Pencil Art

Welcome to this first page of the series on pencil art.

Text on practical knowledge relating to pencil art or graphite art can be gathered from numerable sources. It is important to shop around and find that which makes sense to you. Thereafter, experiment until you find those methods that suit your style. Ultimately, it is the effect the artist puts into his or her art that will bring about satisfaction and reward.

The object of this text is to reveal the potential of what the graphite pencil has to offer. It is a medium that can be pushed beyond the sketch to produce art that is unique and unmatched in sentiment and character.

•    Choice of Paper
•    Different grades and Types of graphite
•    Other item of Stationery
•    Keeping you study Clean
•    How to Start and where to finish a study
•    Introduction to Shading

In the following page 2: Pencil Shading.

•    The graphite/drawing Point
•    Drawing Textures
•    Toning methods
•    Layering different grades
•    Hatching methods

The Tutorial Videos are on Page 3: Pencil Drawing.

The Video Map will show the content of the following 3 series.

•    Techniques
•    Application
•    Pencil Studies

Paper is the foundation to your pencil art. It must be of the best quality, hard and should have a light grain, preferable an irregular grain. However, the grain of the paper is a matter of choice. Well-established makes of paper usually have a variety of grains for you to choose from.

Types of Graphite

The graphite pencil is the cornerstone of your pencil art. There are a variety of types and designs you can choose from. The 3 mm clutch pencil is probably the most practical. They come in a number of colours, which allows you to colour-code the various grades of graphite you will be using.

In addition to the clutch pencils you should also consider getting a few solid graphite sticks. There are two types I would recommend. The first is approximately 5mm in diameter and is sleeved in plastic. The next is a 8mm hexagonal stick with no sleeve. Both of which come in different grades.

The grades of graphite range from a hard (H) to soft (B). Preceding the H or B is a number. The higher the number harder or softer is the graphite with the HB being the midway. For example ranging from hard to soft the grades would read: 4H – 3H – 2H – H – HB – B – 2B – 3B etc. However, it is not necessary to use the full range of grades. Over time I have whittled then down to 6H – 4H – 2H – H – HB – B – 2B – 4B and 6B.

Stationery

In addition to the pencils you choose you will need to get the appropriate sharpeners, erasers, putty rubber or ‘Prestick’ and one or two erasing shields. Other items of stationery you should consider adding to your shopping list are a dusting brush, T-square, straight edge, Stanley knife, and proportional dividers come in handy when doing detailed or complex studies.

Keep Clean

Keeping your pencil art clean and free from dust is very important. Before I move onto the drawing process, it is vital that you are conscious of the importance of keeping your study clean and free of foreign matter that can stain your paper. Here are a few tips in no particular order that you should put into practice from day one.

1. Keep your hands and stationery clean.
2. Never use your finger to blend. Unconsciously we do rub our eyes, scratch our noise and the like. It is that residue left on your hand that will leave a fatty stain on you paper and will attract dust. 
3. Use a soft brush duster to remove dust and eraser flakes. Do not blow the dust away.
4. An alternate is to use an airgun from a compressor. But, be warned; if the compressor is nearby switch the compressor off after you have compressed the tank. The unexpected ‘bang’ as the compressor switches on automatically can be very startling. 
5. Cover your work with a clean covering whenever you are not working on it.
6. Never rest your working hand on completed or partly completed work.

Start to Finish

Now that you have got you paper and variety of pencils on hand let’s get started. First tape the paper down on to the working surface and with a HB lightly map out you subject. After you have done that, tape a clean piece of paper over the lower portion of you study to protect it from getting dirty.

The reason for doing this is. Most of the work done on your pencil art will be done while holding the pencil close to the tip and your hand resting on the study. As a result your hand will unwittingly rub the paper and dirty it.

The next method is a matter of choice. The primary object of this method is to keep your study clean and free from smudges. If you are right handed you start at the top left of your study and work down in stages to the bottom right, completing each section as you go. In this way your hand never rests on completed or partly completed work.

African elephant.

Shading

The quality of tone and texture is fundamental to black and white studies. Choosing subject matter that is rich in contract and has a wide spectrum of light to dark tones is important. Review Pencil Shading.