Pencil Drawings

All it takes to create one of these is a #2 pencil, colored pencils (if you wish), a 15”x20” Crescent board, and a child (or a picture of a child), and an eraser/smudger. That’s all.

Once you have all of those together, sit down on the sofa, watch television and start drawing. HINT: Start from upper left to lower right if you are right handed so as not to smear the lead.

MORE HINTS: Don’t draw in the car as road surfaces often create lines where you don’t want them. Draw in a public place and you get a lot of comments – if you aren’t feeling good about your drawing, stay home. If you really aren’t feeling good about your drawing, only work on it when no one else is home as there will be comments that you might not want to hear. Don’t ask for criticism. You will get it without inquiring.

OKAY, so you’ve got a blank board and a picture. Roughly sketch the image starting with the nose. Then the eyes. Next the chin and move on over to the ears. You should have two of those. Even if one is hidden by hair, you should have an idea of where it is on the board. I find that hair is the most difficult to draw, that’s why I like hats. Even braids are more structured than unrestrained hair. Don’t worry if one eye is larger than the other – that’s normal. If one cheek is larger than the other, there is a problem. Ears usually mirror each other so if you can draw one, you’ll succeed with the other.

The key is not to get discouraged. I drew my first pencil portrait when I was nineteen and have been drawing ever since. That first one is not as refined as the ones I draw now, but since it was a self-portrait, my mother still has it hanging on the wall. It is in the back bedroom (right next to the closet door) so I wonder if she stores it in the closet and only takes it out when I come to visit. Doesn’t matter, it’s the thought that counts.

If you remember, I suggested you watch television while you draw. It provides a sense of worth, that you are doing something important instead of just sitting- eliminating that sense of guilt. Even those dirty dishes in the kitchen sink are not as important as creating a lovely image of a beautiful child. ABOVE ALL: draw on a board, not on paper. No one takes you seriously if you don’t look professional. Don’t put your pencils in a plastic zip-lock bag – find a nice box with lots of compartments that looks classy. You deserve the best.

ADVANTAGES OF DRAWING: Creates self worth. Uses up all those pencils in the kitchen drawer. Provides an excuse for not doing all those things you should be doing. And one day, you’ll look at your finished piece and think: “hey, that’s not bad.”