READER’S DIGEST COMPLETE DRAWING @ SKETCHING COURSE Mastering lead pencils, charcoal, pastels, pen and ink, and water-soluble pencils$27.95 USA READER'S DIGEST COMPLETE DRAWING KETCHING COURSE we eZ ‘acked with valuable advice from the experts, the Reader's Digest Complete Drawing & ‘Sketching Course contains everything you need to explore and develop your artistic abil Easy-t0-follow demonstrations combined with ‘detailed illustrations reveal all the essential skills and techniques you'll need to get started. Gain the confidence to experiment and discover your own style as you progress, and you'll find out just how much fun and how rewarding drawing can be. Ifyou are a new artist, you'll find friendly advice and encouragement to help you build on basic skills Ifyou are an experienced artist, you'll find the stimulus to tackle new techniques as you take on a wide range of exciting subjects including landscapes, stilblife studies, and portraits Divided into three sections, the Reader's Digest Complete Drawing & Sketching Course guides you through the book's subject in these easy stages: * First, you'll discover a guide to all the basic equipment and materials you'll need including charcoal, colored pencils, pastels, and graphite sticks. You'll also learn how to put them to best use, ensuring that you really get t0 know your medium. *+ Next, you'll receive straightforward instruction (on basic techniques to put essential drawing and sketching skills at your fingertips. You'll discover how to convey light, tone and shade, how to draw different shapes and textures, and how to master ‘composition and scale in your drawings + Finally, you'll gain advice on how to create mood and atmosphere by using more advanced drawing, and sketching techniques. Throughout the book, practical step-by-step, projects take you through every stage of drawing, from start to finish, so that you can be sure of achieving successful results 1¢ clear instructions, reliable advice, and friendly ‘encouragement that you'll receive from our team of experts make the Reader's Digest Complete Drawing & Sketching Course the ideal companion for artists ofall levels wanting to improve their drawing and sketching skillsREADER’S DIGEST COMPLETE DRAWING & SKETCHING COURSE Mastering lead pencils, charcoal, pastels, pen and ink, and water-soluble pencils Course developed by Stan Smith Ms ‘Tue Reaper’ PLEASANTVILLE, Rewes Digest est ASSOCIATION, INC ew Youk/MowTnetA READER'S DIGEST HOOK Copyright © Eaglemoss Publications Lid 2001 Allright reserved, Unauthorized reproduction n ay manner, is prohibited. Reader's Digest and the Pegasus logo are registered trademark of The Reader's Digest Associaton, Ine Picture eredite:frnt cover(e) Humphrey Bangham, (e) Stan Smith spine Joe Ferenc, back cover Stan Smith ‘ie page! Sta Smiths copyright pe: Humphrey Bangham: omtents page Albany Wiseman READER'S DIGEST PROJECT STAFF Senior Project Eator: Delilah Soe Bitrial Manager Chine R- Guido Cooibuting Project Designer: Martha Grossman Edorial Asiance: Ann Far, Nancy Wallace Hames, Hilary A. Thomas READER'S DIGEST ILLUSTRATED REFERENCE HOOKS, Editorin-Chiet: Christopher Cavanagh Art Direcor Joan Mazzeo. Direcor, ade Publishing: Christopher. Reggio Senior Desig Director, Tae: Elizabeth L. Tunnel aiorial Directo, Trade: Susan Rand Library of Congress Cxsloging in Publication Data Smith, Stan Readers digest complete drawing sketching course : mastering lead pencil charcoal, pases, pen and ink, and watersolble pencils / curse developed by Stan Sith, pcm Inches inde. ISBN 07021-09264 |. Draving-Technique Tile: Complete drawing & sketching course. I. Tie Reader's ges complete drawing and sketching course I Reader’ Digex Assocation. IV Tide NCTHO 56 2001 Medea 2001019495 Designed, elite and produced by Eaglemos Publications La, Tas the partwork The Ar of Dang and Painting 1kRepublicby Polygraf Print spol s.rCONTENTS CHAPTER ONE Getting to know your medium Charcoal sticks and pencils. Alternative charcoals. Blending with charcoal. Lifting off charcoal marks.. ‘The appeal of graphite pencils. Five systems of shading. Using graphite sticks. Using graphite powder. Water-soluble graphite pencils. Using a wide range of pencils. Drawing with erasers Discovering colored pencils. Overlaying color—scribbling. Planning lights and whites. Rendering whites. ‘ Water-soluble colored pencil... CHAPTER Two Essential drawing techniques Drawing ellipse5..esnnnnmnnn Drawing in perspective. Gridding-up. Drawing from a traci Looking at Tine... Line—in pen and ink.... Color as tone... Rendering hard textures. Soft texture—rendering fur, Drawing different textures Drawing complex structures Drawing fabrics. ed figure—three poses Drawing the nude. A show of hands Landmarks of the skull... Achieving a good likeness Portraits of childrei Child proportions... CHAPTER THREE Creative approaches to drawing Drawing from different viewpoints. Aumosphere versus accuracy. Drawing by inspiration. Creating depth and contras Using shading for a tranquil effect.. Using strong, dark tones for drama... Developing a style. Capturing distinctive character. Conveying energy with originality Embracing the semiabstract. Working on a large scale... Index...NTRODUCTION rawing is not only an important basis D: most of the other visual arts. It is a major art form in its own right, its story stretching back to the days of the first cave paintings and the artistic achievements of the ancient Egyptians. There followed a long trek through classical Greece and Rome and on into the Italian Renaissance, which the movements in France, Germany, the rest of Europe, and in North America. Throughout the centuries around the world, drawing has been employed in many ways—as a means of artistic investigation and discovery, and as a fundamental underpinning for painting, culminated in modern drawing sculpture, and printmaking. Nor is drawing an exclusively Western preserve, for the East has produced its own unrivalled practitioners. The great Oriental masters, exemplified by Hokusai and Utamaro, possessed un- paralleled skills in interpreting the “world as seen” and the use of line has never been better demonstrated than in their drawings. What we are concerning ourselves with her s the type of drawing that defines and with all thi from beginning to sociated interprets what we s joys that ¢ nderstand how the world works in its visual form, Learning how to use and exploit the full potential of light, tone, and shade are the essentials in this, but the willingness to experiment and be adventurous are just as important, both in the seeing of what you intend to draw and in the materials that are used to capture it, As far as the latter are concerned, pencil, pen and ink, brush and ink, and ink wash with line are the traditional tools, but the use of color—in washes or via colored pencils—can be most effective ‘Through the use of modern acrylic inks, a further fresh, spirited element can also be introduced. When it comes to the actual act of drawing, you will discover how everyone can develop a language of their own. A drawing is a visual autograph, in which the combination of line, tone, and invention come together. Some drawings are very tight—in other words, very well worked to describe things in detail—whereas others are vigorous and broad. Again, there is the drawing that simply involves putting a line the process, after all, can be a diagnostic one, where risk and chances are around an idea. pursued in the interest of new discoveries and realizations. In this inspiring book, you will see examples using subjects and materials that I hope will trigger fresh thoughts and ideas to allow you to discover your personal drawing language. It contains everything you need to help you to develop and hone a full range of artistic skills. Above all, remember that, although there are ny ways of looking at the world around you, to make drawings based on this seeing demands discipline—it does not happen without effort. Equally, as you will find, the great joy of creating a work of art with your own hands is one of the most gratifying pleasures around. Read on and enjoy! can SNS Stan SmithCHAPTER ONE Getting to know your medium ‘ elGETTING TO KNOW YOUR MEDIUM ¢ 7 Charcoal sticks and pencils By far the oldest drawing medium still available on the market today, charcoal is simple to use and lends itself to expressive, spontaneous work. The perfect medium for beginners ‘of anyart course—stucentsare encouraged to pick upa piece and start sketchi bold im working with charcoal c deal about drawing textures starting with color. And usin, the subject asawhole and not about fussy details Charcoal is made from burned vine and willow twigs and is available in nanural or compressed sticks, pencils, or as a powder. Vine charcoal makes a brownish black color, while willow produces a bluish black mark. There are varying degrees ofhardness— soft, powdery charcoal blends easily and is useful for ton while the harder sticks are more suitable and details 1 linear work fine condpoper knooded rubber eraser The sticks come in various thicknesses, so you can er inge of marks—from rR broad, sweeping strokes to fine details. In its pencil form—sticks of compressed in wood—charcoal is charcoal en much cleaner to use, butyou lose the feel of the traditional sticks because you can draw ‘with only the peneil’s point, not the sides, Paper and accessories Charcoal works well with any type of matte paper with a textured surfac apers simply will not adhere to the sur Canson and Strathmore are good-quality papers for drawing with charcoal, but for ‘on smooth or glossy everyday pra suitablealter ce, newsprint provides a vrilow chorcoal Inverious thicken The setup The flowing lines, soft textures, ond range of deep tones on this overcoat cconkost dramatically withthe pole, slid, ongular door—an ‘excellent combination for charcoal drawing, Our artist liked the ides tha, although the coat did not hang so its ah ond Fight sides were identical, there was sill simple eymmety ‘bout the setup, T took hord ot your sep. Decisions made early on will help make your lines loose and free when you begin o drow. ‘Consider proportions. The distance from the top ofthe ‘coat to the Bohm ofthe scart is roughly four times the width ‘ofthe hood ot is widest par. Similarly, the length from the bottom of the hood tothe third button down is much the same © from the bution tothe bottom ofthe scar. Look at al he fongls in he folds ofthe coat fond relate hem to each other. YOU WILL NEED Several thn willow charcoal sticks, and, ‘one thick stick Sheet of 18-x 24, drawing paper > Drawing board and pins or masking tope Torillon Easel A. 2 Using a thin sick of charcoal lootely draw the coat and scarf. Once ‘you have established these you con relate the door to them. Keep your ‘marks fairl ight, Bt do not be afraid to make bold defining lines, Drag the side of the stick down the poper, fallowing the outine of he coat, then do the seme withthe rhythms ofthe fold, For the scar, hood, and collar, use the tip of your slick. Try to catch the loyers of the scort Draw the top two door panels. They ‘ore based on shaight horizontal and verica ines and 90 degree angles. 3 drow the wo bottom panel, the dootknob, and the door edges. Then slat blending, beginning with the tak, then blend them by rubbing gently with your thumb, Remember to Teove some white paper free forthe highlights. Do the same for the shadow. small mark o indie ofthe shadow, then use you bo draw it in with the charcoal Just, keeping roughly to thie mark,4 Now you need to lay down a general tone on the coat—you can work nt this later. Using the side cf your thick charcoal stick, make light scribbles all lover the coat, leaving the scart for later. Try not to create dork spos of charcoal in ony one oreo, Ciming instead for an even covering, > 5 ond the scribble marks with the fat of your nucle crect o smooth, even tone. This represents the color of he coat, which contrasts with the lighter tones of the door and scar. You wil ring out he veious ones within hie “color ate Do not be afraid to lose te lines of your under crawing, Remember, you put hem herein ho fst plc, £0 you can put them back again. | GETTING TO KNOW YOUR MEDIUM # 13 <4. Using o smell charcoal sick and the blending technique ‘out reas of depth around the collar ond ing from the right makes the leftside tones darker. Draw inthe colar edge and lines of itching on the hood, then put inthe dork fold between the sleves. Far deeper | tones, make darker scribbles before you blend. Use aferillon for blending up to the edges. The sleeves are brought out by the darker tone nex! o them, V7 ow work down to the botom ofthe coats left side in the same way. Haclose your eyes and le! them towel olong the packs ond valleys of he folds to pick out dep tones. Bring cut the folds by drawing bold lines along ther edges. Use a nal ere0s, andthe thick sick fo larger expansesDrawing sgh nes canbe ver dial Onasbet that demands hey sch os ‘hs, yo nigh dit esr ows aero ony ther sighed, Acarocy ci hispoin con mke lhe afro your doing <<. B Now work int he right side of he coat Once you have blended an area of tne, pu in descriptive lines ontop where needed—for the edge ofthe culls ond sleeves, for example. Use o small stick to draw lines tha loosely indicate the scar’ plaid pater. Drow the bottom edge of he coat © neatenitup, then add any finishing touches around the coat, such of he butions, coo! tag, and door hook. > 9 burinthe shadow cast by the coat and scarf onthe door. Drow faint lines o indicate its ledges, then blend a ight tone forthe shadow. ‘Straighten the lines ofthe door panels. Show the door’s grain by lighlly dragging ond twisting the side ofa thn choreoal stick down the page. (Our artist ured his wooden drawing board o taking a faint rubbing frotage) ofits grainGETTING TO KNOW YOUR MEDIUM # 15, Lifting off auaeaal marks Creating highlights and light tones is Ear easily done with charcoal drawings. =< ea eee Just lift off the charcoal marks with hbo ser belo string you ‘akneaded-rubber eraser—or bread! ate gessome $k ond drow in wh he 7 kneaded ubber erser [1], Or pull Charcoal isan excellent medium for beginners—itforces Stee et esd fem ie mide you to work boldly and strongly without worryingabout fan undiced lof (2 ond 3) ond minor details. Lifting off your marksisa useful technique, get nthe some woy_-if' js! 08 because the effects gained by carefully erasing or efficient at creating suble tones, nesand tonesare unobtainableany other way. especially over large creas, ora litte piece bread, either to subdue the ch egative, The paper you reveal is final picture asthe charcoal marks themselves, V Here, note that the subtle, light tones under the bridge have been created by iting off some ofthe charcoal wih bread. The furry reflections onthe water have been mde in he same way. woes quillSimple still life The setup Copper and aluminum pots provide song shapes ond ull ange of Jones, and the right highlighs on their rellecve sutaces oferthe oppor o lit off chercoal fom the papers surface. The imegulerelipss ond organic textes ofthe fut contrast well with he smooth, shiny pons. They ao refer atrocvelyin he met Gur aris used a shee of watercoler poper for this drawing. Nol that he fextred marks this produces ae ail harder to remo thon those made on smooher poper, because charcoal dus fonds snk inthe lines ond crevices of he paper's surface. As always, experiment find the paper that you lke bes. AT Lightly sketch the outines of the composition withthe point ofa ‘hin sick of charcoal, Do not make ths drawing foo small and fight— let fil the whole page. Look at the nagative spaces between the ‘bjacs to help yau get both shape and position right. Keep ‘adjusting the linge until you are completly satisfied with the drawing Now use the flat ofthe tick to sugges! the main tonal valuas ofthe pote and fu. a¢ wall s the plones in the burlap backdrop. Indicate the shapes and positions ofthe shadows and reflections too. 4.2 using o lorge, clean, soft r0g, igh Hick over the surface of the paper from a distance, This leaves behind a faint “ghost” image in chorcool that aets 28 frm foundation o guide you through the rest ofthe drawing, It is eosy ofthis stage to redraw any of he elements, IF you do, ‘make sure that you flick over the picture again before continuing YOU WILOWEEDIN | > 3 Now begin to dorten tones Pe | allover tno crowing, Us the fax Side of your smal sick of charcoal SO ee to make broad stokes to shade in ‘watercolor paper large areos, such as he aude of Drawing board and | | the pors andthe burlap. The tp oF erate the sick s good for ord edges and : details. Use o worndawn tip to DO Tine Seed HES | scribble inthe reflections of the ult cof willow charcoal ‘on the small foreground pot and the Kneadedrubber shodows and dark handles on the eraser; sof rog larger pots ‘ Do not darken the tones all at Lesotaynis breed once, but build them up slowly, (Gan of spray fixative | trying to keep the whole picture at, roughly the some slage all over.GETTING TO KNOW YOUR MEDIUM ¢ 17 eS 4 continue ere in sme way, lowly bulking {pnd darkening tho tones ‘ll oround your drowing, Give ‘nore debi foe pers ond tongerins nthe ereground, indicating fe loves and ‘emphasizing the misshapen ‘Spheres ond the diferent orgs ‘ot which they si. f you find your tones geting to0 dark, use your sshclsh lighten hem V5 Use. comer of your kncadedrsbbereroser'o "row he hight on therm cf op pot Do not with th ercuer cs his panes =| choco duit he popar groin Indeod, use smooth Stokes lithe mors ‘Now salen he ones inthe backdrop tthe right of thotop pot wih he ft edge of your treodedrubber eraser. Cat Gis clogged usc pate fh ect with ity En > 7 sii using the breod, lift out the highlights on the pos. Work over the whol of the picture, both pling on ond iting oF marks where neces. Aim for on overol harmony Gnd simply. Do nt ish one oreo oa ine, Bat wort onthe whole pce fo ring i tegater, Use you finger to blend any chorcool tras Hat ook oo harsh “41.6 Work across the backdrop, lightening reas ovr the ones, Uso sore bead for is bocave picks up mmr ever large oeas beter than on troser, Breck he loa open ond pul ut tome ofthe soften, Use ths soon thetone on ha lt ofthe op pt hen trove ono other bockaround oreo hat need tobe lighened. Notice how wble the ooh oe paper becomes once you howe fed of the chorcol {When ving breod, keap your boord ofan angles the din enmbs fol tthe floor) DID YOU KNOW? Closing up Tetons is fbn cay orange eH ee rnd corey, es oe ing ‘vont, wii bang dawn ot ot th pra. pa of ts now cad cmgaon.18 ¢ GETTING TO KNOW YOUR MEDIUM © 8 Using your thick piece of charcoal, begin working on the darkest tones. Deepen the dark saucepan handles and draw fine lines foc hord ond sin edgesornd therm fhe boom ‘igh pot, ond the edges fhe ruts the edge ofthe chorcoa trcomes blunt, tn taighy find o sharper edge ‘Werk ocot he pcre dying up ones by dorkering or liting off choreoal of yu go. Smuclge the mason the ut to give them sof tones to suggest heir regular, rounded shapes. Darkan the shodow ofthe top pot by scribbling the charcoal ‘marks on, then blanding sofly. Use alitle piece of bread to lit ff charcoal to adjust the flds of he backdrop. 49 conse working inthe some way uni ll he objet look std ond treedimensional. Now tum your aenion to det, using your kneoded-ubber trter and a thin sick of charcoal aif off or odd the finishing ouches, Our att decided oi ot he highlight on the hondle of the smal po! and define the fine darklins behveen the objects ‘When you hoe finshed, spay the drawing with «coo! a fixative x the chorcool doesnot smudge 10 65 siowly bing he tones all round the drawing, th orist has created a feeling of depth and solidity. The itegulor light tones inthe backeloth, ond the sharp highlights on the pots odd o realistic touch, helping o make a success ofthis portayal of @ simple sil feGETTING TO KNOW YOUR MEDIUM ¢ 19 The appeal of graphite pencils Graphite pencils are the most familiar drawing tools of all. Perhaps that is why we do not always value them as the amazing tools that they are. Most of us learn to handle pencils as 1d then promptly forget their produce. There is also the sharpness of the tip to think about, and whether itis rounded or chiseled. Add to that the amount of pressure that you exert on youapply the pencil, of course! Peneil lines can be soft and sinuous, vigorous and bold, or controlled and crisp. Your drawings might be subtle and detailed, with carefully graded je works in which the expressive, lowing linesare important tones, or energ Softest to hardest Artists’ pencils come in 20 grades, ranging from the softest (SB) to the hardest (10H), with grades Fand HB being in the middle. Asa rule of thumb, hard pencils (Hto 1011) they ¢ best for very fine lines because be sharpened to the finest of D> Withits rong of dsciptve mars, this yen rowing ais most expressive. Tresor, Nea Selle by lon Wiseman, prc sted, 121 Bin, 3055x200.)——. ———_ , = cee Sas on ™ ” 2 kosaded: ribber eraser unsherpened Seakcheg penal points, They also keep this point fora long time, which means theyare good for lines ofa constant thickness. Soft pencils (B to 8B) are in many ways more flexible than hard pencils because they have a tip that quickly blunts, When sharp, they make a fluid line of thicksand thins, When blunt, their marks become broad and dark. ‘Types of pencil Most pencils are available ina standard 7-inch length, although the shape of the shaft may vary. Which you use largely depends on your own personal preference. Hexagonal pencils are the most common drawing tools, ‘They give you frm grip, even when youare shading with the flauened side of the tp (a round pencil used like this would rollin your hand), Round graphite pencils have great flexibility because the slightest urn gives you access to anotherside ofthe tp. Sketching pencils (sometimes called studio pencils) are Tike traditional carpenters’ pencils—rectangularin shape. With these you ean produce a line of varying width just by turning the pencil slighty Mechanical pencils arc Imade so that the lead ean be extended by releasing a clutch lock orby clicking the end They come in the complete 8B to 10H range, butneeda special sharpener, or can be sharpened on sandpaper Graphite sticks are available in two forms—squiare sticks of pure graphite and rounded, thick “pencils” with a protective outer coating that stops you getting your hands ‘messy. With a range that runs from HB to 9B, they:are good for techniques such as smudging and blending, This is particularly rue of the uncoated kind of tick, the siles and flatend of which are excellent for shading, You will also find that pencils are available with different sized leads. Most are some have cores as thick as 1 ‘making bold, thick lines. rch in diameter, but able for ineh—inval Erasers These familiar items are useful for rubbing out mistakes, and are just as handy for creating highlights in areas of tone. Thereare two different ypes, Kneaded-rubber erasers are used to erase soft pencil marks. They are kneadable so they ean be worked to a fine point to rubout precise details, Hard pencil erasers work best on hard pencil marks, shorpened, Sharan grephi mikeOne pencil does it all! Drawing texturesis challenge foranyartist,and Then there are the intricately grained logs and hereisa tl life thatabounds with them. Thereis bark. To capture all of these, you need just one. the basket itself, with its massof weavesand plaits. _ penciland six kinds of marks. GETTING TO KNOW YOUR MEDIUM ¢ 21 ‘The half dozen marks you need Proctcethesesixmarks and youwillhaveallyouneed forthe or youwillse spontaneity Do hem quickly, sing @ 48 pencil and Fireside Baske.Do not devole oo much me 6 each one, though, a sheet of heavy drawing poper 4A Hold he pencil os you “ED Bin hep of he a - would to wre. Now dow pene then make crisp black shor lines cose together. Ines with it exerting lots of Z 3 Adis the pressure to give pressure, This use ine adds three weights, ond vory the definition direction, Use this hatching technique to illustrate bark AE Hold the pencil asin A, press hard, ond scribble. Do this in several directions ond in several layers to build up good dark tones forthe 4B Hold the ponci forty lightly and draw o series of long tremolous lines. These reprezent the wood grain hodows de Work he side ofthe 7-7 EFAs you hald the pene panel tpt flat edge, then onthe paper, clin your lighlyshode with lo he ae hand, Then, by varying the texture of he poper show - pressure, you will produce through. This epresents the ‘squiggly tick and thin ines, agiain ofthe wood atthe end perfect lor DE acne ee he bi22 « GETTING TO KNOW YOUR MEDIUM Warming up [Now you have practiced the basic pencil marks, continue as the artist did—with some warm-up sketches (there isno particular order to them) ‘As you are doing them, you will have the ‘chance to study the make up ofthe sil ie, whieh W100 con eter se up your cov sli log basket o- work {rom the photograph on the previous poge. you ore ‘exronging you own, sort by positioning yourself comfortably © few let or 50 from it. Make sure thatthe stp i welt ond ‘hat you con see it propery. ‘Also'moke certain tht you have plenty of ight to drew in Workin a pod of core paper or on to single shoot ttached to a drawing board with pins or tape will prove invaluable when you come to draw the picture for real. You can also work out the best angle to draw from. For the best results, keep your pencil fairly ‘blunt most of the time. You will still have to sharpen itfist, though. Once you have done this, rrub it back and forth on a scrap of paper or ssandpaperto blunt the end slightly. shad ‘A One ofthe most prominent and fidaly features of the sep isthe wickerwork weave ofthe boske, sit makes good sense to ste it beforehand. Str by lau ndcang he vrzo, on dow ine ‘Ai is loops. cn, end plats, bor fo bt Peet eae eanearioe I his pretiminory viewpoint ofthe selup proved rather an ovkword on, 50 when ame to drawing the picture propedly, the ontist decided to draw rom different angle Sharpening your pencil ‘When itcomes to sharpening your pencils, penknives, craft knives, and scalpels have the ‘edge over pencil sharpeners, whatever their design, Using a blade, you can cut away more ofthe wood to expose more lead, which means you do not hove o attend to he ip as ‘often, You also have more control over the shape ofthe tip, making itfine, chiseled, blunt, ‘or rounded, exactly as you wish. Rubbing the sharpened tip on a sheet of sandpaper makes itfiner—or blunt, as you choose.GETTING TO KNOW YOUR MEDIUM ¢ 23 Fireside basket of logs ‘Once you have practiced the pencil marks and hhave completed some warmup sketches, you are ready tostarttheactual drawing. Equip yourself witha big piece of paper—itis good to work ona large scale. This does not mean that you have to putin lots of detail. Instead, get into the habit of standing back from your drawing to assessit from a distance. Above all, ‘Make your marks quite light to start. As with ‘watercolor paint, work from light to dark. There isplenty of time to make things heavier as you go. along, and the actual layering of darker marks ‘over lighter ones helps you build up interesting. texture. With the 4B pencil anda textured paper, drawing the shading is easy, so do not press too. hard or youwill make an indent that no amount resist the temptation to overworkyour: of erasing will remove! 1 facth poperto he drawing boord wih pins or fein peeisee acre ene chon Prtieet cone eee tat at ‘Sch {ov you al shi absent taoplag yor pont Bint moa of he tin) 42 then, wosking heey from your elbow, roughly and lightly craw in he outine ofthe whole image, moking sure your composition fis ‘neatly on the poge. Do not worry about fine deta at this stage 4 3 Draw in he twisted rim of the basket. Now stort rowing fhe wicker on he right side of the Boekel This is ‘val aie a conplcatd design, s0 you need to simply iLook closely atthe bot for ts rood forms Loosely indicate some vericals, thea start o establish the horizontal Canes, Do nt get too caught vpn working on one smal secton—try 10 kep the whole thing going ot once Do not worry either about puting n every detil—in his version nota he shadows ae here, for exemple, but he tye is deceived ine thinking hey oe > 4 With one side drawn in, un ‘your attention tothe tones onthe logs. Define the darker edges by laying in some crisp black marks-Amake these with @ pointed pencil lead. Shode in the shodowe, but do not moke them too dark yet—the texture of the poper adds to this here and there. Draw a series of lines for the grain ofthe wood. Roughly describe the bork with paiches of scribble running in diferent directions5 Draw in the other side ofthe basket As before, putin the vedicals firs, then draw in the horizontal ‘Wicke in the pones, usin lighter cnd heavier lines 10 indicate the diferent tones and shadows. “46 Now sort out he tones ofthe whole picture. Darkan some of he shadows, for exemple, It may help you to soe where thse are if you stond back from the ‘drawing ond look tit with halfclosed eyes, V7 Hold the pencil loosely and lay Jn some more scribbles forthe bark. Work ‘veri in lite clusters fo capture the slighly varying surfaces. Create some vetical shodows onthe basket by smudging the pencil lines dawnward with your finger ‘Aer you putin the final touches, spray the drawing with fixative, fllowing the ‘manufacturers instructions.GETTING TO KNOW YOUR MEDIUM ¢ 25 Five systems of shading Pencils are capable of making a great variety of marks, although we seldom use them fully. Here we look at five easy systems of creating texture and tone with pencil shading. Coming to grips with different methods of shading is well worth the effort. You will probably find these five systems soothing and absorbing to do, and itwill improve your pencil control and technique. You will need a good supply of paper, arange ofpencils, a firm working surface, and about half an hour of uninterrupted time. Explore ‘each system in turn and aim to create an area of butyou will soon discover the grip, gesture, rhythm thatgive you most control. ‘When you are satisfied that you have these uur belt, experiment with making on different papers and with different pencils, Textures rendered on smooth and even, while on rough paper the paper's surface interrupt the asofter, more velvety ook, the same paper are cris the recesses Iisa good idea to spend time getting to know your materials and practicing techniques. Thisis ant process that has great benefits. The nfident and competent you become, the e freely you can work. Vitero, «variety of shading techniques create form ond tone. Softly scribbled etching26 + GETTING TO KNOW YOUR MEDIUM Below are four of the five different systems of shading, (There is one more on page 28.) To try them for yourself all you need are four pencils 2H, 4B,an HB, and a 2B, Youalso need asheet ‘of white, medium-weight drawing paper. With. this good, all-round, serviceable surface you can ‘A Random hatching with an HB pencil For slighly random haiching like ths you need to let the pencil “dance” every which way. Hold it Firmly, but not rigidly, close tothe drawing point. Change direction constanly, pivoting fom the wrist Your eimis © oily consistent middletone gray that has quite «lively fee it (unlike the regular mechanical crosshoching system covered on poge 28) ‘A Tight scribble with a 4B pencil Here you need a broad gesture, so grip he pencil Farther up the shaft and hold your hand off he paper surface—if you need support let your knuckles skim the poper. Feather the pencil over he broad lighter tones, ond then thicken it up inthe center. The resulting variation intone is perfec for describing spheres. Notice how the sritble rns with he direction of the righthanded shader. Four ways of shading exploit the full range of pencil marks, from black to mid gray tolight gray. ‘Asyou draw, keep in mind that you are not laying to create a finished picture—the idea is to expand your repertoire of marks and practice ‘yourskill atusing them, ‘A Dots with « 2H and 28 pencil Hold the pencil fil and, resting your wrist on the drawing surface, tap the paper with the pencil in a thymic way, ‘You can create variation of tone in three ways. The firs is by using different pencils; with the harder ‘one you produce a range from mid gray to light ‘gray (done at the top, while with the softer one the {dols go from almost black to mid gray (dane atthe bottom). Second, there isthe question oF how much pressure you exert on the pencil tip. Third, you con make dorker tones by increasing he density of dots, tnd lighter tones by sparsely spreading them. AA Curved hatching with an HB pencil This dassical technique i somewhat ike the hatching shown above lft, but itis more controlled, Res your hand on he paper os you work Your lines should folow the natural reedimensional curves of he subject—lite the contours on a map, You sil hove ho oop on eye onthe variation intone so you will go from dark to mid tne ight.The four shading systems put to work AM Apple randomly hatched ‘This apple is « good subject for random hatching — itis backlit so the side acing you is made up of varying degrees cof dark—all except forthe “holo” of ight around the edges. {A simple, flat tone for his would have been very boring—the hatching breathes some life ino it and adds sparkle, Notice how the darkest “stress is applied where the opple i jus! tuning under to meet he surface is siting on (A Onion tightly scribbled This image employs the direction ofthe light on one side ond tone on the ther, with hep in describing the form fom o small ‘mount of flected igh on the boom eh Good fm shadow Gives the impression af around frm underneath. The tones ore helped here and there bythe use of delicately drawn coniour lines within the form of he onion. GETTING TO KNOW YOUR MEDIUM ¢ 27 ‘A Onion stippled with dots Hore, the dots have been used to describe the dark to mid tones, while the light tones are le tothe white ofthe paper. ‘Squint atthe image to see how the density of dots provides the Shading. The artist could not exist odding the vertical contour lines that run around the form of he onion. But look closely and you can see that even these make use of dss, so the line is ‘rayer and lighter for being broken vp. A Apple using curved hatching rea nacan it versions in theteas dete he flor ete Bes Fass cfr chesd wate ee eae ie28 ¢ GETTING TO KNOW YOUR MEDIUM Regular cross-hatching Another shading system is created with more rigid lines, criss-crossing at right angles. You can draw the lines in two directions, or—as here—in three, then four. The looser versions (with two and three directions) are the most versatile. With softer pencils the lines almost begin to break down and fillin (see below). To. achieve the perfect regularity of cross- Inatched lines, be prepared to practice. The sgradationsin tone needed to describe form are tricky to get. Smudging the lines with your finger is one technique that is well worth tying, Regular crosshatching ike thisisatits most successful when used to fillin large areas of background. Itis aso good for fiving the fel of an old engraving. (62 —medioe pressure ond ree decors cacheory Four drecions V To describe the complicated structures ofthe hand, the ar used @ ‘bination of line and tone. For flat planes se chose cas, regular hatching ond coss-hotching, wile complex surfaces, such a the dosed poi, ore described wit loosely scribbled marks, which in with ross-hahing—tight pair of hands, loosely worked fortheUsing graphite sticks Ifyou like drawing on a large scale, try graphite sticks. Their robust nature and soft, dark lines are a joy to.use. penell, but youll id hat tneyare heavier and much thicker than a pencil, This is because they are made of compressed graphite. They make broader, bolder marks than pencils—perfect for large-scale work and drawing wit the whole arm, For exploratory work and sketches, graphite sticksare ideal, Although they can make delicate marks, you cannot get too fine line with them, 30 they encourage you to concentrate on the overall look of your drawing, steering you away from too much detail I'your drawings are becoming too tight, thisis the ideal medium to loosen you up. ‘Graphite sticks come in a range from hard to soft and in two different types—pencils and square sticks. The pencils are long and coated with lacquer, wood, or thin plastic. They make fine lines as well as broader shaded areas. The ks are short and chunky—you are y’solid in the hand, square drawing with somethin, but still eapable of delic broader sweepsand fillin large expanses quickly; sand you get bold, crunchy lines and rich, dark tones. Together, thick pencils and sticks provide youwith a wide range of possibilities, te work, They allow for & AM Grip the stick firmly ere yor sere ‘on its side ond draw it deo he pope tower outer en wotkert this varied tone with some line work. GETTING TO KNOW YOUR MEDIUM # 29 ‘A The setup Our orist worked from this photo of cncient statues at Luxor in Egypt. He liked the strong, chromatic shadows ond the varying heights of the columns, which made for on interesting skyline Remember you do not have fo copy ever detail ofa Photograph, What you putin or leave ott is up o you. ‘A With your thomb ond forefinger, hold ‘A These dark, parallel tmorks make very stron, bold ares of shading, Hod th stk closet the point and ogy heovy pres poper fo create broader bonds of shading. JA With the end of a square stick, drow one with one of the side angles Ths shor ine contests effectively ageinst softer, shaded areas. t ‘iy ‘A. Using the side of the edge, daw the square stick toward Tae by sd feds cred locks of shading. ‘A Using the pit ofthe ‘of the square stick, twisting it occsinaly to mmoke interesting variations inthe line4.1 Use on HB pencil to sketch lightly the culnes ofthe ‘main elements. With your HB grophite pencil stick, draw the stove. Concentrate on the face. Tha light shines from ‘above lf, so the shadows fall to the right. Make them ‘angular to give the face the look of stone, not lsh. & 2 Continue drawing the statue and the column behind i Tomake he lines angular, pause fora second whenever the line chonges direction Lave the sick on he poper ond Use light inceasein presse, sometimes making ne more thon ado, before you check he new ditecton of he ne These smal accent add ineres othe drawing A. 3 sii using your H8 graphite pencil sick, putin the shadows on the face and on the body of the stalue, Use a series of parallel srokes, changing the angle for diferent ‘reas of shadow fo indicate form. Keep the ones quite light tatthis sloge—you can work up darker shadows late. “44 Now thot the main statue and the frst tages of shading are done, draw in the cher elements of the ‘composition. is important to give yourself an ideo of the whole picture so thot you can retain o sense of bolance.7 & 6 Concentrate on areas of shadow around he rowing. De ot overwork hen—you con odd riche, dlrkr tones ete. Locely Block in th columns on tel as one lorge stl mass. Using the ck to moke sib Ines) onthe clunra’ shots on be groure Ite. Keep var simple—too much data dacs From te cin tos Neda are hs ckyses ents cotient erect o pel bey orci tela hj door ot the trig, Use ck end hin ns between be Hors. Use these of he ip of your 28 graphite sick for the botom ofthe main clu, behind he sche legs GETTING TO KNOW YOUR MEDIUM © 31 4.5 wih your square 28 graphite stick, strengthen some ofthe darter shadows en he soe ha ore iden rom sunlight Use the ip othe sicko putin thelines onthe she's hoods. “47 Putin the shadow on the middle clu wih so few {veep af the brood edge of the grophite sick inset Senghen the lines ofthe sone Block th vorying pressure to indicate the deeper eracks ond shodows in the stones Deepen the shodow behind the soles legs wih paralel mrs, sing more pressure on your sick, Work ell over in his way, puting in some shadows ‘ond strengthening ober© 9 cur oxta's fina drawing dlisploys he loose feeling that is characteristic of grophite—a sofness of shading contasied fogains bod, crunchy lines. He hos suited his medium to the subject—the angular shopes cond smooth textures of he stone statues and columns 4.8 Work back into the darkest areas ‘of shodow using your square 9B graphite stick is best to work all over the poge— ity otto conceals on any one ore 40 You keep con fh ene ewig, Lock out for interesting shapes of shadow toemphasize. Sp back, dy your drawing, then put in any fnishing ouches you Fel ore needed. Here, the artist felt the ground looked too flat, so he added some flecks cond dots nthe foreground to make it more elataiingUsing graphite powder Graphite powder has a bold and direct appearance, giving soft, smooth tones and shadows. Ideal for rapid drawing too, it incites spontaneity and gives instant results. Ifyou have never come acrossit before, you would be forgiven for failing to entity graphite powder asa drawing medium. This fine, dustike powder is simply pure graphite—a form of natural carbon. Itisbound with clay to make pencils and graphite sticks—the more clay, the harder the pencil. The powder is graphite in itssoftest form, Graphite powder produces rich, sfily graded tones with a silky sheen. It is good for night scenes, dusky interiors, and any subject with a strong light source The flowing, swirly marks you can make are ‘wonderful for describing the rhythms of motion, Itisalso speedily applied. You can quickly block in the main proportions of your subject before i moves too far out of position, then go on to develop them later With any moving subject—a figure, say, or an animal or shifting sky—speed is essential ifyou want to capture a sense of the movement itself 1 create a lively picture. Although you ean aphite sticks, the process is more time consuming, and achieve a similar result with pencils or the result more static, Graphite powder does not Practicing with graphite powder ‘Avex the ps of yor fingers To opply the powder evenly You can ceate darker tonesby ALA toriln iy Hager) esta oveoyng oe nark ‘coating brood areas of tone. Keep soft, well-washed doth, Stiff cloth tod paper towel re 0 ite powder, (and ‘0 opply the g your pal well dear ofthe p to avoid smudging your drowing. a smooth finish. P GETTING TO KNOW YOUR MEDIUM # 33 jor of graphite powder HB graphite kneaded-rubber rato eraser pencil 68 graphite stick tortilon lend itself to fine lines and details, Use it with a pencil or graphite stick, laying in the AA small selection of ite tonesandshacdowswith the powder, then adding | ll you ned te make «drawing line workand detaison top sng graphite powder. idea for removing blending smal areas of gropite powder. Iis good fr detailed for allow it to dry before applying the reas where yeu donot want to next layer of grophite ‘use a pen or graphite stick.34 ¢ GETTING TO KNOW YOUR MEDIUM African elephant Before you start your drawing, give graphite powder a trial run to get used to its slippery qualities. Graphite ponderisar its best when used. boldlyand directly: After you have put down your tones, do not try to tidy them up, because you will Jose the movement and freshness of the strokes, You can delete tones, though, with a kneaded- rubber eraser. You can use this medium on any drawing or watercolor paper. Coarse, textured papers produce a dark, grainy result. On a hard, tooth- less, smooth surface, the powder looks paler because it does not adhere as well to smooth, shiny surfaces. Spray each layer with fixative before applying the next Graphite powder is not suitable for outdoor use because the smallest breeze will blow itaway’ D> The setup The:e sketches of elephants, token from several diferent sources, moke on ideal starting point for this drawing, They provided our cots wih the information he needed on proportions and body shope. He built on his wih his imagination to produce en image of a charging 2 Fold your soft cloth and use a comer oft to move the graphite powder around. Push the powder ‘round the page to make switly mark hat suggest the shope ofthe elaphon, ignore details such os trunk, hsks, ond eyes. Instead, concentrate onthe shadows and tones that describe the infernal contours the elophont’s muscles and bones. Carefully blow ‘eway any excess powder, or pour it back ino the jr.