Drawing Pencil Sketches

It is no secret that drawing pencil sketches is the ultimate in freedom of expression.

Drawing and sketching are very similar except sketching is so liberating and I'm sure it is one way to accomplish better drawing skills.

Read where I previously discuss my interpretation of the difference between drawing and sketching.

My favorite sketches are landscape sketches...

I copied this quick sketch from an old book that has expired in copyright. My sketch isn't the same but I like to give credit to the original artist who saw the beauty in this scene.

As I sketch, things end up out of place and probably out of proportion but I just make some adjustments here and there until it all seems to fit together.

I used the side of a 2B wood pencil lead to create the foliage in the background because I think that gives the illusion of depth with the blurriness of trees so far away.

The texture of my sketchpad also adds to the effect.

Just like learning to draw, there a few things that you need to keep in mind...

•   make a mental note that you're going to sketch
•   remind yourself that there is no erasing
•   keep drawing in lines until a shape looks right
•   if you're right-handed, sketch from left to right

Focus on the simple task of seeing, forget about technique, you just want a true representation.

On this page you can see my scrapbook sketches that I am proud of, but honestly, they took minutes to complete.

If you only give yourself the chance, you will see that you can do this, too! I am not skilled, I wasn't born with any kind of talent, I have taught myself in exactly the same way you intend to teach yourself.

All you have to do is make up your mind that you can do these pencil art sketches. Well, that's what I did and it has worked for me, so I'm passing everything I know along to you.

Sketching From Books

This seascape was again copied, it was originally done by an artist long ago.

I was fascinated with how he portrayed the clouds and how the whole sketch came together as one.

The only way for me to really understand what he did when drawing pencil sketches was to copy it as best as I could.

In the quick sketch below, I again used the side of the pencil to roughly portray what was behind the flowers at the front.

In keeping with my challenge to sketch as fast as I can, the best way to do the background was to just blend it in - using the side of the pencil adds a whole other dimension to the word "carefree"!

If you struggle to remember all there is to know about drawing and sketching, just keep reading as many drawing books as you can find and it will eventually sink in.

Of course, practice drawing pencil sketches while you read because that is the one thing that actually speeds up the learning process.

Sketching From Photos

My niece has some beautiful photos of the bay where she lives (Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia).

Today, on the spur of the moment, I was curious to see what I could produce drawing pencil sketches from photos. My sketch took maybe 15 minutes max and while it's not fantastic, I was pretty happy with it.

I must admit that I did use my kneaded eraser to help me achieve the effect with the sunlight and rays. Just cheated a tad!

The shading was again achieved with the side of the pencil lead. My aim was to try and finish the piece in the shortest timeframe possible and to manage a likeness.

I used a 2B wooden pencil and I had difficulty doing the jetty railings because my pencil was too thick. I made the jetty bigger because I didn't want to stop the momentum of the sketch to swap or sharpen my pencil.

I also pay attention to how I place my strokes, I want to get into the habit of sketching in the one direction only, so I'm not dragging the pencil backwards and forwards. I think that action ruins a sketch yet my tendency to hurry seems to encourage it.

As I continue to look at this sketch, I think it looks more like a drawing. Learning to sketch is a process and I know what I visualize and what appears on my paper are generally 2 different things. I'm not worried, I know that if I keep practicing, I am going to achieve that sketchy look eventually.

If you would like to know more about sketching, check out my How To Sketch Guide where you'll learn heaps plus you receive great illustrations for copying.

All in all, you will discover that the variety of expression available to you is endless when you are drawing pencil sketches.