Top 5 tips for pencil drawing for beginners

Are you in the verge of drawing your first pencil portrait? Great!!! The following are my top 5 tips for absolute beginners.

1. Understand your pencils.

It is very important for you to have the right pencil for your portrait. Usually I use only two types of pencils: 4H and 4B. 4H can be used to get the perfect edges in your drawings while 4B gives you a smooth texture to use the shading tool.

2. Know to control your pencils.

While this is a widely debated concept, personally my advice is just be comfortable with the way you are holding the pencil and make sure not give too much pressure to the paper.

3. Try not to smudge.

While it is impossible not to smudge while shading a region, use a piece of paper to cover the region of the hand that would smudge the paper.

4. Know your edges.

Regardless of what size paper you are using, always make sure to leave 1/2" - 1" along the borders so that the portrait will not be affected while framing it.

5. Choosing your first image.

If you are a beginner, I would strongly recommend you to select a close up face image (only the face). Reason is when you pick a big picture you might miss small details in the face, which is a vital part of pencil portrait.

To sum things up, know your pencil, get comfortable holding it and go with the rhythm of your pencil and most importantly don't be afraid to get creative.

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