The FIVE PENCIL Approach to PORTRAIT DRAWING

8 lessons

Discover the essential skills you need to draw any realistic graphite portrait, anytime, anywhere…Have you ever wanted to draw a realistic graphite portrait, but been frustrated by hard-to-understand instruction, or tutorials that only teach you enough to draw a specific subject or facial feature?
Sure, you can learn how to draw the project at hand—if you really read between the lines—but in the end you can’t help but feel like you haven’t truly learned how to draw.

You aren’t alone…Thousands of should-be artists have given up drawing due to an overwhelming lack of progress. But you don’t have to! In his series The 5-Pencil Method Approach to Portrait Drawing, Darrel Tank offers the unique opportunity to draw a portrait from start to finish AND learn the vital drawing skills that will give you the confidence and power to draw any subject, anywhere, anytime!

Picture it! You pick up a freshly sharpened pencil, press the lead to the blank sheet of paper sitting before you, and you simply lose yourself in the sweet symphony of pencil on paper! No guess work, no fumbling through pencils trying to figure out which one to use and at what time to use it, and most importantly—no reason why you can’t draw the best darn portrait you’ve ever drawn! After 50 years as a professional artist and illustrator, Darrel Tank has made it his goal to share his thorough understanding of realistic graphite pencil drawing with anyone willing to learn. And, now over the past decade, he has inspired tens-of-thousands of students from around the world to meet their full artistic potential!

Darrel Tank’s The 5-Pencil Method Approach to Portrait Drawing is a fun, informative, and simple way for you to:
•	Draw a Portrait from Start to Finish — Your confidence will soar as you learn the “insider secrets” to drawing life-like portraits while actually completing an entire “ready-to-frame” portrait!
•	Unlock the Fundamentals — Learn the “universal visual concepts” that will become the foundation that you build every other drawing/painting/sculpture upon.
•	Gain a Lifetime of Experience — Darrel’s 50 years of experience are yours for the taking! Bypass years of time-consuming mistakes by acquiring Darrel’s secrets for overcoming some of the most common frustrations artists face when learning how to draw.
Darrel’s dynamic teaching method is rooted in science and inspired by art! With each new lesson, you’ll apply the skills from previous lessons while adding and developing new and exciting techniques one at a time—science has proven that this is how we learn best!
However, Darrel also gives you the freedom to develop your own unique artistic style. Each lesson is structured so that you learn the fundamentals needed to get started, but with the understanding that as you grow you can modify them to fit your own approach.

A SOLID FOUNDATION
Let’s think of it this way: You can watch another artist draw all day, trace their every line, follow all of their strokes exactly, and end up with a beautiful picture of their grandson. But, let’s say you want to draw your own grandchild. You need to understand the core concepts and principles so you can capture your own grandchild’s unique character.

DRAW ALMOST ANYTHING
You can give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day. Teach him to fish, and he’ll eat for a lifetime! In this jam-packed tutorial, you’re going to learn how to fish (well, draw actually). Darrel gives you the principles you need to make any drawing amazing—not just the project at hand.

ANYTIME, ANYWHERE
You’ll benefit from 50+ years of Darrel’s hard work and experience, all in a super sweet art class that you can enjoy anytime, anywhere.

Pencil layers-map-with-drawings.pdf

value-reference chart.pdf

shapes-exercise.pdf

straightedge-divider-steps.pdf

Peek-A-Boo-4-Layers-map.pdf

Peek-A-Boo-3-Reference.pdf

Peek-A-Boo --reference.pdf

Peek-A-Boo-1-reference-images.pdf

Peek-A-Boo Baby Portrait: Foundation - part 1

Peek-A-Boo Baby Portrait: Building the Base - part 2

Peek-A-Boo Baby Portrait: Reinforcements - part 3

Peek-A-Boo Baby Portrait: The Softer Side - part 4

Peek-A-Boo Baby Portrait: 2B or Not 2B - part 5

Peek-A-Boo Baby Portrait: Crowning Achievement - part 6

Peek-A-Boo Baby Portrait: Finishing Touches - part 7

Peek-A-Boo Baby Portrait: Review - part 8

8 Lessons - "Peek-A-Boo Baby" - How to turn a blank sheet of paper into a realistic graphite portrait — anytime you feel like it!


What is ArtStudio? Watch the video below to learn more:

**Weekly Critique submissions:** To use one of the CRITIQUE tokens on your account (purchased or earned) **[CLICK THIS LINK TO SUBMIT YOUR WORK AND REFERENCE IMAGE](https://form.jotform.com/71506781794163)**. EACH WEEK... the deadline for Art Studio Classic submissions is Tuesday evening at 10 pm EST. For the Art Studio PhotoRealism Class deadline is Sunday night at 10 pm EST. You may submit up to 2 works. Darrel will pick 3 to 5 each week to include at the end of his Wednesday Live Class or to add onto the recorded PhotoRealism lesson on Monday . Your token count will be reduced only if your critique is selected for Darrel to use during class. Please be sure to use a scanner if possible. If you need to use a picture, please be sure to have good lighting with no shadows or borders on your photo. If you need any assistance, please email support@fivepencilmethod.com or call 833-5-PENCIL.

Critique Tokens

The FIVE PENCIL Approach to PORTRAIT DRAWING IV

Discover how you can transfer your most beloved photos to drawing paper using nothing but a straightedge, divider, and the 4H pencil. Plus, train your eye to start seeing form and recognizing the shapes that make up the whole of your drawing. THINGS YOU WILL NEED Straight edge (18”) Divider (with dull points) Smaller reference photocopy A piece of cardstock or scrap piece of drawing paper Adhesive or tape A larger print out 4H pencil Kneaded eraser THINGS TO REMEMBER Remember to keep your source photo in the same orientation as your drawing paper at all times—this will give you a consistent reference for all of your angles. Keep the edges of your reference photo and drawing parallel at all times. Be sure to draw your lines lightly so they can be removed easily. Once you have laid down your lines, be sure to tap them back to nearly invisible with your kneaded eraser. The purpose of this lesson is to learn how to layout and transfer an image—be sure to stop once you’ve created the outline. We will complete this portrait together in the coming weeks, completing each step properly before moving onto the next. Your finished portrait will reflect the attention to detail you put into each individual step. Remember to refer frequently to the self-critiquing checklist.

Find out just how important the 4H pencil is to your drawing success. In this lesson you’ll clean up your outline and start laying down your base 4H value. You'll also learn how far to take the 4H pencil and a great technique for using it to blend your layers of value. The next step in the portrait drawing process is laying down the 4H base layer. Starting with the outline from the last lesson, use your 4H pencil to lay in value—beginning in the darkest portions of the subject and moving about 20% of the way toward the highlights. If you haven’t already, be sure to tap your lines back with the kneaded eraser. If your outlines are too dark then you will quickly use up all your value and are more apt to apply too much pressure to your paper. Remember that you aren’t coloring in the whole picture with your 4H pencil. The idea is to lay down a base layer only in the darkest areas to be built upon later. Be sure to put all of your tapered stroke practice to use as well. Remember to use your hand as a pivot point and create a stroke that follows the natural flow of your hand. Your lines should get lighter at both ends so you can extend them seamlessly. The next portion is a fun one! It’s just a quick exercise in “seeing shapes.” Looking at the “big picture” and then trying to draw it can be a daunting task. However, when you learn to look at that drawing and see that it is made up of many simple shapes you are able to break it into something more manageable. We have broken down the shapes that are found in the baby portrait. Analyze each of the shapes and recreate them on a piece of tracing paper. Notice how every shape you are creating is a piece of the whole. The secret to drawing an accurate outline is simply to draw the exact shape for each element and to put that shape in the correct place among all the others.



Pencil Layer Diagram, Value Finder Tool - In this fully loaded lesson, you'll take the next step toward drawing picture-perfect skin textures. Learn to reinforce your 4H layer with the 2H pencil, increasing the value and "lifting" your drawing off the paper in the process. In the previous lesson, you used your 4H pencil to lay down a base in the darkest portions of your drawing - paving the way for the other four pencils to do their part. In this lesson you will reinforce that base with your 2H pencil and then extend a little further with your 4H -always working from darkest to lightest. Create a layer with your 2H pencil on top of the 4H layer you created in the previous lesson. You used the 4H pencil to add value to the darkest portions of your drawing - the 2H goes on top of this to increase that value. With your 2H value laid down, you can now use your 4H pencil to blend the two layers and extend just a bit further toward your apex or highlight. THINGS TO REMEMBER Remember, don't eliminate the smooth transitions between your layers by making everything one value - there should always be a noticeable difference between values. Learn to rely on your 4H pencil, it is going to be a valuable asset. Use it to blend your layers and to create a base for value to increase upon. Always remember your tapered stroke, it is essential to creating seamless transitions - especially between layers. Look for opportunities to use your 4H pencil to blend values and fill in gaps.

Pencil Layer Diagram - Here's where portraits start to come alive! Learn how to apply the softer HB pencil with just the right amount of pressure and in just the right spots. You'll also discover how all of your pencils work together to create the smooth, seamless textures people will talk about! In this lesson you will take your portrait to the next level - increasing value and pressing on toward the highlight. Last week you laid down a 2H layer on top of the 4H base and then extended your 4H layer just a bit further. You will move onto the HB pencil, repeating the same layering process. Return to the darkest areas and build up that value once again with the HB pencil. Use your HB only in the shadows - you don't want to lose that nice differentiation between values you've been working so hard to achieve by making everything too dark. Now back to your 2H! Blend the HB and extend your 2H layer just a bit further toward the highlight. Use your 4H again to blend all the value and extend just a bit further.

Take value to the next level with the 2B pencil. This lesson teaches how to reinforce the darkest areas of a drawing and how to work in reverse pencil order to blend all of your values together. A detailed handout shows when and where to use each pencil. Alright, I know for some of you it may seem that this portrait will never end. Take heart! The end is in sight! Lets recap quickly: You started with the 4H pencil, laying down a base layer in the darkest areas of your drawing. Then, you used your 2H pencil to reinforce that 4H base and moved just a bit further toward the highlight or apex of your drawing. With the 2H layer down you were able to blend it with the 4H and extend your coverage further still. The previous lesson introduced the HB pencil - a softer, darker pencil for adding more value in the darkest areas only. You should have then repeated the process of blending and extending - ending, once again with the 4H pencil. In this lesson you will use your 2B pencil to reinforce your HB layer and then work back to your 4H, using it to blend all of the layers together and move closer to your highlight. Apply your 2B pencil on top of the HB layer. Return to the HB pencil, covering the 2B layer and extending a bit further toward the lightest value. Use your 2H pencil to cover the previous layers and extend a bit further into the 4H layer. Finally, use the 4H pencil to go back over everything, blending all of the layers and touching up imperfections. Have fun drawing!

This lesson is the "cherry on top"! Discover how hair can make or break your portrait. You'll learn how to visualize the hair as negative shapes instead of individual strands. Also, find out which pencil Darrel deems his "hair pencil." Draw the hair on your baby drawing. Be sure to pay attention to the DIRECTION of hair Use your tapered stroke Start by making guide lines with your 4H pencil Pull your pencil strokes toward the scalp line Use your 2B pencil Brush between each layer -- it softens up the hair Pay attention to the character and detail of the subject You DON'T have to draw EVERY hair The dark strokes are not the hair -- the dark part is the shadows that the hair is casting

The devil is in the details, and in this craft-enhancing lesson you'll go over your portrait with a fine-toothed comb. Balance your values, smooth out transitions, clean up your lines, and pull everything together for a portrait that won't disappoint! The finishing touches: In the past six weeks you have taken a simple photograph and turned it into an original piece of artwork - definitely an achievement to be proud of! In this lesson you will gain some valuable skills that will give you the confidence to make your drawing even better. Here are a few tips: Analyze your drawing and look for opportunities to intensify your tones. Remember that creating contrast is all about balance. When you add value to one area you need to be sure to adjust the surrounding area accordingly. When adding value in the darkest areas - remember, you aren't trying to make everything "black." The illusion of black is created by the contrast between the dark areas and the lighter areas around it. Use your 4H to blend your layers together wherever needed but be sure not to eliminate the detail you've worked so hard to create. Look for edge to value - where something is going around and out of sight be sure that it gets darker as it moves out of view. Be aware of your subjects unique features - look for opportunities to let their character shine. Have fun drawing!

Review Checklist - What better way to finish up a portrait than with a review? In this lesson, Darrel will walk you through a 17-point checklist to help you become your own critic. You'll learn tips and tricks from Darrel's 50-plus years of experience - minus the painful mistakes. Your hours of hard work have paid off! You have a portrait to be proud of. This lesson will give you the tools to do a final critique of your masterpiece and be sure it's the best that it can be. Use the provided checklist above to do a final pass of your portrait.



The FIVE PENCIL Approach to PORTRAIT DRAWING

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The FIVE PENCIL Approach to PORTRAIT DRAWING