How to Draw a Realistic Portrait in Pencil

Drawing a realistic or photographic portrait can be very rewarding and frustrating at the same time. However if you patiently practice these tips you will be well on your way to producing some quality drawings.

Things You'll Need

• a. Drawing pencil set (with graphite pencils ranging from the darker 8B to the lighter 4H). b. Paper that won't tear when an eraser is used and is acid free to prevent fading and deterioration.

Instructions

1. 

   Begin by finding a picture you want to draw. Scan, print, and draw a grid on that picture. I like to draw old pictures or one that I have taken myself with a digital camera. Use photo altering software to crop the photo and turn it to black and white. I recommend the photo altering software called GIMP (which is completely free). Print the picture 5x7 inches or larger. The grid should consist of about one inch squares (use a pen because it is easier to see and won't smear). The grid can be divided further for the more detailed parts of the picture (mouth, nose, and eyes). The final picture size should be one that is easy to double and triple (like 5x7 is doubled to 10x14).

2. 

   The paper you are going to draw on must now be resized. The size of the paper is going to be directly proportional to the picture you want to draw. This is done by doubling or tripling the dimensions of the picture (ex: 5x7 to 10x14 to 15x21).

3. 

   A grid is then drawn on the blank paper. This is directly proportional also. So a 1 inch square on the picture would be a 2 inch on the paper if the paper were twice as big. When doing this use a long straight edge. USE THE LIGHTEST SHADE OF GRAPHITE PENCIL AND DO NOT PRESS HARD BECAUSE THIS GRID WILL BE ERASED. Once both the picture and the drawing paper have a Grid check to make sure they match. Begin drawing an outline of the picture. When drawing use the grid to accurately draw the different shapes by referring to the grid in the picture and transfering to the paper. So in essence you are drawing exactly what you see in every square. Draw the outlines lightly with a 4H pencil because most will be erased. This makes the outlines in the final picture very faint or nonexistent. This is good because objects don't have distinct outlines in real life.

4. 

   Once an outline of the person has been drawn you can begin shading. This is done by using the various shades of pencil and the shading stump. Pencil in an area that has a shadow and then begin using the stump to smear the graphite on the paper evenly. The darker the area the darker shade of pencil you should use. This will give the picture a photographic appearance. Erase the grid lines as you go.

5. 

   Once the picture is shaded go back and add highlights with an eraser. Stand about 10 feet away to critique your work before you alter it.

6. 

   Be patient, work carefully, and keep practicing. In time you will be shocked at how well your portraits turn out. If you become more interested I would recommend taking a class or buying a book on the subject because I have just scratched the surface on this topic.

Tips & Warnings

• Tools you will need: a.Drawing pencil set (with graphite pencils ranging from the darker 8B to the lighter 4H). b.Paper that won't tear when an eraser is used and is acid free to prevent fading and deterioration over time. c.Drawing board or hard flat surface. d.Ruler and long straight edge. e.Blending stump to shade the picture. f.Picture your going to draw.