Pencil Art Tutorial
Pencil art is a type of art created with graphite pencils. Artists use graphite pencils to learn the basics of drawing and composition, but many use graphite pencils as their main form of expression. The techniques used to create pencil art include line to sketch the form, shading to fill in the form, and erasing to create highlights. Pencil drawing requires patience and much practice. You should always begin with simple projects, such as drawing a cup, and slowly work up to more difficult projects.
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Things You'll Need
- Drawing board
- Drawing paper
- Easel
- Opaque paper or plastic cup
- White paper
- 2H, 2B and 4B pencil
- Kneaded eraser
- White eraser
Instructions
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1
Clip some drawing paper made for graphite and charcoal onto your drawing board. Set the drawing board on an easel or tilted artist's desk so that you can easily see your drawing.
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2
Set up a still life near your easel consisting of an opaque plastic or paper cup on top of a white piece of paper.
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3
Hold the 2H pencil loosely with an overhand grip toward the center of the pencil. Loosely sketch the cup and the shadow that it casts. Sketch one ellipse, similar to an oval shape, at the top, then sketch a slightly smaller ellipse at the bottom. Connect the ellipses with straight lines and to make a simple cup.
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4
Pick up the 2B pencil and hold it the same way as the 2H pencil. Lay the graphite end of the pencil flat against the paper instead of using the tip to make broad strokes. Fill in the shading of the cup using this method. Begin light and gradually make it darker where the shadows begin. Use multiple layers of pencil strokes to make shadows instead of using more pressure.
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5
Shade the cup's shadow the same way you shaded the cup.
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6
Hold the 4B pencil with the overhand method and shade in the darkest darks.
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7
Rub the drawing with the kneaded eraser to pull out highlights. Dab the drawing with the eraser to remove only a small amount of pencil graphite.
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8
Draw highlight lines with the white eraser.
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9
Hold either the 2B pencil or the 4B pencil using a normal pen grip with the tip of the pencil vertical to the paper. Draw the details, such as the line where the cup meets the paper. Use the 2B pencil for lighter detail and the 4B pencil for darker details.
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Tips & Warnings
Only use long, relatively new pencils for optimum results. Older pencils that have been sharpened down are smaller and more difficult to hold correctly.
Always sketch and shade lightly and gradually make darker with layers. Grinding the pencil into the paper with heavy pressure will never erase and will quickly ruin a drawing.
Cut the white eraser into slices to draw small highlight lines.
Spray your drawing with fixative after you have completed working to prevent smears.
References
- Photo Credit pencil image by Richard Seeney from Fotolia.com
