Pencil Sketches for Beginners

Pencil sketching is a fun and exciting way to expand your creative abilities. People have taken up pencil sketching for a wide variety of different reasons. It allows you to create a pictorial record of something meaningful in the world, express your ideas and emotions visually, and have an emotional, meditative outlet for your energies.

What is the best way to learn pencil sketching?

Learning to pencil sketch is fun, easy, and exciting if you have the one-on-one guidance of an instructor to help you throughout the process. A pencil sketching class will help you learn:

The essential techniques for creating beautiful pencil sketches.
How to tap into your creative ability on a daily basis and create beautiful art work.
Teach you a new way to express yourself visually, convey emotions, and even tell a story without having to depend upon words.

A master artist will teach you how to create things you never thought possible through pencil and paper.

What is the history of pencil sketching?

Pencil sketching has a rich history that goes back to the Renaissance. During this time, artists would use metal styluses to make etchings on papyrus. Originally, sketches were only used to inspire larger art forms, like paintings and sculpture. During the 18th and 19th centuries, sketching evolved into a standalone art form. People would sketch things that they saw in nature and was a way for people to encapsulate experiences before the age of photography.

What types of supplies are required for pencil sketching?

If you take a pencil sketching course, some materials might be provided for you, depending on the class that you take. However, if you continue to do pencil sketches on your own, you will need the following:

Graphite pencils: These are pencils that are sharpened with a knife, do not have an eraser at the top, and come in different degrees of thickness and hardness for the various types of sketches that you will make. These are different from regular everyday pencils because the different types of thickness and hardness will let you create different shades and types of lines in your sketches.
Sharpeners: These will help make sure that you have a sharp pencil every time that you go to sketch. These are better than regular pencil sharpeners because they let you adjust the angle and length of your pencil more precisely.
Erasers: A specialized eraser is essential for pencil sketches. Certain types of erasers made from putty can help blend. Harder erasers will let you erase lines and other etchings that you might want to adjust while you are working.
Resin: There is a material, sometimes called fixative, that is made from resin that will help prevent your drawing from smudging once you are finished.
Drawing boards, papers, and supports: There are a wide variety of different paper types that people use when drawing (such as acid-free). Paper with a medium-textured surface is commonly used by sketching artists. You can also buy easels, drawing boards, and other surfaces to help you with stabilizing your paper when sketching.

Your instructor will help you find the right types of pencil sketching supplies for the sketches that you intend to draw.

How long does it take to learn pencil sketching?

If you take a pencil sketching course, you have the option of booking as many sessions as you’d like in blocks of one, four, or eight two-hour courses. Working with an instructor will help you learn the basics of pencil sketching. Some people perfect the techniques that they learn in the course within a matter of weeks while others may take longer. The complexity of the projects you pursue will determine the number of sessions you need starting out and the time it takes to complete the project.

Is pencil sketching an expensive hobby?

Pencil sketching is a relatively affordable hobby. Just starting, you can use basic paper and pencils from around the home. If you choose to explore your hobby even further, you can purchase a good drawing kit from a local art supply store for around 70 AED. Some people will spend a considerable amount more based on the number and types of drawing that they choose to do.

Why is pencil sketching a great hobby?

Across the world, people pursue painting, sketching, and other arts to expand their horizons. Sketching and other forms of art let people:

Create a pictorial record of a person, place, thing, or time.
Express and communicate their ideas visually.
Have an emotional and meditative outlet for their energies.
Develop skills that unleash untapped potential.

Pencil sketching can help individuals elevate their mood, enhance their critical thinking skills, and increase their open-mindedness. Pencil sketching and other types of art can lead to a better mood that increases attention and problem-solving in general.

Who are some great artists who have perfected their pencil sketching craft?

While pencil sketching is a relatively newer art form, there are many great artists to gain inspiration from:

Marco Mazzoni: Mazzoni is an Italian artist who works with pictures of plants in modern settings. His sketches are on display throughout the world.
Diego Fazio: This self-taught pencil artist is known for his modern sketches and many can be viewed on his social media account under the handle @DiegoKoi.
Paul Lung: Lung is another self-taught pencil artist who draws many beautiful sketches of cats. Many of his drawings can be viewed on DeviantArt.
Cath Riley: Riley is a London-based artist who draws striking renditions of meditative people.

Other pencil artists include Dirk Dzimirsky, Jesse Lane, CJ Hendry, and more. By studying some of the great pencil sketch artists, you can gather ideas for your own works and an instructor can help you learn the techniques that these artists use.

Book a beginning pencil sketching course in Dubai

If you are looking for a new hobby or want to branch out into a different type of art, a pencil sketching course in Dubai could be a good fit for you. This course is a great opportunity to help you learn a new art form and harness your creative energies.