Pencil Drawing Step-by-Step – Easy Figure Drawing for Beginners

8/11/2025

Pencil Drawing Step-by-Step – Easy Figure Drawing for Beginners

Pencil drawing is one of the most accessible art techniques, allowing you to create rich works with minimal materials. In this article, I'll walk you through my step-by-step process for depicting a hand braiding hair. All of the steps were done using only the economical drawing materials linked above.

Learn how to create a realistic pencil drawing step-by-step using affordable beginner-friendly materials. Follow along with a “Hands Braiding Hair” tutorial, from sketching and shading to adding details and textures.

1. Sketch the Outline

Use a soft pencil (HB or B) to lay out the overall composition.
Focus on large shapes and proportions before adding any details.
Keep the lines light so they can be easily adjusted with an eraser.

2. Block in the Shadows

With a 4B–6B pencil, fill in the darkest areas first.
Establishing contrast early will help the subject stand out later.
Dark backgrounds enhance the focus on your main subject.

3. Create Mass Tones

Use the side of your pencil to shade large shadow areas smoothly.
Blend with a blending stump, tissue, or cotton swab to create soft gradients.
This step helps define the general light and shadow structure of the hands and hair.

4. Add Details

Draw fine elements such as wrinkles, hair strands, and fingernails.
Use 2B–4B for mid-tones and 6B–8B for the deepest shadows.
Create highlights by lifting graphite with an eraser for a realistic, three-dimensional effect.

5. Work on Texture

For hair, layer long, continuous strokes to follow the natural flow.
For skin, use light, varied strokes to suggest subtle texture.
Separate the figure from the background by keeping a clear tonal contrast.

6. Final Touches

Review the entire drawing and adjust the balance of light and shadow.
Darken the background if needed to enhance focus.
Finish with a fixative spray to protect the artwork from smudging.

Materials Used

Pencil Set: HB, 2B, 4B, 6B, 8B
Erasers: Standard eraser + kneaded eraser
Blending Tools: Blending stump, tissue, cotton swab
Sketchbook: 160gsm or heavier paper
→ See detailed material recommendations

Cost-effective recommended materials for beginners in drawing

8/11/2025

Cost-effective recommended materials for beginners in drawing

When you first start drawing, it's often difficult to decide which materials to choose. Too expensive materials can be overwhelming, and too cheap ones can be of poor quality. Today, I'll introduce some beginner drawing materials that offer excellent value for money. I've personally used them and recommended them to my students, and they're all readily available on Amazon.

1. Faber-Castell Kneadable Eraser

A kneadable eraser is a must-have for pencil, charcoal, and pastel work. You can shape it with your hands to erase fine details without damaging the paper.

Pros: Soft, pliable, and excellent for precise corrections
Best for: Highlighting, gently lifting graphite/charcoal
View on Amazon

2. Pencil Eraser Set for Artists

Pencil-shaped erasers shine when it comes to detailed work. They allow you to erase small areas or work around lines that regular erasers can’t reach.

Pros: Easy to hold like a pencil, perfect for precision work
Best for: Eye highlights in portraits, refining fine lines
View on Amazon

3. Mr. Pen Drawing Brush & Kneaded Eraser Set

This kit includes kneaded erasers, a standard eraser, and a drawing brush — a great starter combo. The brush helps remove eraser crumbs without smudging your work.

Pros: Variety in one set, excellent value for the price
Best for: Beginner drawing kits, keeping artwork clean
View on Amazon

4. Blending Stumps & Tortillons

These tools help you blend pencil or charcoal shading smoothly. They keep your work clean by preventing oils from your fingers from transferring onto the paper.

Pros: Variety of sizes, can be sharpened with sandpaper for reuse
Best for: Soft shading, creating smooth gradients
View on Amazon

5. Faber-Castell Graphite Sketch Pencil Set

This set includes a range of grades from HB to 6B, ideal for everything from basic sketches to deep shading. Faber-Castell is trusted by both beginners and professionals.

Pros: Consistent lead quality, clean lines, and rich shading
Best for: Sketching, portrait drawing, still life studies
View on Amazon

6. 9" x 12" Drawing Paper (65 Sheets).

With a medium weight (100gsm) and smooth texture, this paper works well with pencils, charcoal, and colored pencils. The price makes it perfect for practice.

Pros: Smooth surface, versatile use
Best for: Practice sketches, study drawings
View on Amazon

Discover affordable yet high-quality drawing supplies perfect for beginners. From kneaded erasers to graphite pencils, these Amazon picks offer great value and performance.

Final Thoughts

When starting your drawing journey, it’s important to choose materials that are affordable enough to use often without hesitation. The products above strike the perfect balance between cost and quality, making them ideal for beginners.
Shopping on Amazon means quick delivery and the ability to compare multiple options — so pick the tools that fit your style and budget, and start creating today!

* Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you click on them and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I use and trust.

The making process of the perl on the shell

6/28/2024

The making process of the perl on the shell

Today, I would like to introduce the simple process of expressing pearls with watercolor. This method can be applied to quickly express pearls in less than 30 minutes.

First, paint the color that will be the base color of the pearl. When painting, you need to think about three dimensions and draw it as if you were drawing a globe.

Then, moisten them with water to help them spread.

It does blending. At this time, consider the surface of the sphere and make it three-dimensional.

Complete the background.

Below is the finished look.

How to make a simple acrylic portrait

3/9/2024

How to make a simple acrylic portrait

How to easily paint a human portrait with acrylic.
First, for three-dimensional expression of portraits, the shadows of the face are divided into four major types. Divide it into the brightest part (highlight), the middle part, the mid-dark part, and the very dark part. Then, assign a color to each part. Focus on brightness rather than saturation. And simply paint the darkest part first according to the intensity of darkness, showing the shadow of the face.

Below is the process of painting from dark to light. You can draw it in one go if you color it naturally without much difference in color, but first, I showed the difference in color to examine the process of filling the shadows of the picture depending on the brightness.

Next, we create a gradient between the color separation lines according to the difference in light to make it look natural.

In this way, you can easily complete a three-dimensional acrylic portrait.

For a complete understanding of 1,2,3 point perspective!

3/3/2024

1,2,3 point perspective

Learn the differences between 1-point, 2-point, and 3-point perspective with clear visual examples and tips. Essential for artists seeking depth and realism in drawing.

What is the difference between 2-point perspective and 3-point perspective?

It is the difference in angle of gaze of the observer looking at the object.

When most of us explain perspective, one point is easy to understand. This is because it is easy to think of a railroad track, a train track, or a one-way road in the forest.

And from 2 or 3 point perspective, confusion will arise. However, this can be easily distinguished by understanding the concepts below. That is, you draw a picture using two vanishing points and then check if there is one more vanishing point in the picture. As shown below, in the case of two-point perspective, you can see that it is drawn at a right angle without a vanishing point.

However, starting from point 3, another vanishing point appears as shown below. You usually get this angle when you look up at a building up close. When you look at a large building from below, you will notice that it appears to be getting closer to the sky, as if the tip of the building is reaching into the sky.

And the case where there is a third vanishing point below the eye level is easy to understand if you think of us as if we were flying over the city in a helicopter. When viewed from a helicopter, the building appears to be falling into the ground like a sharp nail. This is because there is another vanishing point acting below.