DRAWING and RENDERING TECHNIQUES BEGIN WITH ............

    Learning the basics of drawing is essential in effecting quality and expertise. The examples to follow illustrate the 3 most basic techniques of pencil drawing for beginning level students: tonal, crosshatch and linear rendering. Each defines "values", the lightness or darkness perceived, in different ways."Tonal" rendering is a gradual, soft "blending" of dark and light areas together. "Crosshatch" is a textural rendering in which lines are duplicated in one direction, and crossed in other directions called "hatching". The Linear technique is a line drawing in only one direction, at any angle. Let's checkout the practice sheet below.

    The first practice on the left has 3 columns of 1.5" by 2" blocks for each technique with an ordinary 2B pencil. The object was to have each technique match values with each other directly across the same level.

    Pressing the pencil harder increases darkness of value for all techniques. For this, linear and crosshatch also require closeness of lines together. Lighter tones are rendered by lines and crosshatches further away from each other. Lines can be crosshatched in 4 directions: vertical, horizontal, and 2 diagonals. Light tones here may use only 2 directions as seen in the 1st 3 steps of the middle column.

    The 2nd practice was to use 3 natural, geometric or imagined shapes, show overlapping, and illustrate each shape in one of the pencil techniques. All exercises were practiced on one 12X18 drawing paper.

Skill Practice Review

    For students with little or no experience, a preliminary practice was encouraged to establish a comfort zone before performing the skill practice required.