Drawing a Portrait with Graphite Pencils

Hi everyone, in this video I'm drawing a portrait with graphite pencils. And before we start, I want to let you know that the narrated real-time video with the sketch and reference photo are available on my Patreon. If you want to learn with me, click on the link in the description box or go to patreon.com slash emmikalia. Everything I'm using is listed under the video as well. So when I draw with graphite pencils, I always use the 4B, 6B, 8B and for the darkest parts I use a black pencil. When I start drawing a portrait, I always start with the eyes. These are the most important of the drawing and I always make sure that they are right before I move on to the next part of the portrait. I start with the 4B and with light pressure I build up the layers. I always shade with light pressure because you want to be able to add more layers to darken or correct with your eraser if you need to. If you shade with hard pressure right away, you won't be able to add any more layers on top. So take your time and start by building up the layers with the 4B, then the 6B, then the 8B and for the darkest shadows and details the black colored pencil. After every layer of graphite I smudge this with the blending stump for a smoother effect. If I went too dark somewhere, I just use the kneaded eraser and gently pull up some of the graphite. That's why it's so important to shade using light pressure. I also create highlights using the pencil eraser. And after that I use the soft tissue to get rid of any hard edges and smooth everything out. Looking at your reference photo you want to recreate the same different values. So make sure you have mid values and very dark values as well as the lightest values, the highlights. That is what will make your drawing look round and realistic. Because the graphite isn't dark enough I use the black pencil for the darkest value and that really makes a difference. Just make sure you don't go too dark right away. That should be the last step. Once I'm satisfied with the eyes I move on to the nose and the mouth using the same technique. Building up the layers gradually. Teeth can be difficult to draw and are never perfectly white, so you need to shade a bit over them too. And don't forget to create the highlights for a more realistic look. When I draw hair I try to draw hair in small sections. Don't try to draw each individual strand of hair, that won't work. You will also have medium tones, dark and light tones. That will make your hair look 3D and realistic. I start with the medium tones and build up the layers. Then I use the pencil eraser to create the highlights and some flyaway hairs. Always follow the direction of the hair. So look at your reference photo to see where the shadows are, where the highlights are. Drawing hair also takes a lot of time, so try to enjoy yourself while drawing and try not to rush. If you are a complete beginner I would advise you to start drawing a single eye, nose or lips first, rather than a full portrait right away. Practice drawing the face features first and practice your shading. Also practice with drawing small sections of hair first. Once you are satisfied you can draw a whole portrait. That way it won't be too overwhelming. If you have any suggestions for the next video or any questions, let me know in the comments below. Thank you so much for watching and I hope you will join me on Patreon. See you in the next video, bye!