,irregularstrokes;thenliftoutthehighlightwithaneraser.

OrangeApplycarbondust,usingstrokesthatfollowthefruit’sform.Liftoutthemainhighlightandthenuseanerasertocreatecurvedstrokesaroundthehighlight,showingthebumpytextureoftheskin.

StrawberryLayindarktonewithcarbondustandusea4Btostartestablishingadottedpattern.Continuetoenhancethedimpled,seededtexturebyaddingthin,curvedhighlightlinesaroundthedarkerdots.

CHEESE

Drawawedgeshapeandusethesideofthepenciltoshadewithlightpressureandloose,ovalstrokes.Useverticalstrokestoshadetheside,anddarkentheveinsandtheshadows.

Usehorizontalstrokesthatfollowtheformfortherind.Thendeepenthetonesoftheholesandjaggedveins.Createaslightcastshadowunderneath.

Withheavypressureandadullpoint,deepentheholes,rememberingtokeepthevariationsintonetoshowvariousdepths.Crosshatchthecastshadowanddeepenthelinesaroundthecheesetoshowtheheavyrind.

BASKETBasketsareincrediblytactile.Thetextureoftheweavecreatesathree-dimensionalpatternwithmanylayers.Tryingyourhandatrenderingawovenbasketisagreatwaytolearnabouttheinterplayoflightandshadowandhowitcanshowtheheavytextureofthebasket.

WINEANDCHEESE

Arrowabove:SketchthescenewithasharpHBpencil,payingattentiontothereflectionsontheglassobjects.

Forsmoothobjectslikeglass,startbyapplyingcarbondustwithastump.Useovalshapedstrokestomimicthehardsurfaceoftheglassandthenusetheremainingdustonthestumptoindicatethedarkreflectionsintheglass.

Toprightarrow:Forthestrawwrappingonthebottle,followthebottle’sformwithlong,verticalstrokes,whicharebrokenanduneventoshowthenaturalfiber.

Bottomrightarrow:Applycarbondusttothegrapeswithquickstrokes,whichcreatesrandomvariations.Forthecheese,usethestumptocreatelongstrokesthatfollowtheflatshapeofthecheese’sform.

Buildinguptheglassysurfaceofthewine,usea2Bpenciltocreatelong,curvedstrokes;thenblendwithastump.Useverticalstrokesfortherigidstemoftheglasswheretherearereflections,andusecurvedstrokeswheretherearesomedarkertonesatthebaseoftheglass.

Arrowright:Adddarkformshadowstothegrapesandblendyourstrokestocreatetheslickskin.Addmoretonetothecheesewithastump.Thenaddtonetothecastshadowsonthetableandblendthestrokes.

Toparrow:Followingthecontoursoftheforms,usea2Hpenciltoaddsomeshadingtotheglass,stem,andbasetogivethemsharp,crispedges.Thendarkenthewineusinga2B.

Bottomarrow:UseasharpHBtoredefinethegrapes’distinctedges.ShadethecheeseusinganHB,followingthedirectionoftheform;thendarkentherindwitha4B.

Usingthedullpointofa4B,furtherdeepenthetoneofthewineintheglassandbottle.Useanerasertoheightenthesmoothqualitybylightlyliftingoutsomereflectionsinthewine.Forthebottle,blendthetone;thenliftoutthelonghighlightalongtheneckwithastrokethatmimicsthehardedgeoftheglassbottle.

Addafewsmall,verticalshadowstotheupperlabeltocreatetheirregularfolds.UsinganHB,addmoreshadingtothestraw,andcreatecastshadowswiththesideofthepencil.

Lowerleftarrow:Witha4Bmaketiny,circularstrokestodarkenthegrapes;then

Lowerleftarrow:Witha4Bmaketiny,circularstrokestodarkenthegrapes;thenliftouttodefinethehighlights.Blendandliftouttocreateasmoothertextureforthecheese,anduseasharppointtodrawinitsthincastshadow.

Lowerrightarrow:Addmoretexturetothetableclothusingcrosshatching.UsethepointofanHBtodrawmorewoodgrain.

WILDLIFE

Natureprovidessomeofthemostexquisiteandinteresting

textures.Drawingwildlifeisespeciallyhelpfulbecauseeach

animalcomprisesanumberofdifferenttexturalelements.

Thinkaboutabirdwithitssleekfeathers,scalyfeet,smooth

beak,andglisteningeyes.Thereisawealthoftexturesin

yourownbackyardjustwaitingtochallengeyou.

FEATHERS

Tocapturethewispy,fragiletextureofapeacock’sfeather,startbydrawingthinlinesthatstemfromaverticalcenterline.Thendrawacirclewithinanovalforthe“eye”—drawthecurvedlinesthatsurroundthe“eye”sothattheyfollowtheovular

“eye”—drawthecurvedlinesthatsurroundthe“eye”sothattheyfollowtheovularform.

Darkenthecenterofthe“eye”toemphasizethepeacockfeather’sdistinctivepattern.Keeptheareaaroundthecenterverylighttoindicatethechangeincolorandthedelicatefeathertexture.

Afterdarkeningallmylines,useakneadederasertoliftoutasmallcurvealongtheedgeofthedarkcenter.

SCALESANDSKIN

AlligatorUseasoft,broadpencil,payingattentiontothedirectionofthelightsource—alligatorskinismadeupofmanysmallridges,andeachridgemustbelitproperlyforthedrawingtoappearrealistic.

FishOutlinethescales;thenaddshadingatthebaseofthescaleswheretheyoverlaptoshowthedistinctiveflakytexture.Notethateveryscalehasahighlight—thishelpscapturethefish’sshimmerynature.

ButterflyDrawanoutlinewithasharpHBpencil.Lightlydrawthethinveins,usinglongstrokes.Addanotherlayeroftonecoveringthelighterareasofthewing.Nextusea2Bpenciltodeepentheveins,graduallyincreasingthepressureandusinglongstrokesthatfollowtheshapeofthewing.SwitchbacktotheHBanduselongstrokestodeepenthelighttones,allowingsomestrokestobedarkertocreateaslightvariation.

FrogUsethesmudgingtechniquetolaydownthebase.Usedarkertonestocreateraisedbumpsandliftoutsomegraphitetoaddhighlightstothesurface.

BLUEJAY

BeginwithacarefullydetailedoutlinedrawnwithasharpHBpencil.Whendrawingthehead,useshortstrokestocreatethesofteredgesofthefeathers.Indicatetheblackmarkingsofthebirdwithsomequickshading.

Arrowleft:Withasharp2Hpencil,darkenthelinesaroundthefeatherstodefinethem,andaddsomedarkmarkingsusingshortstrokes.Asyoudraw,makesurethatallofyourstrokesfollowthedirectionofthefeathers.

Arrowright:Shadeunderthewings,thendarkentheeye,rememberingtoleavethehighlightwhite.Putsometoneinthebeakbutleaveitlighterontheupperparttoshowthereflectionoflight.

WorkingbackandforthbetweenanHBanda2Bpencil,startdevelopingvalues,concentratingonthebird’sbodyandhead.Usingshort,unevenpencilstrokes,startputtingsometoneontheback,thebelly,andthebackofthehead.Applysomedarkertonetothecrownoftheheadtoindicatethebluecolor.

Arrowright:Darkenthebeak,butkeepsomehighlightstoemphasizeitssmoothtexture.Onthewings,uselongstrokestoshade,makingsuretokeepthewhitemarkingsevident.Useabroad-point6Bpenciltoshadethebranchwithcircularstrokes.Lightentheshadingasitrecedesintospace.

TIP

Balancethevaluesoftheformwiththevaluesofthebird’scolor.Thetextureemergesfromthewaythesedifferentvaluesareapplied.Ifyourunintoconflict

betweentheformandcolorvalues,giveprioritytotheformvalues.

Shadewitha4Btogiveformtothesmallbranches,anduseablunt4Btoaddtonetosomeoftheneedles,givingthemmoredepthandapricklytexture.Useakneadederasertoliftoutjustatouchofgraphite,emphasizingthereflectedlightatthebottomofthemainbranch.

Arrowtop:Leavingsomesmallfeathersstickingoutsoftensthebluejay,butatthesametimedoesn’tlookunkempt.Cleanupthedrawingwithakneadederaser

thesametimedoesn’tlookunkempt.Cleanupthedrawingwithakneadederaserandliftoutanywhitemarkingsyouneedtoaddtothefeathers.

Arrowbottom:Deepenthewingsevenfurtherwitha2Bpenciltocreatemorecontrast.Thendarkenthegraysoftheshadowedbellytones.Addafewmoredetailedtexturestothefeetwitha2B,usingheavypressure.Alsoaddafewlong,sharplinestoindicatethesmoothedgeswherethefeathersoverlap.

LiftingOutforFeathersUseanerasertoliftoutthewhiteedgesofthefeathers.Gobackinandreinforcetheedgeswithpenciltoshowthedefinededgesofthefeathers.Useshortlinesthatfollowthedirectionofthefeatherstocreateadditionaltexture.Thenblendthebackgroundwithanerasertohelpmakethefeathersstandout.

LANDSCAPE

Whentherearealotofnaturalelementsinalandscape,it

canseemoverwhelmingtocaptureallofthetextures.To

simplifytheprocess,startbymappingoutthemajormasses,

breakingthemdownintomanageableshapes.Thenyoucan

addothertexturalaspects,suchascloudsandwater,tobring

thescenetolife.

CLOUDS

CumulusForfluffyclouds,dabyourerasergentlyforlightgrayareasandusemorepressuretoliftoutthewhites.

CirrusTodrawthesewispyclouds,liftoutusingacurvingmotionandthenextendthatmotionhorizontally.

CumulonimbusTocapturethesedarkstormclouds,dabthegraphitewithaneraser;thenadddarktoneandblend.

TREES

PainterlyStrokesUseawide,softleadtolaydownlarge,denseareasoftone.Finishingwithsomeshorterstrokes,stippletocreatedetailandaddtexture.Thisgivesatreeanopen,leafypattern.

LinearStrokesUseasharperpencilandsmall,thinstrokes.Varythedirectionanddensityofmylinestodevelopthedarkandlightvaluesthatestablishtheformofthetree.Thistechniqueisidealforpricklypinetrees.

CombiningTechniquesPutdownsometoneandthensmearitwithablendingstump.Thenuseshort,linearstrokeswithasharppenciltocreatethetexture.Thiscreatesatreewithasofter-lookingtexture.

WATER

StillWaterWhentheairisperfectlystill,watercanappearalmostlikeamirror,reflectingobjectsclearly.Tomakethereflectionsevident,usedense,darkstrokes.

RougherWaterDeliberatelyallowthelinestobemorewavythaninthepreviousexample.Liftoutwithlong,horizontalstrokes.Noreflectionscanbeseen.

WavesWavesproduceasenseofmovementthroughfrothywhitecaps.Startwiththeshapeofthewave,createthedarkerpartsofthewaterwitha4B,andblend.

Createafewwhitelinesinthedarktonewithmyeraser,showingthebuildingwhitecaps.Dabtheerasertocreatethesprayandliftoutwavyshapestomakethefoam.

ROCKYCREEK

Beginshadingthetreesinthedistance;thenworkyourwaytothemiddlegroundandforeground.Don’tcompletelyshadeeachobjectbeforemovingtothenextone.Workontheentiredrawingsoitmaintainsasenseofunity.Youdon’twantoneareatounbalancethelandscapeorappearasthoughyouspentmoretimeonit.

CreatingTextureRocksurfacesaregenerallyunevenandbumpy.Trytocreateavarietyofshadingvaluesontherockssotheyappearjagged.Hatchinvariousdirectionstofollowtheshapesoftherocks,andmakethevaluesdarkerinthedeepestcrevices,onsharpedges,andintheareasbetweentherocks.

Arrowabove:Continuetobuildformthroughshadingusinghatchmarks.

UsethesideofanHBpencil,shadinginevenstrokestocreatereflectionsinthewater.Keepinmindthatanobject’sreflectionissomewhatdistortedinmovingwaterandmirroredinstillwater.Forexample,thereflectionofthesharprockedgeshereappearsblurredanduneven.Closelystudyyourlandscapesoyoudon’tmissanyofthedetails.

Arrowright:Applystrokesindirectionsthatcorrespondwiththerocks’rugged,uneventexture,andfillintheareasbetweenthecrackswithasharp2Bor4Bpencil.

CITYSCAPE

Spendanafternoonwalkingthroughatownwithyour

cameraandsketchbook,lookingforuncommontexturesin

commonplaces.Photographorsketchthelittledetailsthat

willbringyourdrawingstolife.Woodendoorscanhelpadd

rustictexturestobuildings,andstuccoandbrickcanbring

depthtootherwiseflatwalls.

BRICKSWITHSTUCCO

Firstoutlinethebrickpattern,andthenlooselydrawhorizontalstrokeswithinthebricks.Smearthetonewithastump,fillingineachbrickshape.

Drawsomewavylinestosignifytherough,brokenedgesofthestucco.Thenlightlygoovertheentiredrawingwitha6Bsothepaperpicksuptinyspecksofgraphite.

NowuseasharpHBtocreateverythin,slightlywavylineswheretheoldstuccoisbreakingawayfromthebrick.Thendarkenandrefinethehardedgesofthebricks.

DOORS

Addtonetotheoutlinewithwavy,verticalstrokestoindicatethegrainofthewood.Useheavierpressuretomakethewooddarkerwherethepanelisrecessed.

Addmoreshadingandthengentlysmudgeitwithastumptosoftenthelook.Nextputdarktoneintherecessedgroove.UseaverysharpHBtoaccentuatethelineswherethewoodpiecesjoin.

Nowdarkenthetoneofthewoodandaddlinestoshowthegrain.Layersoftoneaddmorenaturalvariationstothetextureofwood.Addathin,darkstripatthebottomofthepaneltohelpadddepth.

OLDTOWNPLAZA

Beforebeginning,thinkaboutthepaperyouwanttousetocapturethevarioustexturesofthescene.Oldstonebuildings,shutters,andastonefountainwouldrenderwellonroughpaper.UseasharpHBtocreateaheavyoutlinethatwillshowthroughyourinitialshading.

METALSDullmetalsdonothavedistinctiveborderstotheirhighlights.Weatheredmetalsfeaturelittlebumpsthatcatchindividuallightsandshadows,breakingupthetoneandhighlights.Shinymetalshavebrighthighlightswithsharpedges.

Dull

Weathered

Weathered

Shiny

Usebroadstrokesandthesideofa6Btolaytoneacrossthebuildings;thenapply

Usebroadstrokesandthesideofa6Btolaytoneacrossthebuildings;thenapplyunevenstrokestothelengthsoftheroofs.Lightlyshadethesmoothstoneofthefountain,andswitchtoathinnerleadtodepicttheslattedtextureofthewoodenshutters

Takealargeblendingstumpandspreadsomeofthegraphiteacrossthebuildingsandinthedoorways.Applycarbondustonthedarkmetalfountain,usingsmoothstrokes.Nowusea6Btodeepenallthetonesonthebuildingandroofs.

Nowdeepenallthetones,darkeningallthecastshadowsandareasthataren’thitbythelightsource.Smudgeacrossthebuildingbutnotontherooftomaintainitshighlygranulartexture.Addmoredarkstothemetalandinteriorofthefountainwiththecarbondust,andsmeartheshadowthatrunsacrossthebackofthepiazza.

Toestablishthebumpytextureofthetiles,addlinesacrossthewidthoftheroofwitha4B.Sharpentheedgesofthewindowsanddoorways,usinganeraserwhennecessarytocorrectlines.Refinemoredetailswitha2B,suchasthelanterns,thecrest,andumbrella.Addmoretonetothemainbuildinganduseastumptosmearit.

Furtherdevelopthetonesofthefountain,alternatingbetweena4Bandastump.Alsousetheeraseronthebuildinghereandtheretoaddmoretexturalrelief.Adduneven,curvedstrokestotherooftogiveasenseofthebarreltileswithoutdrawingthemindividually.Addsomelinesacrosstheshutterstocreatetheimperfecttextureoftheslats,andthensharpentheedgesandarchitecturaldetails.

PORTRAIT

Carefulobservation,coupledwithathoroughunderstanding

oftheformofthehead,isthefoundationofasuccessful

portrait.Considerationmustbegiventohowthelightflows

overtheheadandfacialfeatures,aswellastheverydifferent

texturesofhair,teeth,skin,andeyes.

HAIR

LightandWavyCarbondustandastumpcreateabaseoflight,subtletone.Addlong,flowinglines,followingthesoftwavesofthehair.Thestrandsintheforegroundstayverylighttoemphasizethecolorofthehair.

DarkandWavyDrawthemain,curvinghairforms;layerinsomecarbondust;anddrawwavylineswiththepointofa2Bpencil.Usea4Bforthedarkestdarksandliftoutthelighter,highlightedstrandswithakneadederaser.

DarkandStraightFirstoutlinethesculpturedshapeofthishairstyleandthenapplyalayerofcarbondust.Becausethehairissosleek,thereisastrongbandofhighlights.Applyeventonewithlong,curvedstrokesanda2B.

LightandCurlyOutlinethemainmassesofcurlsandsomeindividualhairs.ThenuseasharpHBtoshade.Layinsomecarbondustforthehairthatisinshadow.Thenliftoutsomehighlightswithcurvedstrokes.

EYES

Startwithanoutlineoftheeye;thendipastumpintosomecarbondustandapplyalightlayerofshading,followingthecontoursoftheeyeandeyelid.Useradialstrokesfortheiris.

Nextusethepointofthestumptoapplyshadingtothefoldoftheeyelid.Darkentheirisbutmaintainthesharpnessofthehighlight,liftingoutwithakneadederaserwherevernecessary.

SwitchtoanHBfortheeyelidsandeyeball,usingsmooth,curvedstrokesonthelid.Nextdeepentheiriswitha2B;thenliftoutafewspeckstogivetheeyeamorerealisticlook.

LIPS

Startwithanoutlineofthemouthandapplylighttonewithcarbondustandastump.

Addanotherlayeroftonewiththecarbondustanddarkenunderneaththebottomlipandinthecornersofthemouth.SwitchtoanHBpencilandstrokeoutwardwithshort,slightlycurvedlines.

Nowusethesideofthepenciltoaddmoretonetothelips,liftingoutthehighlights.Usea2Btodrawtheseparationofthelips;thenaddmorecontourlineswithanHB.

YOUNGGIRL

UseasharpHBpencilfortheoutlineofthebasicfeaturesofthehead.Checktheaccuracyofthedrawing,astheslightesterrorsinobservationwilltakeawayfromthelikenessofthesubject.

Usingthesideofa2Bpencil,drawlong,flowingstrokesthatfollowthedirectionofhersmooth,straighthair.Developtheshadowundertheeyebrowofherlefteye.Forthesideofthenose,uselongerstrokeswithaslightcurve,butforthetip,useshorter,curvedstrokes.Onthesideoftheface,Iuseverylightstrokesthatcurvewiththeshapeoftheface.

Begintoblendthehairwithalargestump.Withthelightesttouch,slightlyblendthepencilstrokesaroundthesideoftheface,beingcarefultofollowthesoftlyroundedcontourofthecheeks.Withasmallerstump,lightlyblendtheareasaroundtheeyes,mouth,nose,andeyebrows.Takea2Bpencilandputsomedeepertoneinthenostrils,thecornerofthemouth,andthepupiloftheeye.

Arrowabove:Usingthepointofa2Bpencil,buildupthetoneandflowofthehair.Workontheface,usingadelicatebuildupofcrosshatching.Drawverylight,longstrokeswithanHBacrossthesmoothskinoftheforehead.Shadearoundtheeyearea,alwaysfollowingthecontouroftheform.Dothesameforthenose,lips,cheeks,andchin,buildinguptoneslowly.

Arrowabove:Continuebuildingupthetoneofthesilkyhair,usinga4Bforthedarksanda2Bforthelights.Deepentheshadowareasbetweenthefaceandthehairthatwillhelpgivedepthtotheface.Deepentheeyebrowswithshortlinestoshowthevariationsintone.Usingradialstrokeswitha2B,darkentheirises.Continuetobuilduptheneck,keepingitdarkerthanthefacetoshowthecastshadow.Shadethenecklace,usingseparatecurvedstrokestoindicatetheheavyfibers.

Arrowabove:Againbuildupthetoneofthehairandlightlyshadetheplasticbarrette,puttinginsmallcastshadowswithasharppoint.Continuetocrosshatchthefacetorefinethetransitionbetweenthetones,whilekeepingthesmoothnessofherskin.Deepentheupperandlowereyelasheswithshortlines.Thenrefinethenoseandmouth,usingcurvedlinesthataremoreprominentinthelowerliptogivesometexture.Finallyworkontheshirt,simulatingtheknitfabricwithcrosshatching.

PETS

Animalsholdavarietyoftexturalchallenges,fromwirycoats

toshiningeyesandwetnoses.Becauseapencilissucha

versatiletool,youcaneasilysketcharough-coatedgoator

finelystrokeasmooth-haireddeer,inadditiontoadog,cat,

orotherdomesticatedpet.

FURANDHAIR

SilkyOutlinetheprominenthairpatternswithanHB,andthenputinsometonewithstrokesthatfollowthegentlewavesofthehair.Thenuseanerasertopickoutshinyhighlights.

CurlyCreateabasetoneusingcarbondustandastump.Thenliftoutlong,curly,whitelinestoachievethekinkytextureofthehair.AddcurlylinesontopofthewhiteareaswithaverysharpHBpencil.

ShortandSmoothLayintoneusingcarbondust.Thenmakeseveralveryshortstrokeswiththesideofa2Bpenciltoachievethesmooth-texturedappearance.

LongandFluffyPutdownthebasetone,thenaddsomelong,slightlycurved,lightstrokeswiththesideofa2B.Ontopofthat,putinthinlineswiththepointofthepencilandaddsomeheavierlineswherethehairisdarker.

ShortandWiryPutdownsomecarbondustandblendwithastump,usingshortstrokeswhenblending.Drawshortlinestodevelopthepatternsandmakeslightchangestothedirectionofindividualhairstoproducethewirytexture.

LongandSmoothDrawlong,wavylines,thenaddtonewithcarbondust.Alternateshadingwiththesideofthepencil,drawingfinelineswiththepointofanHB,andliftingoutwhiteareaswithanerasertogetthesoftlook.

CANINEEYES

Outlinetheeye;thenusecircularstrokestocreateabasetone.Putdarkershadinginthecenteroftheirisforthepupil,aswellasaroundtheouteredge.Leavethesquare-shapedhighlightwhite.

Nextdeepenthetoneinthepupil,aroundtheoutsideoftheiris,andalongtheeyelids.Thecontrastofthedarkpupilagainstthewhitehighlightmakesthehighlightappearevenbrighter.

Maintainasharpedgeforthehighlight,whichgivestheeyeawet,glossylook.Shadearoundtheeyesusingshortstrokeswiththesideofthepencil;thendrawa

Shadearoundtheeyesusingshortstrokeswiththesideofthepencil;thendrawafewhairsaroundtheeyewithasharppoint.

CANINENOSES

Firstdrawanoutlineofthenosewiththehighlightsclearlydelineated.Usecircularstrokeswitha4Btocreatethebasetone.Thenputdarkertoneinthenostrils.

Addanotherlayeroftone,stillusingcircularstrokestobuildtheleatherytexture.Leavewhitespotsforthehighlightsonthetopofthenoseandaroundtheedgesofthenostrils.

Makethedeeppartofthenostrilsasdarkaspossible.Breakupthehighlightswithafewstrokes,butmakesuretokeepthemwhiteandvisiblebecausethehighlightscreatetheillusionofwetness.

SPRINGERSPANIELPUPPY

Arrowabove:Drawabasicoutline,ensuringthatproportionsareaccurate.Usea2Bpenciltoblockinthepupils,workingaroundthehighlight.Addthinlinesofdarkskinaroundtheeyes;thenbegindevelopingthedarkestareasofhairaroundtheeyesocketandface,withintheears,anddowntheback,drawinginthedirectionofhairgrowth.

Arrowabove:Aftertoningthedarkestareas,increasethevaluebystrokingoverthemwitha4Bpencil,payingcloseattentiontothecurvingandswirlingpatternswithinthehair.Applyalayeroftonetothenoseusinglightcircularstrokes.

UseanHBpenciltoapplythelightesttonestothedog’sears.Strokealongsidethepreviouslayersofgraphite,creatingasoft,silkylook.Developtheeyesandnose,addingmidtonesandpullingouthighlightswhereneeded.Usethe2Btopulltoneoverthelightareasofthebody,connectingthesectionsofhair.

Arrowabove:ContinuetobuilduptoneovertheSpaniel’sbackusingablunt2Bpencil.

Arrowabove:WithanHBpencil,indicatethehaironthepup’smuzzle,keepingsomeareaswhite.Usea2Bpenciltosuggestthedirectionofhairgrowthwithminimalstrokes,addingcurves,sprouts,swirls,andspotstocreatethemarkingsonthefur.

Arrowabove:WithanHpencil,addfinestrokestodeveloptheareaofwhitehair.Useatissuetogentlyruboverareasinshadow,focusingonthepup’sunderside.Thenaddalightlayerofgraphiteforasoftcastshadowunderthepup,blendingthestrokeswithatissue.