Craig Nelson - Secrets of Drawing: Figures and Faces

Just about anything that can make marks or tones may be used for drawing. The yellow-jacketed no. 2 graphite pencil with an eraser that we are all familiar with is usually our first drawing tool. However, even graphite comes in various degrees of hardness, offering a variety of tones.

There are many other types of mediums that all have unique characteristics and therefore offer unique drawing opportunities. Try as many as you can.

Drawing mediums are referred to as either dry or wet. Both types can be combined in countless ways to produce everything from quick, hard contour lines to rich, graceful gradations. Dry MediumsWet Mediums DRAWING TOOLS The proper drawing tools combined with your chosen mediums and surfaces will help you achieve your artistic vision. Graphite is most commonly referred to as pencil. Graphite is most commonly referred to as pencil.

However, graphite is a specific type of pencil that produces silvery blacks, and it comes in sticks as well as pencils. Forms of Graphite Pencils are best for detailed work, while graphite sticks are good for creating large tonal areas. Mechanical pencils, for which a variety of leads are available, are a favorite of many artists. Other Materials for Working With GraphiteThe Big Old Truck Graphite on bristol paper 11 14 (22cm 36cm)

Artists graphite is a combination of graphite and clay. The higher the proportion of graphite to clay, the softer the medium. Graphite comes in degrees of hardness from 8H to 6B (the H refers to hard and the B designates black).

Hard graphite (H) is good for fine details. Soft graphite (B) can produce a wider range of tones than hard graphite and is good for large tonal areas. Soft graphite requires sharpening more often than hard.

LIFTING OUT The complement of the graphite pencil is the eraser. A kneaded eraser is pliable and is great for picking out soft whites. Lifting Out HATCHING AND CROSSHATCHING Hatching is a closely spaced series of lines, usually parallel. Lifting Out HATCHING AND CROSSHATCHING Hatching is a closely spaced series of lines, usually parallel.

Hatching is used for shading, shaping and building texture. Crosshatching is hatching done in layers so that the lines intersect each other. By adding layers of crosshatching, you can increase the density and darken the value in small increments. This makes crosshatching an ideal technique for creating shadows.