The Complete Guide to Drawing for Beginners. Yoshiko Ogura
how they relate to each other.
Your drawings don’t have to be extravagant to be beautiful or interesting.
Drawing is simply a way to artfully capture a scene or subject, or even express
what’s in your mind’s eye. You can use your imagination to put unseen worlds
on paper using this valuable skill.
Every part of the act of drawing can be meaningful. For example, it’s thera-
peutic to pare back the wood of a dull pencil as you reveal a fresh, sharp point.
When I analyze an object I’m about to draw, I hold my breath for a brief few
seconds, so I can keep still. In that moment, I can feel my mind become clear
and calm. When drawing a long line, I move my shoulders as if
I’m working out. And when I’m controlling the intensity of a
line, it’s as if I’m playing an instrument.
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With your drawing skills, you can record the things
you’ve seen. The difference between drawing and
simply taking a picture is that you can determine a
given memory in a unique way. There are intangible
benefits you can receive from the object you have
studied and drawn in detail. Drawing is primarily a
black and white endeavor, but you can see the colors
in your mind while you are drawing.
Don’t lose confidence before even starting. There
isn’t anything that can’t be improved by practicing. It
would be a missed opportunity if we could somehow
accelerate the process of improvement. The strug-
gle of learning is part of the journey of realizing your
artistic skill. I hope this book helps you on your way to
becoming a drawing expert.
—Yoshiko Ogura
Gathering Your Tools
a. Pencils
Uni/Hi-Uni, Staedtler and Faber-Castell are the three
pencils I choose to use for drawing. Each has its own
quirks, and the feel of each differs slightly. Try using
different kinds of pencils to find which ones work best
for you.
Uni/Hi-Uni
The Uni pencil made by Mitsubishi, and thus it is a
product of Japan. The lead is on the softer side, and
the color is a brownish black. This type of pencil can
be good for drawing portraits and natural scenery. Hi-
Uni makes a bluish black mark, and the lead is on the
harder side. The leads of these pencils are dense, and
the barrel is made of a good quality wood.
Staedtler
Staedtler pencils are manufactured in Germany. This
type of pencil seems to be best suited for drawing archi-
tectural features or mechanical objects. The color given
by this pencil is a bluish black. The lead is harder than
the Uni pencils.
Faber-Castell
Another pencil from Germany, the lead is quite hard, so
it is suitable for someone who presses firmly when draw-
ing. It takes experience to use this pencil effectively.
The Darkness and Hardness of the Pencil
There are different levels
of hardness of pencils
from 10H–10B. 10H
has the lightest shade
of lead. You might
ask,“There are this many
shades of lead?!” The
world of drawing isn’t
just black and white.
There are many shades
and weights of lines to
express texture and color.
At first, you might feel
a little lost about which
to use, but for starters I
recommend 3H–4B. You
can widen your spectrum
of shades as you gain
experience.
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b. Kneaded Erasers and Plastic Erasers
A kneaded eraser is not a solid eraser, but resembles clay.
It doesn’t wear away and doesn’t leave behind eraser
residue. This is an important tool for drawing. There
are many brands of kneaded erasers, though the quality
doesn’t differ greatly. There’s soft, normal and hard
types. It is best to choose soft. Kneaded erasers will en-
able you to erase fine details. Plastic erasers have sharp
corners that you can use to make precise erasures.
c. Craft Knives
The blade is used to sharpen your pencils.
Keep the blade in sharp condition so that
the lead and wood can be safely and
effectively sharpened.
d. Drawing Board
A drawing board provides a rigid back-
ing for your paper, and keeps it in place.
It makes for a convenient way to carry
your drawings around. Some people
use wood panels or clipboards.
e. Drawing Paper
Select paper that has some heft and has a slight rough-
ness (or “tooth”) to its surface. Avoid using paper with
a heavily textured surface, like that used for watercol-
or—the pencil will snag in the bumpy parts as you draw.
On the other hand, if you use a glossy surface such as
vellum, the lines may smudge. That being said, once you
become accustomed to drawing on a smoother surface,
you will be able to manage the smudging issue.
f. Binder Clip/Push Pin
The clips are for holding papers to the drawing board,
and keeping the paper in place. A big solid clip can be
versatile and come in handy for many things. A push
pin could also do the trick, if you don’t mind leaving
holes in the paper.
g. Fixative Spray
This transparent spray lightly coats your drawings and keeps
them from smudging and cleanly preserve your works. It is
discouraging to see your hard work