Pencil Drawing: 7 Easy Techniques

Pencil drawing becomes easier when you understand a few basic mark-making techniques. These techniques can be practiced on scrap paper before using them in a finished drawing.

1. Hatching Draw parallel lines close together. Increase the density of the lines to create darker areas.

2. Cross-hatching Add a second layer of lines in another direction. This creates stronger shadows.

3. Contour shading Follow the form of the object with curved marks. This is useful for round objects such as fruit and cups.

4. Stippling Create value with small dots. More dots create a darker area.

5. Layering Build graphite gradually instead of pressing very hard at the beginning. Several light layers often create smoother values.

6. Blending Blend selected areas gently with a blending stump or soft tissue. Keep some edges sharp so the drawing still has structure.

7. Eraser highlights Use a clean eraser to remove small areas of graphite and create highlights.

Practice exercise Draw a simple sphere. First outline it lightly. Then choose one light direction and shade the opposite side. Add a cast shadow underneath.

**Tip:** keep your pencil pressure controlled. A dark mark is easy to add later, but difficult to remove completely.

**Suggested Amazon products:** HB/2B/4B/6B graphite pencils, blending stumps, kneaded eraser, and sketch paper.