How to Make a Graphite Drawing Dark

The softness of your pencil lead can affect the darkness of your finished drawing.

The best way to make a graphite drawing dark is to start with the appropriate materials when you create the drawing. However, there are some ways to darken or manipulate a graphite drawing after the fact that may prove useful when your goal is to darken it for framing or to use as it an illustration for reproduction or publication.

Things You'll Need

• Soft graphite drawing pencils
• Aerosol fixative spray
• Copier/scanner
• Computer
• Art or photography software

Instructions

1. 

   Choose a softer lead pencil to create a darker drawing.

   Create a dark graphite drawing by using the correct materials and techniques from the beginning of the process. There are two ways to obtain a darker drawing, according to P.B. Crickenberger, a professional artist, art teacher and signature member of the West Virginia Watercolor Society. First, use soft graphite pencils. Soft pencils are those labeled as B; the higher the accompanying number, the softer the lead. For example, 4B will give you a darker line than 2B. Second, apply more pressure as you draw to create a darker line or darker shading.

2. Spray an existing drawing with an aerosol fixative spray if you want to darken it; some drawings may darken just slightly, Crickenberger said. However, your options for making an existing drawing significantly darker without damaging it are extremely limited.

3. Create a darker version of the drawing for publication or display using one of several methods. Crickenberger recommends taking the drawing to a professional printer and having it reproduced. A good printer can darken it significantly and reproduce almost any size drawing. Or, take it to a copy shop and experiment with copying it yourself for a less expensive option.

4. Scan the drawing into an art software program and manipulate it, if you would rather make changes digitally. Increase the contrast between the drawing itself and the background. Most computers come with simple art programs already loaded on them that will allow you to manipulate the image. Print the resulting image on high quality paper at your printer's best print setting to obtain the most attractive output possible. To obtain a larger print, save the image to a disk or thumb drive and take it to a copy center or professional printer.

Tips & Warnings

• Spraying a graphite drawing with a fixative is a good idea anyway to reduce smudges and other damage.

References

• P.B Crickenberger; West Virginia Watercolor Society; Lewisburg, West Virginia