All about pencil-drawing and sketching

Pencil-drawing and Sketching – How to Get Started

I have had a passion for pencil-drawing and sketching since my mother put a crayon in my hand and while I love drawing my real love is Conte crayon.

First let it be said for those contemplating sketching that it is not a poor cousin to painting, it is in fact the foundation for most other art forms.

There are many similar definitions but essentially it is rendering on surfaces various forms and shapes using lines, color and shading.

It is a major fine art and the pictorial representation that makes up drawing and sketching also forms the basic and fundamental foundation of most other art forms that include architecture, painting and sculpture.

Unlike painting where mass is the predominant characteristic, pencil-drawing is associated with the use of line. Most great ideas, even engineering ones generally start out with an impromptu and spontaneous sketch on whatever surface is available with whatever implement is available. Before writing came the simple sketch or pictorial representation, something the Egyptians used to great effect.

In our modern age pencil-drawing and sketching is an essential part of the creative process for graphic artist and designers, architects, cartoonists, illustrators, fashion designers, film and TV set designers, landscape artists, artisans of every type from potters to sculptors, draftsmen, video game designers, home builders and designers, and the list goes on.

Where to start pencil-drawing?

Choosing what to draw is always a barrier for some, the important thing is to choose subject matter that you are interested in and start learning to use your pencils. I often carry around a small notebook and pencils just so that I can sketch something I come across of interest.

Often this can serve as a basis for a more detailed work, however it is important to keep your pencil skills alive along with your perception, observation and coordination skills.

Learning to look and then transfer what the eye sees to a pictorial image is the key to good drawing. You can sit in front of the same subject and draw it several times over and each time you will see something you missed. You can choose a simple still life, or a figure study, landscape or cityscape, choose subjects that interest you. Remember drawing is supposed to be about self expression and fun.

First you need some pencils, something to sharpen them with and some paper.

Invest in several grades of pencil, the standard HB (No.2) isn’t good enough, it is too hard. Start with some B, 2B and 4B, they are softer and allow you to properly experiment with shading, from light to dark. Also you need a quality pencil sharpener to keep pencils sharp.

I like to also experiment with colored pencils and I have a lovely set of colored pencils to use. As I also mentioned I like using Conte crayons (with special thanks to Bill Fraser, my art teacher, for introducing these to me), and whilst the traditional sepia or brown color is used I have a set of colored Conte crayons and they are a joy to use.

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