Combining Sketch And Tone For Pencil Drawing Pr... -

Use an H or HB pencil with very little pressure. These lines should be easy to erase or blend away later.

Instead of seeing "a nose," see the "shape of the shadow" it casts. Outline these specific shadow areas lightly. 3. The Development: Building Tone

Squint at your drawing. If it looks grey and flat, your tones are too similar. Darken your deepest shadows to make the sketch "pop." Combining Sketch and Tone for Pencil Drawing Pr...

Never press hard to get a dark tone; it crushes the paper grain and creates an ugly shine. Instead, layer multiple passes of a soft pencil.

This is the secret to "combining" the two. Where the light is bright, let the sketch line disappear ( lost edge ). Where the shadow is deep, use a sharp, dark edge ( found edge ). 4. The Finish: Refinement Use an H or HB pencil with very little pressure

Don't jump straight into shading. Create a "blueprint" for your tone.

Use a faint line to mark where the brightest light hits. Do not shade inside these lines. Outline these specific shadow areas lightly

Use this to "draw" with light. Dab it onto shaded areas to lift graphite and create subtle transitions.