Observational Drawing in Graphite Step-by-Step Tutorial
This is a step-by-step tutorial about how to create an observational drawing (drawing from life) in graphite. This is meant as a companion to Exercise Set 1 of the Portfolio Bootcamp. Please visit this page for a list of recommended materials, and How to Set Up a Privacy Booth if you’d like to know how to create a DIY shadowbox.
*click on images for full-screen
1. Start with a hard pencil, 4H or 2H. Mark the edges of your drawing using dots. You are setting up the composition, making sure you will place your object where you want it on the page and ensuring it won't be too large or small. Take measurements by using your pencil held out in front of you and comparing proportions. Make note of important landmarks.
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2. Continue using a hard pencil and light marks. At this point, you might consider holding your pencil gently between your thumb and pointer finger (see photo below). This helps keep your marks loose and light and also encourages you to draw from the shoulder instead of the wrist. Using your marks as guidelines, draw simple shapes to map out your drawing. Check all your proportions before proceeding to the next step.
*you can see that I've accidentally placed the light on the wrong side. I am right-handed and the light placed to my right causes the shadow of my hand and pencil to obscure the point where the pencil touches the paper. I decided to proceed (rules are made to be broken, after all) - but this made the drawing process more challenging
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3. Use your lines from step two to guide you as you lightly draw an ‘outline’ of your subject (this is not a literal outline, you should include any ‘internal’ structures as well). Also lightly outline shadow edges. Check all your proportions before moving on to the next step.
*I cleaned up my lines just a touch more before moving on, but I didn't take a picture. You can see the cleaner lines in step 4.
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4. Shading! Now is the time to move on to your HB and 2B pencils. Start in the lighter areas and build up - you will be able to layer darker 6B or 8B pencil over areas that have been shaded with a 2B. The shapes you drew in step 2 should still be visible. Use your kneaded eraser to lighten them if they are too dark. These shapes should help you decide the direction of your shading, make sure you shade by following the shape of your subject. Try to ignore surface details and just shade the larger shapes of your subject. Try not to erase at this point, even if things are getting a bit too dark.
*Notice how I use curving lines that follow the shape of each lobe of the squash. These are light lines and will mostly be covered up by the time I'm done, but they will build a solid foundation to help describe the shape and volume of my drawing. I only used an HB pencil in this step.
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5. Move to the next level of softness (2B or 4B) that you have and add more shading. Don't worry if things get too dark. Focus on describing the shadows accurately. Remember you are completely ignoring surface detail (markings and color) at this point
*I only used a 2B pencil in this next step
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6. Pull out highlights with your kneaded eraser. Things have probably gotten a bit too dark in places. Now it's time to pull those highlights out, and lighten areas that got a bit too dark. You can gently lighten areas by pressing your kneaded eraser against the paper and lifting it. You can mold the kneaded eraser into any shape you need it to be, which is very handy. Work slowly and deliberately.
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7. Shading the foreground and background. You should now be decently happy with the general shape and volume of your subject. Before you get too mired in the details it's important to lay down the background. You might accidentally shade over the edges of your object, so you don't want to get too far into rendering it yet. Start with your lightest pencil again and look for the lightest plane in your background (it should be the one facing your light most directly). Evenly shade that plane with angles strokes.
*Because the plane I started with makes an angle with the table I used that angle as my stroke angle
Look for the next darkest plane in your background. It might be the "wall" or the "ground". Choose a pencil that is one shade darker than the one you used above and shade the next plane. You will need to decide what angle you want to shade it - this is a matter of personal preference, but make sure you're consistent and that it is a different angle than you used for the first plane.
Erase any stray shading that went over the line. Repeat for the last plane.
*Note how I don't bother to shade carefully where the shadow is going to go, because I know it will get covered out.
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8. Add the shadow. Tackle one plane at a time, the same way you did with the background. Pay attention to the value changes in the shadow and the changes in edge crispness. The shadow will be sharpest next to where the object touches the ground, and then the edge will be get fuzzier as it travels farther away from the object. Likewise, the shadow will be darkest close to the object an often lightens a bit farther away.
*Do you rest your hand on the paper when you draw? Are you worried about smudging your nicely shaded background? You can lay a clean piece of paper down to rest your hand on, just make sure it doesn't shift around, as it can also pick up graphite and smudge it. Alternatively, you can purchase one of these smudge guards for $15, which is what I use.
Once you're finished with the shadow, go back into the object and make any finishing touches to the shading, still ignoring surface detail. Now is the time to break out your darkest pencil - 6B or 8B. These pencils should only be used in the absolute darkest parts of your drawing. Use them sparingly. Make sure you're happy with the structure before moving on.
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9. Finally, it’s time to add details. Surface detail and markings will not be visible in the darkest shadows and lightest highlights on your subject. They will only be visible in mid-tone areas. Keep in mind that often, less is more with detail. It’s tempting to really focus in and add a ton of tiny details, but it's much more effective to be discerning and hold back a bit.
