The best material for an aspiring artist is a simple pencil. Since it is easily erased, you can not be afraid to spoil the picture. All unsuccessful contours and details can be wiped with an eraser and work on. In addition, paintings with a simple pencil look no less advantageous than painting with paints.
Is a simple pencil a simple material?
Drawing beautifully is not everything. In order to work harmoniously, you need to draw more correctly. To do this, you just need to get some lessons in pencil drawing. Do not rush to enroll in various art studios or at expensive workshops. You can learn the basics of drawing yourself. Now on the Internet there are a huge number of free video lessons, intensives and manuals on this topic. Everything else depends on practice and again practice.
Once you have found pencil drawing lessons suitable for you, do not expect quick results from them. As with any training, it will take a lot of effort and perseverance. Do not demand too much from yourself, at least at first, and do not tackle the difficult. Before you start drawing pictures with a simple pencil, fill your hand on the simplest things, such as lines and geometric shapes. It is from combinations of various figures that any object consists.
Where to start training?
The answer is simple - start by buying materials for work. Simple pencils come in several forms. Firstly, they are divided into art and office. Secondly, they have different markings, that is, they differ in hard-softness. Hardness is indicated by the letter H on the pencil, and softness by the letter B. The number in front of the letter indicates the degree of softness or hardness. You can buy a set of art pencils, but the HB marking pencil will be the most convenient for a start. He is the most neutral of all, and, working with him, you can not be afraid to darken the picture.
Choosing the right paper also affects the quality of your drawings. It should be tight and not very loose. Plain office paper is best avoided. She is very thin and smooth. The pencil on it will be smeared, and the desire to paint after such a paper can disappear sharply.
Even such a simple thing as an eraser plays an important role. They are also professional, office and children. Needless to say, your choice should be in favor of a professional.
How to draw?
After you confidently depict lines and shapes, you should study the composition to harmoniously arrange objects on the sheet, hatching and shading to give objects volume. To develop the concept of volume will help drawing three-dimensional geometric shapes, best from nature. Of course, few have gypsum cubes and cylinders lying around at home, so grab any item that fits the shape. It can be any box or even a computer speaker, a jar of spices or tea, an apple and so on.
The main thing when drawing is to very carefully examine the object and try to depict it as you see it. Particular attention should be paid to pencil shading. The stroke is done with thin jerky lines, close to each other and in the same direction. They can be horizontal, vertical, diagonal. With their help, you can transfer the volume, chiaroscuro, texture of the subject.
If beautiful touches will not work, you can try the option with shading. With it, you can achieve smooth black and white transitions, which looks very nice in pictures with a simple pencil. It is done this way: first, strokes are applied to the drawing, and then rubbed with a cotton swab or soft paper. It is better not to rub it with your fingers, otherwise oily spots may appear. In this case, it is better to overlap the lines, and make shading from top to bottom.
What to draw?
When you master the technique of drawing at an acceptable level, you can choose a genre in which you will create pictures with a simple pencil. Landscape, for example, is a very attractive option and is not as difficult to execute as a portrait. Success in it depends more on imagination than on strictly following proportions. Although it requires basic knowledge about the future.
With portraits, the situation is somewhat more complicated. Here you will need to study the basics of the anatomical pattern and facial proportions. But let these words not scare you, everything is not as complicated as it seems at first glance. The main thing is to learn the basic principle of the structure of the face and practice. Man is the most difficult object in drawing, so you should not give in after the first unsuccessful portraits. If you want to draw portraits from nature, then do not start by drawing your relatives or friends. Start with a picture of yourself. If you find it difficult to draw yourself in front of the mirror, take a photo and work on the photo. Your next photos may be your favorite photos of people on the Internet. Develop and improve your skill and eventually achieve good results.
Do not ignore the image of animals. In their structure, they are no less complex and interesting than humans, and the animal world itself is huge and diverse. Here is a small example of how to draw animals with a simple pencil.
Cat in pencil
If you have a pet at home, take a picture of it and use it as a model. If not, you can take any photo you like on the Internet. Start with the general outline of the animal, indicating simple shapes and posture.
After you make sure that all the proportions are met, you can apply a light pencil stroke. Keep hatching, most intensely in the darkest places. Your task is to depict cat hair as accurately as possible. Next, proceed to the eyes, carefully examining the features of the pupils. In order not to accidentally smudge the lower part with your hand, put a clean sheet of paper on it. Do not forget about the glare in the eyes that give them vitality.
Continue to work by clearly identifying light and dark areas. You can slightly shade some areas, especially on the face, to make the transition from light to shadow more smooth.
Pencil masters
In the end, I would like to mention some giants in this area whose paintings, drawn with a simple pencil, raise only one question: how do they do it?
Among them is Dirk Dzimirsky, a German artist who paints highly detailed portraits in pencil.
Or, for example, Diego Fazio, an Italian who, unlike Dzimirsky, has no art education. However, his paintings cannot be distinguished from photographs with a simple pencil.
There are many more artists from whose works you can learn something useful for yourself, in terms of technology or plot. This applies to both modern and old masters.