Pencil sketching is a simple and accessible form of art that can improve your creativity and express your thoughts quickly and easily. With practice, these simple techniques will help you unleash the artist within.
Stippling
Stippling is a technique that involves adding dots to create depth and shading: the closer the dots, the more profound the effect. Use softer graphite for development to ensure that your dots show up and make a better impact; it will come out darker.
Hatching & Cross-Hatching
The two techniques are practical and common ways of creating shading effects. They are among the most popular drawing styles that assist in leveling up your sketches. Hatching comprises a series of lines closely spaced along your sketch’s main line to create depth and shadow. The lines shouldn’t touch. In cross-hatching, the lines are used similarly, but they intersect.
Circling
Control the tone of your pencil by adjusting the pressure you place on it—the more complex the stroke, the darker the style of your work. The softer your pencil strokes, the lighter your work will be. Circling is a technique that involves drawing small circular shapes and spirals in your drawing. It gives a certain rhythm and flow to your work that can be very pleasing to the eyes.
Scribbling
Scribbling is the ability to create well-defined marks on paper with a pencil. It involves heavily pressing the pencil against the paper and varying the pressure to produce short patterns. Each person must have made scribbles on a piece of paper while having a phone conversation.
Scribbling is a valuable technique that can be used to make your pencil expression more unique. It is a great way to add variety and depth to your sketch and create distinctive shapes.
Shading & Blending
Smooth shading is a great way to shade areas of your drawing with a soft yet structured approach. Use paper that has an even surface that is easily accessible. This technique involves lightly dragging the pencil’s tip from left to right but then lifting it so you can alternate between light and dark. You gradually increase pressure as your work progresses.
Make Highlights
Like you would add shades to create shadows and depth to your sketch, you can apply highlights to your work to make it three-dimensional. Highlights can assist you in indicating where the source of light originates by adding extra shading to the desired areas of your drawing. The best way to do these is by using an eraser to eliminate some of the shading or pigment to make lighter areas.
Conclusion
When sketching, it’s essential to make the most of your time. Varying your sketching techniques and expression will give you diverse creative possibilities. It will help you be more productive and reliable with the time to sketch.