How to Make Special Effects for Pencil Sketches

Once you've sketched an outline, it's time to add depth to your drawing.

Pencil drawing techniques comprise many different stages. Once you're able to complete rough sketches and can portray proper perspective in your drawings, it's time to give your drawing depth. Artists can give definition to their drawings by employing effects such as crosshatching and shading. Contrasting areas of lightness and darkness will add dimension to your portrait and still life drawings. They can transform a flat sketch into a fully realized work.

Things You'll Need

• Eraser
• Pencil sharpener
• Ruler

Instructions

1. Make a rough sketch of your subject -- pick an inanimate object, landscape or photo. Concentrate on the outline at this point. Use geometric shapes to help you portray it in sketch form. Map out a grid on the paper first if it helps. Sketch out angles in perspective, and determine the vanishing points of your lines.

2. Determine the areas of the sketch that need more depth. Use the side of the pencil to shade in areas that need to appear darker than others. Press down harder on the pencil to create darker shades. Press lightly to show areas that are brighter than others. Shade in areas where the light is casting shadows.

3. Apply a series of short vertical lines to areas of the drawing that need more texture. Add a series of short horizontal lines over these. Make the space between these intersecting lines tighter in areas you want to appear dense. Leave more space between lines to create a lighter effect. Apply crosshatching to create the look of fabric on clothing or to add texture to wood or foliage.

4. Use the side of the pencil to add shading and provide a contrast between different lighting that may appear in your drawing. Press more firmly on the pencil to create darker tones. Leave bright areas in white or erase sections of shading to portray a difference in light. Step back from your work to better judge your success. Apply necessary adjustments.

References

• "The Drawing Handbook"; Frank J. Lohan; 1993

Resources

• Stutler.com: Russel Stutler's Book About Sketching