When you first decide to take up drawing or coloring as a hobby, you will likely have many questions regarding the tools that you need to use. Many often wonder if they can draw and color with a regular pencil! This is a very valid question. We have all of the details you need to know about drawing and coloring with a regular pencil, along with some tips to help you get started on your new drawing journey!
Benefits of Drawing with a Regular Pencil
A regular pencil can be an excellent option for those who are in the beginning phases of drawing. There are a large amount of things to learn when you are starting to draw. When you are first learning, using a regular pencil can save you from feeling overwhelmed. It gives you one less thing you need to learn right away.
Drawing with a regular pencil will allow you to complete your basic drawings as well. When you are focusing on getting better at your outlines and improving your capabilities, a regular pencil is an excellent option for you.
Some beginners at drawing choose to stick with a regular pencil for quite some time until they get comfortable with their drawing skill level. Once you get to the point where you want to take your drawings to the next level, then you know it’s time to start learning more about different types of pencils and also looking into increasing your pencil inventory.
Disadvantages of Drawing with a Regular Pencil
Although using a regular pencil is a great option for beginners, there are disadvantages to using a regular pencil for drawing as well. As we mentioned, you will need to invest in more pencils to take your drawings to the next level.
The biggest disadvantage of using a regular pencil is you won’t be able to achieve a high level of realism in your drawings. When you are using a regular pencil, your drawings may resemble the item you’re drawing, but it will be extremely difficult to get it to look exactly like the object you’re drawing. This is largely because you’ll have a low amount of variation available with a regular pencil.
If you use pencils with various firmness levels for your drawings, you’ll be able to do more shading and get your drawings to look extremely realistic. A large amount of realistic drawings use various pencils during the drawing process. Only using a regular pencil will not allow you to achieve this.
With a regular pencil, you will only be able to reach a certain darkness in your drawings for the most part. You will be very limited in your shading ability with a regular pencil as well. Using a regular pencil will also not give you any flexibility in the firmness of the lead.
Other Types of Pencils to Use
Once you are ready to increase your pencil inventory, the first step is learning about the additional pencil options that are available for you. You will need to know the types of pencils available and also what materials your pencils may be made out of.
For drawing, the most common type of pencil is your standard graphite pencil. These pencils also range in firmness. B pencils are softer and H pencils are harder (when it comes to their firmness). For example: A 4B pencil will have much softer lead than a 2H pencil. An HB pencil sits directly in the middle when it comes to the softness and hardness of the lead.
Another type of graphite pencil available for drawing is graphite stick pencils. As you are building your pencil inventory for drawing, these pencils will be essential to add to your collection since they allow you to obtain thicker and bolder lines. They are typically made out of solid graphite with a plastic coating, which protects your fingers.
Many drawers insist on adding charcoal pencils to their collection of pencils. Charcoal pencils will allow you to get really deep and rich black lines. You won’t be able to obtain lines quite like this with your standard graphite or stick graphite pencils. Depending on the type of drawing you are doing, charcoal pencils can be very beneficial.
The last type of pencils we want to discuss is colored pencils. If you want to add color to your drawings, colored pencils are an excellent way for you to do this. As you are starting with drawing, we do recommend at least doing a light outline of your drawing in your regular pencil before adding color (since color will be hard to reverse if you make an error).
The type of pencil you choose to use will have a lot to do with your preferences. During your drawing journey, you can test out different pencils to see what you like what works best for you, and the type of drawings you are completing.
Tips for Drawing Beginners
When you are first learning how to draw, it can be confusing knowing where to start! You will continue to improve as you draw more and get more practice. However, we have some essential tips to help you get started as a beginner at drawing.
Our first tip is to start with lighter lines. If you end up liking the line placement and need it to be darker, you can always make a line or certain areas darker. However, it will be much more difficult to make it lighter. Starting lighter will allow you to make changes easier as you are learning your preferred methods of drawing.
For our second tip, we recommend practicing regularly. If you only draw now and then, it is going to take you much longer to learn. You may even find yourself going backward and forgetting some things you learned. However, if you practice consistently, you will be a professional drawer in no time! Being consistent is the best way to see improvement in your skill level. We recommend keeping a sketchbook with you as much as possible.
Our third tip is to trust your intuition when you are drawing! Creating your art is a form of expressing yourself and your creativity. It is important to not be too hard on yourself! By trusting your intuition and going with your first instinct, you will have a more enjoyable time drawing and your drawing will be a true reflection of you!
Our last tip for those beginning their drawing journey is to take more control of the pencil as you are starting. If you hold the pencil lower and closer to the paper, you will have more control over your pencil and your lines. As you are starting, this can help you make more accurate lines. As you get more comfortable with drawing, you can start decreasing your control over the pencil to see how it feels specifically for you.
Drawing is an exciting new journey to begin and starting with a regular pencil is an excellent option! Drawing and creating your art allows you to express both yourself and your creativity. Drawing can also help you relieve any stress and anxiety from your day. It is both a fun and relaxing activity at the same time!
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