As an artist, making pen and ink drawings can be quite tricky especially if you have no prior experience. For artists that have experience with charcoal drawings the work is easier because it is not far off from making ink drawings. The two are somehow related.

On the other hand, ink drawings are used to create some of the best realistic and sharpest drawings. The artist has control over the actual tone or shade and manipulates the lines to his satisfaction. The first thing they will do is to create a sketch with a pencil before they can use the ink.

There are different ways to shade using ink for instance, cross hatching. This will be according to the type of background that the artists will choose to use. The shades will help identify the parts to totally black out or the ones that will be partial to create distracting effect.

Before making a charcoal drawing, it is important to first understand there are various types of charcoal that one can use. We have the pencil that is simply pieces of charcoal tightly compressed together in a plastic or timber like material. This is used mainly by those artists who do not want to get their hands dirty.  The pencil is very easy to sharpen but when you want to make the finest details pen and ink drawings are the best option.

The most used types of charcoal are the willow and vine. These two are usually unwrapped and they mostly produce shades of grey from pale to black and they are normally used for everyday sketches. They smudge so easily and so are very tricky to work with. The hard charcoal is tough and is used to sketch extremely fine lines. Charcoal  and ink drawings are some of the best and unique ways to create black and white drawings. These materials are also very cheap and easy to find.

When it comes to charcoal drawing sketching with it creates great black and white drawings. Previously the most used method was ink drawing but over the years charcoal use has steadily grown. Charcoal drawing enhances visual presentation and is very stimulating. The most famous artists are known to use charcoal for their sketches. Despite the fact that there are many people who prefer colour many artists continue to use charcoal. Some of these artists do it because they prefer it but there are those who do it because it is a unique technique. There is something captivating about charcoal drawing and ink drawing: most people say that they are more impressive than the coloured or plain ones. This is because of their simplicity and the great detail they give to texture.

Both charcoal drawings and ink drawings are a great way to make black and white drawings and it is important for the artist to know when to select one of the two. But you will get a more dramatic effect if you make pen and ink drawings.

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Unlike making oil portraits, pencil portraits are the best to make; you can even do some pencil shading to make the portrait to look more real.

If you are a beginner in making pencil portraits, here are a few pointers on how you can improve your pencil drawings.

‘    The quality of pencils that you select matters a lot in the kind of work that you will create. There are some types that will give very high quality work. Using them for pencil shading will give your work a high quality finish.

‘    Unlike in oil portraits, using a pencil to draw means that you can erase very easily if you make a mistake. The plastic eraser is effective in giving a clean finish. You just have to keep the eraser on a sharp point and this will come in handy especially when you are erasing shaded areas.

‘    The kind of paper that you select for your pencil portrait should be acid free. This is a type of paper that will cause fewer problems for you. Some paper types will give you difficulties especially in toning.

‘    When using pencils to draw, making an accurate tone is one of the hardest things to do. For beginner artists who are not yet experienced in blending colours, making soft tones is not easy. There are those that think that when they use different types of pencils the work will be good. On the contrary, the work ends up being too messy. The best way to achieve the best tone would be to use a single type of pencil and some cotton wool for the finishing. The best cotton wool that in cotton buds.

‘    Always remember that pencil shading will have a very dramatic effect on your portrait. Do not over do it because it will draw too much attention to it and the whole meaning of the portrait may be lost.

Remember that as an artist you need to keep your work very clean. Try as much as possible not to smudge. Organize the materials that you will need in a way that they are easily reached. If you start drawing without all the materials, that confusion may be reflected in your work. Make sure that you use materials, and in this case pencils, that you can comfortably use.  The materials should also be easy to find and affordable. Good quality pencils will ensure that you also get good quality portraits. Then choose a good quality paper that is clean and easy to draw on.

Like I said earlier, making pencil portraits are the best to make and the icing on the cake is that    you can even do some pencil shading to make the portrait to look more real.

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For many artists drawing the art of people drawing is not one of the easiest. Many however agree that if you first make a sketch drawing the work becomes a little easier.

For many artists sketch drawing involves making a freehand drawing that will give a glimpse of how the finished drawing will look like. The sketch is a two dimensional visual that will give you different ideas on the composition of the final painting.

Most people drawings have to have detail in them. The details provided by the sketch will help the artist drawing to have some kind of focus and emphasize on the subject. Many artists do their sketching using pencil or charcoal sticks. However, one can use water colours or modelled clay to make the sketches. When you are selecting the platform for the drawing, you can pick other material other than paper.  There are materials like leather or canvas boards that are used for the same.

In the olden days, the then artists did most of their art on caves and trees. A few centuries later that changed and the first monks used manuscripts and other parchments to sketch their drawings. Paper was not available until later in the centuries. This made painting work very easy because paper is comfortable to work with.

The paper available in the market is of different sizes and qualities. The quality that you buy will depend on the types of painting material that you will use for drawing.

Once you have the right paper and pencils, people drawings can be a lot of fun and they are  easier compared to other forms of work. However many upcoming artists do not enjoy drawing people because it takes a lot of practice and figure drawing. The figure drawings help an artist to become proficient. Eighty per cent of the drawing is usually a figure and the remaining 10 per cent are the technicalities. As a beginner, concentrate on the form first and on the other details later. As time goes by you will learn how to add them.

Keep in mind the hand and fingers; as an artist you may think that is not important. But this can be the most difficult of tasks. This does not mean that it is impossible but you will require  a little more practice.  For beginners they can take a glove and use it as a model and with time it will become very easy but they should be careful not to exaggerate the size.

Placing some of the body parts wrongly is a common mistake that most artists do not recognize when they examine their painting. To avoid this, it is important to ask another artist to have a look at the photo and tell them what they think. They should also try getting other possible tactics of drawing great portraits from those that are greatly experienced. This will enable them to greatly improve their work and give them more experience too.

Most artists’ drawings are concentrated on first getting to know the art of sketch drawing. Once this has been well practiced, people drawings become easier.

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As an artist, portrait painting should not be something that gives you problems. Most portrait painters prefer painting photos that they really like. This is because painting these is easy and enjoyable

Here are a few tips for portrait painters planning on painting photos.

‘     The first thing to do if you want to make a very good portrait is selection your favourite photo. This will help you to produce the best portrait because you will not want to ruin it. There are many portrait painters who select just any photo that they come across without knowing that it can be a source of de-motivation.

‘    Then go to the websites to look for artists who have done several photo portraits. This will help you to know approximately how much it will cost you and the procedures that those pro artists use to make a great painting.

‘    Once you get the artist, make sure that they are the artists who put the emotions and personality in their work. If the artists are available online; you can talk to them so that you can further understand what is available.  The information they give you will be very crucial and you can incorporate it in your painting photo.

‘    Request the artists to give you as much information as they can. The information is free.  In any case that you feel that you may experience some difficulties, ask for their opinion on what would be the best way to go about it.

‘    You can post the photo that you want to paint to them. The artist will advise you on the possible changes that you can make to make it even look better. Ask on the best colours to use. You can also share with the artist what you are thinking so that it won’t look as though they are suggesting everything to you.

‘    Once you get all the information that you need, pick a style that will be more real and also one that will be impressionistic. The background chosen will determine how the whole portrait will look like.

‘     Be very cautious on the medium that you chose to paint. The colours and their tone   must be of a good quality so that the painting will last for a long time.  Buy the best quality colours and brushes that will help you to do the best job.

‘     Before you can start on the painting, make sure that you understand the whole procedure that will be used. This will help you not to skip some very important stages. Also understand the cost that the whole process will take.

The few tips that I have given above will help portrait painters to have the best ideas in painting photos, if you are a beginner artist who is interested in portrait paintings these tips will also help you to begin.

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There are so many artists that are looking for the best drawing pencils. The best is the graphite pencil. This type of drawing pencil is readily available at a good price.

A common graphite pencil is usually yellow or red; the type usually used by school children. There are very many types drawing pencils that are very good especially of you are making certain types of drawings. As an artist it is not advisable to use one drawing pencil to draw the whole picture. Always use different pencils to create different effects. Artists most of the times use the graphite pencil to create a shiny effect, but these types are usually designed for that purpose.

When you are choosing a drawing pencil there are so many factors that you consider like the type of drawing you want to make and the amount of money that you have. Here are some of the many pencils available in the market and how to go about using them.

‘    The charcoal pencil:  these types of pencils give a drawing depth.  They are good if you want to some put dark lines in the drawing. Compared to the other pencils, they are a bit difficult to work with because they smudge very easily. As a beginner you can easily  smudge your drawing if you are not careful. The charcoal pencils are very good where you want to create skin tones or a course effect on a drawing. They come in various forms and so it all depends on the amount of money that you are willing to spend.

The charcoal sticks are very cheap and easy to get. They can however be difficult to work with especially with those artists that do not like messy work. If you do not want to create a mess when drawing, you can buy the ones that are encased in wood and have fine points; these will however cost you more.

‘    The carbon pencil: this type of pencil has a mixture of both charcoal and graphite that enables an artist to create certain levels of smooth lines and dark shades. The carbon pencil has an advantage over the charcoal one in that it is smooth but the drawing does not have to shine. The carbon pencil also provides a variety depending on the paper that you use. It is, however, difficult to work with these types of pencils for they do not have various tones. They are also are very hard to erase.

As an artist, looking for a drawing pencil is not that much of work. Many drawing pencils like the graphite pencil can easily be found in most stores.

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One of the most important materials that the portrait artist needs to paint portraits is painting brushes and paint.  The type of brushes thy use will determine the quality of his portrait art.

There is a collection of paint brushes and paints that the portrait artist can choose from; what matters the most is the preference. Some of the best brushes that that make fine portrait art are the acrylic pains and Cryla brushes. It is better to buy few quality brushes and paints than many cheap ones that will make the work of painting portraits look smudged and cheap.

When it comes to acrylics paints, the most important rule is that you should never let the paint to dry on your brush. Dry paint makes them loose their shape; and even though you soak them in methylated spirit overnight, they will not return to their original shape. Painting portraits using such brushes produces poor quality work; and in the end, the bristles end up coming out.

It is therefore wise for a portrait artist to invest in a water container that allows him to rest the brushes in such a way that the bristles are submerged in the water and are not squashed. Such a container needs not be bought but one can just improvise.

In painting portraits, the brushes need to be dump especially if you are using paint that is thick. This will help the paint to flow easily, but do not make the paint too wet not unless you are using water colors.

If a portrait artist is painting big areas and more detailed ones, then it is best that they use thin brushes with a point. Let them hold the brush next to the bristle to give an increased accuracy.

Color and mixing of colors is most important, and in portrait art, it will determine the texture of the work and the shade of the color. There are many methods used to mix colors but the most common one is where an artist will mix large quantities of one color on a palette with water and then just apply it in the canvas to create some overall tint.

Another way of doing it is using scumbling. This is a technique where the brush is somehow dry and is dragged across the surface of the canvas allowing the dry under paintings to show. This technique is especially important when painting highlights and showing places that have been hit by light. Scumbling however tend to ruin brushes

Majority of portrait paintings need a lot of different colors. This will give them ‘life’ and help create a more dramatic effect. It is also important that a portrait artist to look for subtle shades like yellow, purple, and orange that will make it look more catching to the eye.

The brushes are used differently; the thick brushes and the fine brushes are used to give and create very different shades and textures. It is therefore important for the paint artist to buy the right kind of brush that will help them create a painting portrait that resembles the subject and therefore have work that will be termed as great portrait art.

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Very many people own pets and would love to make their pet portraits; so here is an easy way to make them by use demonstration of a dog portrait.

Firstly, make a grid on a piece of transparent plastic paper using a permanent marker.

Start at the bottom of the page and use a ruler to make small marks along the page that are half inch apart. Repeat this process in the whole page; this will ensure that your pet portrait is proportional.

Draw an identical grid on your drawing surface. Use a pencil and make lines that are very faint that will be very easy to erase.

Making the pet portrait

Find a picture of your dog and place the picture under the grid; make sure that the portrait has lot of details like the one that shows the eyes well. This will give your dog portrait an edge and make it look real.

Determine the point where you will start making your drawing by measuring the distance from the dog’s first eye to the top page and then find the corresponding sport on the canvas.

Use the grid that you had earlier drawn and a ruler to measure the angle distances on your subjects. This is usually done on many pets portraits to measure steepness and lengths and its an important step in making sure it has better angles and looks more real.

Sketch the angles onto the canvas. When you are finished, you should have a rough outline of the animal in angles alone, including lines on the face to represent distances between facial features.

Sketching the dog portrait

Begin your outline by drawing the first eye, whose starting point you already measured. Keep your pencil marks fairly light, and pay attention to where lines in the picture cross grid lines, replicating them on your canvas.

Measure the distance from the first eye to the second eye in the picture, then start drawing the second eye in the corresponding grid on your canvas.

Draw an outline of the entire animal by measuring distances on the picture and then matching them up on your canvas. Draw the contents of one square at a time.

Erase your grid lines as you complete each section of the dog portrait. You may be able to blend some of the lines in with your sketch as you do the shading later.

Fill in the rest of the details after your rough outline is complete, including major hair patterns.

Go back and use your pencil to shade the appropriate areas. Use a blending tortillion to create a realistic transition from shaded to non-shaded areas.

Create the look of fur by blending the shaded areas using a blending tortillion or one of your erasers.

Having made the dog portrait, you will realize that making a pet portrait is not such a hard thing to do and you can actually create many mote pet portraits without much struggle.

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Charcoal drawing and ink drawing are some of the best and most unique ways to create black and white drawings. These materials are also very cheap and easy to find.

Despite the fact that there are many people who prefer color, many artists continue to make black and white drawings. Some of these artists do it because they prefer it but there are those who do it because it is a unique technique.

There is something captivating about charcoal drawing and ink drawing, most people say that they are more impressive than the colored or painted ones. This is because of their simplicity and the great detail that they give to texture.

When it comes to charcoal drawing and sketching, there is ease in availability and accessibility and it creates great black and white drawings. It’s also very easy to work with. Previously, the most used method was ink drawing, but over the years charcoal use has steadily grown. Charcoal drawing enhances visual presentation and is very stimulating. The most famous artists are known to use charcoal for their sketches.

Before using charcoal; however, it is important to first understand there are various types of charcoal to choose from. We have the drawing charcoal pencil that is simply a piece of charcoal that is tightly compressed together in a plastic or timber like material. This is used mainly by those artists who do not want to get their hands dirty.  The pencil is very easy to sharpen and when it comes to black and white drawings, it gives the finest details.

Another commonly used type of charcoal is the willow and vine. These two are usually unwrapped and they mostly produce shades of grey from pale to black and they are normally for everyday sketches. They easily smudge and they are very difficult to work with. The hard charcoal is strong and tough and is used to sketch extremely fine lines

On the other hand, ink drawing is used to create some of the best realistic and sharp drawings. The artist has control over the actual tone or shade; and manipulates the lines to their satisfaction. The first thing they do is to first make a sketch with a pencil before they can even use the ink.

There are different ways to shade using ink; an artist can use cross hatching for instance. This will be according to the type of background that will want to use. The shades will help identify the parts to totally blackout or the ones that will be partial to distracting effect.

The artist must be comfortable with the two methods i.e. either charcoal drawing or ink drawing. This will enable them to pinpoint which parts of the art work will require what and how he will go about achieving the desired look.

Both charcoal drawings and ink drawings are a great way to make black and white drawings ant it is important for the artist to know when to use one and not the other

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Drawing people is an art that has existed for many centuries. In many places, it has been done as portrait drawing where an artist just draws the face or the torso. Many artists, instead of drawing, prefer portrait painting.

Portrait painting and portrait drawing is a kind of drawing that is most popular in the world and has been used to draw people since time in memorial. What the artist hopes to depict is the visual appearance of the person whose portrait is to be made. Some basic rules have to be followed in drawing the portrait.

Painting will begin at the face and it is important to look carefully at the different parts of the face and establish how you are going to draw them proportionally. The nose, eyes, lips and other parts should not be compromised because they will help show how the whole of the portrait painting will look like.

The artist should never miss to mark the eyes differences in size and shape. The eyes in a portrait drawing are the first things that would draw the person observing it. So they should be marked carefully to avoid making conspicuous mistakes. Contrary to popular belief, the eyes are not of a similar shape; and therefore, drawing them you need to keep such things in mind; and once the eyes are properly drawn, then one can proceed to make the rest of the portrait painting.

Most artists who draw people say that to produce a good portrait, you will need regular practice; and to do this, you will need to carefully observe the people around you and the kind of clothes that they wear. But for the beginners, they will not start with such details; all they need to do first is to understand the general and overall form of the human body. This is the first thing to the making of great portrait drawing.

After this, keep in mind about the hand and fingers; as an artist you may think that is not important. But this can be the most difficult of tasks; however, this does not mean that it is impossible only a little practice is required.  For beginners, they can take a glove and use it as a model; and with time, it will become very easy but they should be careful not to exaggerate the size.

Placing some of the body parts wrongly is a common mistake that most artists do not recognize when they are using their own eyes to examine the painting. To avoid this,  it is important to ask another artist to have a look at the photo and tell them what they think. They should also try getting possible other tactics of drawing a great portrait from those that are greatly experienced. This will enable them to greatly improve their work and give them more experience too.

Once those few general rules are followed then drawing people and portrait drawing will be very easy and these also apply to portrait paintings

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One of the most preferred ways of making art by most artists is the use of art pencil. Most of the artists start off by pencil sketching, before they can go on to make the final pencil portrait.

Art pencil is the most enjoyable thing to do and a great way to capture images. The main advantage of them is that you can perform some complex shading and add some hard and soft lines. This is not easily done when one is using a pen.

Before you can even start to make your pencil portrait, it is most important that you first choose the subject or a landscape that you want to draw. Choosing a scene or subject that you love is the best thing to do because it will be easier and more enjoyable. Here is a demonstration of making a pencil portrait of a face portrait

Make sure that you use materials and in this case pencils that you can comfortably use.  The materials should also be easy to find and affordable. Good quality pencils will ensure that you also get good quality portraits. Then choose a good quality paper that is clean and easy to draw from.

Making a pencil portrait of a face

The first and most important step is pencil sketching. Draw an oval head and a neck with diagonal originating from the bottom of the head. Draw a cross shape inside the head that will act as a guide that will help you draw the eyes. Create a horizontal line for the nose and another one slightly underneath where the mouth will be drawn. Make note of the measurements by use of your thumb; this will help you to create a proportional picture, where there are mistakes, just correct using an eraser.

After making all the proportions of the face, then start working on the specifics. Notice all the parts you want to draw and then shade them. The mouth eyes, eyebrows, chin, nose, eyebrows all should be placed in a proportional manner.

Don’t worry about how the picture looks because it is not yet complete. This is jus half of what the whole pencil portrait will look like. Draw circles inside the oval that will represent the eyes. Inside the two circles, draw irises and shade them.  Draw parallel lines above the eyes to represent the eye brows and then add small curved lines to represent the eyebrows hairs.

Draw a mouth depending on whether you want that face to be smiling or not. Draw the lips by use of a large M shape; this will be to represent the upper lip and curved line below it to act as the lower lip.

Erase the guidelines and create pencil strokes and draw shadows under the cheek with light diagonal pencil strokes to make the portrait have some texture and your portrait will be done

You will realize that making pencil art is not that all hard especially if you make the right pencil sketching; you will create a very beautiful pencil portrait.

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