30 Minute Sketching - Using different grades effectively

30 Minute Art - Sketching
By Alwyn Crawshaw

Straight after positioning Crawshaw goes into the different gradients of pencils specifically the B grade pencils. Beginning with a 2B pencil "For this sketch I used a 2B pencil, which allowed me to draw some detail in the trees" (Crawshaw 18). In his second sketch he used a 3B pencil describing it to be much faster at making the sketch but at the cost of the quality of the sketch due to the use of a softer lead (Crawshaw 19). Replicating a drawing for the last time using a 6B pencil, "Because the 6B has a very soft lead it is not easy to draw detail, but it is easy to shade in areas quickly to create a simplified image" (Crawshaw 18). Instead of replicating a drawing three times, I opted to utilize all three of the pencil grades to effectively make a single sketch.

With the 3B pencil I was able to very effectively make a base structure with branches in slight detail.

Leading up with a 2B pencil I drew in some twigs, also fixing up the base structure to be much more detailed.

Finalizing the drawing I put some light shading on with a 6B pencil drawing in the light from the left.

I was extremely satisfied with this drawing up to now I believe this is the most improvement I have seen. Finding the difference in gradience has been probably the biggest eye opener to towards all types of drawing, as everything seems so much better using each separate pencil to improve my sketches. Coming this far I'd like to know how much you have learned not only from my posts but also in your own time from different books?