Pencil Drawing Techniques: Simple and Clear Tutorial for Beginners

Pencil drawing is a great way to improve your skills in any subject. It’s also a good hobby for when you have downtime from other activities.

In this article, we will go over some easy techniques that you can use to make your drawings look more professional or give them a unique style. We’ll explore topics such as drawing techniques shading, how to use different types of strokes, and what type of paper will work best for your project.

Things to Know Before Starting

The first thing that you should know about pencil drawing is that there are many different styles. Depending on what type of look you want to achieve, the techniques may vary slightly.

It’s also important to realize that not all drawings can be created using one specific method or technique. Sometimes it will require an assortment of smaller methods in order for your piece to work out well.

There are many different types of pencil drawings that can be created with these techniques. However, it’s important to remember that not all styles will work well together depending on the subject matter or style that is trying to be achieved.

Basic Sketching Tools You Need

Graphite Pencils

You can find these at most art stores. They come in a variety of hardnesses depending on the type of look you want to achieve.

Differences in Pencils: H vs B

H Pencil: This is your basic pencil. H pencils are harder and give a lighter line.

HB Pencil: This one can be used for many different types of pencil drawing techniques that you may want to try. It’s softer than an H pencil so if you press too hard then your line will become thicker due to more graphite being pushed onto your paper.

B Pencil: If you’re looking for a nice clean black look without having to use ink then this type of pencil would work well for this purpose. You don’t have as much freedom with strokes because it creates very harsh lines which are easier to see when put against lighter backgrounds.

Paper

You can purchase drawing paper from most art stores as well, but if you want to save money, you can also use a sketchpad or any other piece of paper.

It’s best practice to use thicker paper when working with pencils because it doesn’t allow much room for error. If you make a mistake, then there is less chance that your piece will be ruined due to bleeding or smudging from other surfaces touching the drawing area.

Some good options include Bristol Board and illustration board. Make sure you test out different types in order to see what works best for your needs!

For example: Smooth texture papers such as vellum bristol tend not to leave visible marks behind while others may rub off onto your work causing unwanted effects when placing multiple layers over one another. This can vary depending on how much graphite you decide to use.

Blending Stumps/Tortillions/Art Gum Erasers

These are used for blending in some line drawing techniques to give your piece more depth and make it appear smoother. These tools also remove excess graphite from inside an area where there is no detail or shadowing needed (such as whitespace).

Pencil Sharpener

It helps to keep your pencils sharp so that they don’t smear when applying pressure while trying to shade small areas. Sharp lines are also more conducive to creating the illusion of realism.

How to Hold a Pencil When Drawing

It’s important to hold your pencil the right way in order to get a smooth and even looking piece. Some people like holding it vertically, while others may prefer holding it horizontally:

Vertically

If you’re more accustomed to writing with a pen or using calligraphy then this method will be easier for you because you can apply pressure better when drawing small details such as eyes and hair.

Horizontally

You have better control over how hard or soft of a line you make so that shading large surfaces won’t cause your hand/fingers from becoming tired quickly due to applying too much pressure on one area.

It’s important to find a pencil grip that you’re most comfortable with because it can influence how your piece turns out. If you hold the pencil too tightly then it will be more difficult for you to make smooth strokes and keep control of your lines.

Point and Line – Basis of Each Drawing

Point and line are the two main elements of every drawing. There is no drawing without these two components, but how you use them can make a big difference in your work!

The point shows where to start with shading or adding detail while the line provides direction on what needs more attention when darkening an area. It may sound simple, but it’s important to understand this so that you don’t accidentally smudge already drawn lines which could cause unwanted effects down the road during later stages of your artwork.

Line drawing techniques are the most important for beginners because they allow you to capture different textures and depth without having to rely on other tools such as shading.

There are several different types of lines that can be used when drawing. Each one is best suited for specific purposes, so it’s important to know how these components work together in order to create a more realistic-looking piece!

Learning how to properly use lines and points in order to create realistic-looking objects can significantly help increase your skillset when working with darker values or light sources.

You can also check out our tutorial on How to Draw a Rope if you’re interested!

A Guide to Drawing Techniques for Beginners

Hatching

When you’re first beginning to learn how to draw, one of the most important skills that you can start practicing is the hatching drawing technique.

This type of shading technique requires a lot less effort than other methods because it’s basically building up layers over time with many short strokes instead of long ones!

It simply involves drawing tiny lines close together to form small areas of tone/shading within your sketch. These should also follow the same direction as you draw them in order to maintain consistency throughout various regions.

It’s best used for creating shadows or giving an object more volume. It also allows us to create nice gradients within our drawings without having too much contrast by gradually becoming darker as it moves towards the center. Plus these lines give off great textures if they’re applied correctly throughout your piece so what’s not to love about this technique?

The key is in maintaining a uniform width for each line while slowly building up darker lines at different angles. You’ll need some practice before you get used to seeing these subtle changes but once you do it becomes much easier!

Cross-Hatching

This is essentially the same as hatching except that we’re using two different layers of lines instead.

These are best suited for creating more detailed shading within objects by building up tones at multiple angles which can give off a smoother effect than regular hatching. It’s important to try mixing both dark and light lines together in order to create contrast throughout your piece while gradually becoming darker or lighter based on what you want it to look like!

The goal here is basically the same but with added levels of depth; this technique takes some getting used to before seeing results so don’t be discouraged if you aren’t too fond of how things turn out during your first few tries!

Scribbling

This is another basic technique that can help you practice your pencil control and shading skills.

It’s very similar to hatching except for the fact that we’re using scribbled lines so it gives off a different effect than regular lines would!

You’ll want to focus more on building up tones by drawing random scribbles/marks all over an area until everything looks filled in enough without making things look rough or unorganized which can be difficult at first but with some patience, this simple method will come naturally!

Scribbling also works well for creating textures within objects such as hair where each strand should have its own unique shape (similar to pointillism). It takes time and lots of effort but these tiny details give off a very unique and distinct look which can help to make your art stand out!

Stippling

This is another great shading technique for beginners because it makes creating tones much easier!

Stippling involves using dots to create darker shades within your artwork. You can either use a single dot or multiple ones depending on the desired effect that you’re going for but this method works best when trying to achieve smoother textures, shadows, and clothing folds since these are areas where gradients aren’t quite as noticeable!

The key here is in how many times you choose to place each mark; if there’s too little then it’ll be hard to see any detail but with too many dots everything will begin looking messy so make sure not to overdo things during your first few tries.

Once you get more familiarized with what different effects look like through practice, you’ll be able to see results much more easily!

Circling

This is another shading technique that utilizes dots but this time we’re using them in a circular motion!

It’s best used for creating smooth and even gradients within objects such as clothes or hair where you can achieve subtle changes in color throughout each area. Just like the previous method, it works well when trying to create more detailed textures by gradually becoming darker towards the center of an object while keeping certain areas lighter/brighter than others (this will vary based on what type of lighting effects you want).

You’ll want to make sure not to press down too hard with your pencil which could cause some unevenness; instead, try maintaining a consistent speed and pressure throughout different regions in order to get smoother results. Circling takes practice before seeing any results but once you’ve gotten the hang of things, this method is a great way to create some simple and clean textures!

Blending

This is a great technique for creating gradual transitions!

Using a blending tool, you can smooth out pencil marks by using circular motions which will help to create a more cohesive and polished look. It’s best used when trying to blend multiple tones together in order to achieve the desired color effect.

Like the previous methods, blending takes some practice before seeing any noticeable results but it’s definitely worth it in the end since it helps to give your artwork a more professional appearance.

Useful Drawing Tips To Remember

Here are some helpful tips, tricks, and advice that will help to take things up a notch:

  • Make sure not to press down too hard with any given pencil stroke since this could cause undesirable results such as wobbly lines or inconsistent shading. Keep the pressure light so it doesn’t interfere with how smooth your linework turns out.
  • Take advantage of different types of pencils! Not all drawing pencil sets are created equal and some will offer you a wider range of tones and shades than others so it’s definitely worth experimenting with different brands/types until you find something that works best for your individual style.
  • Practice, practice, practice! The more you do, the better results you’ll see, and eventually, everything will start coming together much more naturally. It also helps to look at other artists’ work for inspiration and see how they’ve managed to create certain effects in their pieces.

With these tips in mind, hopefully, you feel a little more confident in getting started on your own artwork! As always, don’t be afraid to experiment and find what works best for you – the possibilities are endless!

Final Words

There’s no right or wrong way of doing things and it’s always best to experiment with different shading techniques in order to find out which one suits your style the most but these are some great ways for beginners to practice their pencil drawing skills without too many complications.

We hope that this post answered your questions about basic drawing techniques and gave you a better idea of how they can help improve the look/quality of your artwork! Keep in mind that everyone has their own style so don’t be afraid to experiment with different methods until you find one which suits you best! Have fun!

Leave a Comment