Pencil Sketchings - A Great Hobby That Anyone Can Do

Pencil sketchings are truly a work of art when you see them. So many people give up on this wonderful hobby without giving it a chance. That really is a shame!

Ancient cave men and women used to draw basic figures on the side of a wall. Can you imagine how much easier it would have been for them to use a pencil and paper? There really is something to be said for progress after all!

A lot of people have some spare time and basic artistic talents and skills. The good news is that it doesn't cost an "arm and a leg" to get started with this medium. The pre-requisites are basically the desire and determination to stick with it. You may get a little discouraged at first but hang in there!

The only thing you really need to get started is a number two pencil, paper and erasers. Forget all the fancy stuff for the time being! You can add those things to your tool box as you get better at it.

A mechanical pencil is a wonderful investment that comes in handy. Your shading will be so much better with one. The details of your portrait will also come out much cleaner and crisper.

Pencil sketchings can be a little frustrating for beginners and rightly so. After all, you are trying something entirely new. But, what new adventure isn't filled with a few setbacks along the way?

Some of the problems you may experience at first are difficulty with shading, proportions and centering your portrait on the page correctly. It's not uncommon to have trouble drawing the nose, mouth and lips of your subject. A good tutorial or some kind of lessons will really help you in this area.

You will end up using an eraser a lot particularly when you first start out. A stiffer paper really comes in handy. An excellent brand is Bristol 2ply heavyweight board. You can find it in any art supply store.

Another great advantage with this medium is that you can concentrate on the basics. There is no need to worry about colors and backgrounds. Attach a black and white photo to your easel or next to your paper. You'll find that it makes things so much easier.

Step by step pencil drawing takes a lot of skills that you will need to develop over time. Hang in there and keep practicing. Your portraits will become more life like as you get better!