How to Draw with Charcoal Pencils

I find that drawing with a charcoal pencil is very fun and extremely easy. You might be a little intimidated at first, but once you get your feet wet, so to say, you will be on your way to drawing your very first portrait. Creating a detailed portrait will leave you feeling proud and accomplished. They truly are a beautiful form of art.

1. Choose What You Will Draw

First things first! You need to decide what you will be drawing. You can draw anything you want from a tree outside your window to a living being. You might want to start with something small at first and then advance to bigger objects after you have created your first drawing.

2. Blending

Next, you need to decide what you will use to blend the pencil with. You can use your finger, felt, a tissue or other blending tools that you can purchase. If you are going to use your finger, keep a cloth handy in case your finger tip becomes oily or you need to keep it clean to avoid smudges.

3. Does it Need a Background?

Is your background going to remain white? Or do you need to draw it in?

4. Basic Outline of Object

Once you have the basic idea down, you can begin to draw the basic outline of your drawing. Sketch lightly as you can bold lines later on. Take your time if you are a beginner.

5. Blend As Needed

There are many areas that might need to be blended to make everything look more realistic. What needs to be blended depends on what you are drawing. Are there shadows? Do you need certain features to stand out?

6. Finishing Touches

Now that you are finished, look over your work and make small touch-ups that are needed.

Drawing with charcoal pencils is very easy once you get the hang of it. After you finish the first one you will be eager to move on to another one. Each one you produce will get better and better as you progress.