Thursday, 15 January 2015
Thursday, 8 January 2015
How to Draw With a Pencil
Discovering how to draw with pencil is just that - a process of discovery. Nobody is a genius on the first day, so do not expect it.. Always let yourself learn from your mistakes. Your eraser is your best friend here.. That is host-class artist..
Everyone can afford pencils, making sketching a wonderful hobby for anybody at all.. When you learn how to draw with pencil, you can begin by just using a common pencil that you have at home. Any paper will do to start. Anything you can get your hands on - computer printer paper, lined notebook paper, or whatever you have.
You could buy yourself a set of drawing pencils of artist quality when you are ready to take it to the next level,. Artist drawing pencils come in a range of softness and hardness, which describes the quality of the lead. A 9H pencil will have very hard lead, while a 9B pencil will have very soft lead. The harder the lead, the lighter the line will be. The softer the lead, the darker the line will be and it will also be easier to smudge.
A typical pencil that you buy for everyday use is an HB, which is near the middle of the range of hard and soft leads. When you are only beginning to discover how to draw with pencil, you don't need to buy too many artist quality pencils - a range such as 2H, H, F, HB, and 2B is enough to get you started with your pencil sketching.
You can also buy artist drawing paper that is archival and acid-free, an excellent choice if you want to keep your drawings for a very long time. Get yourself a hardback sketchbook that you can do all your sketching in. This way you will see how your work progresses over time. If you buy one that is small enough, you can take it with you when you go out and do pencil sketching at the park, the beach, the bus stop, or anywhere!
When you learn how to draw with pencil, start your pencil sketching lightly, using a very hard pencil (2H to 9H). When you sketch a face, using a harder pencil will allow you to lightly sketch in the proportions and outlines. This is easier to erase than softer pencils. In general, the darker the line, the more difficult it will be to erase it.
Hold the pencil loosely but firmly - don't grip it too tightly. Let yourself control the pencil without choking it to death. This may take some practice, but doing some gesture drawings may help you get a feel for the right grip as your learn how to draw with pencil.
As you progress, switch to pencils with softer leads, between 2B and 9B. These pencils will allow you to create deeper shadows, which will help create a three-dimensional face. Because these softer pencils are easier to smudge, you can deliberately smudge the drawing to blend the pencil marks or to create other interesting effects.
Discovering how to draw with pencil is a fun hobby for budding artists of all ages. Discovering how to draw with pencil sets the foundation for all other types of art. Whether you're brand new to making art or a long-time enthusiast, pencil sketching is always a rewarding pastime!
Important General Knowledge Information
Saturday, 3 January 2015
Simple Pencil Drawing Tips
Sharpening Drawing Pencils
When sharpening your pencils for drawing, use a craft knife (carefully!) rather than a pencil sharpener. You can get a longer, more effective point on the pencil this way and you can also shave it to a chisel edge which gives you more options for creating different line widths and textures. This works for pencil crayons, watercolor pencils and pastel pencils, etc. as well as normal graphite pencils.
Conserving and Using Putty Erasers
Putty erasers are excellent for drawing, being much softer and gentler on paper surfaces - especially watercolor paper - than regular erasers. They're readily available from art supply stores. However, they're a bit more expensive than ordinary 'school' erasers - but of course, just as easily mislaid.
The larger size of putty eraser is normally about 2" x 1.5" so I cut or tear a new one into four smaller pieces and use one at a time. In reality, I rarely get through one piece without losing it and I have found through painful experience is that it's just as easy to lose a large eraser as a smaller one.
You can use a putty eraser by rubbing it on the paper in the normal way or use a dabbing action to lift out pencil marks. Its biggest advantage is that you can mold it to a very fine point or chisel edge if you want to remove part of an image without affecting the immediate area around it.
Cleaning a soiled putty eraser is even easier. Just pull and mould the dirty edge inwards, until a clean area appears. You can do this for quite a while before using up every clean bit.
Cleaning Pencil Erasers
If you use any other sort of pencil eraser such as the plastic or the plain old school 'india rubber' type, it's easy to get a dirty residue on your paper if you're not careful and the devil to get it off, especially if the eraser is colored.
The two main problems are that you either pick up pencil residue from erasing previous items, which then transfers to your paper next time you use it.
Alternatively, if you've not used it for a while, the rubber surface oxidises and will badly smudge your paper. To solve this problem in both cases, simply rub the eraser on a handy hard, smooth surface - a drawing board or worktop is ideal.
This cleans off the residue and leaves a nice clean surface on the eraser. In fact, it's a good habit to clean your eraser when ever you pick it up so as to ensure your work stays clean and tidy throughout your drawing session.
You can also shave off a sliver of the plastic or rubber eraser with a craft knife and use it to pick out small areas. But see the reference to putty erasers above.
Article by Bob Davies
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