Art of Basic Drawing

Simple step-by-step techniques for drawing a variety of subjects in graphite pencil

William F. Powell, Michael Butkus, Walter Foster, Mia Tavonatti

• Publisher: Walter Foster Publishing
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9781633228320
• eBook ISBN: 9781633228337
• Topic: Art
• Subtopic: Art General

Filled with easy step-by-step instruction from a variety of artists and a wealth of inspiring images to study and admire, The Art of Basic Drawing shows beginning artists how to draw everything from flowers and still lifes to landscapes, animals, and people.

You’ll find plenty of helpful tips on choosing the right tools and materials, fundamental drawing techniques, developing value and shading, and setting up an effective composition, as well as important information about the influences of perspective, balance, and texture. Detailed examples of animals, people, flowers, and landscapes will help guide you through the most challenging aspects of drawing almost anything, from basic shapes to realistic details.

Some included pencil drawing projects are:

• Strawberries
• Bottle and bread still life
• Flamingo
• Elephant
• Giraffe
• Horse
• Siberian Husky puppy
• English Bulldog
• Clouds
• Desert landscape
• Half Dome, Yosemite
• Woman in profile
• Man in profile
• and many more!

With a striking new design and refreshed, easy-to-understand instruction, this comprehensive drawing guide is the perfect first step for beginning artists. Follow along, step by step, as professional artists reveal their drawing secrets. With practice, you’ll soon be able to capture amazing realism in your own pencil drawings. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.

The Collector's Series offers approachable, step-by-step art instruction for a variety of mediums and subjects, such as drawing, oil, acrylic, watercolor, cartooning, calligraphy, and more. Perfect for beginning artists, each title features artist tips for drawing or painting anything and everything from people, animals, and still life to flowers, trees, and landscapes.

GETTING STARTED

TOOLS & MATERIALS

Drawing Paper Drawing paper is available in a range of surface textures (called “tooth”), including smooth grain (plate finish and hot-pressed), medium grain (cold-pressed), and rough to very rough. Cold-pressed paper is the most versatile and is great for a variety of drawing techniques. For finished works of art, using single sheets of drawing paper is best.

Sketch Pads Sketch pads come in many shapes and sizes. Although most are not designed for finished artwork, they are useful for working out your ideas.

Erasers There are several types of art erasers. Plastic erasers are useful for removing hard pencil marks and large areas. Kneaded erasers (a must) can be molded into different shapes and used to dab at an area, gently lifting tone from the paper.

Tortillons These paper blending “stumps” can be used to blend and soften small areas when your finger or a cloth is too large. You also can use the sides to blend large areas quickly. Once the tortillons become dirty, simply rub them on a cloth, and they’re ready to go again.

Drawing Implements

Drawing pencils contain a graphite center. They are categorized by hardness, or grade, from very soft (9B) to very hard (9H). A good starter set includes a 6B, 4B, 2B, HB, B, 2H, 4H, and 6H. The chart below shows a variety of drawing tools and the kinds of strokes you can achieve with each one.

HB sharp point

HB An HB with a sharp point produces crisp lines and offers good control. A round point produces slightly thicker lines and is useful for shading small areas.

HB round point

4B flat point

Flat For wider strokes, use a 4B with a flat point. A large, flat sketch pencil is great for shading bigger areas.

Flat sketching

Charcoal 4B charcoal is soft and produces dark marks. Natural charcoal vines are even softer and leave a crumblier residue on the paper. White charcoal pencils are useful for blending and lightening areas.

Vine charcoal

White charcoal

Conté crayon

Conté Crayon or Pencil Conté crayon is made from very fine Kaolin clay and is available in a wide range of colors. Because it’s water-soluble, it can be blended with a wet brush or cloth.

Conté pencil

Sharpening Your Pencils

A Utility Knife Use this tool to form a variety of points (chiseled, blunt, or flat). Hold the knife at a slight angle to the pencil shaft, and always sharpen away from you, taking off a little wood and graphite at a time.

A Sandpaper Block This tool will quickly hone the lead into any shape you wish. The finer the grit of the paper, the more controllable the point. Roll the pencil in your fingers when sharpening to keep its shape even.

BASIC PENCIL TECHNIQUES

You can create an incredible variety of effects with a pencil. By using vario...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Contents
• Getting Started
• Still Life
• Animals
• Landscapes
• People
• About the Authors
• Copyright