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Drawing Methods

In this section, we will learn two drawing methods: the Golden Plus technique and the Grid technique.

1. Golden Plus Technique with 3 photos

The Golden Plus technique is especially suitable for beginners and for drawing objects that require symmetry. It focuses on keeping both sides of an object balanced and proportional, making it easier to create accurate and well-structured drawings.

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2. Grid Technique with 3 photos

The Grid Technique is my favorite drawing method because it is simple, accurate, and can be used for almost anything you want to draw. It is especially useful for portraits and realistic artworks because it helps you place details in the correct position and maintain accurate proportions.

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3.Pencil and Charcoal Shading: Giving Soul to Your Artwork photos of all tools

After practicing different objects using the Golden Plus and Grid techniques, it is time to learn shading. In my opinion, shading is what gives life and soul to a drawing. Without shading, a drawing may look flat, but with proper shading, it gains depth, realism, and emotion.

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1. Golden Plus Technique with 3 photos

Materials Needed

Before you begin, you will need:

A ruler
A sharp pencil (drawing is usually more accurate and enjoyable with a sharp pencil)
An eraser
A sheet of paper, sketchbook, or art notebook

Some artists prefer mechanical pencils, while others prefer traditional wooden pencils. It really depends on personal preference.

Preparing the Grid

For practice, you can find many reference images on Pinterest. Good objects for beginners include:

Glasses
Vases
Bottles
Cups
Decorative containers

These objects can help improve your drawing skills because they are often based on simple geometric shapes such as circles, rectangles, and squares. Many art teachers ask their students to draw cubes from different angles because it helps them become familiar with geometric forms and perspective. The Golden Plus technique can also be used for these exercises.

Step 1: Creating the Guidelines

Using your ruler, draw a vertical line down the center of your paper.

Next, draw a horizontal line across the center of the first line.

You should now have four sections on your page: two at the top and two at the bottom. These sections will help you keep your drawing balanced and symmetrical.

Step 2: Observing Your Subject

Choose the object you want to draw and place it in front of you. You can also use a photograph on a laptop, tablet, or mobile phone. You can even you can print it.

Personally, I prefer using a laptop or tablet because the details are easier to see.

From this point on, observation is very important. Pay close attention to the details of your object and try not to take your eyes away from it for long periods. The more carefully you observe, the more accurate your drawing will become.

Step 3: Sketching Lightly

Begin drawing with light pencil strokes. Do not press too hard on the paper. Light lines are easier to erase and correct if you make a mistake.

Focus on the overall shape first, then gradually add smaller details. Remember that drawing is a process, and mistakes are part of learning.

Step 4: Practice and Improvement

As you continue practicing, you will become more comfortable with proportions, symmetry, and observation. Don't worry if your first drawings are not perfect. Every artist improves through practice.

Remember: practice makes perfect.

Getting Feedback

After you finish your drawing, you can ask an art teacher, a friend, or even AI tools such as ChatGPT to give you feedback. AI can help identify mistakes, suggest improvements, and provide guidance when a teacher is not available.

The most important thing is to keep practicing and enjoy the learning process.

2. Grid Technique with 3 photos

Materials Needed

Before you begin, you will need:

A ruler
A sharp pencil (drawing is usually more accurate and enjoyable with a sharp pencil)
An eraser
A sheet of paper, sketchbook, or art notebook

Some artists prefer mechanical pencils, while others prefer traditional wooden pencils. It really depends on personal preference.

Preparing the Grid

Unlike the Golden Plus technique, the Grid Technique requires careful attention to measurements.

First, choose the image you want to draw and decide what size paper you will use. For example, if you are drawing on A4 paper, your grid should match the proportions of both the paper and the reference image.

There are many grid apps available for both iOS and Android. These apps allow you to upload your reference image and enter your paper size. The app then automatically creates a grid over the image, making the drawing process much easier.

Choosing the Grid Size

Grid squares are usually 4 cm or 5 cm wide. However, if you want a highly accurate drawing, especially for realistic portraits, I recommend using 2 cm squares.

Smaller squares allow you to capture more details, but they can also be more challenging and time-consuming. Drawing many small squares requires patience, and even a slight mistake when using the ruler can affect the accuracy of the entire grid.

Drawing with the Grid

Once your grid is ready, focus on one square at a time.

Each square contains a small part of the image. Instead of trying to draw the entire picture at once, carefully copy the shapes and lines you see inside each square. This makes complex drawings much easier to manage.

To avoid confusion, you can label the rows and columns with numbers and letters. This helps you quickly locate the correct square and prevents you from getting lost while drawing.

Working on Large Artworks

For larger artworks, such as drawings on A2 paper, I recommend keeping the grid lines until you have finished transferring the drawing.

Instead of erasing the grid immediately, you can transfer your sketch to a clean sheet of paper using a simple graphite transfer method.

Transferring Your Drawing to a Clean Sheet

After completing your grid drawing, turn the paper over and use a soft pencil to completely shade the back of the drawing.

Next, place the drawing on top of a clean sheet of paper.

Using a sharp pencil, carefully trace over the lines of your drawing again. As you trace, the graphite on the back of the paper will transfer onto the clean sheet underneath.

This method allows you to create a clean copy of your drawing on a new page without the visible grid lines. Once the transfer is complete, you can begin shading and adding details to your final artwork.

Final Thoughts

The Grid Technique is one of the best methods for beginners who want to improve accuracy and learn realistic drawing. It teaches observation, proportion, and patience while making difficult subjects feel much more manageable.

Although it can sometimes be time-consuming, especially when using small grid squares, the results are often worth the effort. With practice, this technique can help you create highly detailed and realistic artworks.

A Note for Beginners

Some artists choose to print the reference image they want to draw and transfer it directly onto their paper. This can save a lot of time, especially when working on large commissions, detailed portraits, or professional projects with strict deadlines.

However, I do not recommend this approach for beginners. When you are learning to draw, it is important to practice observation, proportions, and hand-eye coordination. These skills can only be developed through drawing and making mistakes along the way.

Personally, I enjoy the drawing process itself, so I usually prefer to draw using the grid technique rather than simply transferring an image.

That being said, if you become a professional artist in the future and need to complete many commissions or highly detailed portraits, printing and transferring an image can be a useful and time-saving method. Professional artists often use different techniques to work more efficiently while still producing high-quality artwork.

As a beginner, focus on learning and practicing. As an experienced artist, focus on choosing the methods that best fit your goals and projects.

3.Pencil and Charcoal Shading: Giving Soul to Your Artwork photos of all tools

Before we begin, let's talk about the tools and materials we need.

Erasers

Different erasers have different purposes:

Brush eraser Eraser pen
Electric eraser
Mechanical erasers (large and small sizes)/ Eraser pen
Kneaded eraser

The small mechanical eraser is excellent for creating fine details such as hair strands, animal fur, small highlights, and tiny light reflections.

The larger mechanical eraser serves the same purpose but for bigger areas.

The kneaded eraser is one of the most useful tools for artists. It can be shaped into different forms, used to lift graphite gently, create soft highlights, and even correct mistakes without damaging the paper.

The electric eraser is battery-powered and is perfect for creating strong highlights, especially in areas such as the eyes. If it becomes weak, simply replace the batteries.

Brushes

Soft and stiff charcoal brushes are available in various sizes.

The most commonly used sizes are:

Size 0
Size 2
Size 4
Size 8

Interestingly, soft makeup brushes can also be used as shading brushes.

Stiff brushes are useful for textures such as animal fur, hair, and rough surfaces where visible brush marks can enhance realism.

Soft brushes are ideal for skin, fabric, and smooth surfaces where visible brush strokes should not appear.

Cutting and Preparation Tools

You will also need:

Craft knife (cutter)
Sandpaper
Scissors
Masking tape
Pencil sharpener

The craft knife can be used for sharpening pencils, charcoal pencils, and erasers.

Sandpaper is especially useful for shaping erasers and producing graphite or charcoal powder.

Masking tape helps create clean borders around your artwork and gives the final drawing a professional appearance.

Drawing Materials

Some of the drawing materials I commonly use include:

Graphite pencils (B grades such as 2B, 4B, 6B, 8B)
Graphite sticks
Charcoal pencils
Conte pencils (black and white)
Pitt graphite pencils
Pitt charcoal pencils
Lumograph pencils (especially 8B)

Personally, I recommend using products from Faber-Castell whenever possible because they offer excellent quality for drawing and shading.

For very dark areas, I often use charcoal pencils, Conte pencils, and Pitt charcoal pencils.

For details such as eyebrows, eyelashes, and hair, I frequently use Lumograph pencils.

Charcoal and conte powders

Charcoal powder and Conte powder are excellent for large shaded areas.

Conte powder produces very deep and strong dark values, which is one reason I enjoy using it.

Graphite powder is especially beautiful for drawing skin because it creates smooth and natural transitions. My art teacher often uses graphite powder when drawing portraits.

Some compressed charcoal sticks can be turned into powder using sandpaper or a craft knife.

White charcoal and white Conte pencils can be used to create highlights, although I personally prefer using erasers because the results often look more natural.

Paper

I usually recommend 220 gsm Fabriano paper.

The size depends on your project.

Always pay attention to the front and back sides of the paper. The smoother side is generally better for realistic drawing.

Make sure your drawing surface is smooth and free of strong textures. Very rough paper can make shading more difficult and may affect the final quality of your artwork.

Some papers, such as Steinbach paper, have a slightly rough texture that some artists enjoy for charcoal work.

Additional Tools

Blending stumps (tortillons)
White gel pen
Drawing glove
Drawing board (appropriate for the size of your artwork)
Fixative spray

Blending Stumps (Tortillons)

Blending stumps, also known as tortillons, are tightly rolled paper tools used to blend graphite and charcoal. They are especially useful for creating smooth transitions, soft shadows, and small details.

Personally, I prefer using brushes for most of my blending because they create smoother and more natural-looking results, especially for skin and large shaded areas. However, blending stumps are excellent for blending small areas and adding fine details. I often use them for freckles, dark spots, small cracks on statues, wrinkles, or any delicate textures that require more precision than a brush can provide.

Drawing Glove

A drawing glove helps prevent smudging when your hand rests on shaded areas.

If you do not have one, you can simply place a clean sheet of paper under your hand while working.

Drawing Board

A drawing board provides a firm, stable surface for your paper while you work. Choose a drawing board that matches the size of your artwork to keep your paper flat and make drawing more comfortable.

White Gel Pen

A white gel pen is useful for adding tiny highlights at the end of your drawing, such as reflections in the eyes, shiny jewelry, or other bright details. Use it sparingly to keep your artwork looking natural.

Fixative Spray

A fixative spray is applied after you finish your drawing. It helps protect graphite and charcoal from smudging and preserves your artwork over time. Hold the can about 25–30 cm (10–12 inches) away from the drawing and apply several light coats instead of one heavy coat. Always use fixative in a well-ventilated area and allow the artwork to dry completely before handling it.

Important Shading Tips

Do not press your brush or pencil too hard. Light pressure creates smoother and cleaner shading.
For skin and large soft areas, use circular motions.
When blending, move from darker areas toward lighter areas to avoid stains and uneven shading.
Always keep your work surface clean and try not to touch heavily shaded areas with your bare hand.

Pencil Shading Techniques with 6 photos and their summeries

Now, when it comes to basic pencil shading for simple drawings, sketching, and line-based shading, the pencil, eraser, and blending stump are the most important tools.

One of the most common methods is shading with a sharp pencil using straight strokes. You can start by drawing vertical lines, then horizontal lines to build an even tone. This helps create a controlled and structured shading surface.

However, there are several other important pencil shading techniques:

1. Hatching

Parallel lines drawn in the same direction. The closer the lines are, the darker the tone becomes.

2. Cross-Hatching

Layers of intersecting lines (usually at different angles). This technique is useful for creating deeper shadows and strong contrast.

3. Circular (or Smooth) Shading

Small circular motions with the pencil. This is one of the best techniques for realistic skin shading because it creates smooth transitions.

4. Gradient Shading

Gradually changing pressure from dark to light. This technique is very important for realistic lighting effects.

5. Contour Shading

Shading that follows the shape of the object. For example, curved strokes for a round object like a sphere or glass.

6. Blending Technique

Using a blending stump or tissue to soften pencil strokes and create smooth transitions between tones.

Important Note

In all shading methods, the pencil, eraser, and blending stump play the most important role. A sharp pencil helps maintain detail, while erasers can also be used creatively to bring back light and highlights.