MATERIALS
• 2H HB 2B 4B lead pencils
• Paper
• Kneadable eraser
• Eraser
• Blending stump
• Tissue
• Ruler
• Divider
• Sharpener
STEP ONE
Firstly, I softly rule up a grid and outline the features, then remove grid lines and use a divider to check measurements and a ruler to check angles against the reference photo. Then start with the eyes first using a hard lead, I use a 2H, I want to make sure I capture the right look as they say the eyes are the door to your soul, then when I’m satisfied with how they look, I’ll start going over them in a softer lead, a HB or 2B.
STEP TWO
Next I shape the nose with some light shading as well as the face, gradually building up tone, to help the gradation I use a tissue to blend in the skin tone and then I’ll also work on the hair by putting in stokes with a HB pencil. I’m constantly referring to my photograph and always taking breaks, even spending days to complete a drawing.
STEP THREE
I go over the hair again with a darker pencil and do lots of flicking strokes in the direction of the hair and press firmer where there are darker patches in the photograph. Then shade in all the hair and go over the darker areas again, then using a thin slice off your eraser or a kneadable eraser, go over the hair where there are highlights and put in some thin flicking strokes, not too many.
STEP FOUR
Keep going over the hair with those same techniques until you’re happy with the depth. I’m always looking back over what I have done so far and might add more tone or correct anything I think needs changing. I’ll work on the lips by looking at the photograph and seeing where the darker areas are and where the highlights are; there might also be some crease line that need to be lightly shaded as well.
STEPS FIVE AND SIX
Using the same techniques as the first person, I do the second starting with the eyes. The iris is always darker around the outside rim and usually there are highlights from a light source that give the eye a wet look.
STEP SEVEN
The shading is slowly built up over the face and the nose. I always work from left to right because I am right handed and try to minimize the amount of time my hand rests over the drawing, but I use a clean sheet of paper to rest my hand on.
FINAL STEP
I finish off the face and shade in the clothes, making it darker where there is less light. When I’ve completed my drawing, I go back over it a few times with fresh eyes and do some touchups where I think it is needed.
