How to Realistically Pencil Sketch - Pentel Mechanical Pencils Graphite's a wonderful tool when used by an artist or writer, regardless of whether or not they plan to work on a rough draft or build up from it. Similar to outlining before writing a novel, artists sketch out an idea and do case studies on their subject before working on what will become the final product. While some artists may scan their sketch into the computer to color it digitally or transfer it to a piece of canvas, others sketch out the details and use graphite for the final touches. To sketch a realistic looking image, artists will need the proper tools, an understanding of their subject, a light source and use shapes to outline the image. •
Purchase a set of artist grade pencils if this is a professional piece of work. These pencil sets usually include 10 to 12 pencils where each lead has a different hardness, allowing artists to shade easily. Look into getting paper meant for graphite such as Bristol Board. There are two types of Bristol Board, smooth and vellum. Use smooth Bristol Board when working with pencils since it doesn't have as much tooth, allowing the artist to move the graphite around a little better for shading purposes.
•
Study your subject and do case studies or practice sketches until you're familiar with it. Use a photograph or resources online to sketch out the muscle structure and anatomy of your subject.
• Use shapes such as circles for the head, chest, hands, feet and hips as well as triangles around the shoulder blade area. This will give you a general idea of your subjects shape. Remember to sketch very lightly as you'll be building off those shapes later.
• Gently outline your subject's frame with a light source in mind. If your subject's pointing left and the light source is coming from the upper left, think of where the highlights, midtones and shadows will go. Keep an eye on your light source as you add details.
• Sketch out things such as feathers, fur, hair, scales, tattoos and other adornments to give yourself a better idea of where to place your shadows. Begin by sectioning off highlighted areas, or areas that require very little shading. Plot out your shadows and outline those as well. Envision how the sketch will look once it's complete before you begin the shading process.
• Shade your piece of artwork by using techniques such as cross-hatching, flat shading and pointillism. Remember, the closer together the lines and dots of these shading techniques are, the darker the area will become. Start with the more shaded areas and slowly work your way out, making your marks lighter and more spread apart the further you go.
• Use an artist grade eraser such as a putty, kneaded or gum eraser to remove any errors. Avoid using the eraser on the top of a pencil or a similarly hard eraser as it may only spread your graphite around instead of removing it.
How to Realistically Pencil Sketch - Pentel Mechanical Pencils Click Here Colored Pencil Portraits