TIL Graphite Pencil Sketching at an Art Tutorial Workshop!

I consider myself to be a proficient writer. But drawing was always something that I couldn't seem to grasp. Today I thought I would step outside of my writing bubble and word clouds and take an art workshop designed to introduce graphite pencil sketching to new artists.

I was a bit apprehensive at first, as I haven't tried to draw anything in years other than doodles on a napkin while absently talking on the phone. But, like most things we learn to become familiar with, I got better in just the two short hours that I took the class, and by the end I was feeling more confident of my drawing and sketching abilities.

The instructor led us through a few introductory lessons on sketching, such as the use of the graphite pencil as an artistic tool. Did you know that you can give the appearance of three dimensions through the use of shading, cross-hatching, and shadowing by pressing down hard in some areas and pressing light in others?

An example of giving three-dimensions are in the skribbles we made in the first illustration, which was on newsprint paper:

Then we drew continuous concentric circles where one side received heavier pencil than the other side: (failed on the first try, much better on the second!)

Next, we applied the shading methodology to draw a complete sphere. We started with a circle drawn on paper. We chose a spot in the circle to "shine a light upon" and drew lighter circles around that light, and as we moved away from that spot, we pressed harder on the pencil to shade darker those areas further from the light, creating a sphere. I chose my sphere to be a cherry and added a stem. It's definitely a rough sketch, as I am still learning to press on the pencil with different pressures.

Next, we were asked to draw our hands. I decided to draw my hand from above, and used the shading principles to create lines and areas of depth. It really requires more time than the 40 minutes given for this part of the exercise, but it came out better than I thought it would.

The last exercise was to sketch a 3-dimensional object on pure white drawing paper! I selected a small vintage medicine box that had some words on it. I thought it would be easy. Boy, was I wrong!

Part of the reason why it was so difficult was that I couldn't use a ruler to draw the box sides. I had to eyeball it, which proved difficult given the perspective of the box as it sat there. Most problematic were the letters on the box. Fonts are incredibly hard to draw, and I give respect to anyone who can draw letters precisely. I have to admit, this is the part where I felt inadequate. I told the instructor that I would be sure not to choose objects with words on them until I am a master artist!

Conclusion: Taking a 2-hour art workshop is enlightening! It breaks you from the mold of everyday activities, exercises the creative spirit, and builds confidence in your own ability to create something valuable and unique. Although I am not a visual artist yet, I will try different art workshops to see what new talents I might possess!

Image Credits: willianfujii | (Art sketch photos by @michaeladamparis )

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