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CHAPTER 1
Drawing Surfaces & Accessories
Before putting your pencil to paper, take some time to think about your drawing space. Designating an area for art is a great way to stay focused and organized. And you don't need much — comfort, convenience, and good lighting are the most important elements of an effective art space. Once you've chosen your "studio," fill it with tools and materials that will simplify your drawing process. In this chapter, you'll learn about the following:
• Working surfaces
• Drawing papers
• Accessories
WORKING SURFACES
Working with dry media calls for a flat or slightly tilted drawing surface. Suitable surfaces vary widely, from tempered glass tabletops to portable boards. Sketching can even be done on your lap, using the hard cardboard backing of a notebook. Below are tips for choosing and preparing a drawing surface that suits you.
• Beware of working on uncoated or soft wood, which can score easily.
• Work on a surface that is larger than your paper to avoid creasing and damaging edges.
• Avoid textured or seamed surfaces.
• You may prefer to draw on a small stack of papers for a soft, cushioned feel.
• Before laying your paper on a surface, use a soft brush to wipe away dirt and old eraser crumbs.
• Make sure the surface is free of oil and moisture.
• Before beginning a piece of art, test your paper on the surface using your medium.
DRAWING PAPERS
These days, most paper is made out of cellulose fibers derived from wood pulp, cotton, or a blend of the two. Generally speaking, the higher the cotton content, the higher the paper quality. Paper made of 100-percent cotton is more durable and less likely to become brittle or yellow over time. Rag paper is a strong, high-quality paper made up of the longest cotton fibers. Other cotton papers are made up of cotton linter (shorter fibers). Wood pulp paper is more affordable than cotton paper, and modern techniques for reducing the acid content make this option more appealing to artists.
PAPER PROPERTIES & FORMATS
In addition to material, you can describe a paper using several properties, including weight, brightness, color, texture, and finish. Before choosing a paper, know how each property will affect the drawing process and your final work.
• Weight: Paper weight is measured in pounds per ream (500 sheets) or grams per square meter (gsm or g/m2). In general, the greater the lb. or gsm, the thicker the paper. Sketching paper is typically about 60 lb. (90 gsm), and drawing paper ranges from 80 to 100 lb. (130 to 260 gsm).
• Brightness & Color: Art papers are available in nearly every color imaginable. However, most drawing paper ranges from bright white to cream, providing a light, clean surface that contrasts well with graphite, charcoal, and other dark media. Some artists like working on toned paper, with the most common choices being gray and tan. Artists use the tone of the paper as a middle value and apply highlights and shadows using charcoal, pastel, or Conté crayon.
• Texture & Finish: Paper is generally described as smooth, medium, or rough. Rough papers have a prominent tooth, which refers to the bumps and grooves on the paper's surface. These raised areas catch the medium as you stroke across the paper. Smooth papers have little to no tooth, and medium papers have tooth somewhere in between. Laid paper offers an alternative texture made of fine, parallel grooves that simulate "chain lines" characteristic of old pressed, handmade papers. The grooves catch the medium and give the artwork a ribbed texture.
TIP
Sizing is a substance such as gelatin or animal glue that changes the way a surface accepts a medium. Paper manufactured with sizing (such as watercolor paper) is less likely to absorb moisture and pigment.
Formats: Paper comes in a variety of formats, including pads, books, rolls, and loose sheets. For serious drawings, loose sheets are a great choice because they have clean, ready-to-display edges.
ACCESSORIES
The tools featured on the following pages can streamline and enhance your drawing experience.
Clips
Use these tools to secure your paper onto a drawing board.
Drafting Triangles, Protractors & Stencils
These tools can help you create straight lines, exact angles, smooth curves, and other planned shapes in your drawings.
Measuring Instruments & Edges
These tools can help you produce a long, straight edge and are particularly useful for technical and perspective drawing. A T-square (shown) has a head that runs perpendicular to a long ruler. Simply align the head with the edge of the paper or drawing board to create vertical and horizontal lines.
Stylus
A stylus is an instrument with a small, rounded end that is often made of metal. Holding it like a pencil, you can use it to indent the paper, which helps keep areas free of tone while shading. You can also use it as a tool for transferring an image using carbon paper.
Pencil Extender
This tool allows you to extend the life of your pencils by providing extra gripping length as your pencils wear down.
Compass
This instrument can help you create circles — a difficult task to do freehand. One point of the compass acts as an anchor on the paper, and the other contains a clip to hold a pencil. To use, carefully spin the pencil end around the anchored point.
Artist Tape
This mildly tacky tape (usually white, off-white, or blue) is ideal for mounting your paper to a drawing surface. The tape will not damage the paper upon removal, and it will not leave a residue on your drawing surface.
SHARPENERS
Sharpening instruments give you control over your pencil tips, which in turn gives you control over the quality of your lines. Whether you're working in graphite, charcoal, or pastel, there is more than one way to sharpen a pencil. Experiment with the tools that follow and discover the sharpening method that works best for you.
Handheld Sharpener
Handheld sharpeners shave pencil ends into cone shapes, exposing the lead and creating pointed tips. Use a handheld sharpener over a trash can and make sure your fingers are free of graphite after sharpening. Some handheld sharpeners come with a plastic covering that catches the pencil shavings.
Electric Sharpener
Electric sharpeners simply and efficiently create long, sharp, uniform pencil points. However, they can quickly eat away a pencil, shortening its lifespan. Take care to avoid oversharpening.
Knife
Sharpening with a handheld knife, such as a pocket knife, takes skill and effort but allows you to customize the tip. This method is the only way to sharpen a flat carpenter's pencil. Hold the knife at a slight angle to the pencil shaft, and sharpen away from your body. Remove only a little wood at a time for greater control. When working with a sharp edge, always point and cut away from the body and extremities.
Sandpaper Pad
This tool is a soft block of sandpaper with a handle. Some artists do the bulk of their sharpening with a different tool and use a sandpaper pad to hone or chisel the lead tip. These pads come with a few sheets of sandpaper stapled to the surface. When the top sheet has run its course, pull it off to reveal a fresh surface. The finer the grit of the paper, the more control you will have over the point.
TIP
Try using a sandpaper pad to clean blending stumps.
ERASERS
Erasers are not only a means for removing mistakes; they are also effective drawing tools. You can use them to pull out light lines, add crisp highlights, subtly lighten areas of tone, and more. The type of eraser you choose depends on your medium and the scale of your work.
Rubber Eraser
This inexpensive block or wedge-shaped eraser is effective for removing large areas of tone. It is usually pink or white and is made of synthetic rubber. Gently rubbing the eraser over the paper lifts away tone but also leaves behind crumbs, which you must blow or brush away. Beware: Rubbing it excessively can damage a paper's surface, smear the graphite, and leave residue.
Art Gum Eraser
These brown, rubbery erasers typically come in thick blocks. They are gentle on a paper's surface, but they crumble easily and require frequent blowing or sweeping of your support. Because of their thick shape and crumbly nature, they are best for erasing large, broad areas.
Kneaded Eraser
The kneaded eraser, usually gray, is a favorite for graphite artists. It is pliable like clay, allowing you to form it into any shape. Knead and work the eraser until it softens; then dab or roll it over areas to slowly and deliberately lighten the tone. This eraser does not leave behind crumbs. To "clean" it, simply knead it. The eraser will eventually take in too much graphite and need to be replaced.
Stick Eraser
Stick erasers are pencil-like barrels that hold a long cylinder of soft vinyl eraser. As it wears down, you can click or slide the stick to expose more of the eraser. This shape and format are great for working in small areas. You can even use a craft knife to shape the tip for more precision.
Electric Eraser
An electric eraser is a handheld, battery-powered tool that spins a small stick eraser. The tool eliminates the need to rub, allowing you to erase small areas cleanly with minimal effort.
BLENDING TOOLS
Blending is an important aspect of realistic drawing. The ability to produce subtle and seamless gradations of tone can help you create the illusion of three-dimensional form. There are a variety of tools available to help you blend graphite, including a few common household items.
Blending Stumps
These white sticks are made of soft, packed paper. Similar to a pencil, the dual tips are shaped like cones. Use the broad side for blending large areas and the tips for smaller areas. To clean off graphite buildup, simply rub and roll the tips over fine-grit sandpaper (or a sandpaper pad). You can also use "dirty" stumps to apply tone to your paper.
Tortillons
Similar to blending stumps, tortillons are small, hollow sticks of tightly rolled paper. You can also use tortillons as well as other blending tools to apply soft tones to paper.
Brushes
Brushes aren't just for paint; you can use soft-haired brushes for creating soft, smooth graphite blends. The shorter the bristles, the more control you have over the edges of your blends. Angled brushes are particularly useful for blending tone along straight lines. Some artists bypass pencils and apply graphite powder using brushes, spreading and pushing the tone around the paper's surface.
Chamois
A chamois is a soft leather cloth that is ideal for blending large areas evenly and smoothly. You can also pull the cloth taut over a finger for more precise blending.
Tissue
A facial tissue or paper towel is an inexpensive yet effective blending tool. Fold it to blend broad areas, or wrap it around your finger to blend smaller areas. You might also try cotton cosmetic pads and swabs.
CHAPTER 2
Drawing Materials
Compared to other types of art techniques, such as painting and sculpting, drawing stands out as a simpler art form that requires few tools and minimal cleanup. However, there is a wide range of drawing media to choose from, and it's best to acquaint yourself with everything available to artists today. From the monochromatic tones of graphite and charcoal to the rich pigments of pastel and colored pencil, drawing materials can yield an exciting array of textures and expressive strokes. This chapter covers the following:
• Graphite pencil
• Graphite techniques
• Charcoal
• Colored pencil
• Conté crayon
• Pastel
• Oil pastel
• Drawing pens
• Mixed media
• Medium comparison
GRAPHITE
Perhaps the first medium that comes to mind when you think of drawing, graphite is a great starting point for a beginning artist. Not only do you have most of the materials lying around the house, but this medium responds well to an eraser and welcomes preliminary strokes and experimentation.
HARDNESS
The quality of line and tone you achieve from graphite is related in part to its hardness. The lead (or graphite center of a pencil) is labeled by number and letter. H pencils are hard; they contain a higher ratio of clay to graphite and produce a light gray line. B pencils are soft; they contain a higher ratio of graphite to clay and produce softer, darker lines. The higher the number that accompanies the letter, the harder or softer the lead is. F and HB (which is the lead of a common "number 2" pencil) are considered neither hard nor soft.
9B and 9H pencils are the softest and hardest leads available. Beware of the extremes; very hard pencils can score your paper, and very soft pencils crumble and smudge easily. Hard leads sharpen to a fine tip, making them great for detail work, whereas soft leads are better for blending. Some artists choose to work with one pencil hardness throughout an entire piece, while others use several different pencils to achieve a variety of lines. A great starter set of pencils might include 6B, 2B, HB, 2H, and 4H leads, providing an ample range for most artists.
FORMS
Graphite is available in a variety of forms, allowing artists to choose the best instrument for their needs. You can find all of these forms at most arts-and-crafts stores.
Wooden Pencil
The most common type of pencil is wood-encased graphite. These thin rods — most often round or hexagonal when cut crosswise — are inexpensive, easy to control and sharpen, and readily available to artists.
Experiment with your pencil tip by varying the pressure and angle to the paper. Create tapering strokes, which are often used to suggest hair, by reducing pressure as you stroke. To shade, lower the angle of the pencil to the paper and stroke back and forth, gradually increasing or decreasing pressure to vary the value.
Flat Carpenter's Pencil
Some artists prefer using a flat carpenter's pencil, which has a rectangular body and lead. The thick lead allows you to easily customize its shape to create both thick and thin lines. Use a small handheld knife to sharpen this type of pencil.
The wide, flat tip of a carpenter's pencil allows you to change the width of your stroke by rotating the pencil or changing the pencil's course on the paper, giving character to your strokes.
Mechanical Pencil
Mechanical pencils are plastic or metal barrels that hold individual leads. The leads are available in a range of hardnesses and thicknesses (commonly measured in millimeters). Thinner leads are associated with technical drawing, but thicker leads are more appealing to fine artists, as you can hone or chisel the tip. Some artists prefer the consistent feel of mechanical pencils to that of wooden pencils; the weight and length do not change over time, unlike wooden pencils that wear down with use.
Fine, uniform lines are characteristic of mechanical pencils.
HOLDING A PENCIL
The way you hold the pencil and move your arm helps determine the quality of your strokes. Each change in position creates a line or mark of unique character. Take a look at the following three basic positions for drawing, and try out each one.
Loose Underhand (Long and Short) This involves lightly pinching the pencil between the thumb and index finger, allowing the stem of the pencil to descend into the palm of the hand. It's an excellent position for loose sketching and massing in tone. Fluid movement of the pencil should originate at the shoulder and involve the elbow.
Position 1A shows a long placement with fingers holding the pencil lower, creating a more fluid and sketchy mark. Position 1B shows a shorter placement of the pencil, creating a firmer stroke and a bit more control while still involving the shoulder for loose expressive marks. In the overhand position, the palm of the hand is primarily facing the paper or at a right angle to it.
Loose Underhand Reverse
The second position of the hand is really a variation on the first.
While in position 1, rotate the palm of the hand away from the paper until it faces you. This is a good position for continued loose sketching on horizontal planes or creating fluid, soft tones. Use a slip-sheet under your hand to prevent smudging with the back of your hand.
It's quite natural to shift the hand from position 1 to position 2 to achieve a variety of stroke qualities and directions. While loosely sketching, maintain the use of your elbow and wrist to foster fluid movements.
Writing Position
When more control is required, shift the pencil to position 3 — the writing position. Grip the pencil more firmly at four points of contact: the index finger, middle finger, thumb, and inner palm. This position allows for very precise control but limits flexibility and movement. It is a good position for refinement and detail work as well as creating short, choppy marks. Finger movement is emphasized in this position.
Try not to squeeze the pencil — it may cramp your hand after prolonged work. Also, avoid pressing down too hard on the paper and making indents. Pencil length can be shifted in the hand from longer to shorter depending on your preference for greater movement (longer position) or control (shorter position). You may need to use a slip-sheet under your hand to avoid smudging your drawing while using this position.
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Excerpted from "Drawing Tools & Materials"
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