masterclass
1
BE PREPARED The first step is all about preparation and more preparation!
It may sound obvious but this has to be the most important
first step in any drawing or painting process. Having the right tools and materials is vital. For drawings, the surface under the paper that you are using needs to be smooth, clean and free from any dust or small debris, otherwise the drawing paper fast becomes damaged, especially if anything is left under the paper as you draw over it.
2
SKETCH AN OUTLINE I always start out by sketching in a rough outline from my
reference – in this case, the drawing was based upon one of
my photos of a rescued Moon Bear from my trip to China. I usually use a 2H pencil for this stage as it remains light enough to rub out should you need to adjust the sketch and yet visible enough to see throughout the remainder of the drawing process.
3
AVOID SMUDGING Once I’m happy with the composition and positioning of the
sketch, the drawing can begin. It’s sometimes daunting
staring at a large piece of blank paper but the challenge and outcome is always enjoyable. Because pencil is so easily smudged, as a right-handed artist I always work from left to right as not to lean on or over any finished part of the drawing. It is also extremely important to have a piece of clean paper to lean on.
4
FIND A FOCUS At this stage, I am working into one of my focus points of
this drawing, which I always believe should be the eyes –
especially in animal portraits. Always keeping a white reflection within the eye will keep it looking wet and alive. It’s amazing how much an eye will reflect its surroundings, a bit like a mirror at times, so you can often be very creative in the drawing of eyes, although I’m a bit restricted here as it’s a rather small eye on this particular drawing. The Pentel 0.7mm technical pencil is perfect for the small delicate areas around the eye.
> Artists & Illustrators 59
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