Fearless Drawing

Hello Pencil

This book is all about discovering your own unique

drawing style—the dashes, scribbles, strokes, and

dots that you favor. To do this, I want to equip you

with a toolbox full of possible marks which you can

select from and apply at will. In time, your favored

marks and approaches will autograph your drawings

as uniquely yours.

This book has been designed for you to draw directly

into it, allowing you to keep all your drawings in one

place, and in time to serve as a record through the

chapters and the progress you have made. For this

first adventure the only thing you’ll need is a pencil.

Pencils vary in hardness from around 9B (very soft

leaving a thick, black stroke) up to 9H (very hard

leaving a thin, pale gray stroke), and everything in

between. At school you might have had an HB, the

standard pencil for writing, which is right in the

middle. But for drawing I recommend you start out

with a 2B as it’s flexible and can be manipulated to

create a wide range of effects. Remember to always

buy the very best art materials you can afford. Don’t

be distracted by the giant tins of cheap pencils—

invest in one really good 2B and a metal sharpener.

Please don’t just read through this chapter as you

won’t create a personal language of drawing through

theoretical study. Instead,

be brave,

take part,

try,

begin.

So here we are then, time to start.

Take a deep breath and grab yourself a pencil...

9

10 > Fearless Drawing

GRIP

To begin, we’re going to explore your pencil grip, requiring nothing more challenging

than writing your own name. Have a look at how you are naturally holding your pencil

and write your name below.

Name

Name (holding pencil high up)

Name (“wrong” hand)

Now try writing your name with your “wrong” hand, which is likely to look rather alien

compared to your usual handwriting—askew, uncontrolled, and unfamiliar.

Next, hold the pencil really high up, right at the top end and write your name again.

Note how this time you haven’t had as much control or applied as much pressure, so

you’ve now got a paler “wobbly” version of your name.

Hello Pencil > 11

Next let's look at the angle we apply the pencil to the page.

With a newly sharpened point, hold the pencil straight and vertical and write your name.

These are all techniques I regularly employ in my drawings. When my drawings start to

look a little hard and tight, I can find a more relaxed whimsical line by swapping hands,

adjusting the angle, or changing how high up I hold my pencil. We will go on to explore

lots of different marks, but remember the freedom and variation you can find just in

your pencil grip.

Name (pencil tip)

Name (side of point)

Again, laying the pencil horizontally, apply the side of the point to create a broad line

and write your name again.

12 > Fearless Drawing

PRESSURE AND SPEED

How hard you press your pencil against the paper will have a dramatic effect on the quality and atmosphere of line you create.

Awareness of pressure will allow you to manipulate your drawn lines however you choose to articulate the object you are drawing,

or to evoke a particular mood in your work.

Now for a lighter touch, again draw a horizontal line, but this

time apply the tiniest amount of pressure you can manage

and draw very slowly.

Let’s begin with a heavy pressure line. Press your pencil AS

HARD AS YOU CAN against the page and slowly draw one

long horizontal line.

Now repeat, but this time draw the line as fast as you can.

The faster line is probably not as straight as the slow one, and

may taper off at the end. You can actually see the speed taken

recorded in both lines. These heavy lines will look definite,

thick, dark, strong, solid, and confident.

Mine:

Mine:

Mine:

Yours:

Yours:

Yours: