Essential Pencil Portrait Supply List

I'm going to just jump right in here, because there is a lot of ground to cover -

Strathmore 400 Series Bristol Pads
These come in sizes from 9"x12" to as large as 14"x17," the last time I checked. If you need larger sizes, you can usually buy them individually. For pencil drawings of people, I think the Smooth grade is the best. Vellum sounds like it would be smooth, but actually that grade has a bit of "tooth" to the paper.

That would be great for landscapes or something where you want a texture, but for skin tones, I prefer the smoothest paper I can get. If not the Smooth grade, then Plate is the other smooth grade that can be ordered - I think Plate is only available by the sheet, not in pads. I usually like to order by the pads, because when I have bought individual sheets, especially in the large sizes, I have to fight the curl of the paper.


Graphite pencils (I prefer Tombow Mono Professional Drawing Pencils
These come in different hardnesses. You will only need one F and one H hardness for example, because their 'leads' are so hard they will last a long time, but you will probably need several 2B, 4B and 6B, so do yourself a favor and just go ahead and buy several of those at a time. These have been known as Japanese animation pencils. I just love them. Once you try these, you will never go back to any other pencil.

Alvin Draft/Matic Pencil
Or you could try any other brands, like PenTel, etc.
I'm just really picky about the quality of the graphite in the pencils I use, and I find that the better quality mechanical pencils also have the better grade of graphite. The cheapest pencils will have waxy, shiny types of graphite - and I don't like to work with them.

Natural Chamois
(for blending skin tones.)You can cut the Chamois down to whatever size you like to work with. I usually cut mine into 4"x4" squares. Because it is a natural product, sometimes it can be hard or rough in texture. I prefer mine to be very soft for the smoothest skin tones. Every time I order it, I seem to be gambling on what I will get, but I save any rougher ones for artwork that needs texture, and I save the really soft chamois for skin tones. So it all gets put into service in one way or another.

Staedtler Mars Plastic Eraser (also known as a "Click Eraser")
If you remember my earlier post about how to draw animal fur or human hair, then you might recall that this eraser is useful for getting nice highlights in hair. I cut or break off the tip of the eraser and use its edge to get fine eraser lines.

Design Kneaded Rubber Eraser
The kneaded rubber eraser is an indispensable tool for the graphite pencil artist. It can be used to lighten an area or line that you have made just a little too dark - it can lift off just a layer at a time. I have also shaped it to create different textures, very useful for clothing. For drawing hair, it allows you to lift out and soften larger sections for highlights. I pinch it into a fine line to do highlighting around lips, nose, and eyes.

It's an inexpensive little thing, but very useful. Buy it by the box if you know you'll be drawing a lot. You want to be able to have a new eraser handy whenever you need one, as these can get dirtied up when dropped or when used too many times (oil from hands gets on the eraser and you don't want to transfer that to your art paper.) I have read other artists complain that they don't like the kneaded rubber eraser because it dirtied their artwork. I have never had this problem, so I think some artists are just using the same kneaded eraser too much. It should be replaced early and often for best results and for it to be pliable.

Along with all this, you might want to get some Kleenex tissues (the kind without lotion) for additional blending. Also some scissors or an X-Acto knife, if you want to cut the click-eraser.
Some artists like to work with Q-Tips and other common household items, to get textures they like. It's worth experimenting to see what you like.

Oh, I almost forgot - paper blending tools called totillions or tortillions are very useful for blending in the small areas, like around the nose and eyes. They are also very inexpensive, and worth purchasing in boxes or bundles (usually sold by the dozen.)

Bundling all these items up for a friend or family member who enjoys drawing is a nice gift idea.
You could get it all together and present it to her in something nice like these Global Classic Leather Pencil Cases


Sometimes, the biggest challenge an artist faces is organization. Being organized means I won't get frustrated when I'm trying to draw. A beginning artist will also be very motivated by gifts of art supplies and art tools. It tells him you believe in him and his abilities.

For an artist buying supplies for herself, it is also positive self-talk, that you are good enough and believe enough in yourself to buy yourself the very best tools you can. Pencil drawing supplies are really extremely affordable, compared to other types of art.

ORGANIZERS:
Drawer Organizer

Q-Grip Tool and Craft Grip Organizer

Best Art Organizers

Studio Craft Station

Portrait in Pencil of Two Brothers

Here's a commissioned portrait of two brothers I did awhile back...as you can see by comparing the photo to the artwork, I moved the boy's positions so it would be a more classic portrait pose, and so the younger boy's head wouldn't cover part of the older boy's face.

I wanted to keep the warm feel of the hand on brother's shoulder, so I left one hand in to show that. It created sort of a 'stair-step' effect in the composition of the portrait. Although the Christmas stockings and fireplace are nice in a photo, in a pencil portrait they would be distracting.

The nice thing about pencil portraits is that I was able to 'zoom in' in effect to the main focus of the photo, the boys - and the importance of their relationship.

The client told me that the family is big Georgia Bulldogs fans - and although I couldn't show the red and black fan colors in the portrait, I put in the younger boy's "G" for Georgia emblem on his shirt. I try my best to take the information that I am given and put it all into the portrait.

More portraits: www.pencil-portrait-drawing-artist.com

never stop learning

I just bought the Winter 2007 issue of American Artist Drawing Magazine and once again it has inspired me. It never fails - they usually show an artist from the past - in this issue, Jean-August-Dominique Ingres (no wonder people just refer to him as Ingres...is that a moniker or what?!?)

Drawing Magazine shows his graphite drawings, one dating from 1809 that shows me again the longevity of graphite pencil drawings (I think some Dürer drawings survive that date from the late 1400s- early 1500s). Except for the Napoleonic era clothing styles, the Ingres drawings look like they could have been drawn just yesterday.

The article includes some great quotes on drawing by Ingres...here are two of my favorites:

"Draw for a long time before thinking of painting. When one builds on a solid foundation, one sleeps in peace."

... and,

"Always have a sketchbook in your pocket, and note down with the fewest strokes of the pencil the objects that strike you, if you do not have time to indicate them entirely. But if you have leisure to make a more exact sketch, seize upon your subject lovingly, envisage and reproduce it in all its forms, so that it may be lodged in your head, incrusted there, as your own property."

As I turned the pages of the magazine, I was pleasantly surprised to a see a portrait of a little girl that looked very much like some of my pencil portraits. Not only the style, but especially the way the background was done, was so much like my work. The artist is John C. Babin. I looked to see if I could find more of his art on the Internet, but I was unsuccessful. I'm sure he'll need to have a website now that the magazine has come out. What a thrill it must be to see your artwork in the pages of a major art magazine like that!

This issue also contains an article on How To Draw Arms (sometimes magazines will have how to draw hands, but this is the first time I saw how to draw arms!; Depicting Land & Sea, and Secrets of Renaissance Underdrawings. I feel so privileged to see historical drawings in any way I can.

I really like American Artist Drawing Magazine. It is the only art magazine that seems to value drawing. In painting magazines, pencil drawing is rarely seen or mentioned, as if it's not important. Drawing Magazine continually maintains the position that drawing is the most important base of fine art. The magazine comes out 4 times a year, and each issue is $8.99, which seems so pricey for a magazine, but there is so much value in each issue it's well worth it if you're interested in learning more about drawing.

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