I've had a wonderful drawing journey since then. I've written drawing lessons, written a book about drawing, and have drawn all kinds of subjects.I've updated this page by adding some illustrations and by pointing to other how to draw articles I've written.

This piece was written from my heart and I hope it finds a place in yours and encourages you to pick up a pencil and learn how to draw.

All you really need to get started drawing is paper, pencil and eraser but here are a few other tools that I find useful.

Starter List (the minimum tools you'll need to get started)

• A range of graphite from very soft to very hard
• A sharpener
• Paper with a smooth surface
• Eraser assortment (gum, kneaded, plastic, etc.)
• A good light to work under

Extra Tools

• Graphite leads 6B through 9H
• Ebony Pencil (Ebony is the brand name of a very soft dark pencil.)
• Electric eraser (A small battery powered eraser is worth the investment!)
• Lap tray (or other comfortable working area)
• Index cards for making masks

I love working in shades of gray. They're very quiet and soothing to look at. They seem cool and unhurried. To me, the light and shadow of the gray scale are the underpinnings beneath the real world. This is the layer of reality, underneath the bright hurried world we usually see, where there is room enough and time enough for fairies to exist.

I like to say that drawing with graphite feels like sculpting with light and shadow and in many ways it is.

My technique could be summed up by saying that I draw values (light and shadow) correctly and I draw them smoothly. I draw the values by carefully comparing the drawing to my subject as I work. I draw smoothly by manipulating the graphite in ways that fill in the grain of the paper over the entire surface of the drawing and not just in the areas that I would normally "blend" to create a graduation. When you lay down a layer of graphite with a pencil, it sticks on the high places of the grain and skips over the low spots. I use various techniques to fill in all the little parts of the paper that are missed and the result is a look that appears like the graphite has been applied in gentle washes rather than put on roughly with a dull pencil. With my smoothing techniques I create a surface so smooth that the eye of the viewer never gets caught on a rough spot. When I work with value in this smooth way, it feels as though I'm creating a three dimensional environment right in the surface of the paper.

Smoothing the Graphite

This tulip was drawn without smoothing the graphite in any way.	This tulip was drawn using various techniques to smooth the graphite.

As you can see from the tulip drawings above, when you take the time to smooth the graphite you have applied with a pencil you can create very subtle modeling and fine detail. There are two basic ways to create a very smoothly finished graphite surface. One is to use a brush or some other tool to manipulate the graphite. Another way is to add graphite to the light areas with a sharp pencil tip and to carefully lighten the dark areas with an eraser. (I explain how to do this in more detail in my "Draw a Smoothie" tool technique lesson.)

Using Value Scales to Draw Values Correctly
No matter what you are drawing, drawing it well is always a matter of recreating the values you see correctly. To help you learn to see and create value, its a good idea to make a value scale on the same paper you'll be drawing on. Try to use a full range of pencil grades to make the values so that you'll get a feel for what sort of value each grade can create easily. One end should be left untouched and the rest of the scale should graduate into the deepest black you can make with your softest pencil without crushing the grain of the paper.

Example of a Graduated Value Scale

To use your scale, hold it in front of your subject. Find the value you want to draw on the scale and then hold it near your drawing so you can compare it to the value you are creating there. It can be very hard to "see" the value of some colors. If you have that problem, try holding the value scale in front of your subject and squinting your eyes until you can pick out what value that area of color is.

Even after drawing all these years, I still use a scale to help me see value sometimes. Needless to say, seeing and drawing the values correctly from the beginning of your piece can save you hours of work later on!

Making and Using Masks
If you're working from a photograph, you can make masks that will help you see value and draw it correctly. Here are some instructions for making and using masks:

1. Make a good sized square hole (1" to 2" sq.) in a sheet of white paper or an index card. This mask will be for use on a 3x5" or 4x5" photo.
2. Make another square hole in another sheet of the same paper in proportion to the size of the drawing you'll be making.
3. Use paper clips or low tack tape to hold the masks on your photo and drawing paper. I have instructions for making a magnetic drawing board that works very well for holding the masks in place.

By surrounding both areas with white, you'll be able to see the values and draw them better. Besides helping you to see and create the correct values, masks will help keep your drawing in proportion as you work. Sometimes, it's only necessary to use masks for the focus point or most detailed part of the drawing.