The art of pencil drawing.

Until the 17th century, the terms “design” and “design” were used interchangeably. This tells us a lot and reveals the main idea: the design was used for a larger purpose. It has always served to lay down the intention, to define the main lines of a project, and all this, with an objective (or design) of greater scope.

The idea of preparatory sketches is as old as the art itself. And although the graphite pencil has only been around since the 1800s (in other words, the famous pencil), the idea of starting with a pencil drawing had already been established for hundreds of years.

The reason is simple. The pencil allows throwing ideas on paper, over the inspiration, until the desired result appears.

Through pencil drawing, you can develop your creative concepts with sketches, but also you can polish your compositions and experiment with different techniques, such as shadow play. Moreover, the possibilities are endless with pencil drawing with many different styles and genres available to you.

Landscape drawings.

Landscapes include all environments created by nature or by men, such as natural landscapes (beach, mountain, hill, forest) and urban landscapes (cities, villages, factories, parks). There are so many details to draw in a landscape and one line drawing that’s why you have to simplify your strokes. Learn how to easily draw a landscape in pencil!

Animal drawings.

Who has never wanted to draw an animal? These creatures, usually so cute, give immense pleasure to draw. From rabbit to dog, to cat, you will have plenty of different models to choose from.

Drawings of characters and portraits.

The drawings of characters and portraits are a staple in the world of drawing. They allow you to practice several pencil drawing techniques, thus improving your drawing skills.

Realistic drawings.

Drawing realistic can be quite a difficult task. Indeed, all the lines, shading, and strokes must be cleverly placed to give your sketch a realistic effect. The good news is that you will have the choice between the models! Everything around you can be used as a basis for your realistic drawing.

Architectural drawings.

When drawing an architectural sketch, you have to be meticulous. All techniques are based on precision and it should be remembered that the most important in this type of drawing is the lines, rather than the objects. Indeed, it is all about perspective.

Whatever type inspires you, there are certain rules, basics, and techniques that you need to know to master pencil drawing, whether for a sketch or a finished work.

Learn pencil drawing step by step.

The pencil is therefore a very versatile form of artistic expression. From quick caricatures in a sketchbook to neat landscape drawings, the pencil can bring a multitude of creative ideas to life. How to go about it? Start by gathering the necessary materials:

  • A pencil (an HB is perfect for beginners).
  • A color pencil.
  • A ruler, a compass, a protractor, a set square (optional and depending on what you want to draw).

Do you have everything on hand? Perfect, we can start.

  1. Find your model.

Reproduction plays a huge role in learning pencil drawing, especially for beginners. We will therefore have to find a first model. And let’s face it, it is much easier to start drawing when you already know more or less what you want to accomplish.

Note, however, that to refine your techniques and ultimately identify your style, we advise you to vary the models. Are you drawing a tree today? To draw a car tomorrow. Have you recently learned how to draw a nose in a pencil? Move on to another part of the human anatomy. Have you just learned to draw manga and are particularly proud of your progress? Do not stay on your own and move on to landscape drawing.

  1. Study the shape and proportions.

Say you have chosen a flower arrangement as a model. You will notice that each variety of flowers has its proportions. It is on the latter that we must first look.

Study the pure shape of the flower and its outlines. Don’t pay attention to details and textures just yet. Here, it is a question of integrating the proportions. How high is the stem from the flower? How big are the leaves of the petals?

  1. Layout the outline and perspective.

Arm yourself with your colored pencil (green, blue, pink, whatever). You will draw with it the general shape and the perspective lines, which you will erase later (hence the interest of having a pencil of another color).

In the case of our example of a floral design, draw a first vertical line (for the stem) and a circle at the top end of it (for the flower). Is your flower seen in profile and not fully open? Drawing the lines of perspective will help you express its blossoming.

  1. Draw the outlines.

Now take your graphite pencil and draw the outlines, making sure they are relatively sharp. Once these are defined, you can erase the lines made with a colored pencil (if you plan to digitize and digitize your work, do not bother to erase these colored lines).

  1. Add details and shadows.

This is the stage where your work takes shape. The one where you give it volume by playing with contrasts and shadows.

Here, you have to define in particular where the light comes from. The shadows will thus be placed opposite this light source. Note that you can erase some places to add some lighting effects.