Understand humble pencil with these state of the art drawing techniques.
The little pencil is a versatile and easy-to-find old drawing tool that is at times undervalued in the world of tablets and iPads. In order not to be affected by that prejudice, there are a few things to keep in mind when choosing the best pencils, which we will talk about later, followed by an introduction to the most basic drawing unit - lines. .
So whether you are learning to draw or are an expert, these tips will provide a solid foundation for the novice and some helpful reminders for more experienced artists.
1. The Shakespeare Question
2B or not 2B? Choosing the right pencil for your drawing will help you sketch better. The graphite pencils range in hardness from 9H (hard, light) to 9B (blanket, dark), with HB and F being between the dark and light grades.
In particular, the H series is suitable for technical drawing while the B is ideal for sketching. Let's start with 2B or 3B for the exercises in this article.
2. Pencil sharpening
Some drawings require a sharp, sharp tip to create strong, bold lines, but sometimes the nib can be used for painting or for creating shadows. Sometimes a blunt pen tip may be right for your purpose.
Whatever you like, make sure you have a good polish with you at all times - if you use a casual hand sharpener, make sure it's sharp and bring a few with you when you go out to draw; a crank handle will be more durable and especially can be crushed so that the pen tip is longer. If you are using a paper knife, remember to keep a safe distance when cutting.
3. Hold the pencil properly
Different pencil holding styles will suit different purposes, experiment with different pencil holding styles when drawing and make grip styles ideal for different drawing methods. Where is it important to consider where to draw - finger, wrist or shoulder?
4. Examine the contours
The type of lines and textures you draw will significantly affect the emotion and appearance of the pencil drawing. First of all, think about the speed at which you will perform. Think also about the weight of the line - thick line is bold and strong; Thin strokes are pale and tentative.
When you start out, avoid scribbles, which look like fluff. Here are two exercises (steps 5 and 6) to help you explore the different types of strokes - they can be applied to any subject and to any degree.
5. Blind contour drawing
This is a humorous, universal exercise that will help you draw unconsciously, create boldness without feeling too nervous about the result.
Set up a subject in front of you and fix the eye on its upper part, place the pencil on the paper. By not looking down at the paper, follow the eyes around the subject while drawing along the edges and lines you observe.
Draw with a single, unbroken line and don't look at the drawing until it's done - it will look weird and disproportionate, it should be. Repeat this exercise as often as you warm up to allow better coordination with your eyes.
6. Continuous line drawing
This second exercise is a development of blind contour drawing and includes continuity. This time as you draw, squint more often down the paper as you follow the lines of your subject.
Start with a thin line and as you become more confident with the shape you are observing, draw darker and try different weights throughout the image. Don't worry about the exact proportions, but instead pay more attention to the actual process of observing and drawing without thinking too much about the drawing.