PENCIL EXERCISES

FREEHAND DRAWING
Freehand drawing is the ability to draw something without the use of any
equipment or mechanical devices such as grids, rulers, or compasses. Artists, on the
other hand, draw using only their hands and rely on their observational skills to measure
and sketch what they see.

FREEHAND DRAWING TECHNIQUES

1. Concentrate on minor details rather than the broader picture when drawing. If you
concentrate on drawing minimal portions of your drawing, you will most likely
achieve greater results.

2. Take your time analyzing each pencil stroke. In most circumstances, the more time
you devote to your drawing, the better it will seem. By examining every pencil
stroke, each line you make must serve a purpose, take your time and consider the
length and angle of your line before drawing it.

3. Make a reference out of anything you draw first. When freehand drawing, make
sure everything is proportionate; else, your designs will appear weird. If you're
drawing a human, use the ear you drew initially to keep the remainder of the
drawing proportionate.

DRAW FREEHAND STRAIGHTLINES

Check your body posture - If you keep your arm still on the table, your drawing will
appear to be stiff and awkward. To make a proper drawing gesture, your entire arm and
torso must move. Your shoulder should be active.

1. LOOSEN YOUR GRIP - Gripping tightly will cause more muscles in our hand and arm
to contract in an attempt to control the pencil. We want to relax and loosen our
grasp so that we can control our pencil gently rather than forcefully slamming it
into the page. Hold the pencil further up the shaft (about halfway) and apply mild
pressure.
 2. PRESS LIGHTLY - The harder you press, the more resistance on the page, resulting
in crooked lines. Pressing softly allows the pencil to glide more easily across the
paper, resulting in a straighter line. Lightening your grasp and pressing softly on
the page will make a significant difference in the quality of your drawings.

3. USE YOUR ARM MUSCLES INSTEAD OF YOUR FINGERS - Instead of drawing a line
with your small finger muscles, employ your larger shoulder and arm muscles.
Using these larger muscles allows for a considerably smaller margin of error.

4. DRAW FASTER - The slower we draw, the more our brain attempts to adjust for
any minor wobbles. A speedier line drawn from the shoulder will produce a
straighter outcome.

5. PRACTICE THE LINE BEFORE DRAWING IT - It can help you figure out how to draw
it before you do it. Before applying the line, hold your pencil just above the surface
and practice the action. This will allow you to stretch your muscles before
committing to the line and will also ensure that you have adequate free mobility to
make the line.

6. POSITION YOURSELF SO THAT YOUR ARM HAS FREE MOVEMENT TO MAKE THE
LINE - It is critical that you have adequate space to move your arm without striking
obstacles or twisting your body. We don't want to have to compensate for limited
arm mobility that will result in shaky lines.

7. GUIDE YOUR HAND - If you need absolutely horizontal or vertical lines, you can use
the edge of your page as a reference to guarantee that your line is parallel to the
edge. Hold your hand muscles completely motionless, with your finger or palm
resting against the edge of the sketching board, and make the move with your arm.
You can change the grip of the pencil to extend it further into the page or to hold it
closer to the tip of the pencil for a line close to the page's edge.

DRAW FREEHAND CIRCLES

1. Move your pencil in a circular motion above the paper. Hold your pencil in your
drawing hand and hover it above the paper. Then, without letting the pencil touch
 the paper, slowly move your shoulder in a circular manner. To keep the pencil from
sliding within your hold, keep your wrist fixed in place.

2. Make many light circles with your pencil on the page. As you carefully lower the tip
of your pencil onto the paper, move your arm and shoulder in a circular manner.
Draw multiple overlapping circles on the paper with light pressure so they appear
like light sketches. Don't be concerned if they aren't exactly round yet.

3. Draw a darker circle using the light lines as a guide. Stop rotating your arm in
circular motions and draw a darker circle with your pencil. On making your lines
darker, apply a little extra pressure on the tip of your pencil. To build a more
flawless circle, use the lighter sketches as a guide and trace along the curves.

PENCIL
A pencil is a writing instrument that people use to draw or write on paper or other
surfaces. A pencil is gray or black and can readily erase everything you write or draw with
it. A pencil contains graphite, a type of carbon that is ideal for drawing pencil varieties. A
pencil today is made out of a graphite and clay rod wrapped in a wooden frame. When
utilized, the graphite is transferred to the paper and remains there.

DIFFERENT PENCIL STROKES

STIPPLING
Stippling is accomplished by simply dotting or tapping your nib against the support. Sharp
nibs leave small dots, whereas blunt or rounded tips leave larger impressions. You can
change the pressure and mix different colors into the stipples.

SCUMBLING
When it comes to creating a smooth texture, back and forth or scumbling strokes are
ideal. Back and forth is simply that. You use a constant, even, and tight laydown with a
regular pressure to move the pencil back and forth. The layers will gradually grow up to
achieve smoothness.

HATCHING AND CROSS HATCHING

Hatching and cross hatching are great techniques for working loosely and adding texture
to your work. This pencil stroke entails the formation of parallel lines. You can change the
thickness, width, and pressure of these lines. Then you may make a cross hatch, which is
another layer of hatching layered at a right angle across the first one.

LOOSE CIRCLES
Loose circles are also an excellent approach to create additional looseness in your work.
It also creates an effect immediately. You may change the pressure and size of your
circles by working clockwise and anticlockwise.

STRIKING STROKE
The striking or tapering stroke is most commonly connected with creating fur texture.
You can alter the pressure, direction, and, most importantly, the length of these strokes
in the same way that you can with the other strokes. This will result in a plethora of
different fur textures. To generate the taper, apply strong pressure at the bottom of the
stroke and then simply raise and flick away.

STYLES AND PENCIL TYPES

GRAPHITE PENCILS
The graphite pencil is the most common form of pencil and is what most of us are
familiar with. Lead or graphite is formed from a mixture of clay and graphite, and the
proportion of these two components determines the pencil's darkness and hardness.

SOLID GRAPHITE PENCILS

The solid graphite pencil, also known as a woodless pencil, is a pencil made of solid
graphite that lacks the wooden casing seen in standard pencils. The diameter is
comparable to that of a standard pencil with a wooden housing. This pencil has the
advantage of covering a greater area in a much less amount of time. These pencils are
available in the same hardness and grade ranges as regular graphite pencils.

LIQUID GRAPHITE PENCILS

Liquid graphite pencils, commonly known as "Liquid Lead" because they can write like a
pen, were invented in 1955. The liquid graphite pencils are available in a variety of colors,
including yellow, red, blue, and gray. You can apply it with a nib, brush, or any other form
of art tool.
CHARCOAL PENCILS
The charcoal pencil is totally comprised of charcoal and may provide more contrast and
richer tones than the graphite pencil. However, it smudges readily and is much more
abrasive on paper than a graphite pencil, and it is far more fragile. This sort of pencil is
ideal for writing because it is simple to remove the charcoal from your paper if you make
a mistake. Charcoal pencils are available in a variety of formats, including paper-wrapped
charcoal, wooden charcoal, and white charcoal pencils, and are used to create
photorealistic and finely detailed drawings.

CARBON PENCILS
Carbon pencils are made from a combination of lamp black and clay, or a mixture of
graphite and charcoal, and have a consistent and dependable softness with great texture
and blending capabilities. Carbon pencils make thicker, darker black lines than graphite
pencils, which are more difficult to erase.

COLORED PENCILS OR CRAYONS

Colored pencils are created by combining colored pastels, chalk, and charcoal with an oil
or wax-based core including binding agents, additives, and pigments. A water-soluble
pastel or colored pencil is also available. They are available in a variety of hues, including
white, which is ideal for casting shadows or brightening darker colors when painting.

GREASE PENCILS
Grease pencils, also known as China markers, China graph pencils, or wax pencils, are
typically wrapped in paper or wood and are formed of hardened colored wax. These
pencils are ideal for usage on non-porous, glossy surfaces such as glass, porcelain, rock,
plastic, ceramics, metal, and polished stone.

WATERCOLOR PENCILS
The watercolor pencil, also known as "The Water-soluble Pencil," is a particularly
versatile pencil since it can be used dry like a regular pencil and makes bold, sharp lines.
However, it can also be used in a wet state to give a watercolor impression and spread
using a brush.
MECHANICAL PENCIL
The mechanical pencil, like the ballpoint pen, has a metal or plastic frame. When you
click the pencil, the lead is forced through a hole at the point of the pencil frame. They
are made with two separate mechanisms: the propelling pencil, in which the internal
mechanism drives the lead out of the frame, and the locking pencil.

REFERENCES:
- ENHANCEDRAWING.COM
- THEDESIGNSKETCHBOOK.COM
- ARTLESSONSONLINE.COM
- WIKIHOW.COM
- ARTSUPPLIES.CO.UK
- ARTINCONTEXT.ORG