GRAPHITE

Perhaps the first medium that comes to mind when you think of drawing, graphite is a great starting point for a beginning artist. Not only do you have most of the materials lying around the house, but this medium responds well to an eraser and welcomes preliminary strokes and experimentation.

RECOMMENDED SUPPORTS

• Newsprint

• Kraft paper

• Sketch paper

• Smooth drawing paper

• Medium drawing paper

• Vellum paper

• Cold-pressed paper

HARDNESS

The quality of line and tone you achieve from graphite is related in part to its hardness. The lead (or graphite center of a pencil) is labeled by number and letter. H pencils are hard; they contain a higher ratio of clay to graphite and produce a light gray line. B pencils are soft; they contain a higher ratio of graphite to clay and produce softer, darker lines. The higher the number that accompanies the letter, the harder or softer the lead is. F and HB (which is the lead of a common “number 2” pencil) are considered neither hard nor soft.

9B and 9H pencils are the softest and hardest leads available. Beware of the extremes; very hard pencils can score your paper, and very soft pencils crumble and smudge easily. Hard leads sharpen to a fine tip, making them great for detail work, whereas soft leads are better for blending. A great starter set of pencils might include 6B, 2B, HB, 2H, and 4H leads, which provides an ample range of hardness for most artists.

PENCIL HARDNESS

Pictured here are gradations of 8B, 4B, HB, and 4H leads over medium drawing paper, allowing you to see differences in stroke quality and darkness.

TYPES

Graphite is available in a variety of forms, allowing artists to choose the best instrument for their needs. You can find all of these forms at most art & craft stores.

Wooden Pencil

The most common type of pencil is wood-encased graphite. These thin rods—most often round or hexagonal when cut crosswise—are inexpensive, easy to control and sharpen, and readily available to artists.

Flat Carpenter’s Pencil

Some artists prefer using a flat carpenter’s pencil, which has a rectangular body and lead. The thick lead allows you to easily customize its shape to create both thick and thin lines.

Carpenter’s Pencil

Mechanical Pencil

Mechanical pencils are plastic or metal barrels that hold individual leads. Some artists prefer the consistent feel of mechanical pencils to that of wooden pencils; the weight and length do not change over time, unlike wooden pencils that wear down with use.

Mechanical Pencil

Woodless Graphite Pencil

These tools are shaped liked wooden pencils but are made up entirely of graphite lead. The large cone of graphite allows artists to use either the broad side for shading large areas or the tip for finer strokes and details.

Woodless Pencil

Graphite Stick

Available in a full range of hardnesses, these long, rectangular bars of graphite are great tools for sketching (using the end) and blocking in large areas of tone (using the broad side).

Graphite Stick

HOLDING A PENCIL

Vary how you hold a pencil to create a range of lines and strokes. There are two common ways to hold a pencil: the underhand position (A) and the writing position (B). The underhand position is great for loose sketches, shading, and broad strokes, whereas the writing position is ideal for detail work.

To assume this position, pick up a pencil with your hand over the shaft, holding it between the thumb and index finger. The remaining fingers can rest alongside the pencil. Draw with your entire arm rather than your wrist.

Hold the pencil as you normally do while writing. This gives you a good amount of control over the point of the pencil, allowing you to work accurately and in small areas.

SHARPENERS

Sharpening instruments give you control over your pencil tips, which in turn gives you control over the quality of your lines. Whether you’re working in graphite, charcoal, or pastel, there is more than one way to sharpen a pencil. Experiment with the tools that follow and discover the sharpening method that works best for you.

Handheld Sharpeners

Handheld sharpeners shave pencil ends into cone shapes, exposing the lead and creating sharp tips. Use a handheld sharpener over a trash bin and make sure your fingers are free of graphite after sharpening.

Electric Sharpener

Electric sharpeners simply and efficiently create long, sharp, uniform pencil points. However, they can eat away a pencil quickly, shortening its lifespan. Take care to avoid oversharpening.

Knife

Sharpening with a handheld knife, such as a pocket knife, takes skill and effort but allows you to customize the tip. For example, you can expose a good amount of the lead center in order to shade broader areas and sharpen less often. This method is the only suitable way to sharpen a flat carpenter’s pencil. Hold the knife at a slight angle to the pencil shaft, and sharpen away from your body. Remove only a little wood and graphite at a time for greater control.

WARNING When working with a sharp edge, always point and cut away from the body and extremities.

Sandpaper Pad

This tool is essentially a soft block of sandpaper with a handle. Some artists do the bulk of their sharpening with a different tool and simply use a sandpaper pad to hone or chisel the lead tip. These pads come with a few sheets of sandpaper stapled to the surface. When the top sheet has run its course, simply pull it off to reveal a fresh surface. Remember: The finer the grit of the paper, the more control you will have over the point.

At left are two common ways to sharpen a pencil. The first tip is a simple point created with a handheld sharpener; the second is a chiseled tip honed with a sandpaper pad. Try using a sandpaper pad to clean blending stumps.

ERASERS

Erasers are not only a means for removing mistakes; they are also effective drawing tools in themselves. You can use them to pull out light lines, add crisp highlights, subtly lighten areas of tone, and more.

The type of eraser you choose should depend on your medium, the scale at which you plan to work, and the degree of removal you’re seeking. Below are the most common eraser types and formats to help you choose wisely.

Rubber Eraser

This inexpensive block or wedge-shaped eraser is effective for removing large areas of tone. It is usually pink or white and is made of synthetic rubber. Gently rubbing the eraser over the paper lifts away tone but also leaves behind crumbs, which you must blow or brush away. Rubbing it excessively can damage a paper’s surface, smear the graphite, or leave residue. Most seasoned artists avoid these erasers for serious work.

Rubber Eraser

Art Gum Eraser

These brown, rubbery erasers typically come in thick blocks. They are gentle on a paper’s surface, but they crumble easily and require frequent blowing or sweeping of your support. Because of their thick shape and crumbly nature, they are best for erasing large, broad areas.

Art Gum Eraser

When working with an eraser that leaves behind crumbs, keep a blow bulb or a large, soft brush, such as a drafting brush, on hand to clean your paper and working area.

Vinyl & Plastic Erasers

Usually white with a soft plastic feel, vinyl and plastic erasers leave behind a very clean surface and are gentle on the paper’s fibers when used carefully. When working with large areas of heavy tone, these erasers can cause smearing, but they are effective in removing lighter marks and tones. They leave behind small, light crumbs that are easily brushed away. You can also cut these erasers into shapes and edges for more precise erasures. They are available in blocks and sticks.

Vinyl Eraser

Kneaded Eraser

The kneaded eraser (usually gray) is a favorite for graphite artists. It is pliable like clay, allowing you to form it into any shape. Knead and work the eraser until it softens; then dab or roll it over areas to slowly and deliberately lighten the tone. This eraser does not leave behind crumbs. To “clean” it, simply knead it. The eraser will eventually take in too much graphite, and need to be replaced.

Kneaded Eraser

Use a kneaded eraser to dab or roll for soft, subtle lightening.

ERASER USAGES
Rubber Eraser	Best for use with graphite
Art Gum Eraser	Best for use with graphite and charcoal
Vinyl & Plastic Eraser	Best for use with graphite and colored pencil
Kneaded Eraser	Best for use with graphite and charcoal

BLENDING TOOLS

Blending is an important aspect of realistic drawing. The ability to produce subtle and seamless gradations of tone can help you create the illusion of three-dimensional form. There are a variety of tools available to help you blend graphite, including a few common household items. Experiment with a variety of tools to find the blender that best suits your goals and style.

Blending Stumps

These white sticks are made of soft, packed paper. Similar to a pencil, the dual tips are shaped like cones. Use the broad side for blending large areas and the tips for smaller areas. To clean off graphite buildup, simply rub and roll the tips over fine-grit sandpaper (or a sandpaper pad). You can also use “dirty” stumps to apply tone to your paper.

Blending Stumps

Tortillons

Similar to blending stumps, tortillons are small hollow sticks of tightly-rolled paper. You can even use tortillons, as well as other blending tools, to apply soft tones to paper.

Tortillon

Chamois

A chamois is a soft leather cloth that is ideal for blending large areas evenly and smoothly. You can also pull the cloth taught over a finger for more precise blending.

Chamois

Brushes

Brushes aren’t just for paint; you can use soft-haired brushes for creating very soft, smooth graphite blends. The shorter the bristles, the more control you have over the edges of your blends. Angled brushes are particularly useful for blending tone along straight lines. Some artists bypass pencils and apply graphite powder using brushes, spreading and pushing the tone around the paper’s surface.

Brushes

Tissue

A facial tissue or paper towel is an inexpensive, yet effective, blending tool. Fold it to blend broad areas, or wrap it around your finger to blend smaller areas. You might also try cotton cosmetic pads and swabs.

A chamois is the best tool for blending large areas of tone. It yields even, feathery soft blends.

BASIC PENCIL TECHNIQUES

SHADING DARKLY By applying heavy pressure to the pencil, you can create dark, linear areas of shading.

CROSSHATCHING For darker shading, place layers of parallel strokes on top of one another at varying angles. Again, make darker values by placing the strokes closer together.

HATCHING This basic method of shading involves filling an area with a series of parallel strokes. The closer the strokes, the darker the tone will be.

You can create an incredible variety of effects with a pencil. By using various hand positions and shading techniques, you can produce a world of different stroke shapes, lengths, widths, and weights.

GRADATING To create gradated values (from dark to light), apply heavy pressure with the side of your pencil, gradually lightening the pressure as you stroke.

SHADING WITH TEXTURE For a mottled texture, use the side of the pencil tip to apply small, uneven strokes.

BLENDING To smooth out the transitions between strokes, gently rub the lines with a blending tool or tissue.

CREATING FORM

The first step when creating an object is to establish a line drawing to delineate the flat area that the object takes up. This is known as the “shape” of the object.

ADDING VALUE TO CREATE FORM

A shape can be further defined by showing how light hits the object to create highlights and shadows. First note from which direction the source of light is coming. (In these examples, the light source is beaming from the upper right.)

CREATING TEXTURES

SCALES Drawn as a series of interlocking stacked plates, scales will become more compressed as they follow forms that recede from the picture plane.

WOOD If left rough and not sanded down, wood is made up of swirling lines. There is a rhythm and direction to the pattern that you need to observe and then feel out in your drawings.

CLOTH As wrinkles move around a form and away from the picture plane, they compress and become more dense.

Texture shouldn’t be confused with pattern, which is the tone or coloration of the material. Blindly filling an area with texture will not improve a drawing, but using the texture to build a shadow area will give the larger shape its proper weight and form in space. You should think of texture as a series of forms (or lack thereof) on a surface. Here are some examples to help you.

METAL Metal can range from slightly dull as shown here to incredibly sharp and mirror-like. The shapes reflected will be abstract with hard edges, and the reflected light will be very bright.

FEATHERS AND LEAVES As with short hair, stiff feathers or leaves are long and a bit thick. The forms closest to the viewer are compressed, and those farther away from the viewer are longer.

SHORT, FINE HAIR Starting at the point closest to the viewer, the hairs point toward the picture plane and can be indicated as dots. Moving out and into shadowed areas, the marks become longer and more dense.

CURLY HAIR With curly hair, it’s important to follow the pattern of highlights, core shadow, and reflected light. Unruly and wild patterns will increase the impression of dreaded or tangled hair.

DRAWING METHODS

Humans have stylized ideas of what every object looks like, and we often translate this to our drawings and paintings. For example, we might draw a face with circles for eyes and a triangle for the nose. Once we learn to truly observe an object, we find that these ideas interfere with our ability to render realistically. Use the exercises below to help train your eye to draw what you really see instead of what you think you see.

NEGATIVE SPACE DRAWING

Draw only the negative space (or space between the main objects) of a scene. If you try this, you’ll notice yourself focusing more on the accuracy of shapes than how you think the objects should look, resulting in a more realistic representation.

DRAWING UPSIDE-DOWN

Draw from a reference that has been turned upside-down. You’ll find that disorienting yourself a bit will bring your focus on the shapes and distract you from your brain’s misleading ideas.

Fixative is a spray that helps preserve a finished drawing, sealing the dry media to prevent it from blowing away or smudging. Charcoal, chalk, and pastel are examples of dry media that need to be “fixed” to remain stable over time. Many graphite artists opt to seal their work as well.

MEASURING PROPORTIONS

The traditional or “classical” method for developing a drawing involves laying in carefully assessed proportions of your subject. This is particularly important in portrait drawing, where creating a likeness depends on the accurate placement of each line, curve, and shadow. Artists often use a pencil and thumb method to measure proportions.

STEP 1 Using your nondominant hand, hold a pencil and extend your arm straight out toward your subject. Hold the pencil vertically and slide your thumb up or down to assess the height of your subject and its features.

STEP 2 Then hold the pencil horizontally to measure and assess alignments. For example, how does the width compare to the height? How does the width of the base relate to the width between the spout and the handle?

STEP 3 Now turn the pencil to assess angles and alignments. For example, at what angle does the handle align with the bottom of the spout? Record the results on your paper, adjusting your marks as necessary.

TRACING

A light box is a special desk or inexpensive box with a transparent top and a light inside. The light illuminates papers placed on top and allows dark lines and shapes to show through for easy tracing. Photocopy or print out your reference to the desired scale and place it on the light box, securing it with artist tape. The light illuminates the drawing underneath and will help you accurately trace the lines and shapes onto your new sheet of paper.

GRID DRAWING

This method helps you break down the subject into smaller, more manageable segments. First photocopy your reference or a traced line drawing, and then draw a grid of squares (about 1 inch in size) over the photocopied image. Then draw a corresponding grid over your drawing paper. Once you’ve created the grids, simply draw what you see in each square of the line drawing in each square of the drawing paper. This method is ideal for transferring scenes from small reference photographs onto larger canvases.

TRANSFERRING AN IMAGE

This is a simple method for tracing the main outlines of your reference onto a support. First print out your reference at the size you plan to draw it. Then place a sheet of tracing paper over the printout and trace the outlines. Coat the back of the tracing paper with an even layer of graphite and place it over a clean sheet of drawing paper, graphite-side down. (Instead of coating the back of the tracing paper, you might choose to purchase and use transfer paper, which already has one side coated with graphite.) Tape or hold the papers together and lightly trace your outlines with a ballpoint pen or stylus. The lines of your tracing paper will transfer to the drawing paper below.

SHAPE & CONTOUR

This simple composition of a pear and two apples on a white background explores composition, shape, and basic value shading. Developing realistic shape and contour as well as effective contrast will help develop a convincing three-dimensional look.

STEP 1 Sketch three slightly different-sized circles, and block in the top of the pear shape.

STEP 2 The apples and pear are not perfectly formed, so you will need to reshape some areas. Add the stems, and lightly draw in the areas where the shadows, highlights, and reflections will be.

STEP 3 Using a 4B pencil, draw in the darkest values first in the cast shadows and at the base of the two outer fruits’ stems. Using small, circular, overlapping strokes, fill in the darker-value areas on the pear and the apple on the right. Use slightly lighter pressure around the edges of these areas, creating a gradation.

When in the beginning stages, draw your lines even lighter than what you see here. To reduce smudges, keep a clean piece of paper under your drawing hand as you work.

Graphite can produce every value from light gray to black. A value scale helps us choose the right pencils and pressure to use in a drawing.

STEP 4 Continue with overlapping circular strokes on the lighter areas using an HB pencil. Leave some white of the paper to show the highlighted areas on the fruit.

STEP 5 Use a kneaded eraser to lift out some of the lighter areas on the fruit. You can also sharpen a stick eraser to a point using a utility knife to bring out the spots and other fine details. Use a larger eraser to clean up any smudges in the areas around your drawing.

Drawing in the darkest values helps you envision all of the values you will use to create effective contrast and a realistic, three-dimensional look.

BLENDING

Rendering light-colored subjects on white paper can be challenging. Edges that are backlit or bright white can easily fade into the paper, yet we want to avoid creating hard lines. The solution is to lightly shade the outline with a blending tool and keep the area inside the shading white or light.

STEP 1 Sketch the outline with an HB pencil. HB lead can be erased easily as you change the outlines into soft sections of fur.

STEP 2 Block in the facial features. To render authentic eyes, the catchlights (white reflections) are important. Take your time with their placement, and keep your strokes soft.

STEP 3 Next work on the facial fur, using light strokes. Block in the rest of the darker fur, and then lightly erase extra graphite with the tip of a kneaded eraser.

STEP 4 Blend the lighter fur into the darker fur with the corner of a soft chamois cloth. Then add more graphite to the darker areas and blend with a small tortillon.

STEP 5 Start laying graphite on the body, using smooth strokes. Then block in the darkest areas. Don’t worry about exact placement. Blending will smooth everything out.

STEP 6 Blend the chest fur with a tortillon, add dark 6B pencil where needed, and blend again. Then lift graphite from overly dark areas and pull out individual strands of fur with an eraser.

STEP 7 Lightly erase the outlines on the back of the puppy. Then use a dirty blending tortillon to lightly “draw” the puppy’s back and back leg. Lightly fill the areas with a 2B pencil and blend. Repeat this on the front legs. Lift and lighten graphite with a kneaded eraser, and add light fur streaks and whiskers. To finish, add a dark surface below the pup to ground him in the scene.

Keep a clean sheet of paper under your drawing hand as you work to prevent skin oils from getting on the paper and saturating the graphite.

DEVELOPING DETAILS

The more you practice sketching the parts of the figure—from hands and feet to facial features—the more confident you’ll become when it comes time to approach a complete figure drawing. A portrait study is more than just a practice piece; it can stand alone as a fascinating composition. Starting with basic blocking and slowly developing the details layer by layer, an engaging portrait full of life will begin to emerge.

STEP 1 Begin the portrait by blocking in the shape of the head, starting with the hair. Next place the features using simple straight lines, without getting too involved. When you feel confident of the placement and size of everything, it’s time to begin developing the drawing.

STEP 2 At this stage, fill in the shadow shapes, which helps show the anatomy of the face and how light moves across the form. Fill in the value of the hair as one big shape. In addition to separating the light side from the shadow side of the face, also indicate the darkest values of the portrait.

It’s easy to become attached to the idea of drawing the perfect eye or mouth, but foundation is key. You won’t produce perfect features without first determining their correct size and placement.

STEP 3 At this point, begin “pushing” values, or taking advantage of the full value range. The white paper establishes the lightest value. On the other end of the spectrum, push the shading on the darkest values with an HB pencil.

STEP 4 Continue working in the same manner, filling in the middle-value variations. Use crosshatching to develop the values and graduate the darks toward the lights. Nothing on the shadow side of the face will remain as light as on the opposite side.

STEP 5 Now begin work on the light side of the face, starting with the darker values and moving toward the light. Beginning with the eye, fill in the individual shapes of the dark values; these shapes convey the model’s anatomy and reveal the flow of light over the form.

When building up graphite, it can be tricky to push darker without developing a shine that ruins the texture of the paper. One solution is to gently apply the graphite in a crosshatching pattern. This method gradually darkens the paper without destroying it.

STEP 6 When working over the light side of the face, apply patience, a light touch, and a bit of technique to develop the proper shapes and keep the skin feeling smooth and natural. Develop the dark shapes first and then lightly fill in the lighter ones.

WORKING WITH BASIC SHAPES & VOLUMES

Look closely at any object and you’ll see that it is made up of basic shapes and—if you look further—basic forms. For example, the human body is made up of stacked and skewed spheres and cylinders. Focusing on these forms and suggesting them on the paper as you build a sketch will help you produce a more accurate three-dimensional quality.

Study of Michelangelo’s Libyan Sibyl on the Sistine Chapel by Lance Richlin

View the exercise at right by artist Lance Richlin. At top is his rendition of Michelangelo’s study for the Libyan Sibyl. At bottom, he has reduced the figure to its most basic forms, exaggerating the shadows and minimizing the surface shading to emphasize the volumes. These volumes represent bumps and bulges that might lie within the body, indicating the underlying structure. Try creating a volume study of your own subject to better understand its forms.

Interpretation of the forms based on Michelangelo’s work by Lance Richlin

When you run a pencil very lightly over a light-value area, it creates a kind of “glazing” effect, which pulls together all the values and unifies the shape—marrying varied values while still retaining their distinct shapes. It’s a great technique for problem areas, where individual shapes draw too much attention.

STEP 7 The final step requires nothing more than refining the established shapes and values. Locating and developing these subtle value shifts gives the illusion of a three-dimensional face. Use an H pencil, perfect for compressing values; because the pencil is so hard, it leaves only a faint indication of graphite behind.