Basic pencil drawing

Pens and Inks, Continued Basic pencil drawing Preparing the pigment Assemble tools Special effects materials Brushes Develop a drawing by sketching the outlines of the image with a pencil in the H to 2B range. Determine tonal areas and highlights. Mask or protect areas that you do not want to paint. You may use masking tape, rubber cement, or a commercially prepared liquid frisket. The pigment you use may be lampblack, inks, or watercolor. The procedure is the same. Mix values using a large amount of water and a little pigment for lighter tones and little water and more pigment for dark tones. Prepare a sufficient amount of wash to complete an entire drawing. It is difficult to remix an exact duplicate of a specific value that you have used. Save the wash in small jars or a palette with a lid. A palette is a tray for holding and mixing paint. Assemble any additional tools you require before you begin painting. Once begun, you should not leave the wash until you finish it. Additional tools include containers of clean water, sponges, extra jars, clean rags, special effects materials, and brushes. Special effect materials are items that create an effect with water and pigment. For example, salt repels pigment leaving small white dots. Sponges absorb pigment and water leaving a mottled effect on the paper. You may also spray an enamel or lacquer into wet images for an interesting reaction. Experiment with different items to find out what effect appeals to you. Assemble the sable brushes you are most comfortable using. A No. 3 and No. 5 are common wash brushes. Have a few larger sizes for those large areas of paper. Keep the brushes clean by flushing them often with clean water. Continued on next page 1-39