So, today is the big day. Decided to share all my secret weapons when drawing with graphite! Not that it is a secret formula, by the end of the post you might feel disappointed guys.
Anyways, below is shown my recent drawing and ALL the tools I used to create it.
Starting from the left and going clockwise we have: graphite pencils, a makeup (??!) brush, two pencil erasers, a putty eraser, a sharpener and a tissue.
Graphite Pencils
I am notorious for my “laziness”, I’m possibly one of the laziest persons out there! I normally try to finish something with the least possible effort. So, when it comes to drawing, I rarely use more than 3 different pencils. I prefer adjusting the pressure than changing pencils all the time.
Brushes (eyeshadow brush)
In the past, I couldn’t leave the house without wearing makeup and I had gathered quite a supply of makeup products. However, it’s been about 3 years that I haven’t worn any trace of make up – having two babies, I can barely brush my teeth let alone wear lipstick. So I am looking for alternative ways to make use of my makeup collection!
Many artists out there use cotton buds to blend small areas of graphite. Found out that eyeshadow brushes work as well. Added bonus: You don’t have to use a pile of cotton buds, one brush suffices.
Erasers
Can’t do without them, I think no one can. I normally use a tombow mono zero pencil eraser (the sharpest eraser out there) for super small details, as to create stray hairs, the shine on the eyes etc, and a normal eraser (here also a pencil eraser but wider) for everything else.
Putty Eraser
Another indispensable tool, this soft eraser can be shaped however you like and can be used for almost everything: clean up areas, pick up excess graphite, “soften” heavily shaded areas, erase small details and generally used as a normal eraser as long as you don’t need heavy duty erasing. Oh, and shaping it can help with your nerves!
Sharpener
No need to explain here. 🙂
Tissues
Just like cotton buds (or makeup brushes) I use plain paper tissues to blend large areas of the drawing. And they have multiple uses, especially if you have a cold.
So, now you know my secrets guys! You don’t necessarily need a huge collection of expensive supplies to create great art. Less is more. Keep drawing!
