Lets Draw It

Pencil Sketches of Faces

2008-09-26T22:54:00.000+08:00

Have that ever happened to you before? You start drawing a face to find that when you're done, it's nowhere near the person that you're trying to draw?

The problem is that all faces are a unique combination of a set of features. When we take these features apart, we see that there are hundred and one different features. We all have different lips, different noses, different eyes, different ears, different hair, and different face shapes.

And when all these different features come together, it makes the task more difficult for the artist to capture the visual resemblence on paper.

Also, we have to take note of the age of the face that we're drawing. If you're drawing babies, the best time to draw them is when their asleep. Because you can't have them moving around when you draw them.

When drawing babies, keep the drawing simple with few lines and only capture the features of the face.

If you're drawing a child, the features are more defined compared to those of a baby. So you'll have to lock in the features with stronger and darker lines. But the skin is still smooth and gentle. Try not to add to many lines to the face of a child.

Teenagers are young adults. You may approach drawing the face of a teenager in the same way as you would approach drawing the face of an adult. The key to drawing a mature face is to capture the essence of the face.

That means capturing the personality of the face. Some people have a confident look. Some have a shy look, and some have a mischievious look and so on. Try to capture that in your drawing.

Finally, remember not to draw all your faces to look like hollywood stars. Human beings do not look like plastic in real life. So keep your drawings realistic by including any details that make your drawing look more human.

Explosive Tips on Drawing with the Pencil

2008-09-25T22:52:00.000+08:00

Author: Todd Harris

Drawing can be difficult. Drawing with a pencil can be really difficult. There are common problems artists face when drawing with a pencil. When you achieve pencil and line control, the benefits are astounding. It is difficult, however. But never fear, there are great tips to help you around these trouble areas.

The first tip I would suggest is to start watching how you lay down your pencil. You want to be observant and see how your pencil is hitting the page. It sounds simple, doesn't it? You can improve your drawings just by observing how your pencil is laying down graphite.

I would also suggest that you keep your lines varied. What does this mean? It means that you can vary how thick or thin (weight) the line is by pressing harder on the pencil or by allowing the pencil to lift. You may think to yourself, duh! It's sad to say that a lot of artists don't do this enough. Reducing or adding weight to your drawings can really help your drawings come alive.

When shading, try using a small circle motion to give your drawing added texture. Always shading from side to side is not a great idea.

Smudges a problem with your pencil drawings? Get a kneaded eraser. These are the best for erasing and eliminating little smudges along the way. Knead your eraser so that the shape is a ball with a pointed tip on the end.

Lastly, keep your pencils sharp! Granted sometimes, as an artist, you'll want a duller edge, but most of the time keep em' sharp. I go through many pencils a week because I am continually sharpening them.

When you learn pencil and line control, you will be able to draw pieces that mean something to you, even if they are never seen by anyone else. You'll be able to more fully capture the essence of what or who you are drawing and achieve a likeness like never before.

These short tips will help you in your drawing endeavors and keep you from making some mistakes. If you currently struggle with drawing well and having good line control, you should definietely try these tips. Also, doing some line variation drills will help. Drawing can be difficult but if you start with a basis you have a strong foundation to build upon.Try these tips and you'll see your drawings come alive.

Interesting Pencil Sketching Exercises

2008-09-24T22:49:00.000+08:00

Some pencil sketch tutorials will ask you to shade squares just to get some blending practice. But I find that ineffective and exceedingly boring. And I tell myself there must be a better way to learn pencil sketching.

The problem with shading squares is that squares have no meaning. They don't represent still life, and they don't represent a living thing. Therefore, such exercises don't really stretch the muscles of the artist.

And anything that's not a real challenge isn't going to help anyone become a world class artist. If you're a beginner, you may want to consider some alternative exercises.

What you can do is that you may want to pick just one simple subject that you would like to draw. Don't be too overly ambitious if you're just starting out. Just one good one will do. I suggest choosing something like a soft toy or a plant. These subjects have simple basic forms and shapes and are perfect for sketching exercises.

Next, when you proceed with your drawing, keep in mind that this is just an exercise. So your primary goal is not to create the perfect sketch. Instead, you should constantly remind yourself that since this is just an exercise, you should try as much as you can to experiment. Be adventurous! This is just an exercise, so there's no need to be timid.

Draw all kinds of lines if you can. Experiment with all the different shades of pencils. Use different types of drawing paper and observe what happens.

This will keep you busy for hours, and in my opinion, even though the approach is a little hap-hazard, it's still much better than just shading squares. No boring squares for you and me.

Learning to Draw? You're going to need a Pencil

2008-09-23T22:46:00.000+08:00

Author: AdamValentine

Choosing a drawing pencil like it should be simple. You just go to your pencil jar and grab one, right? The hard part is that there are so many to choose from. Believe it or not, it is not as simple as choosing to use a number 2 pencil. Number 2 pencils are fine for math class, but not necessarily for drawing. There are both hard and soft pencils in varying degrees.

Hard pencils are not harder to draw with. It is the graphite that is described as hard. Because it is hard, less graphite breaks away from the pencil and a lighter line is drawn. I like to use hard pencils when outlining as I start a drawing and when shading very lightly.

Each Hard pencil is designated by the letter H. It is preceded by a number from 0 and up such as 0H, 1H, 2H, etc. The higher the number, the harder the pencil is. This is why a regular number 2 pencil is HB. It is a mix between hard a soft.

Soft pencils are designated by the letter B. It also has varying degrees of softness starting from 0B and up. The higher the number, the softer the pencil is. For examples, a 7B pencil has much softer graphite than a 2B.

Soft pencils are best used for shading. Start with the least soft pencil and work your way up to the softer pencil because the softer the pencil, the darker the line. This is because as you press on a soft pencil, more graphite breaks away than a hard pencil.

The best way to draw is by using different pencils. You can start with an H pencil, outlining your sketch and getting the basics down. Press lightly so that the lines don’t show through. This is just to get down the correct dimensions.

Then move on to the soft pencils to begin shading. Move up with the soft pencils if you need a darker line or smoother shading. Use a blending stump or your finger to blend the shading together and make it look smoother.

Which pencil you use it your choice. Experiment with different types of pencils to figure out what works for you. You might find that you like one pencil for everything. That is fine. The idea is that you try out everything to make sure you are using exactly what you like best.

How Do Pencil Erasers Work?

2008-09-22T22:41:00.000+08:00

By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.

An eraser, called a rubber in some places, is an item used to remove the marks left by pencils and some types of pens. Modern erasers come in all colors, and may be made of rubber, vinyl, plastic, gum, or similar materials.

A Little Eraser History

Before the eraser was invented, you could use a rolled up piece of white bread (crusts cut off) to remove pencil marks (some artists still use bread to lighten charcoal or pastel marks).

Edward Naime, an English engineer, is credited with the invention of the eraser (1770). The story goes that he picked up a piece of rubber rather than the usual wad of bread and discovered its properties. Naime began selling rubber erasers, the first practical application of the substance, which gets its name from its ability to rub out pencil marks.

Rubber, like bread, was perishable and would go bad over time. Charles Goodyear's invention of the process of vulcanization (1839) led to widespread use of rubber. Erasers became commonplace.

In 1858, Hymen Lipman received a patent for attaching erasers to the ends of pencils, though the patent was later invalidated since it combined two products rather than invented a new one.

How Do Erasers Work?

Erasers pick up graphite particles, thus removing them from the surface of the paper. Basically, the molecules in erasers are 'stickier' than the paper, so when the eraser is rubbed onto the pencil mark, the graphite sticks to the eraser preferentially over the paper. Some erasers damage the top layer of the paper and remove it as well. Erasers attached to pencils absorb the graphite particles and leave a residue which needs to be brushed away. This type of eraser can remove the surface of the paper. Soft vinyl erasers are softer than the erasers attached to pencils, but are otherwise similar.

Art gum erasers are made of soft, coarse rubber and are used to remove large areas of pencil marks without damaging paper. These erasers leave a lot of residue behind.

Kneaded erasers resemble putty. These pliable erasers absorb graphite and charcoal without wearing away. Kneaded erasers may stick to the paper if they are too warm. They eventually pick up enough graphite or charcoal that they leave marks rather than pick them up, and need to be replaced.

Before You Buy Graphite Pencils

2008-09-20T22:34:00.000+08:00

By Helen South

The humble graphite pencil might seem like the simplest of drawing tools, and so it is - but when you hit the art store, the range of graphite pencils available can come as something of a surprise. If you are just starting out, the low-cost, quick solution is to choose select a 6B, 4B, 2B, H and 2H from a reputable artist's range. A serious beginner might want to go for a full set in a tin, or try clutch pencils. Pencils are relatively inexpensive, so experiment to find what suits you best.

What's Inside a Pencil?

Pencils have cores made from powdered graphite (not lead) fired with clay, varying in hardness. The type of graphite used in pencils is relatively soft and malleable, a little like lead, and was mistakenly thought to be a form of lead when first discovered. The misnomer stuck, and many people think that pencils once had lead cores, though they never did. Graphite leaves a small, smooth particle on the paper that has a slight sheen.

History of Cumberland Graphite
Wikipedia Pencil History

Pencil Quality Varies

Pencils can vary widely in quality. Irregularities in substandard or poorly processed graphite can lead to unpredictable tonal range, and even worse, scratches in the paper. Uncentered cores tend to break on sharpening. High quality artist's pencils deliver reliable, even tone at carefully graded hardnesses, and are less prone to breakage.

Wood-Cased Artist's Pencils

The familiar 'graylead' pencil has a graphite/clay core encased in cedar wood. These range in hardness from around 9b (very soft) up to 9H (very hard indeed) depending on the brand. Most artists starting out will find that a selection of 2H, HB, 2B, 4B and 6B is more than adequate to start with. If you are interested in doing extremely fine, realist tonal work, you might want to include all the pencils from 4H to 6B, or even buy a boxed set.

Clutch and Mechanical Pencils

Many artists swear by clutch pencils. Timber-cased pencils change their size, weight and balance as they are sharpened, which can be a problem for artists who draw a great deal. Clutch pencils have a constant weight and size and though initially expensive, the refills are competitive. I prefer the 2mm diameter leads - the .5mm ones break too easily.

Progresso Pencils,Graphite Sticks and Graphite Crayons

Progresso Pencils are thick graphite pencils with no wood casing but a layaer of laquer to facilitate clean handling. Useful for broad, expressive work and shading over incised detail or where a visible paper tooth is desired. Graphite sticks or crayons are chunky, crayon-like pencils suitable for large, vigorous work. They can be messy to handle but are great for tactile, involved mark making in large-scale works and life drawing.

Powdered Graphite

Powdered Graphite is a hands-on drawing medium, applied to the paper with fingers or a rag. It can be used in drawing for soft, loose mark making, or to prepare a toned drawing surface.

Carbon Blends

Carbon pencils are made from lampblack (derived from burning oil), delivering a smooth, dark black line. Variations available include blends of carbon, charcoal and graphite. The particle size varies depending on the source, soot providing a fine even particle, charcoal often being rather coarse. Carbon and Compressed Charcoal pencils can be useful for obtaining a true black which is not really possible with graphite. Test for compatability before applying to your drawing.

Chalk and Pastel Pencils

Black conte pencils are made from a carbon and alumina chalk blend. These have a smoother, creamier consistency than pastel. Hard pastels are also available in a pencil format, and manufacturers are constantly experimenting with media. White pencils are either colored pencils or pastel pencils and are made of various combinations of pigment, chalk, clay, gum and wax. Other media pencils are not always compatible with graphite, and should be tried on a test piece first.

How To Draw A Good Portrait

2008-09-19T16:33:00.000+08:00

By Darren WK Chow

Drawing portraits can be exceedingly challenging for many art students. But why are portraits so hard to draw? After all, portraits are essentially the same as all other drawings, and are made up of basic shapes and forms. The key lies being able to execute proportions with exact precision.

When you take a closer look at a portrait, you'll observe that there are thousands of combinations possible for portraits. For example, there are noses with many different shapes and sizes. There are eyes with different shapes and colors. There are lips with different thickness and there are all sorts of little details (like eyebags etc.) that are different. This makes it difficult for the artist to apply a fixed formula when drawing portraits.

The same technique for drawing a fixed object, or for drawing still life, can be used again and again. The basic shapes and forms of a table or a chair is easy to duplicate.

But when you put together a combination of all kinds of different features on a face, it's a whole different set of challenge. The nose is too small, the lips are too thick, the eyes look all funny, etc. You get into all sorts of funny problems that you can don't get whether drawing other stuff. That's why drawing portraits can be such a challenge to many art students.

The way around this is to strengthen the drawing foundation. That means drawing by applying sound drawing principles instead of just following rigid formulas. If the artist can get the proportions right, the likeness of the person will emerge. There's no need for other complicated techniques. The artist just have to focus on getting the proportions right.

The other area of concern is that many art students do not have the maturity to make sound decisions about the portraits they are drawing. Note that drawing is not the same as photographing. The drawing need not be exactly the same as the subject. There is room for the artist to make decisions on how the drawing will eventually turn out.

Therefore, a good portraitist will always bear in mind the background and the essence of the subject that he or she is drawing. For instance, if the artist is drawing a business person, he may want to capture the shrewd look on the face. Or if he's drawing a model, he may want the drawing to look Hollywood style.

These are simple decisions, yet they have such a profound impact on the portraits. So good artists must use their judgment to make such decisions.

How to Draw Lips

2008-09-18T16:32:00.000+08:00

By Darren WK Chow

In order not to spoil a portrait, it's important for art students to practice drawing individual parts of the face so that when the whole drawing comes together, it'll come out right. Most students who fail to draw a portrait successfully find that they do not have a strong drawing foundation yet. In other words, when it comes to drawing lines, drawing shapes, blending, working with contours and shadows, they're still struggling. No wonder the portrait doesn't come out right. You can tell that an art student's foundation is weak when he or she tells you that the faces always come out looking the same.

That's because these students keep drawing the same shapes over and over again without realizing it. They are not drawing what they see, but rather what they think they see. And they keep drawing noses that look alike, lips that look alike and so on. That's why the faces always come out looking alike.

To avoid this problem. art students can try taking the different features of a face apart and focus on drawing just one part: e.g. the lips. Start by building a large collection of lips images. Use them as reference images and work on just drawing lips alone.

The whole point of doing an exercise like this is to allow the student to pay attention to the subtle differences on the lips. To achieve this goal, drawing close-ups of lips will be particularly helpful.

Further separate the lips into the upper lip, and the lower lip. What happens when you have a thicker upper lip? What happens when you have a thicker lower lip? What happens when both lips are thin and so on. How do the lips appear when a person smiles? How about a laugh?

You'll find that lips can indeed take on many shapes and forms. Don't be put off just because there are so many different shapes and forms that the lips can take on. Instead, try matching each shape and form with the behavior of the subject. For example, when a lady is pouting, what is she thinking? This will make your lip drawing exercises more interesting.

How To Draw Noses

2008-09-17T16:30:00.000+08:00

By Darren WK Chow

Knowing that, what I've done is that I've gone ahead an isolated each feature of the face in my home study course to zoom in on how to draw each part really well.

When you sit done to think about it, drawing portraits is all about the sum of all features. When you can draw each feature really well, the only thing that's between you and a really great portrait is the proportions. There's a systematic way to nail proportions every time but for this article, we'll talk more about how to draw a nose.

There're many different types of noses that we may come across. Flat noses, pointed noses, long noses, short noses and so on. First, you have to decide if (for the face that you're drawing) the nose is a prominent feature.

Some people just have prominent noses naturally. For instance, the eyes and mouth can be very tiny, allowing the nose to stand out.

If it is a key feature on the face, then you'll have to pay more attention to the shades and details of the nose to make sure that it stands out. To draw a nose, you have to know two crucial measurements.

Measure the height of the nose (from top to bottom) and with width (from one nostril to the other). That'll help you determine the shape and form of the nose really quickly. However, just having these two measurements are not good enough. The drawing is still just two dimensional.

To make it look real, pay a little attention to the ball of the nose. You can't really use lines to bring out the ball of the nose. So you'll have to rely on your shading skills. Shading is always useful for bringing out three dimensional effects.

Once you get the tones of the shades right, the nose should come out really nicely. Try drawing just noses for practice, then move on to the other features of the face.

How to Draw Animals

2008-09-16T16:18:00.000+08:00

By Karen MacLean

Animal drawing is by far one of the most popular forms of art. Animals have a special place in our hearts and many people love to draw them.

Unique!

Each animal is unique and each animal drawing has to be approached differently. They can be drawn as cartoons or as realistic looking animals. Animals can also be drawn as a simple expressive line or detailed with hairlines and swirls.

Observe then Draw!

One of the best ways of learning to draw animals is to observe them. Observe them in nature, look at photos and look at books. There are numerous styles that animals can be drawn in and you can find your niche by looking at a variety of different materials. By looking at animals in their various forms, you are then able to see them as their basic shapes. One of the best ways to get down to an animal’s basic shapes is to photocopy a picture and then begin drawing out the basic shapes that you see. Notice how the outer lines of the animal’s body bring all of those shapes together to form the animal.

Start Basic!

Animals are best drawn when you start basic and build upon the basic outline with layers. Slowly add in your shading and your details as you build upon your animal drawing.

Now the Details!

To learn what details you need to add to your drawing or to understand the different muscling of animals, you may find that an anatomy book can do wonders for you in your understanding of the animal that is your subject. For example, a racehorse will have ripples of muscle in the shoulders and hindquarters. You may even be able to see a glint of their ribs. The same is true for a cheetah that is running across the African plains. To add to the realism of your animal drawing, add in the animals natural habitat around it and make it look at home in its surroundings.

Tips on Pencil Portrait Drawing - The Line Drawing

2008-09-15T16:16:00.000+08:00

By Remi Engels

In this article I will discuss the importance of a line drawing in producing a pencil portrait drawing. I will also discuss the details of rendering such a drawing. We start with a gridded reference image that has the same dimensions as the drawing we will produce. By the way, a gridded image which has the size of your actual drawing, will usually be too large for most printers to handle in one piece. So, print out the image piece-wise on regular 8.5 by 11 inch paper.

The first step is to draw the same grid on your drawing paper that you drew on your reference image. Use an HB or F pencil with a sharp point and draw very lightly. Remember that this grid eventually will have to be erased.

Once we have drawn the grid we are ready to start putting in the contours of the subject.

The advantages of using a grid are many. Here are a few:

* You can draw the content of one square at a time.

* All proportions and placements are easily discerned.

* Negative spaces become more evident.

* Rendering the correct perspective is greatly simplified.

Here are some guidelines on drawing the outlines (line drawing) of the subject in the photograph:

* For now, only draw lines, i.e., do not do any shading yet.

* Draw lightly and loosely. Use maybe a 2B or 3B sharp pencil. Sharpen your pencils frequently.

* Although you should concentrate on one square, you should not loose sight of the overall structure of the drawing. For example, make sure that the subject matter smoothly transitions from one square to the next. Stand back once and awhile and inspect your progressing drawing from an overall perspective. While concentrating on a particular square, also use your peripheral vision to keep an eye on the neighborhood.

* At this stage, accuracy is of the essence. All drawing at this point is judging lengths and angles within a single square. Use short soft lines which, if needed, you can easily erase.

* Put a sheet of bond paper under your drawing hand so you avoid smudging of the already finished portion of your drawing or of the grid.

* Also draw in the contours of the shadows and other worthy details you notice on your subject. At this stage your task is to produce a detailed map of your subject. We are actually in the process of readying the drawing for the next phase, i.e., shading.

* Try to see in terms of shapes or masses and draw the contours of these shapes and masses. Drawing is doing two things simultaneously (actually, more than two). On the one hand, you need to concentrate on that one current line you are drawing (its length and angle) but simultaneously you should always be aware that this line is part of a shape.

* Make use of the concept of negative space. Also, once and awhile, turn your reference image as well as your drawing upside down or sideways. This often gives you a better perspective on lengths and angles.

* In fact, at this stage, try not to be aware that you are drawing a definite subject. Look at each shape as just a blob without meaning but with definite dimensions and a definite orientation. This will help you with seeing and reducing the involuntary introduction of preconceived notions about noses and such.

* Look at your reference image frequently and carefully.

* Make some choices. What is important? What can you leave out? Drawing is often an exercise in elimination of unnecessary detail.

In this fashion, continue working out one square after another until you have a line drawing of your entire subject. By now, you should already see a fairly good likeness of your subject. Review in detail the entire drawing and make corrections wherever necessary. This is also the time to erase most of the grid. When you are satisfied, you can lightly spray the drawing with workable fixative, just enough so it does not smudge but you can still erase things if you have to.

Introducing The Mighty Pencil: A Most Convenient Drawing Instrument!

2008-09-13T16:13:00.000+08:00

By Jeff Rosales

Sketching in pencil is very popular amongst artists. Why? There are several reasons.

First, this seems to be partly because of the materials' low cost and the fact that they are easy to carry from place to place.

Next, most of us know how to handle a pencil. We use it from a very early age and learn to write with it... and sometimes... even to draw with it. We are familiar with it.

But the most significant feature that pencils have to offer to the budding artist is the fact that it is suitable for many types of drawing.

You can draw rough outline sketches, or you can do a complete rendering of a subject.

You can draw fine lines (when the tip is sharp), or you can use it almost like a brush when the tip is blunt (or sharpened like a chisel).

You can draw light strokes and bold strokes. You can grade your shading from very light to very dark.

It gives you great freedom to correct or erase at any time during your work in progress.

It allows rapid manipulation when you need to work quickly (Like when you do a portrait on the go). And you can use it to sketch studies for painting with other media.

And that's only about black pencils. The range of possibilities is larger when you consider using colour pencils. Nowadays there is a wide variety of color pencils, ranging from watercolor pencils, to metalic colors.

And if combine that with the vast range of paper textures available in art supplies shop, your mind will be blown away with the type of things you can do with this excellent drawing tool.

I apologize for getting so excited about pencils! They're just so... versatile and convenient drawing tools, and I believe they deserve an honourable place in an artist's box.

Pencils are great drawing training tools. Think about it: if you draw with a fine line, you're practically training to draw with pen and ink; and if you draw with broad line shading, you're getting skills you can use with charcoal, crayons or brushes. And if you force yourself to observe whatever you are about to draw, you will develop a sense of shapes, proportions and lighting, as well as the power to visualize.

Many art students try to learn to paint with water colours, oils, acrylics and other media, but pass learning how to draw with pencil. They do this to their detriment. I reckon they miss out on a wide range of drawing and painting skills.

So, next time you have a free moment, try sketching with a pencil. Sketch pictures, objects, people, or whatever you see through the window.

Tips and Techniques For Colored Pencil Artists

2008-09-11T16:07:00.000+08:00

By Ralph Serpe

Colored pencils have become a very popular medium for budding new artists. Beginner artists using this medium find it much easier to express their creativity; mainly because of the control and convenience colored pencils offer. Other mediums like oil paint for instance, appear to present much bigger challenges for new artists. Working with colored pencil is a great way to get your creative juices flowing.

Let's begin our exploration of the colored pencil medium by explaining some of the popular techniques many artists use.

Hatching: Hatching is basically the drawing of closely spaced parallel lines. You can vary the length, angle and spacing of the lines to produce different effects.

Cross-Hatching: First lay down strokes in a horizontal direction, and then overlap in a vertical direction, followed by a diagonal stroke.

Scumbling: Using a sharp pencil move in a circular motion with light pressure, and begin to overlap the circles as you move along. This technique requires a lot of time and patience but the final result is quite rewarding.

Burnishing: When you place many layers of color over another using a lot of pressure until the "tooth" of the paper is no longer able to hold pigment, resulting in a smooth surface. Do not apply too much pressure as you can break your pencil point or damage your paper. This technique works best when using a paper with a good amount of texture or "tooth".

Shading: Use the side of your pencil and use back and forth sweeping motions to cover the desired area. Vary the amount of pressure to create different effects.

Colored Pencil Tips

The type of paper that you choose for your colored pencil art depends on your style of drawing. Every artist is different so it really is best to experiment. Paper comes in a variety of textures, otherwise known as its "tooth". There are rough surfaces with a lot of texture as well as smooth surfaces with very little texture. Rougher textures are better for applying multiple layers; where as smooth surfaces are excellent for blending. You should purchase a few different types of papers to determine the type of surface you are most comfortable working with. Some good choices to consider for your colored pencil drawings are Rising Stonehenge, Canson Mi Tientes, and Strathmore.

When choosing your pencils, it's best not to go for cheap pencils, because you may be disappointed with the results. Cheaper pencils do not have as much pigment and therefore will not produce the brilliance in color you are after. Many artists find the Prismacolor Colored Pencils to be a great choice. Prismacolor pencils have a soft lead that goes on smooth. When built up in layers they produce an almost paint like appearance.

Wax bloom, a build up of wax on the surface of your paper, is something you will more than likely become aware of as you work with the colored pencil medium. The wax in your colored pencil can rise to the surface and form a white hazy buildup that can dull your finished piece. There are two approaches for dealing with wax bloom. One approach is to try and prevent it from happening in the first place. Spraying a workable fixative over the surface after you have finished your drawing may help. There is some concern however that fixatives may alter the colors in a drawing, so it's best to try this on a practice drawing first. The other method is to actually wait a week or so after you complete the drawing. If you see the wax buildup, grab some soft tissue or cotton balls, and rub the surface to remove the wax. Don't apply too much pressure as you can smear your drawing.

Keep a large soft brush handy for brushing away unwanted scraps from your drawings. Artists use a number of things for this purpose, from horsehair drafting brushes, to 2" household paint brushes.

Experiment with various types of erasers to see what type you are most comfortable with. Artists use a variety of tools for removing pigment or fixing mistakes. Kneaded erasers, plastic erasers, electric erasers, and even tape may work well for you.

For softening hard edges or blending, purchase some blending stumps or a colorless blender at your local art store.

Try and avoid electric sharpeners as they tend to eat away too much of the pencil. Many artists keep a piece of sandpaper handy and use that to sharpen the pencil point.

Never be afraid to try different things with your colored pencil art. Try various papers, pencils, etc.

Look for some local colored pencil workshops in your area. You will be amazed at the amount of great information and tips you will discover from your teacher and classmates.

Tips on Pencil Portrait Drawing - Preparing the Photograph

2008-09-10T14:02:00.000+08:00

By Remi Engels

Once you have acquired an acceptably clear subject photograph from your customer, the question remains what do you do with it? Well, you prepare that photograph to be used as a reference for your pencil portrait drawing effort. The preparation procedure I will describe works well for me and I have been using it for years. Of course, as you get better at pencil portrait drawing you may want to adapt the procedure to better suit your own working habits. So, here we go:

* First, I scan the photograph into my computer at a fairly high resolution. You can always reduce the resolution if you feel that this will better suit your purpose.

* Then, I bring the scanned image into a graphics computer program such as Photoshop and adjust the brightness and the contrast so it brings out the best in the subject. This is also the time to transform your color photograph (if that is what the customer gave you) into a black and white (grayscale) image.

* Next, I adjust the size of the image. For that, I focus on the size of the head, i.e., the vertical distance from the top of the head to the bottom of the chin. The best distance to work with is between 9.5 and 10.5 inches which is about life-size.

* Keeping the size of the head fixed, I now crop or expand the image to a size corresponding to my drawing paper. For example, if I am going to draw on a 14 by 17 sheet of paper, my image will be about 10 by 13 inches. This leaves about 2 inches of empty space all around the edges of my drawing paper.

At this stage I also pay attention to the composition, i.e., the layout of the final image, the relationship between the subject and its environment, and how much of the subject, other than the head, I will represent. Make sure you do not change the already established size of the head when you manipulate the overall size of the image.

* Next, if you wish, you can draw a grid onto the image. I often use a grid consisting of 1 by 1 inch squares. So for a 10 by 13 inch image you will have 130 squares to work with. Photoshop has the option to easily draw such grid lines over an existing image.

Don't worry, using a grid is an age old tradition and does not constitute "cheating". Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Edgar Degas, to name only a few, all made use of grids. However, you should also keep on practicing without grids and draw directly from the real world where the sizes and proportions usually differ from the corresponding ones on your drawing paper. Later, when you get much better, you may want to increase the size of the squares and eventually dispense with them altogether. But, for now, you can rely on grids. They are, after all, just the ideal tool to use when drawing from photographs.

* Finally, it is time to print out the manipulated image in black and white (grayscale). You are now ready to start drawing your pencil portrait. Note, that after you scanned in the original photograph you do not need it anymore. Put it away carefully so you can give it back to your customer in its pristine condition. Do not loose or misplace the original photograph. Above all, do not burn it!

With this, you are now ready to create your first pencil portrait masterpiece.

How to Make Your Pencil Drawings More Effective

2008-09-09T14:03:00.000+08:00

By A. Kostiner

Most children feel that they can draw wonderful pencil drawings and most adults think they don’t know how to draw at all. Or an adult will say, “I used to draw great when I was a kid, but I could not make good pencil drawings when I got older.”

We all used lead pencils, colored pencils, chalk, and crayon when we were small children, but somehow most of us left them behind around the time we received our first pen.

Did you ever consider that perhaps you think you can’t draw simply because you haven’t used a pencil in years and are out of practice? Or maybe you’ve lost that child’s ability to draw what you actually see rather than what you expect to see?

It’s true that naturally artistically talented individuals will excel in pencil art as well as in watercolor, pastels, acrylic, or oil, but it is also true that anyone can become competent enough to produce an accurate pencil portrait.

Most of us had some training as children in the art of drawing. Unless you showed exceptional artistic talent as a child and pursued an education in art, your instruction in drawing probably ended by secondary school. What if your literature training had stopped at children’s rhymes, history at the Industrial Revolution, or geography lessons were suspended just when the New World was discovered?

The good news is it’s never too late to restart your drawing education. All it takes is five simple assumptions:

You can draw. You can make a dot, a square, a circle, a triangle, a straight line, a curved line. Everything in nature consists of geometric forms and lines, in infinite combinations and formations. You were born with the ability to mimic these forms, so it’s just a matter of practice to be able to reproduce and control them.

You are drawing for yourself alone. Drawing is an educational process, like reading, writing, or studying history. It’s a tool of discovery that every thinking person should strive for competency in. You are ready to open your mind. See things like a child sees them for the first time. Admit to yourself that you’ve forgotten how to look and open your mind to seeing what’s really there and not what your brain has conditioned you to see.

You will suspend criticism and judgment of yourself. Be ready to loosen up, make messes, experiment with drawing materials and get your hands dirty. Forget the terms “artistic”, “good”, “bad”, “talent”.

You are ready to take instruction. The art of drawing is ancient and there are elementary techniques and principles which are easy to learn. Be open to training and be ready for lots of practice. Learn from books, drawing classes, or take private lessons.

Mastering the skills to produce competent pencil sketches and pencil portraits will give you a fresh appreciation of the pencil art of the masters. Visit a museum or gallery, or study the pencil drawings of famous artists in art books. Frame a few reproductions and surround yourself and your family with these inspirations.

How To Create A Great Color Pencil Drawing

2008-09-08T14:00:00.000+08:00

By Darren WK Chow

A great looking color pencil drawing isn't all that hard to create, if you know the two tips that I'm about to share with you. Before I go into that, I want to just say that if you haven't been doing your sketches, now is the time to start picking up that sketch pad again. Here's why.

The first thing that you need to know is that sketching is important to your color pencil drawings. I know if you're looking for color pencil tutorials, you're probably just looking for some tips on how to create beautiful looking colorful pictures. Unfortunately, color drawings are not just about applying a bunch of great looking color on to a surface.

Sure, the colors may look great but if you're not very good at putting a drawing together, there's a limit to how far you can go. Sketching is a skill thing. It needs a little time to develop but it gets easier with practice. Your skills are what you depend on to help you overcome any problems that you may come across when you're drawing.

So if you want to jump the gun and jump straight into color pencil drawing, you can go right ahead but don't say that I didn't warn you. If you don't believe my point, you can go out there right now and buy a box of color pencils and a sketch pad and start drawing. You'll learn the hard way, but you'll still learn.

You'll learn that your drawing didn't turn out the way you wanted it to because you didn't know how many layers of color to apply. You didn't know when you should apply the highlights. You didn't know why some objects look so fake. You didn't know why some details are lost in the process of drawing. You'll most likely run into a wide variety of problems without knowing how to solve them.

The second thing you need to know about color pencil drawing is that you need to understand the tools that you're using. Color pencils are very different from normal graphite or lead pencils and they behave very differently. If you understand color pencils, the next time you walk into an art supplies store, you'll be able to consciously pick out the right color pencils for your artwork. You'll also be able to pick up the right drawing paper (yes, drawing paper makes a difference as well).

These are the two basic elements that you need to pay attention to when learning color pencil drawing. Once you've armed yourself with the solutions to the problems above, you're ready to start creating your first beautiful color pencil drawing.

Tips on Pencil Portrait Drawing - The Mouth

2008-09-07T13:58:00.000+08:00

By Remi Engels

The mouth, like the nose, must be seen as a shape and not as a contour. Drawing the mouth involves all the elements of shading: cast shadow, halftone, shadow edge, reflected light, and full light.

Here are some items to pay attention to when drawing a mouth:

* Pit A corner of the mouth is called a pit. It is the darkest area of the mouth and is made the darkest dark, i.e., the darkest value on your five-value scale. This is important. It gives the mouth a sassy look.

* Halftone The shadows below the mouth are fairly light. They are best done in halftone. This is because the area under the lip is still at a fairly steep angle in relation to the light source.

* Highlight There usually is a highlight or full light on the lower lip and should not be overlooked. The location of this highlight is of particular importance.

* Reflected Light A less obvious but nevertheless important element is the reflected light that is usually found on the upper lip just above the line that separates the two lips. Make sure to pay attention to this reflected light.

* Darks and Lights The upper lip is always darker than the lower lip. This is because the upper lip is angled away from the light source while the lower lip is angled towards the light source. That's also why the highlight can usually be found on the lower lip. It is also the reason why you see reflected light on the bottom of the upper lip.

* Lip Line An accurate rendition of the line separating the two lips when the mouth is closed is of the utmost importance to achieve a good likeness. As always, let the values determine the line. Do not draw actual outlines because that leads to an artificial flat look.

* Teeth Each tooth must be drawn accurately. This is important because it really changes the look of your subject if a tooth does not have the correct shape. Just think of how your looks change when you have a missing tooth.

Draw teeth by drawing the gum line (this is an example of using the idea of negative space drawing). Also, teeth are seldom white. In fact, because of the cast shadows as well as the natural color of the teeth, the values are often much darker than you would expect. Check your photograph carefully for values.

The vertical lines that separate the teeth are very subtle and soft. Make sure you smooth these lines out and reduce some of them to just a hint. And do not forget to render the shadows that fall on the teeth.

* Open Mouth When the mouth is open, you will of course see teeth and also the inside of the lips. It is very important to note the changing values on the insides of the lips. Rendering these changes in values allows you to give the illusion of the roundedness to the lips which otherwise would show as flat or planar.

Finally, note that the mouth is critical to the likeness of your subject, particularly if it involves a hint of a smile. Be accurate with the mouth line, the width of the mouth, the shape of the teeth, and the outline of the lips. When your drawing is finished and you feel like something is not quite right, the mouth is one of the places to check for inaccuracies.

Introduction to Pencil Drawing Supplies and Techniques

2008-09-06T13:57:00.000+08:00

By Ralph Serpe

Drawing is a wonderful art form in itself, but it is also an excellent exercise for other forms of art, like painting for instance. Learning how to draw will truly open your mind to your surroundings enabling you to really see what is before you.

Choosing your drawing supplies

There are a variety of different drawing tools available for todays artists and what you choose to work with is based on your own preference. It comes to down to experimentation. You have to work with a number of different things before you find the tools that fit your style of drawing.

Don't go out and spend a ton of money on your drawing supplies in the beginning. You can really get started with a beginner pencil set and some newsprint paper. When you become more experienced, you can then venture out and spend money on better supplies.

Graphite pencils - Graphite pencils range in hardness and are labeled from 9H to 9B. The H pencils are the hardest. The higher the number in front of the H the lighter the mark. The B pencils are softest. The higher the number in front of the B the darker the mark. The H pencils are generally used for detailed lines where the B pencils will produce rich dark lines great for bold expressive drawings.

Charcoal Pencils - Charcoal pencils also come in a range of hardness and are labeled either from H to B like graphite, or simply as "soft", "medium" or "hard". They have a noticeably different feel to them and produce a rich dark line. Charcoal pencils tend to wear pretty fast because of their softness.

Blending Tortillions - Tightly wound stumps of paper with a point used to blend in your drawings.

Erasers - You may want to have a few different types of erasers on hand to fit every occasion.

Kneaded Eraser - A soft pliable eraser that can be kneaded into any shape to pick up and remove pencil and charcoal. May not be the best for erasing smaller details. The SANFORD Kneaded Rubber Erasers are very popular.

Eraser Pencil - These are wonderful for getting into small areas of your drawings. They can also be sharpened like ordinary pencils.

Fixatives - Fixatives protect your drawings from being smudged or ruined. There are two types of fixatives: permanent and workable. Permanent fixatives are used on a finished drawing to protect, where a workable fixative is used during the drawing process as you are working. Use great care while working with fixatives by only using in a well ventilated area. When spraying the fixative, make sure you do not spray any one section for too long and only spray a light mist standing about 3 feet away from the drawing. You should probably experiment on a few practice drawings first to determine if a fixative is right for you. There appears to be a difference of opinion amongst artists when it comes to fixatives. Some artists love to work with them and swear by them, while others feel they may actually alter the quality of a drawing. Again, you have to experiment yourself to see if fixatives are a good choice for you.

Paper - In the beginning, for the purpose of practice, you may want to consider purchasing some inexpensive newsprint paper. You should be able to get this at any local art store or online. When you are ready to purchase a more expensive grade paper, choose something that will work best with the medium you use. Paper comes in a variety of different textures from smooth to rough, often referred to as its "tooth". A really smooth paper may not work well for some mediums as the surface lacks texture, and will not grab certain drawing mediums very well. If the paper is too rough, the medium may simply slide across the surface. You have to experiment with different papers to find the one you are most comfortable with. Strathmore Brand makes excellent paper that is very popular amongst artists.

Horse Hair Drafting Brush - You should be able to purchase a horse hair drafting brush at any local art supply store or online store. This is a really helpful tool for brushing away unwanted eraser scraps from your drawing.

Basic Drawing Techniques:

There are two basic ways to approach a drawing: linear and tonal. The linear approach to a drawing focuses on line and outlines of shapes. In tonal drawing, you make use of gradations to indicate the various planes of your subject.

You should try to avoid smudging and blending in the beginning so that you force yourself to use your pencil more to achieve value in your drawings.

Avoid looking at your drawing too often. Make sure you are constantly focusing on the subject and only glancing at your drawing. By doing so, you won't constantly judge your drawing, or think something is wrong or out of place. Focus on the subject and draw what you see.

Never throw out any of your drawings. Keep a neat portfolio of everything you draw. This is an excellent way to see your progress over time.

Holding the pencil - Hold your pencil in a way that is most comfortable for you. Some hold the pencil just as you would hold a pen or pencil if you were writing. Others hold a pencil with the pencil between the thumb and index finger, with the rest of the pencil resting under the palm of your hand. Whichever method you use for holding your pencil, make certain that you do not hold the pencil too tightly.

Contour Drawing - This very basic technique is simply drawing the outline of your subject without any shading to indicate form.

Blind Contour Drawing - Similar to contour drawing, only you do not look at the paper. The point of this exercise is to force you to better observe what it is you are drawing. You should have no concern over the outcome of your drawing so it is important not to peek.

Hatching - This drawing technique uses a series of parallel lines drawn close together, in the same direction, which gives the appearance of value.

Crosshatching - Similar to hatching only you draw multiple layers of hatch lines at different angles that overlap one another.

Tonal or Value Drawing - In this approach to drawing we are indicating the various changes of light and shade in our picture without the use of strong edges and lines.

Upside Down Drawing - Drawing upside down is a wonderful exercise to awaken the right side of your brain. When you turn an image upside down, you are making it somewhat abstract and unrecognizable. This forces you to draw what you see as opposed to relying on your memory to draw something.

Negative Drawing Technique - This technique teaches you how to properly see the "white" or "negative" space in your picture. This is the area that surrounds your subject or "positive" space. Instead of drawing out the positive part of the drawing with line, you draw in the shapes that surround the positive part of your drawing.

Dry Wash Technique - This technique works quite well if you want to cover large areas of your drawing. It creates a nice soft tone. You begin by adding marks with a pencil or apply some graphite powder to the desired area on your paper. Then using a tissue or soft cloth pick up some of the graphite and gently rub it across the paper, almost as if you were painting.

Tips on Pencil Portrait Drawing - The Nose

2008-09-05T13:56:00.000+08:00

By Remi Engels

The nose is crucial in relation to the overall scale of all other facial features of your pencil portrait subject. An incorrectly drawn nose will very much affect the likeness of your subject. The nose is also a study in shading and blending.

Here are some issues you should keep in mind when drawing a nose:

* Shape
When drawing a nose, you should be thinking of spheres and cylinders. The shading and blending is very much related to that of a sphere and a cylinder. Be sure you first determine the location of the light source in your photograph. This is crucial to make everything look real and natural.

* Planes
A nose has many planes and protrusions which all have a certain angle with respect to each other. It is important to judge these angles correctly to obtain a good likeness. Also, squint your eyes to determine the type of shadow you are dealing with (hard edge, halftone, soft edge, highlight, or reflected light).

* Darkest Area
Invariably, the darkest area will be found inside each nostril. These areas are always cast shadows and therefore very dark. Remember that cast shadows become lighter as they approach the light source. Also, the edges of cast shadows are the sharpest near the object that throws the cast shadow. The edges get softer as they approach the light source.

* Reflected Light
Showing reflected light is very important to model three-dimensionality. It is usually found around the edges of the nostrils. In general, any surface that has a lip or a rim will show reflected light. Reflected light is also found where you have a shadow edge. A shadow edge is an area that is receding from the light source and usually turns into a cast shadow. In between this shadow edge and the cast shadow you will find a thin layer of reflected light.

* Blending
As always, blending should proceed from the darker areas towards the lighter areas and should be done parallel to the edges of the areas and always follow the natural flow of the subject. This will promote the illusion of depth and form and therefore realism.

* Size
Although everybody's nose is different, you should memorize the average size and placement of the nose, so you can always refer to this while you are drawing an actual nose.

The nose is measured from the bridge between the eyes to the bottom of the nostrils. This distance, on average, is equal to the distance from the bottom of the chin up to the bottom of the nostrils.

The bottom of the nostrils is, again on average, at the same height of the bottom of the earlobes. The space between the eyes is one eye-width and also gives you the distance between the outside edges of the nostrils. Of course, all these measurements are with reference to a frontal view.

* Flow
Remember that the nose is part of the face. In other words, the edges should be flowing into the face and not separate the nose from the rest of the face. So the edges should blend into the surrounding cheek areas.

In conclusion, it should be said that the nose is very important to the likeness of your subject. Pay close attention to the deviations from the standard measurements and location because these are important elements in what makes a good likeness. The above guidelines together with practice will make you an expert nose drawer.

Tips on Pencil Portrait Drawing - The Ears

2008-09-04T13:54:00.000+08:00

By Remi Engels

Drawing ears is not easy. There are many different parts to an ear. However, here is where working with a grid can help you enormously. If you work with a small grid, the problem is reduced to that of a puzzle with plenty of hints as to how the pieces fit together.

Here are some guidelines that should make the drawing of ears a cinch:

* Be Forewarned The ear has many nuanced parts to it. So be prepared to spend some time one drawing the ears of your subject. If you know this, you will not get frustrated. There are many curved surfaces and therefore there will also be many changes in values. There will be cast shadows, reflected light, highlights, halftones, and anything in between. Be patient and spend the time.

Fortunately, on many occasions, you will find that your photograph only shows a small part of the ear and with women the ears often do not show up at all.

* Shapes Look for interlocking shapes and take note of how they fit into the overall structure of the ear. Never deal with a local shape by itself. Always relate it to the neighborhood so it fits well in the total picture.

* Shine The ear is made of skin that is oilier than, say, cheek skin. Therefore it will be quite shiny. So, expect quite a few highlights and don't forget to put them in because they are exactly what will make the ears look natural. Also, because of the many creases and crevices, there will be many small dark cast shadows present.

* Edges There are many edges to the ear and they need to be studied very carefully. There are soft edges and hard edges. There is also quite a bit of reflected light. The ear is off-set from the skull, so it will often cast a shadow and therefore the edge of the ear will show some reflected light. It is important to include this reflected light because that is what gives the ear a rounded three-dimensional look.

* Placement There are a few pieces of information you must memorize in relation to the "average" ear. First, the ear does not sit straight up and down along the side of the skull. The ear is angled backwards.

The top of the ear lines up with the base of the eyebrow and the bottom of the ear lines up with the bottom of the nostrils.

The length of the ear is equal to the distance between the bottom of the nostrils and the bottom of the chin.

In a side view, the ear sits halfway between the back of the head and the front of the facial plane.

* Individuality We just discussed the "average" ear. Of course, each individual will slightly deviate from this average in one or more ways. It is important to notice these deviations. This is what makes the individual likeness.

However, when you have memorized the "average" measurements and locations and have them at the ready, it becomes easier to spot the unique features of each individual.

Some people have wrinkles on their ears. Others have lobes that merge into the jaw line while still others have long dangling lobes. So, look out for these peculiarities because they are present in every pencil portrait subject.

This should do it for the ear guidelines. The main thing with ears is to be patient. The ear is quite challenging and when completely visible takes quite a bit of time and effort to render adequately.

Tips on Pencil Portrait Drawing - The Photograph

2008-09-03T13:53:00.000+08:00

By Remi Engels

The first challenge you will face with any portrait commission is acquiring a suitable subject photograph from your customer. This subject could be a person, a pet, or a building. Now is the time and place in the pencil portrait commission process to be assertive. You should always insist on certain minimum requirements regarding the quality of the photograph. Otherwise, you are certain to fail in your pencil portrait drawing effort.

Naturally, the better the quality of the photograph the better chance you have of producing an excellent portrait. Although most customers understand this, you would be astounded to see how many awful pictures I have received. There are many reasons for this. For example, some customers only have a picture taken with a throw-away camera or have only an old fuzzy wedding picture of their parents. This will not do, unless there is a clear understanding with your customer prior to starting the drawing.

From experience, I can tell you that if the photograph is bad, i.e., insufficiently resolved, you are doomed to failure and you will not be able to produce a good likeness. Consequently, you will have an unhappy customer who often questions your skills instead of the quality of their picture. To avoid such situations, here are a few guidelines.

* If your customer has a digital photograph, insist on .jpg format and a resolution of at least 300 dpi (dots per inch).

* When the picture is still to be taken, insist on the use of a 5 mega-pixel digital camera or higher and make sure your customer sends you the unaltered version (no cropping or resizing) of the photo.

* If the customer only has a paper photo (often an old one) ask them, if possible, to scan it into their computer and email it to you first. This will give you the opportunity to judge the quality of the photo before they snail mail you the original. Here again, you must insist on an acceptably high resolution.

Here are a few more suggestions you may want to convey to your customer:

* For paper photographs, insist on a minimum head size of 2.5 to 3.5 inches, measured from the top of the head to the bottom of the chin. Smaller sizes are much harder to work with.

* Tell your customer to avoid posed subjects with unnaturally large smiles. In fact, casual unsmiling poses often make for more convincing portraits.

* If the picture is still to be taken, advise your customer not to use the flash. The flash tends to do away with the natural shadows which are very important in a pencil portrait drawing. Also, lighting coming from the side from one light source is a nice bonus.

* If possible, have your customer send you several photos of the subject, including some close-ups. This will give you a much better idea of the unique qualities and personality of the subject. It also will reveal many of the small details that are often crucial in achieving a good likeness of the subject.

* For group portraits, insist not only on a group photo but also on separate photos of each of the subjects. This will allow you to produce a more pleasing montage or collage of the group.

* If all else fails and if possible, take the subject photographs yourself.

Of course, in practice, we often may have to settle with less. And you actually can often do with less. However, what you cannot do without is acceptably high resolution. From experience, I can tell you that there is no way around this. A fuzzy photograph will not do unless your customer wants a fuzzy image on purpose and is only interested in the artistic qualities of the rendering and not in a good likeness.

Tips on Pencil Portrait Drawing - The Hands

2008-09-02T13:51:00.000+08:00

By Remi Engels

Drawing hands takes much practice. Hands are typically quite complex with many smooth transitions between darks and lights. Shapes overlap and need to be studied very carefully to yield acceptable realism. There are also lots of edges, crevices, and creases.

It is imperative that you do not ignore the many angles that are present in the hands. Hands are much more angular than our ingrained memorized image would suggest. Therefore, it is very easy to make the mistake of portraying the hands too chubby and rounded which leads to an unnaturally rounded.

Here are a few pointers that will give you the basic memory pack for drawing hands. When I say "memory pack", I mean a set of memorized issues about drawing hands that should be in the foreground of your thinking whenever you draw hands. This is a facility you should develop with each feature of a portrait such as eyes, ears, etc.

* Simplify Generally, any kind of photographic subject will have so much detail that it becomes necessary to simplify, i.e., leaving out much detail. Of course, you must develop a facility to leave out the right details and keep the important ones. This is where your artistic sensibilities play a major role. Making the right choices makes all the difference.

It is a good exercise to look at pictures in magazines and practice the simplification process. Ask yourself the question: What can I eliminate in this picture while still retaining the essence of the subject? In fact, as you get more experienced you may ask yourself the question: What should I add to obtain an even more convincing rendition of the essence of the person I am portraying?

The same is true with drawing hands. The hands have usually so much detail in them that you must discard the unimportant details. At first, keep your eye on the major shapes, the so-called large masses. You do not want to miss those.

Remember, at this stage, try not to think too much of how a hand is supposed to look like, just draw the shapes as they are.

* Males and Females There are many differences between male hands and female hands. On average, male hands are larger and squarer. For example, the fingers are less tapered and thicker than those of the female. The female hand is slender and the finger tips are much more tapered compared to the male fingers. The fact that females (generally!) do not have hairy hands adds to the lightness in color.

* Values First, avoid outlining the hands at all cost. Let the edges be formed by applying the correct contrast in values. Study the hand very carefully. Note where one finger overlaps another and be sure to include all the cast shadows.

Also, it is very important to render the reflected light on each finger because that is what will give the finger its roundness and three-dimensional look.

* Angles and Planes Hands are surprisingly angular, not as much rounded as we sometimes think they are. The joints and knuckles have various planes to them which need to be carefully rendered.

* Blending Keep the blending of the hands very smooth. Blend the darks into the surface they belong to. This way there is no confusion as to which surface the dark line belongs to. Again, do not forget the reflected light between the fingers. This will create the illusion of roundness of the fingers.

The hands can be used to enhance the visual impact of your pencil portrait drawing. For example, the addition of hands to a baby picture makes the whole thing much more endearing. Therefore, adding hands to a portrait is always something to consider. With this, I think you can have a good start at drawing hands. And remember, practice, practice, and practice some more. Drawing is a hands-on art, so to speak.

Tips on Pencil Portrait Drawing - Facial Hair

2008-09-01T13:49:00.000+08:00

By Remi Engels

A mustache or a beard usually has lots of fullness. Therefore, it must be built up in layers. As with all feature in a pencil portrait, you need to look at facial hair in terms of shapes and not just in terms of outlines. The values are also of critical importance especially in relation to the values of the neighboring skin.

Here are a few clues that will help you become an expert in drawing decent mustache, beards, sideburns, and other varieties of facial hair:

* Values Squint your eyes and take careful note of the overall value of the facial hair as compared to the surrounding skin. Is it lighter or darker or something in between? You should keep this overall average value in mind throughout the drawing process.

Also, check the extent of the mustache or beard. Is the entire upper lip covered by the mustache or is there a line of skin visible between the mustache and the mouth? In other words, get a good idea of the extent of the shapes involved. A drawing grid can be of great help with this.

* Growth It is imperative that you render the growth lines of the facial hair correctly. Take a minute and look for the overall directions of the hair growth. Get a feel for the flow of the hair. Where are the breaks in the flow? How does a local direction of hair growth fit into the overall pattern?

While you concentrate on drawing a local shape, always be aware of the overall shape you are drawing. All this is critically important to obtain a good likeness.

* Layering It is best to draw facial hair in layers, just like it grows in reality. This keeps your mustache or beard from looking flat or thin.

If necessary, you can put down one layer and use workable fixative before laying down the next layer.

Also, be aware of the underlying facial structure, otherwise the hair may look like it is pasted on. In other words, be aware of the peaks and valleys underneath the facial hair and note the how these structures are mirrored in the facial hair.

* Kneaded Eraser The kneaded eraser is ideal to render the lighter values in facial hair. Shape the kneaded eraser into a point and lightly "draw" lighter lines into the darker valued areas of the facial hair. Very realistic renditions can be obtained with this technique.

* Close-up Have a good look at a close-up of a mustache or some other facial hair. Notice how the hairs are ordered. Particularly, notice that some of the hairs are interwoven with others. It is important to reflect this in your drawing.

Note that generic-looking facial hair will make your drawing look artificial. Each individual has his or her own unique hair growth patterns. It becomes necessary to study these patterns, i.e., shape, fullness or thinness, values, growth patterns, underlying structure, etc. As always, practice makes perfect. Also remember, drawing hair must be done with a light, flowing touch, maybe using an F or HB pencil.

Tips on Pencil Portrait Drawing - The Eyes

2008-08-31T13:47:00.000+08:00

By Remi Engels

As with all features of the human face, it is important that we do not draw the preconceived ideas we have about eyes. The eyes are the windows to a person's soul and reflect much of the emotionality and personality of that person. Therefore, they must be drawn exactly how they are.

There is much to be said about the different parts of the eye, but here are a few guidelines that will get you started in the right direction:

* Complexity Like the ears, eyes are rather complex forms and therefore we need to be patient and spend the necessary time to draw them as realistic as we can. Here are the important parts of the eye:

- The surrounding bone structure
- The eyebrows
- The eyelids
- The eyelashes
- The eyeball
- The iris
- The pupil

* Eye Structure The eyeball sits deep inside the eye socket. The eye socket has a protruding rim at the top on which the eyebrow is situated. You can trace your finger all around the eye socket and get a good idea of its shape. It is within this rather rectangular shape that we will draw the eye.

* Eyeball The eyeball has a rather large spherical shape. In front there is a protruding egg shaped bulge where the lens is located. The eyelids are stretched over the eyeball.

For drawing purposes we are interested in that part of the eyeball that we usually refer to as "the whites" of our eyes. Now, those whites are in general not white at all but have shadows on them which, at times, can be quite dark. Remember also that the whites are part of a spherical surface. So when shading the whites, we should think of the elements of shading that are applicable to a sphere.

* Eyelids The eyelids are stretched over the eyeball. Therefore, the curvature of the eyeball gives the eyelids their shape. This is something to understand and memorize.

It is important to capture the exact shape of the eyelid lines and to recognize that they follow the curvature of the eyeball. Also, when the upper eyelid is retracted, it leaves a clearly visible crease which must also be rendered accurately.

Finally, notice the peculiar little shape in the inside corner of the eye where the upper and lower eyelids join. Be sure to draw this corner as observed in your particular subject.

* Eyelashes The eyelashes sprout from the eyelids. They grow in clumps and should be rendered that way. Spend some time observing how eyelids grow and are directed. Notice that very often the lashes on the upper eyelid are much larger than those on the lower lid. Eyelashes belonging to a particular clump are frequently entangled. The eyelashes are usually drawn at the very end.

* The Iris The iris is the circle of color in the middle of the eye. It is crucial for a good likeness that the value of the color is rendering correctly. A dark brown or a pale blue, for example, will appear very smooth and even. Green and deep blue irises, on the other hand, will have the most design and contrast in it.

* The Pupil The pupil is situated exactly in the middle of the iris. As is the case with the iris, the pupil is an exact circle (if a frontal view) and is always black.

Very often there is a circular highlight situated just where the iris and pupil meet. This highlight adds quite a bit of life to the portrait. Look for it and add it to your drawing.

* Eyebrows The eyebrows play a very important part in the appearance of a person. They also have a lot to do with the expression on the person's face. They follow the shape of the upper rim of the bone structure in which the eye is placed.

* Placement The distance between the two eyes is on average exactly equal to one eye-width. Drawing a vertical line from the inside corner of the eye down to the nose should touch the outside of the nostril. Of course, these are average values and there are individual differences.

It is important to get a good impression of the shape, angle, width, and exact location of the eyebrows. Carefully observe the direction of the hairs and how they are intertwined.

Much can still be said about drawing eyes. For example, we could talk about the differences between the eyes of men, women, and children. Or, we could talk about capturing expressions of anger, laughter, or sadness, and much more. But the above guidelines will give you a good start. Later, you may want to undertake a more thorough study of the eye and how to draw it.

Tip on Pencil Portrait Drawing - Multiple Subjects

2008-08-30T13:46:00.000+08:00

By Remi Engels

When it comes to multiple subjects in one pencil portrait drawing, there are two possibilities:

(1) all subjects appear in one photograph;

(2) the subjects appear in different photographs.

We will be concerned with the second possibility.

It will not take long before you will get a request to make one portrait out of several photographs. This often happen when grandma wants to have a portrait made of all her grandchildren. This can be done but you need to be aware of a number of issues.

Here are a few guidelines to follow when combining photographs:

* Lighting Check the light source in each of the photographs. Your portrait drawing needs a unified light source. Hopefully the light source is the same in all the photographs.

However, this is unlikely and, therefore, you will have to adapt the lighting in some of the pictures when you draw your composite portrait. This is a difficult but necessary challenge.

All shadows and tones have to be consistent otherwise your composite portrait will have a strange look to it. This, now, is a matter of experience and knowing how a subject looks like when lighted in a certain manner. There are no shortcuts here.

You may try to find a photograph or image of some other subject where the light source is located in a suitable location and deduce from that how the shadows and values are distributed.

* Gaze Try to make all your subjects gaze in the same general direction. You can do this by adjusting the location of the irises. You do not want each subject staring in a different direction because this will make them look disjointed.

* Composition When you have different photographs you have the opportunity to create your own composition. The standard overall compositional shapes are: the circle; the rectangle; the triangle, and the square. Choose one of these and arrange the subjects within it. Start with the largest subject and arrange the others around it in a pleasing manner.

* Size Another problem you will encounter is that the subject in the different photographs will be portrayed in different relative sizes. One subject will be small, the other will be large.

Therefore, you will need to go through the process of reducing all subjects to the same scale. To this end, start with the largest of the subjects and measure the distance from the mouth to the eyes. Then try to reproduce this measurement in all the other subjects.

If the subjects are of different ages, say a child and an adult, adjustments must be made in the measurements according to the known average differences of such subjects.

For example, a child's head has different average measurements than that of an adult. If you have a photograph of the two together then you can study the differences and draw accordingly.

Much more can be said about merging different photographs into one pencil portrait drawing. The above suggestions represent a strong start.

Again, it must be said that your success will depend primarily on experience. So do not be discouraged if things do not work out the first few times around. Practice makes perfect.

Pencil Drawing Lessons Improve Paintings

2008-08-29T13:44:00.000+08:00

By Darren WK Chow

In ancient times, oil painting artists use charcoal to draw the outlines of the subjects first before anything else. They then use a brush to brush off the excess charcoal so that the dust don't contaminate the painting. This act alone leaves a faint guideline for the artist to complete the painting.

Since a long time ago, artists have employed the use of simple drawing techniques to produce quality paintings. Without a strong drawing foundation, many things could go wrong in the process, and the final end result may not be ideal. Let's take a look at what can go wrong.

For a start, to paint a spontaneous drawing, artists are often encouraged to draw over guidelines instead of just tracing over them. Tracing makes the painting look mechanical and unnatural. Therefore, strong drawing skills are still required, even though there are already guidelines to follow.

Having a strong foundation also allows the artist to correct anything on the drawing as they work. That's because they are not just tracing blindly and are actually creating a new painting, guided by the existing lines on the canvas.

All the better artists know this, and they make sure they take the time to build a strong drawing foundation before moving on to more advanced drawing or painting techniques.

And when you think about drawing foundations, what could be better for building a strong foundation than pencil sketching? Rough pencil sketches are easy to produce and trains the eyes and mind to look out for mistakes in a drawing. The more the artist practices, the better he becomes.

Drawing can be a huge challenge at times, and learning to draw soundly can be overwhelming. There are thousands and thousands of subjects to choose from, and there are all kinds of perspectives to practise on. So it's important that the artist treats drawing as a journey and not a destination.

On this journey, the artist may constantly have to hone his or her drawing skills with regular sketches. If you feel uncomfortable drawing with pencil at times, maybe it's a good time to consider taking up some pencil drawing lessons to strengthen your drawing foundation.

There are some artists who work exclusively with pencils and they have often demonstrated great skills. Take a few moments to observe the drawings of these great pencil artists and learn from them.

Your drawing foundation will strengthen your overall drawing and painting ability so that you can take on and overcome more complicated painting challenges. At the end of the day, you'll be glad that you've taken the time to sharpen your pencil drawing skills.

Tip on Pencil Portrait Drawing - Backgrounds

2008-08-28T13:41:00.000+08:00

By Remi Engels

Backgrounds are useful in enhancing your vision of how you want to represent your subjects. Backgrounds can soften the presentation or make it more energetic or dramatic.

However, whatever you do, make sure that the background works with the subject and not against it. Also, do not forget that the subject is the reason you started the drawing in the first place. So, do not get caught up in your background to the point where it starts outshining your subject and diverts the attention of the viewer from your subject.

Here are a few tips on how to proceed with backgrounds so that they become a plus for the finished product:

* Values Take a clue from the values of your subject when choosing the value scheme for your background treatment. If your subject is very light on one side, it is always a good idea to make the background in that area darker. This will introduce the necessary contrast.

It also solves the problem of white against white. For example, if your subject has white hair, it is always difficult to make it sufficiently show against the white background of your white paper. Introducing a darker background around the hair is the perfect solution. This, of course, also works in reverse. If your subject is dark, you may want to contrast this with a light background.

* Lost and Found The background treatment can also be used to produce so-called "lost and found edges". These are edges that initially show but then get lost in the surroundings to finally reappear somewhere down the line.

The disappearing act of the edge is accomplished by rendering the edge and the surroundings with the same value. For example, the edge of a sleeve could be partially lost in the background by giving the background the same value as that part of the sleeve. Lost and found effects are always interesting and involve the viewer in the process of completing the drawing.

* Location It is usually a good idea to keep the shading below the eye level of the subject you are drawing. Shading above the eye level tends to weigh down the subject and does not add to the crispness of the portrait.

* Extensive Background Sometimes your client may insist on a detailed pictorial background.

First, make sure you increase the fee, because you will often spend more time on your background drawing than on the subject itself.

Second, always be aware that the subject must remain the focal point of the finished product. So, develop the facility for judging what enhances the subject and what detracts from it. The background is invariably secondary to the subject.

Ideally, a pictorial background should talk about your subject and give the viewer more information about your subject. A background is also very useful to create or enhance a mood. If your subject is portrayed in a certain mood, you may want to enhance that mood by adding the appropriate background.

These tips should give you a good start in portraying backgrounds with confidence.

Tips on Pencil Portrait Drawing - Montage

2008-08-27T13:40:00.000+08:00

By Remi Engels

A montage is somewhat like a collage. On one piece of paper you put together any number of related subjects. However, instead of pasting them onto the paper you will draw them.

A montage is often used to tell a story about the person you are drawing. It includes references to well-known events that happened in that person's life and that were special to him or her.

Here are a few tips on how to go about putting together a montage:

Subjects Do not overdo it. The subject surrounded by a few references will do just fine. It is easy to end up with a crowded montage that contains too many subjects and objects. So, be critical of what you put in it and of what you do not put in it.

Focal Point Do not forget that the person who is being honored should remain the center of attention. Make sure you do not let the secondary drawings overwhelm the person who is being honored. A viewer should first and foremost see the honoree.

One way to ensure that your subject remains the focal point is to place him or her right in the center of your drawing. In addition, make sure that you use a smaller scale for the surrounding subject and objects. Another trick is to draw the surrounding object somewhat lighter and also with less detail. Reserve the full detail drawing for the person of interest.

Values It is also important that you create an overall unity in terms of values. Often you will use a variety of photographs to construct your montage. These photographs will usually have different intensities and different light source locations.

So, before you start your drawing pay some attention to where you will put your darkest darks and lightest lights so that the final product has a consistent value distribution. If the values are not consistent throughout your drawing you will end up with a funny looking result.

This is particularly true if you show inconsistent cast shadows. Just imagine one light source and draw on your experience for how to change the shadows in your photographs so that they all go together in your drawing.

Sizes The sizes of the subjects and objects in the different photographs will not be consistent either. So, some will have to be drawn larger than in the photograph and others will have to be drawn smaller.

Here is where the grid technique can be very helpful. By scaling the grid size you can fairly easily scale the subjects and objects as well. If the object is to be smaller on your drawing you can draw a scaled-down grid on drawing paper first as compared to the corresponding grid on your photograph. The same is true in reverse. You can easily increase the size of a subject or object by drawing a scaled-up grid on your drawing paper. This is the old grid trick which was used by many great masters of the past.

A montage can be a precious gift to the person who is being honored. Be forewarned however, that a montage usually involves a lot of work. Therefore, make sure you make a careful estimate of the time you will spend so you can charge accordingly if this is part of how you make your living.

Why Pencil Drawing Is An Essential Skill

2008-08-26T13:38:00.000+08:00

By Darren WK Chow

Many artists have struggled with pencil drawing and have not really gotten good at it. They then move on to paint with colors, and when they find that they face the same basic drawing problems, they choose to ignore them and make up some excuse so that they can avoid having to face those problems.

If you're facing the same problems, my advice to you is to meet those problems head on and overcome them once and for all. Artists who refuse to face and tackle drawing problems head on can only do so much. Their growth is stunted, and their drawing skills will not improve. Over time, their skills will be overtaken by those who took the trouble to examine the problems and actually solve them.

Once the drawing problems are solved, it's then a question of consciously choosing how you want to draw. For example, many artists cannot draw realistic pictures using pencil. When the drawing didn't turn out the way they wanted it to, they say it's abstract art, or they're trying to symbolise the subjects. But we all know the truth. There are times when drawing a realistic picture is much better than symbolic drawing, so we can't run away forever. Sooner or later, we're going to come face to face with the same set of problems.

And you know what? If we can't overcome these obstacles, we'll have to face them again and again. That's the universe way of testing us.

But the good news is, once you understand the basic problems of pencil drawing, you'll learn that they're not that difficult to overcome. And if you can learn to overcome these problems, you'll also find it easier to overcome problems associated with color, since the problems are similar in nature.

The number one problem to pencil drawing is control. Artists can't draw what they want to draw because they don't know how to control the drawing tools properly. But how difficult can it be to control a pencil? It's easy if you know how.

For instance, you can vary the pressure of the pencil to shade with a whole range of different tones. You can choose to work with a blunt or sharp pencil, or decide to hold the pencil differently. These are all techniques related to pencil drawing.

So don't jump the gun, be patient, and learn to draw well with pencils before moving on. After all, part of drawing is about problem solving, and if you can't solve your pencil problems, you won't be able to solve your painting problems. That's why pencil drawing is an essential skill to acquire.

Tips on Pencil Portrait Drawing - Shading

2008-08-25T13:36:00.000+08:00

By Remi Engels

As soon as you have finished a line drawing of your subject you are ready to start with the shading process. The purpose of shading is to give your subject three-dimensionality. When you are done with shading, your subject should look like it is anchored in space and is not just an object in a plane.

Values (or tones) are, by definition, degrees of darkness and lightness. It is good practice to develop a visual sense of at least five values or tones. To help you with this, I suggest making a five-value scale. Draw five boxes next to each other and make the first one on the left totally black while leaving the last one on the right completely white. Then, fill up the middle one with a value that is just in between black and white. This value is called the "halftone" or "medium gray". Next, fill in the second box from the left with a value that lies between black and medium gray. This value is called "dark gray". Finally, fill in the second box from the right with a value that lies just in between white and medium gray. This value is called "light gray".

These five values are enough to start and can already do wonders for your pencil portrait. Practice these five values until you can recognize them instantly when you see them. Now, armed with the knowledge of these five values we can now approach our line drawing which has already mapped out various shapes with different values. We now can start the shading process (i.e., applying of values).

One thing that you should always keep in mind as you shade is the location of the light source or light sources. In the beginning it is best to work with only one light source. Every value you observe should be seen as a function of where the light source is located. Each value you apply should make sense in relation to the light source. Assign each of the areas on your line drawing one of the five values you have internalized. You do that through careful observation. Later, the boundaries between the differently valued areas will be blended together yielding a so-called transition area which has a value in between the two values of the adjacent areas.

To help you further, it is good to think of the different value areas in terms of the five elements of shading:

1. The Halftone
This is the value in the middle of your value scale. You can think of this value as representing the true value of your subject without the effects of direct light or shadow. It is neither light nor dark.

2. Full Light
This is the value of areas where the light hits the subject straight on. It is the white of the paper. This sort of value is also called a highlight.

3. Cast Shadow
This is the darkest value which is the black in the first box on the left of your value scale. This value occurs in places that are completely shielded from the light source or any reflections. These areas are usually to be found among the shadows the subject casts on other surfaces.

4. Shadow Edge
This is the dark gray located in the second box from the left on your value scale. This value type is found in areas that are not quite in the cast shadow areas but are beyond the halftone. These areas are often between a halftone area and a reflected light area or between a halftone zone and a cast shadow zone.

5. Reflected Light
This is a value corresponding to light gray, the second box from the right on your value scale. Reflected light can often be found as a small band between a cast shadow and a shadow edge. It is the light that bounces back onto your subject from surrounding surfaces. The bottom of the jaw often shows reflected light. Be sure not to make this sort of value totally white because it never is. These reflected light areas are important to notice and to render because they contribute significantly to the appearance of roundness and three-dimensionality of your subject.

In conclusion, a satisfactory line drawing together with your knowledge of a five-value scale and the five elements of shading should give you a good start at developing your shading skills. Work with short strokes and blend the adjacent areas into a value that lies in between the two areas. A ball on a table lighted by one light source is a good setup for practicing the five elements of shading.

Tips on Pencil Portrait Drawing - Clothing

2008-08-24T13:34:00.001+08:00

By Remi Engels
Drawing clothing can be quite challenging. The challenge usually centers on the drawing of the folds. There is a lot of reflected light, lots of darks, and many lights. But it is exactly this variety of values that makes the drawing of clothes very attractive but also challenging. Learning to draw fabric well requires a concerted effort and a good deal of practice.

Here are a few tips to memorize:

* Folds There are five types of folds we must recognize when drawing clothing:

1. The column fold
2. The drape fold
3. The inert fold
4. The coil fold
5. The interlocking fold

Of course, in a typical situation, more than one of these fold types are present. Here are the definitions:

* Column Fold This type of fold is the most common and is typified by its cylindrical shape suspended or originating from one point. The value pattern is that of a cylinder which involves a hard edge followed by a parallel line of reflected light, a shadow edge and a soft edge. The column fold also shows highlights here and there depending on the location of the light source. You can find such folds frequently in scarves, curtains, and skirts.

* Drape Fold This fold comes about when a piece of fabric is suspended from two opposing points. The fabric in between the two points is long enough so that it can hang freely and form a somewhat semi-circular shape. The picture is that of a series of alternating narrow dark and light semi-circular strips that begin and end at the two points. This type of fold is often found in blouses.

* Inert Fold This type of fold occurs in a piece of fabric that is not suspended but lies on a surface without being stretched. Here, the folds can go in many different directions. However, each fold relates to its neighbors in a particular manner. You should study these patterns and render them in a consistent way although the whole thing seems at first to be a mess. You can observe this type of fold when a woman's dress is partially resting on the surface she is seated on.

* Coil Fold A piece of fabric that is wrapped around a circular rod will invariably show this sort of fold. It has a spiral-like appearance and it can be found in sleeves and pant legs when the sleeve or pant leg is somewhat twisted around the arm or the leg.

* Interlocking Fold - Fabric that is piled on a couch or is wrapped around someone's neck will often show folds within folds or on top of each other. With this sort of fold it becomes imperative that you trace how each fold works itself into the other and apply the appropriate cast shadows.

As mentioned above, in a typical pencil portrait involving fabrics, you will find combinations of these different types of folds. It is important that you recognize each type instantly and that you have practiced drawing them.

You should identify the areas where the fabric is in tension and where it is not and see where the darks and lights are. In addition, there will always be hard edges and soft edges that must be rendered faithfully for your drawing to look realistic.

Finally, there is also something called: "lost and found" edge. A lost and found edge is an edge that, at first, can easily be seen, but then peters out and becomes invisible, only to reappear a little further down the line. Although the edge consists of two disconnected lines, the eye through the brain recognizes that the two disjointed line pieces belong together and form one edge.

As you can see, drawing clothes is not all that simple. Sometimes clothes are dismissed and often underestimated in their difficulty to draw. But, if you know that they are not so easy, you should not feel bad if, at first, your clothes drawings do not look very realistic. Sorry to say, but learning the art of drawing clothes requires much practice and careful observation.

Tip on Pencil Portrait Drawing - Cropping

2008-08-23T13:28:00.001+08:00

By Remi Engels
Cropping is a presentation technique that displays a subject within the borders of your paper and often involves a truncation of some parts of the subject. For example, part of a hat or an arm may be truncated or cropped.

Cropping is a device that can often be applied to great dramatic effect. It usually brings the subject much closer to the viewer and makes the portrait more intimate. As the viewer you almost feel like you are violated the subject's space.

Here are a few ideas when applying the cropping technique on your pencil portrait drawings:

* Balance Cropping immediately presents you with a compositional puzzle. You must exercise good judgment in what to crop and what not. You must make sure that you preserve the balance in the drawing both from the perspective of shape and in terms of values. It is a good idea to stand back a little and judge your drawing from a distance.

You can usually determine by gut feeling whether or not you did a good job. If the result feels right then it generally is right. If not, you should try to determine what exactly is wrong. Mind you, some subjects or situations are not suitable for cropping and are better left whole.

* Border Sometimes it may be beneficial to the overall look of the finished product to use border tape or actually draw in a border. Border tape can be had in any art store and comes in many different colors and various widths. Border tape is generally only used for artwork from which you will make prints because with time the tape on the original will almost certainly loosen and maybe even ruin the picture.

* Variant An alternative to actual cropping is letting the drawing run all the way out to one or more of the edges of the paper. This often creates a triangular composition with pleasing results. It can also help you in balancing the values if there are no other alternatives to do so.

I regularly use this technique when the subject's upper-body clothing is of interest. I usually draw the head life-size on a 16" x 20" ground. By letting the drawing run out to the bottom and side edges I am able to gain enough room to also draw the upper-body clothing.

* Imagination Cropping is an interesting compositional tool. It can also be used to lead the viewer's attention in a particular direction off the page and force him or her to think about what is not drawn in that direction.

For example, part of the back of a horse-drawn cart could be cropped. A smiling good-looking gentleman could be sitting up-front in the cart gazing towards the unseen backseat of the cart. In this way, a viewer is invited to wonder what sort of person could be sitting in the back of the cart that can attract the rapt attention of such a fine gentleman. I admit, this example does not leave much to the imagination of the viewer.

Cropping is interesting and adds to the drama of the composition. It is something you must try at least once.

Tips on Pencil Portrait Drawing - Supplies

2008-08-22T13:26:00.001+08:00

By Remi Engels
Whether or not your pencil portrait turns out to be a masterpiece depends to a high degree on the type and quality of your drawing tools. This is true for any craft. In this article, I will present an overview of the tools the professional pencil artist uses when drawing a pencil portrait.

What do you need to draw pencil portraits? The bare minimum, of course, is a pencil and a piece of paper. Needing hardly any equipment is simultaneously a plus and a challenge. Drawing is to the arts what boxing is to sports. The fewer tools you have the more skilled you need to be to stand out. Therefore, it is particularly important that, as a pencil artist, you not only use the right tools but also the right quality tools. Below, I present just about every piece of drawing equipment you will ever need. Study the list and then pick and choose depending on your style and ambitions:

* Pencils. Drawing pencils, in general, come in degrees of softness and hardness: 9H, 8H, ..., 2H, H, F, HB, B, 2B, 3B, ..., 8B, 9B where 9H is the hardest and 9B is the softest. The F pencil is the odd duck in the line but yields fairly fine and soft lines and is often used to draw hair. The HB pencil separates the hard H pencils from the softer B pencils.

To start with, you may try 2H (hard), HB, 2B, 4B, and 6B (soft) pencils. Later, you can always adjust your choices depending on your style and technique.

* Paper. Try out a number of differently textured papers. For portraits, I prefer a 2-ply Bristol, acid-free, heavyweight, smooth surface. But your choice should be dictated by your own style or just by whether or not you enjoy a particular paper surface.

* Drawing Board. A 1/4 inch tempered Masonite or Plexiglas board of at least 16 x 20 inches will do.

* Clips or Masking Tape. You use these to fix the paper on your drawing board and come in handy in all sorts of other situations. I use a lot of them.

* Maulstick. This stick is used to steady your hand and to avoid smudging of your work (Figure 1.).

* Broom. A desk broom is used to occasionally brush debris off your work. This also avoids smudges and save time because you have to erase less (Figure 2.).

* Sheet of Bond Paper. You put this sheet under your drawing hand, again to avoid smudging your drawing while you are working.

* Pencil Sharpener. You will need a sturdy small one for the road and an industrial strength electric one for your studio.

* Workable Fixative. This is a spray used to fix the finished portrait. This protects the drawing and makes it safe for future smudging (Figure 3.).

* Erasers. You need two types: 1. A vinyl one and; 2. a kneaded one. A vinyl eraser is the usual hard rectangular kind. A kneaded eraser is the gray kind that acts like putty (Figure 4.).

* Ruler. A regular 12 inch metal ruler will do. Make sure you can easily read the divisions on the ruler.

* Blending Tortillons. These are spiral-wound cones of paper used to blend a darker region into a lighter one (Figure 5.).

* Paper Tissue. You use tissue paper as another blending tool.

That's about it. As you practice (yes, practice), you should try out some of the above tools and see if they fit with your mode of drawing. Be flexible but try to work towards a final style of pencil portrait drawing that feels comfortable to you and involves a subset of the above mentioned tools used in a practiced and almost unconscious manner.

Tips on Pencil Portrait Drawing - Hair

2008-08-21T13:33:00.001+08:00

By Remi Engels
Drawing hair is not all that difficult but it does take quite a bit of time to make the result to look real and natural. In fact, it usually takes two to three times longer to do the hair than it does to do the rest of the portrait. So, do not get frustrated and know that you will have to spend the time.

Here are some pointers to help you succeed at drawing the best hair possible:

* Line Drawing As always, the first step is to produce a line drawing that shows the overall shape of the hair and maps out some of the main value areas. At this stage, you should look at the hair as a shape and ignore all details such as strands. Do observe however how the hair flows, i.e., take note of the growth directions of the hair.

* Values Next, using the map you created on your line drawing, start laying in the major values, i.e., the major darks and lights. Make sure you always follow the growth direction of the hair. This is very important. Follow the flow.

* Blending At this stage, you can blend the darks out towards the lights. Then, reapply the darks and pull them into the light areas using a tortillon or a pencil (if there is not enough graphite on the paper). Work from the dark areas into the light areas. After that, use a pointed kneaded eraser as a drawing tool to pull the lights into the darks.

This process should be repeated several times until you reach the desired look of fullness.

* Curls If your subject has curls, you should treat each curl as a separate object with its own darks, lights, and highlights. At the same time, make sure that each curl fits into the overall layout of the hair. This means, for example, that a particular curl should flawlessly connect to its neighbors.

* Shadows Often the hair cast a few shadows onto the forehead. These cast shadows should always be rendered in the correct value. You will be surprised how much they contribute to the realistic appearance of the hair and the subject in general. They very much help to show the fullness and three-dimensionality of the hair.

* Forehead The forehead, like anything else, has a certain value. When the hair falls over the forehead, it is important to apply the same forehead value to the areas of the forehead that are visibly located under the hair. If you leave these areas white, you will loose a lot of realism.

* Gray Hair The illusion of gray or white hair is created through using pencil strokes sparingly and through more blending with a tortillon or a paper tissue. A soft and silky look can be created by using the kneaded eraser to lift out the appropriate.

Much more can be said about the drawing of hair. This includes such subjects as hairstyles, men's versus women's hair, thin hair, hair color, etc. However, the above remarks will suffice to set you on the right path. Later, you can always consult an advanced work on hair drawing.

Create a Pencil Sketch From Photo

2008-08-20T13:23:00.001+08:00

By Darren WK Chow

When creating a pencil sketch from a photo, note that we're not trying to be a photo copier machine and duplicate the same image on another piece of paper. We're all artists, right? That gives us the right and the license to be creative with our works. Otherwise, why even bother to create a pencil sketch out of a photo in the first place?

But having that right means having the responsibility to exercise sound judgement when it comes to pencil sketching from a photo. What do I mean? Let me explain.

If we're going to create a pencil drawing from a photo, as artists, we have the right to pick and choose what we want to include in the drawing and how we want to draw them.

For instance, you may want to draw a face as a caricature, or you may want to leave some parts of the photo out so as not to distract the audience.

It takes a few tries to get it right. With experience, you'll be more efficient with this. But in general, it's always a good idea to test stuff out first.

You can do so by separating all the different elements in a photo and drawing them out as rough shapes on separate sheets of paper.

Then try to move them around and see what you can come out with. Once you're happy with the composition of the drawing, you may then proceed.

Also, it's important that when you sketch from a photo, always draw instead of trace. Keep moving your pencil fluidly around the surface of the drawing and don't worry too much about mistakes. You can always go back to correct them. The key here is to keep your pencil strokes natural.

If you can keep the above in mind, I'm sure you can draw some great pencil sketches from your photos. Have fun with the activity!

Pencil Drawing Art Lessons

2008-08-18T13:16:00.001+08:00

By Darren WK Chow
There are three elements that are standing between you, and what you want to draw. The first element is time. Many aspiring artists put off developing their drawing ability give all kinds of excuses. "I don't have enough time", "I'm busy with career and family", "I'll get started when I can find the time", and so on and so forth.

The truth is, these people are never going to get started. The next day comes and go, and we still hear the same excuses. Tomorrow just never comes! Without consciously setting aside the time to draw, nothing is ever going to happen. If the artist feels that he or she doesn't have the skills (which I'll come to later), there's a need to set aside time to develop those skills. No excuses.

The second element is skills. Some people have the talent, but sometimes they just don't know it. I don't care what anybody says, but talent without development is such a complete waste. Talent is nothing without development. The more talented artists just learn quicker than others, but still, without guidance and direction, it's all for nothing.

So how do we know if someone has the talent? Nature has its way of revealing that to the artist some way or the other. I want you to think hard from some past events in your life. Have you ever drawn or sculpted something naturally and it just came out looking good? Maybe not great yet, since the talent has not yet been developed but good enough. Any incident at all? If you have such memories, chances are, you have the talent without even you knowing it.

The final element is the most important element of all the three discussed in this article. And that's interest and passion. Know that this is very different from talent. Some people are talented in sports, but they take no active interest. As a result, they lose that athletic ability later in life. We see this happening all the time around us. We lose what we don't use.

But the main reason why this single element is so important is that without passion, the artist loses the drive to continue developing his god given talent. Learning to draw, like many other things in life, is not a destination. It's a journey. We learn new things all the time, and we just keep learning and perfecting our drawing skills as we go.

So we know it's vital and critical that we keep fostering that passion that lies within us. Coming back to the question, "Do you know how to draw anything and everything you want?" The answer lies in combining all the three elements above. If you can find the time to develop your talent, know that you have the talent, and have a strong passion for drawing, you will and can succeed.

You'll be able to develop the skills needed for drawing anything and everything you want. I developed the Home Study Course at MyArtPassion.com just for people like you. If you think you're the person I'm talking about, I invite you to join me at the website.

You'll soon be able to draw anything and everything you want!

Sketch a Car Using Pencil

2008-08-17T12:08:00.002+08:00

By Darren WK Chow

Have you ever wanted to sketch your dream car? Basically, there are two types of drawings that you can create. A two dimensional drawing of a car, or a three dimensional one.

Before we get started, I'm just going to assume here that you know the basic techniques of drawing as taught in the MyArtPassion.com Home Study Course. The course is not free, but there are free drawing lessons available on the website.

Since some of the materials are readily available, I'm not going to go through them here. What I'm going to do, will be to have a brief discussion on the approach that we should adopt when we're trying to draw a car. Let's get started.

First, pick the car that you want to draw. Depending on your skill level, pick something that you're comfortable drawing. Generally speaking, shadows and reflections on the body of the car creates complicated shapes. And if you're not comfortable, or you don't have the time, you may want to avoid choosing something that's complicated to draw. You can choose a reference image from your favourite car website.

Once you've chosen your reference subject and image, it's now time to start working on your sketch. Remember the two types of sketch? A two-dimensional sketch is easier to draw. You don't have to worry about highlights, shadows, foreshortening and all those drawing techniques. But you do have to get your measurements right. Try drawing the car from the front, side, and back for practice. Once you feel more confident, you can try drawing a three dimensional car.

A three dimensional car gives you more room to express yourself. Also, it present new challenges that'll help you sharpen your skills as an artist. The most challenging part is to get the proportions of the car right. Once you're able to nail that, you're halfway there. The techniques for nailing proportions have also been discussed in the Home Study Course.

When you have the shape and form of the car on paper, start working on the details. Do not worry so much about shades and blending when you start. Give the car more form by darkening the lines and refining the details. Cars often have many small parts that need attention. This require time. So pay attention to these details.

In the final stages of the sketch, do your shading and blending and make sure you bring out the highlights (reflective areas of the car body). Finish off the sketch with a sharp pencil and remove all unwanted lines.

Color Pencil Drawing Tips

2008-08-16T12:06:00.001+08:00

By Darren WK Chow
Drawing in color pencils is very similar to drawing with pencils. The basic drawing techniques remain the same. For instance, you can use hatching technique, layering technique or the pressure technique. I've discussed this in the free report that I'm giving out at my website, so I won't be going into that in this article.

Know that if you're comfortable drawing with pencils, you'll be ready to move on to color pencils. However, despite the similarities, I want to point out a few key points that you need to take note of.

Firstly, you can't blend color pencils like the way you blend pencils. That means the tortillion or the paper stump will not work on color pencils. That's because color pencils have a hard and waxy nature. As a result, if you try to blend using a stump, you'll find that you can't easily spread the color around.

The other difference is that when working with color pencils, you're essentially creating a drawing in color. So instead of just working with tone values, you'll now have to decide on the colors that you're going to use and the intensity of the colors.

If you have not work with colors before, this will be something new. But fortunately, it's easy to choose the most appropriate colors with some practice.

As a general rule of thumb, you will always have one or two subjects of focus. These subjects should have strong contrasting colors with the surrounding so that they stand out.

These are just a few key points that you need to take note of. Color pencils are clean to work with and in the hands of a skilled artist, can be used to create stunning drawings.

Remember, just like you would finish off a pencil sketch with sharp pointed pencils, you would also want to finish off a color pencil drawing with sharp pointed color pencils. The goal is to work on the fine details so that your masterpiece emerge naturally.

Pencil Choices For Pencil Artists

2008-08-15T17:56:00.001+08:00

by Allknowing
Anyone interested in learning the art of pencil drawing is obviously going to need a pencil (or actually, pencils, plural) to work with. If you’re just starting out you may not even be aware of the number of different options available to you.

The pencils you are used to are the traditional wood encased pencils but there are also woodless graphite, mechanical pencils, and lead holders. Woodless graphite pencils are like a regular pencil without the wood. Mechanical pencils, you may be familiar with. They are the ones that have a “lead” (graphite actually) inside that comes out a little each time you push a button. Lead holders are usually used in drafting. These are what they sound like, a pencil shaped device that “holds” the “lead”. You push a button and a claw opens up to allow you to adjust the amount of graphite coming out of the tip. When you release the button the claw closes to hold the graphite in place.

Whichever type of pencil you choose you will have options of graphite in varying degrees of hardness. Pencils labeled with an H are the harder ones and the higher the number the harder the graphite. The pencils labled with a B are the softer ones and the higher the number the softer the graphite. The range goes from 9H (the hardest) to 9B (the softest).

The harder the graphite the lighter your line will be which is usually what you will want when you first start a drawing so that any mistakes can be easily erased. The softer the graphite, the darker it will be which is what you’ll want for shading purposes.

My favorite brand of pencils is Derwent. A traditional wooden pencil available in every degree of hardness and provides a smooth consistent tone in all of my drawings.

How to Pencil Sketch a Drawing

2008-08-15T12:04:00.001+08:00

By Darren WK Chow

Many soon-to-be artists wonder if they have the talent for sketching. Something at the back of their head is nagging at them to pick up sketching but for some reason, they have yet done so.

There are many reasons for not picking up the pencil to draw but the most common reason that I've come across is the lack of time.

Personally, I don't think that's the real reason but somehow, it has manifested in the name of time. Everyone seems to be putting the blame on time these days, for whatever that needed to be done but didn't get done.

Well, I believe that the lack of time is just an excuse for something deeper. Maybe it's a lack of confidence. Maybe it's fear...fear of failure, fear of rejection, and so on.

Whatever it is, I want to dispel all these roadblocks once and for all. Pencil sketching is something that can be picked up and learned. There's a very systematic process to it and if you're really passionate about sketching, there's nothing in this world that can really stop you from becoming a really good artist.

With the right instructions and guidance, anyone can learn to draw well. I'll just proceed to show you a tip or two to let you see what I mean.

Let's say you want to draw a house from your home village. It's important to you right? You want to capture the essence of the village in your drawing and keep it as a momento. You'll see that it's not really hard.

You'll start with drawing some basic shapes and forms to capture the shape of the house. Keep your drawing light at this stage. If you draw incorrectly, simply erase the lines with an eraser.

Once you have the basic form ready, draw in the other details like windows, doors, and so on. The key here is to adopt a "broad-to-fine-" approach. Block out areas with different tones of shades at this stage and shade broadly.

Use your finger or a paper stump to perform the shading for a smooth effect. Once you're happy with the shades, use a fine point pencil to sharpen the details. That's it!

How hard can that be? When I have an interested visitor at my website, I'm never afraid losing them because they can't pick up the skills. But I am sometimes worried that I may lose them because of a lack of interest.

So interest and passion comes before techniques. Do you think you're ready for more instructions?

Interesting Pencil Sketching Exercises

2008-08-14T12:01:00.001+08:00

By Darren WK Chow

First, let's talk a little bit about what makes a good pencil sketching exercise. Well, I don't know about you but I personally find shading squares and basic shapes to be the most boring pencil sketch exercises in the world. But you still find them around.

The problem with shading squares is that squares have no meaning. They don't represent still life, and they don't represent a living thing. Therefore, such exercises don't really stretch the muscles of the artist.

And anything that's not a real challenge isn't going to help anyone become a world class artist. If you're a beginner, you may want to consider some alternative exercises.

What you can do is that you may want to pick just one simple subject that you would like to draw. Don't be too overly ambitious if you're just starting out. Just one good one will do. I suggest choosing something like a soft toy or a plant. These subjects have simple basic forms and shapes and are perfect for sketching exercises.

Next, when you proceed with your drawing, keep in mind that this is just an exercise. So your primary goal is not to create the perfect sketch. Instead, you should constantly remind yourself that since this is just an exercise, you should try as much as you can to experiment. Be adventurous! This is just an exercise, so there's no need to be timid.

Draw all kinds of lines if you can. Experiment with all the different shades of pencils. Use different types of drawing paper and observe what happens.

This will keep you busy for hours, and in my opinion, even though the approach is a little hap-hazard, it's still much better than just shading squares. No boring squares for you and me. Geez

Simple Pencil Drawing Tips

2008-08-13T11:58:00.001+08:00

By Bob Davies
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.

Pencil Sketches of Faces

2008-08-11T11:48:00.001+08:00

By Darren WK Chow

Why is drawing faces such a great challenge for so many artists? We know we have the image in our head, and often times in our hands in the form of a photo, but we just can't capture it on paper with our pencils.

Have that ever happened to you before? You start drawing a face to find that when you're done, it's nowhere near the person that you're trying to draw?

The problem is that all faces are a unique combination of a set of features. When we take these features apart, we see that there are hundred and one different features. We all have different lips, different noses, different eyes, different ears, different hair, and different face shapes.

And when all these different features come together, it makes the task more difficult for the artist to capture the visual resemblence on paper.

Also, we have to take note of the age of the face that we're drawing. If you're drawing babies, the best time to draw them is when their asleep. Because you can't have them moving around when you draw them.

When drawing babies, keep the drawing simple with few lines and only capture the features of the face.

If you're drawing a child, the features are more defined compared to those of a baby. So you'll have to lock in the features with stronger and darker lines. But the skin is still smooth and gentle. Try not to add to many lines to the face of a child.

Teenagers are young adults. You may approach drawing the face of a teenager in the same way as you would approach drawing the face of an adult. The key to drawing a mature face is to capture the essence of the face.

That means capturing the personality of the face. Some people have a confident look. Some have a shy look, and some have a mischievous look and so on. Try to capture that in your drawing.

Finally, remember not to draw all your faces to look like hollywood stars. Human beings do not look like plastic in real life. So keep your drawings realistic by including any details that make your drawing look more human.

Tips on Pencil Portrait Drawing - Blending

2008-08-09T13:24:00.001+08:00

By Remi Engels
Learning to blend is another one of those skills you need to master to become a good pencil portrait artist. Once you have a line drawing and once you have laid down the different values based on, for example, a five-value scale, you can start blending the different value areas. To blend, you can use a pencil, a tortillon, a paper tissue, and even your fingers.

Here are a few blending guidelines:

* Soft Edges
A soft edge occurs in a situation where an object surface gentle curves away from the light source. Such edges change values gradually and you should blend them accordingly.

Always blend parallel to the edges of the subject area. Follow the curves of, for example, a cheek. This allows you to blend into the edges and gives a more natural and rounded look.

* Hard Edges
Hard edges occur where two surfaces touch or overlap. The edge looks more defined. Do not actually draw lines to depict such edges. Rather, create a hard edge laying down two different values next to each other.

Strictly speaking, there is no such thing as a line in nature. We become aware of lines only because of the contrasting values of two adjacent surfaces. And this is the way lines should be created in your drawings, i.e., by using contrast. Anything that has an actually drawn outline will look flat (i.e., planar) and will detract from the three-dimensional look of the subject.

* Contrast
Contrast is a good thing. It gives life to your pencil portrait. Use your ingrained knowledge of the five-value scale to discern the correct values. An excellent trick to better perceive values is to look through squinted eyes. I also found it beneficial to draw in dusk-like lighting conditions.

* Uneven Values
If you see uneven blending you can use your kneaded eraser to take off some of the darker spots and use your pencil to darken the lighter spots if needed.

* Darkest Darks
If you need to create a really dark area you can build it up in layers. Start with a dark layer and spray it with workable fixative. Then put another layer on top. And, if necessary, you can repeat this process until the area is dark enough.

* Kneaded Eraser
Your kneaded eraser is also a very useful tool at this stage. You can use it to draw with into a penciled area. For example, the kneaded eraser is ideal to introduce highlights on noses and hair.

* From Dark to Light
Always try to blend from dark to light. Blend from the shadows into the light. Remember, the highlights are the white of the paper while the cast shadows are the blackest black you can muster.

The above guidelines should give you a good start in developing your blending skills. Now it becomes a matter of practice and experience.

Tips on Pencil Portrait Drawing - Composition

2008-08-09T13:21:00.002+08:00

By Remi Engels
Composition refers to the manner in which your subjects are positioned relative to each other on the page. More formally, it is the arrangement of forms and spaces within the format of the page.

* Balance The main characteristic of a good composition is that it creates a feeling of balance in the viewer's mind. This balance should be present on at least two levels:

First, there is the balance of position. This means that the forms and spaces out of which the portrait is made up should be balanced relative to the vertical and the horizontal going through the center of the page.

Second, there should also be a balance with respect to value. The darks and lights should balance each other out in an overall sense. In other words, having too much black on one side or a complete lack of it is not the recommended course to take.

* Experiment Having said that, do not be afraid to experiment with the distribution of forms, spaces, and values. Sometimes an unexpected deviation from the perfect balance gives excitement and interest to a drawing.

Follow your artistic sensibility. With practice, this sensibility can be developed and soon you will acquire a natural sense for good composition and how and where to surprise the viewer.

* Shapes When considering the composition of your drawing you should think in terms of four major shapes: the triangle, the circle, the rectangle, and the square. Any of those shapes can be the point of interest of your portrait.

All other shapes should be arranged in support of that point of interest. Essentially, this means that the viewer should be led or guided towards the intended focal point of the drawing.

* Focal Point One common compositional mistake occurs when the subject matter outside of the focal point is arranged in such a manner that the viewer is led in a direction away from the center of interest. In other words, the viewer is discouraged from looking at the area the artist thought was the most interesting.

In this regard we should remember that in the West, the viewer's eye tends to enter a drawing or a painting from the left (just as we do when we read from left to right). Therefore, a good composition often has an entry point on the left of the drawing and from there leads the viewer's eye to the focal point.

* Detail The focal point should also be the area where you add the most detail to your portrait drawing. Areas deemed less important can be less developed and left to be finished by the viewer's imagination.

Don't forget, a portrait drawing should not be a copy of the photograph. Ideally, the personality of both the subject and the artist should be reflected in the end product.

* Check Balance Another way of assessing whether or not you have a good composition is to cover up one shape or another and see if it improves the balance or not. A good composition is such that if you remove one shape, the whole drawing is clearly thrown out of balance. If you feel that by removing a certain part of your drawing the balance improves, by all means, leave that part out.

Much more can be said about composition. Entire volumes have been written about compositional rules and processes. However, developing the idea of balance on the levels of position and value will give you a very good start.

Pencil Horse Drawings

2008-08-09T11:41:00.001+08:00

By Darren WK Chow

I'm going to start by saying that I assume you have your pencils, drawing paper and erasers ready, so I'm going to skip all that and plunge right in to show you how you can sketch your horse in just a few minutes.

Yes, I did say in just a few minutes. In fact, it's important that we complete the sketch as quickly as we can. Why is that so? That's because unlike a still object (as in drawing still life), live horses move around.

It's just like trying to draw a baby. Since a baby can't keep still, and you can't tell it to keep still, the best time to draw a baby is when it's asleep.

But we don't want to draw a sleeping horse do we? We want to draw a real live, energetic and lively horse! And to capture that in your sketch, there's no better way than to use quick pencil strokes to capture the life, energy and movement of the horses.

There are three specific areas that you need to pay special attention to though. The first area is the eyes, the second is the rippling muscles, and the third (which is the most important) is the hair on the horse.

The eyes of a horse is what makes your sketch comes to life. You start by drawing the body and then add the eyes and the drawing immediately comes to life! Don't believe me? Try it for yourself!

Secondly, you will have to capture the rippling muscles of the horse to make it look real. Horses are powerful and magnificent looking creatures. The key is to draw them lean and fit. After all, horses do exercise a lot.

And when they prance, trot or gallop, their magnificent mane of hair flows behind them. The mane and the tail makes up a large part of your drawing, so you seriously need to capture the beauty of the flowing hair.

If you can capture these three elements, then I give you an A grade. Now go show off your great looking horse or pony to the whole world!

Interesting Pencil Sketching Exercises

2008-08-08T12:01:00.001+08:00

By Darren WK Chow

And anything that's not a real challenge isn't going to help anyone become a world class artist. If you're a beginner, you may want to consider some alternative exercises.

Draw all kinds of lines if you can. Experiment with all the different shades of pencils. Use different types of drawing paper and observe what happens.

This will keep you busy for hours, and in my opinion, even though the approach is a little hap-hazard, it's still much better than just shading squares. No boring squares for you and me. Geez

Colored Pencil as an Artistic Medium

2008-08-08T11:52:00.002+08:00

By Kendra Ferreira

You've seen oil and acrylic paintings, you love the glow of watercolor, but are you familiar with the versatile and striking medium called colored pencil? Colored pencil works of art require no elaborate preparation and need only simple materials: pencils, sharpeners, erasers and paper, to achieve some wonderful and striking results of the artist's own personal expression. This artistic medium can stand on its own as a drawing or simulate the look of a painting rendered in another medium. It can be solid or airy depending on how the pencil is applied to the paper and whether it is a quick colorful sketch or an elaborate illustration. Since colored pencil is a dry, transparent medium, colors are mixed right on the paper by layering one color on top of another. The more layers applied; the more luminous and vibrant the drawing will look as the colors are woven together.

The type of paper used will give a drawing certain characteristics too. A smooth surface will create a soft look and even, uninterrupted flow of the pencil. Textured paper, which is paper with a tooth or a grain, can give the drawing a completely different look. The texture created by paper and pencil as they mingle will enhance the artwork. Many artists work on colored paper which adds flecks of color to the drawing as it shows through from the background. Thus, the drawing takes on a harmonious quality.

Of course pencil isn't always used by itself, it can be combined with other mediums such as watercolor, pastel or ink. The different types of mediums can enrich a drawing and provide it with different qualities or characteristics as well as textures. Many artists use watercolor washes as backgrounds for their drawings or add touches of paints or pastels to enrich an image. The waxy lead of colored pencils can also be dissolved with mineral spirits and brushed onto the paper creating a paint-like quality very different from traditional methods of drawing.

What about lightfastness? Will the colors be resistant to light and not fade through the years? Colored pencil manufacturing companies have worked very hard in the past decade to development of a standard of lightfastness for many brands of colored pencils. Colored pencil now ranks high in longevity and this enables artists to choose the highest quality products which is a valuable asset for the collector of the art. The surface in which the artwork is drawn on is important too. Archival drawing papers and boards are made of fiber such as cotton or linen and are acid free, meaning that they will not turn yellow in time. There are other materials that will ensure the longevity of a colored pencil piece. Spraying a UV resistant clear fixative over the finished drawing will ensure the longevity of the artwork as well as framing it under UV filtering glass. Public awareness of archival and lightfast works will increase the value and profitability of the art.

Inspired and intrigued by this medium? Whether it is mixed, blended, layered or combined, many results can be achieved from photo-realism to abstract to illustration. Colored pencil can be used very skillfully to wow the viewer with a vibrant drawing or tranquil image.

Pencil Drawing As A Pastime

2008-08-08T11:45:00.001+08:00

By Kerry Godsall
We all need to be able to give our minds a rest sometimes. This is not as easy as it sounds. However, I have the answer for you. Your mind can be put at rest and refreshed, not only by resting, but by using other parts of the mind. It's not enough to switch off the lights that are on the main part of your mind, a new part must be lit.

It's no use saying you will lie down and think of nothing. The mind keeps busy just the same. It is only when new cells are stimulated that you will find relief. Choose your pastime wisely and just choose one. Concentrate upon that one.

Drawing is a companion to be enjoyed. Drawing is a friend who makes no undue demands, it can excite you and it keeps pace even when you take little steps. Artists are happy people. Light, color and peace keep them company to the end of the day. To find yourself a new and intense form of interest, is an enriching experience.

I don't pretend to explain how to draw, but only how to get enjoyment. Even after the age of forty. It would be a shame if you waste your life, wondering what to do, when all the time, there is a new world of art waiting for you. If you start this pastime later in your life, don't expect too much from yourself. You probably won't create a masterpiece. You won't have the advantage of years of training. Don't give up though, some artists have become famous later in their lives. You could be one of them!

The only thing you really need, is to be bold and adventurous. Don't let a piece of clean white paper deter you. Experiment. Break the spell of staring at that piece of blank paper. Just remember, you can erase it all away. Drawing is great fun. Try it. It can take a tired mind and turn it into a very productive mind. Pencil drawing completely absorbs the mind. I can't think of anything outside of the world of art that would compare with it.

To cultivate a new interest is of great importance to any person. We all need escape from the pressures of day to day living. It is an amazing thing to see a group of artists copying the same picture and to see all the different interpretations each artist makes of that picture. You are unique and you can bring your own creativity to the world.

Pencil Drawing Lesson

2008-08-08T11:39:00.001+08:00

By Darren WK Chow
The first question you should be asking yourself is, "What is it that you are going to draw". Choosing and deciding on the subject can make or break your pencil drawing.

I suggest choosing something that you're comfortable drawing (that means taking your skill level into consideration) and the subject should be something that you're interested in drawing. Also take into consideration the amount of time that you're going to spend on your drawing.

If you don't have the time, try not to choose a subject that's too ambitious. Two things may happen here. You'll either get bored with the drawing due to lack of interest, or you run out of time and so the drawing is left unfinished.

Try to avoid these mistakes.

Once you have decided on your subject, it's time to start your drawing. Prepare the following tools: (1) a range of pencils from 2B - 8B, (2) ordinary drawing paper, and (3) kneaded eraser.

You need a range of pencils because that will help you in achieving the many different tones of shades that's so crucial to your drawing. In a monochrome drawing, that's the only thing that'll help you describe shapes, contours, dimension and depth.

And if you're wondering if the paper matters in a pencil drawing, the answer is yes. If you're more particular about the surface that you're going to draw on, note that there's two types of drawing paper that you'll commonly come across.

The first type is cold pressed drawing paper (also commonly known as NOT paper). This type of paper has a textured surface and is commonly used with watercolors. However, you can use it for any drawing or painting if you feel it's appropriate.

The second type of paper is hot pressed drawing paper. This is the opposite of NOT paper. Its surface is smooth, making it the ideal drawing surface for pencil drawings. That's because it's easier to blend on a smooth surface. Experiment with both types of paper to see which type you prefer. I would recommend smooth surface drawing paper.

The kneaded eraser is a soft eraser that you can pinch and mold into any shape. It's dust free and commonly used to aid in creating highlights in a drawing by using it to pick up lead on the paper.

And there's one more tool that will help you but it's optional. It's called a paper stump or a tortillion. A tortillion is used for blending and spreading lead around on the paper. It creates a more consistently blend than fingers.

Yes, you can use your fingers if you want but I like to keep mine clean. Besides, tortillions are very affordable.

Once you have these tools ready, you're set to go.

Pencil Drawing Tutorials

2008-08-08T11:34:00.001+08:00

By Darren WK Chow
There are many reasons why you are searching for pencil drawing tutorials. You could be looking to improve your drawing foundation, or you could be looking for more drawing tips that'll help you improve your overall drawing skills.

Whatever your reason may be, you should at all times, be able to recognize good drawing tutorials when you really see them. This article will help you distinguish the good pencil drawing tutorials from the poor ones.

The first thing that you should notice about the tutorial is whether it has a clear objective. What exactly is the tutorial trying to teach you? If the objective is hard to grasp, I can assure you it's not going to be a tutorial that you like. Without a specific goal, it's hard to imagine how the tutorial actually manifests itself.

Also, a good tutorial should only have one specific goal at any one time so as not to confuse or overwhelm the reader.

If it does have a specific goal, the next thing you should be looking out for is whether the problems or challenges are properly defined. How much does the author understand you? The more the author understands you, the better he or she will be able to define the problem.

Only when the problem is clearly defined can we arrive at the right solutions. The defined problems should be in support of the goal. These are roadblocks that need to be overcome. I constantly remind the readers of my Home Study Course of the roadblocks that they'll come across before presenting any solutions.

Sometimes, you may not even be aware of these problems. Here's an example. Do you know that there's a method to capture the proportions of any drawing exactly the way you want it? If you're not aware of it, you won't be seeking to overcome this roadblock.

So a good tutorial with clearly defined problems can really help you out. By the way, the key to nailing proportions is to follow a fixed system. But it's beyond the scope of this article to expand on this.

Coming back to the essence of this article, the final thing that you need to note is that good pencil drawing tutorials should have solutions that are presented in a conversational style.

The conversational style is the most effective communication style. It makes the tutorial easy to read and understand.

So there you have it. Looking for these three elements the next time you're searching for good pencil drawing tutorials.

Finding a Quality Pencil

2008-08-08T11:32:00.001+08:00

By Frank Mazza

Writers and artists alike need good writing and drawing supplies, and one of the most basic tools for both is a good pencil. No, the pencils you get in bulk from office supply stores do not qualify as "good" pencils. They're cheaply made, which means they'll break easily or gouge the paper, which can ruin a piece of artwork.

What makes a good pencil?

Quality pencils are made from quality material, from the wood outside to the graphite inside. The wood should be uniform and free of knots. Knots will catch when you're sharpening your pencil, which can result in the pencil breaking and you having to start all over again with sharpening it. Wood without knots will sharpen much more smoothly and easily.

The lead inside the pencils needs to be a good mix of graphite and clay that has been finely ground and blended for a long period of time, so that the pencil strokes are always smooth and don't scratch the paper. Imagine being in the midst of a drawing you've been working on for hours, only to hit an unblended bit of graphite that messes up your line and scratches the paper.

The lead should also be bonded firmly to the wood. Everybody's sharpened a pencil, only to take it out and realize that the lead is wiggling inside the wood case. Firm bonding prevents the pencil lead from breaking or from coming out of the wood altogether.

How do you going about choosing a pencil?

A lot of it depends on what you want to do. The type of drawing you're doing will depend on whether or not you want hard or soft graphite in the pencil. If you want soft lines that are large and easy to make, and you don't mind spending a lot of time sharpening your pencil or a few smudges, then you can go with a soft lead pencil.

On the other hand, if you'd rather have thinner, more precise lines and don't want to have to sharpen often, a pencil with hard lead is the way to go. Pencils range in hardness from 9B, which is very soft, to 9H, which is very hard. If you're not sure what kind of hardness you need, a decent selection of pencils in the middle ranges, about 4H to 6B, should be good to start with.

If you get a chance, test out the pencils before you buy them. You want to make sure you're getting a pencil that you're comfortable with using.

If you're choosing a pencil for writing, most standard pencils with a hardness between 2H and 2B will do just fine.

Get the good stuff

Don't just grab any old pack of pencils off the shelf to use in your writing or your art. With pencils, you get what you pay for. If you use cheap pencils for your work, it'll show, no matter how talented you may be. High-quality art and writing supplies will save you a lot of headaches in the future and help the truth of your talents shine through.

ABCs of Pencil Drawing

2008-08-08T11:30:00.001+08:00

Pencil drawing appeals to many aspiring artists because it's an inexpensive medium that can be extremely expressive. Drawings can range from quick sketches to full tonal artwork, and you probably have all the supplies you need to get started right now. Adding a few more supplies won't cost much, and you can find them at just about any store that sells stationary or school supplies.

You could produce a very nice sketch with a "#2" or "HB" pencil, and that's the hardness of most common pencils and the type you're most likely to find tucked away in a desk drawer. However, graphite pencils are made in several degrees of hardness, with "9B" at the soft end of the scale and "9H" at the hard end. I suggest that you purchase 2B, 4B, 2H, and 4H pencils to add to your collection. You'll be able to use these extra pencils to create a larger range of textures and shading than you could with just an HB pencil.

You could use the unlined paper you probably have around you right now for sketching, but you'll find that paper that's specifically labeled for drawing or sketching will have a texture that "holds on" to the graphite better than normal writing or printing paper does. You can usually find inexpensive drawing pads in the same store department that sells the drawing pencils. A few other handy items to pick up while you're shopping are a handheld pencil sharpener, a few different types of erasers, and a pencil box to store your supplies.

Most people want to draw realistically, and anyone can learn to draw that way with practice. Learning to draw what you see realistically requires that you see the subject in an objective way and that you move your pencil so that it mimics the shape or outline of the subject. Both of these skills can be improved by the use of a drawing "grid" and by regular practice.

A drawing grid breaks the subject into smaller and easier to draw parts, and it's easy to create a grid on top of a photograph. Print out a digital photo at the same size you'd like to draw it. Use a ruler and a soft pencil to divide the photo into halves and then quarters. Next, lightly draw a divided rectangle of the same size onto your drawing paper. Use a ruler to make sure the lines are straight and the squares are of the same size.

Now, mark on your drawing paper grid where the subject in the photo crosses each line of its grid, and then connect those marks as you draw the outline of the subject. Another way to use the grid is to concentrate on drawing just one rectangle of the photo grid at a time, eventually drawing the entire photo square-by-square. Lots of beginners, and some advanced artists, too, use this second method of grid drawing because subjects are more manageable when drawn in small "bites." Whichever method you use, erase the grid lines on your drawing when you're done and you'll have a lovely line drawing that you can leave as is or enhance with shading and texture.

Drawing is a very inexpensive and rewarding art form. Add a few items to your pencil box and make a commitment to learn how to draw. If you do, future generations might thank you for taking the time to express the beauty you see around you today.

How to Draw Great Pencil Sketches

2008-08-08T11:24:00.001+08:00

It's easy to be impressed by any drawing that's drawn by a skilled pencil artist. A skilled pencil artist can sketch a drawing with such fine details that it looks almost like a black and white photograph. How do they achieve this realistic effect?

First, let's start by understanding that there's nothing complicated about making a pencil sketch. At least when it comes to the tools involved, there's just pencil and paper. There's no color mixing, no drying times, and other complications compared to working with paints. But if it's so simple, why do some art students still find it difficult to master pencil sketching?

The answer lies in two areas: the observational skills of the artist, and the mastery of the pencil. Let's talk a little bit about using the pencil.

This is a technique thing. For instance, there are many different levels of pencil blends that can be achieved with different pencils, and not artists are able to achieve a wide range of blending effects. As a result, they're limited by their own skills in terms of expressing themselves on paper.

One popular technique is called the hatching, or the cross hatching technique, which is basically shading by using lines. Another popular technique is called the caressing technique, where you use a paper stump or a finger to create smooth blends. A combination of these techniques allow the pencil artist to eloquently capture the desired effects on paper.

The other thing that sets the students apart from the masters is the observational skills. Different artists observe and perceive things differently. They also have different concepts and thoughts about the things they see and usually come up with different interpretations based on their past experiences.

Some artists choose to draw close to reality, while others choose to express their ideas. Depending on what's more important to the artist, the end result can be very different.

But remember that the fundamentals of drawing remains the same. Strengthen the fundamentals and use your skills as a way to express your own artists. If you can do so, you're on your way to drawing great pencil sketches.

How to Draw Underwater Effect With Pencil

2008-08-08T11:21:00.000+08:00

Learning to draw people, animal etc is important but you also need to be good in drawing surrounding environment of your composition because that will add life to your work.

Creating under water environment: Adding different sized bubbles and small fishes around will make your composition look like an underwater world.

If you want to put your characters near ocean floor then in addition to bubble and fishes add couple of wavy lines with few dots to represent ocean floor. Add some sea creatures and some rocks scattered around to deepen the feeling.

Adding the sense of depth and perspective: in real world every thing is 3d, but your canvas is 2d. So to successfully represent real world on paper you need special techniques.

In real world objects close to us appear larger than objects that are away from us. We apply the same techniques to represent the depth of a scene on a paper canvas. To make this technique even more powerful you can draw objects that are farther from the viewer with faint lines.

Another thing to remember is you can always draw lesser details for the objects that are away from viewer.

Why shadows are important: Many beginners draw characters that appear to be floating in mid air. This can easily be avoided by adding shadow of your characters. Adding exact and accurate shadow can be difficult and time consuming, but fortunately you do not need to draw very detailed shadow. Adding small patches to represent shadow will work just fine.

For drawing outdoor scene plan the position of the horizon first: While drawing outdoor composition beginners often confuse the position of horizon. This can be easily avoided by deciding the position of horizon at the beginning before drawing anything else on your canvas.

Learning To Draw? You're Going To Need A Pencil

2008-08-08T10:55:00.000+08:00

If you're going to be doing any pencil drawing you're going to need a pencil. I know, I know, thank you captain obvious... But, in this article I want to talk about some of the different options available.

Here are some of the options:

Mechanical Pencils, Lead Holders, Woodless Graphite, And of course traditional wooden pencils

Mechanical Pencils: You're probably familiar with these. They're the ones that hold the lead (graphite actually) inside and when you push on the eraser more lead comes out. What you may not know is that, like traditional wooden pencils, the leads are available in various degrees of hardness which can be used to achieve lighter or darker tones as needed. We'll talk more about that later.

Lead Holders: These are somewhat similar to mechanical pencils in that you can use various leads with them. But rather than push a button to release more lead, these pencils actually have sort of a claw that grabs onto and holds the lead. Hence the term "lead holder".

Woodless Graphite: These pencils are basically a piece of graphite in the shape of a pencil. There are also some woodless graphite pencils that are encased in a laquer coating rather than wood.

Wooden Pencils: Okay. We all know what a wooden pencil is. It's the yellow one with a pink eraser on top and a number 2 on it. You know, the ones we used to fill in the little circles on our multiple choice tests in school.

Well yes, those are pencils, but a set of good quality drawing pencils comes with a lot more variety than that. All of the pencil types mentioned above come in varying degrees of hardness and are labled with a number and the letter H or B. The pencils labled H are on the hard side and the ones labled with a B are the soft ones. I don't know where the "B" comes from but that's the way it is. Pencils range from 9H (the hardest) to 9B (the softest).

The number 2 pencils we're so familiar with are right in the middle in terms of hardness. They're equivalent to an HB pencil. If you're just starting out drawing or you're just doing some doodling or sketching an HB or #2 will work just fine for you. But, if you want to get a much more interesting drawing you'll have to have some contrast between lights and darks. If all you've ever drawn with before is a number 2 pencil, the way you achieve your darker tones is simply to press down harder.

But there is a better way. That's where the softer pencils come in. After #2 in terms of softness comes B then 2B, 3B ect. all the way up to 9B. Although many artists never use anything softer than a 6B. With a 6B you can get some very dark tones and it's not going to be as soft and thus crumbly as a 9B.

For the harder pencils, I rarely use anything harder than a 2H and that's usually just for the initial line drawing before any shading takes place. Doing the initial line drawing very lightly allows you to erase any mistakes you might have made. Once your line drawing is acurate, it's time to get the softer pencils out and start shading.

So to wrap this up, if you're planning on getting a little more serious with your drawing you'll want to get a set of pencils. There are some sets out there that have just 4 pencils in them. So if you're strapped for cash this is an option. Pencils are also available individually so you can pick and choose whichever number / letter combo you need.

I prefer traditional wooden pencils for my drawings and my brand of choice is Derwent. They make sets of 12 pencils that range from 4H to 6B or from H all the way up to 9B. And, you can get a set of 12 pencils for about $12 - $15 so it's not terribly expensive to get into drawing.

So now go out, get yourself some good pencils, and start drawing....