MATERIALS
• Canson A3 drawing paper – 220 GSM
• No. 2 and No. 6 paper tortillons
• Staedtler Mars Lumiograph Pencils – 2B, 4B and HB
• 2B Mechanical Pencil
• Soft white eraser
• White eraser pencil
• Tissues
• Tracing paper (for resting the drawing hand on)
STEP ONE
I begin by printing the original photo on an A4 piece of paper in grayscale, and drawing a 1cm grid on the printout. I then draw a 1cm grid on the A3 drawing paper using a 2B mechanical pencil, using a light touch as these lines will be erased as I progress through the drawing, Using the same pencil, I lightly draw in the outlines of the body and dark areas from the grayscale picture onto the grid.
STEP TWO
I always begin any drawing by completing the eyes and nose. It is important to draw these correctly so it does not throw out the proportions or character of the face – so I do them first to make sure they are correct before going any further with the sketch (see hints and tips). Using a sharp 2B pencil, I sketch in the light areas of the eyes first, building up layers of pencil on the darker areas like the iris and outline of the eye. I then use the No.2 tortillon to smooth and blend the different shades in the eyes. The nose is drawn using light circular strokes to represent the shininess of the cat’s nose, building up the layers for the darker sections and smoothing gently with the tortillon.
STEP THREE
After erasing the gridlines in the area I’m working in, and using the piece of tracing paper under my drawing hand to prevent smudging, I use a sharp 2B pencil to draw a light layer of hair above the eyes, using light, flicking strokes in the upward direction of the hair growth. I then use the tortillon to smooth the layer as a base for future layers. Moving on to the ears, I layer more and more hair, again in the growth direction, to create the darker areas. I repeat the process, using the tortillon to smooth each layer and then drawing another layer of hair over that layer.
STEP FOUR
I start to draw in the darker areas of the fur using the 2B pencil, laying in more strokes closer together. I shorten the strokes as the hair gets closer to the eyes and nose and on top of the head, always smoothing each layer lightly with the tortillon in the direction of the strokes.
STEP FIVE
I continue to layer the hair, always in the direction of the hair growth, using longer strokes the further away from the face. Cats have very short hair on their noses, so I use a very sharp 2B pencil and very fine, short strokes to represent the hair in that area.
STEP SIX
The face is just about complete at this stage. I take a pencil eraser and sharpen it to a point with a Stanley knife and use it to draw light strokes in the areas where the hair is lightest to lift out some of the graphite. I prepare the base area for the body by laying down light, even strokes with the 2B pencil in the general direction of the hair growth, then smoothing it with a large No. 6 tortillon in the same direction as the strokes.
STEP SEVEN
Using the 2B and 4B pencils, I do several layers of long, sweeping strokes to represent the longer hair on Oscar’s shoulders, smoothing with the tortillon between layering, always noting the direction the hair falls, and darkening the areas of the fur in shadow to create dimension. I use the 2B pencil to draw in the negative space between the hairs where the shoulder hair falls on to the body.
FINAL STEP
The completed drawing. To keep the focus on the subject, I’ve drawn in a simplified background with a soft 4B pencil and smudged with a tissue, and drawn the desk Oscar is laying on to give the picture more dimension and so he doesn’t look like he is floating in space. Using a sharp 2B pencil, I draw in his longer whiskers with long, quick, sweeping strokes. The sharpened pencil eraser is used in the same manner for the white whiskers over his eyes. An HB pencil was used to lay down light strokes and smudged with a tortillon for the shadow cast on the left side of the body.
ARTIST’S HINTS AND TIPS
• As I like to make my drawings as close to the original as possible and aim for realism, I use the grid method on all of my drawings. It assists with ensuring all aspects of the picture are in proportion relative to each other. It is important that features such as the eyes and nose are drawn in the right position and correct size, as if they are even a few millimetres out compared to the original photo, it can completely change the expression and character of the pet or person.
• Always use a clean tissue or dusting brush, rather than your hand, to wipe away any eraser remnants, to avoid transferring any oils or dirt from your hands to the paper which can affect the ability to blend your pencil marks.
• When drawing pet hair, a good technique to make it look more realistic and dimensional is to use a pencil eraser to “draw” the lighter hair or lift out lighter areas of the pet’s coat. It makes the pencil strokes already laid down look like the negative space around the hair, rather than the hair itself, and is useful for drawing light whiskers on cats and dogs. If you don’t have a pencil eraser, you can use a regular white eraser by cutting a sharp corner into it with a Stanley knife or scalpel.
• Drawing pet hair can be a lengthy process, and requires a bit of patience – you can never draw too much hair! If you don’t lay down enough strokes and rush things, it can make the drawing look unfinished and unrealistic. Take your time and give yourself some breaks between sessions to come back and look at your work with a fresh eye.
• If you are finding it difficult to get the shape of the eyes or nose of an animal correct, turn your original picture upside down. Looking at something a different way can help with the mental block you can get when you keep looking at something familiar and try to draw what your brain “thinks” you see.
• It may sound obvious, but buy the best quality materials you can afford. A high quality paper really does make a difference. I recently purchased some Stonehenge 250gsm white paper and found it to take several layers of pencil, making blending easier and producing a beautiful, smooth finish.
• Practice, practice, practice! Draw pictures for yourself, no one has to see them and you will feel more relaxed about your work. Read books on the type of drawing you like to do.
