How I Sketch Realistic Pencil Portraits of People

Just a few quick notes before we start.

The materials I have used for this portrait are:

*14 x 17″ Strathmore - acid free, medium weight drawing paper

*Bruynzeel design - artist soft pencils in 3B, 4B, 6B and 8B

*A good quality eraser, and also a kneadable eraser for lightening if needed

*A few soft Q-tips (for blending skin tones), and blending stumps (made of rolled paper)

*A bit of learning, fun and patience!! (not materials, but things you will need!)

This is the photo I was given to sketch from. As you can see, it was not the best clear quality to use for the purpose of sketching!

Usually, I would work from a clear photo.

Step 1

I have been an artist for many years, and feel comfortable with sketching freehand on newsprint until I get the sketch the way I want it, and then transferring it over to the art paper (canvas, or whatever you are using). Transferring the drawing prevents grooves in the paper from lines that were not in the right places and then erased, or other nasty little things that can be left if you sketch directly on the art paper. It also helps you to position the drawing exactly where you want it on the art paper! However, there are many artists who prefer to use grids or measuring instruments to get the sketch the way they want it, which is also faster for some people. Whatever is most comfortable and works for you! Try to remember that most of the time, good finished artwork comes from a good beginning basic sketch!!

After transferring the sketch, I may make a few little changes here and there to it until I am sure it is how I want it to look. Use the 3B pencil lightly enough that you can erase any lines you need to.

1. Transferred Outline Sketch.

2. Eyes.

Step 2

I have a method that I use maybe differently than a lot of artists, in that I like to start with the eyes first. In school, I was taught to work left to right and top to bottom (if you are right handed). While that method works, and you have less chance of smearing the work you have done, I like to make sure that the eyes look exactly the way I want first. I use the 4B pencil lightly, and then use more pressure in the darker areas. I then use the 6B in the pupil of the eye, around the irises, and to do the lashes. Needless to say, you have to be really careful as you work that you don’t smear the drawing! Once I am completely happy with how the eyes look, I move on to the bridge of the nose and surrounding areas using the 4B pencil, very lightly at first only using slightly more pressure in the areas that are darker. You have to try to make the skin tones seamless. You do not want definite lines where the tones change!! Work around highlights in the eye, and on the skin. Always leave the very light areas, and white areas and work around them. The drawing should look very light at this point (other than the eyes) … and we do not blend anything yet.

3. Face

Step 3

Keep filling in the entire face in this manner (using the 4B), making sure you don’t use too much pressure. You can always darken areas, but it is much harder to erase if it gets too dark, and makes the skin tones appear blotchy!

Any well defined areas, such as the nostril area, and lips, use more pressure to make it more noticeable.

When you are finished filling in, and you are happy with the tones, use a Q-tip to gently blend. Try to follow the natural shape of the face … the girls cheeks are rounded out, so in this case, you would not blend in an up and down motion, you would gently curve the blending. Follow each line in the shape it was sketched. In the very lightest areas, when blending, try to blend into the edges of highlight, until only the very whitest highlight is left. Do not blend the skin right into the lips, blend around them. If you have made a highlight too dark, use the shapeable eraser to gently lift the pencil off until it is light enough … do not rub it, as you will have lines around it, instead of a seamless tone change. In some cases, you will want very well defined highlights, but in this portrait, I did not. I use the 6B between the lips, where it is darkest. Use the 4B to redefine areas such as the edges of lips and nose again if needed, and do not blend these areas again, as you want more definition in these areas.

If you need to darken any areas, add a little at a time until you are happy with the tones.

* this photo does not show the blending step, only the filling in*

4a. Hair

Step 4

In this photo, you can see how I have blended the tones together in her face to make the skin look very smooth. It still appears very light, but you will see how it appears darker in the final portrait. It is in this step that I start to define her hair. A lot of artists make the mistake of thinking they have to draw every hair, which is a lot of time! That method still looks great, but you can get the same effect defining the most important areas, and then using tones to show dark and light. This girl has lots of curl in her hair, so I define each curl in the darkest areas first, using the 4B pencil. Once I have the definition I want, I go back over the dark areas with the 6B.

The same principle applies here to highlight as it does on the skin, work around the highlights. Because hair is not smooth and has many strands, the highlights will not have square edges…they will be jagged. The highlights

are what make the hair appear more detailed than it really is. Blonde hair is a bit trickier to do, as there is still contrast to show between very light blonde, and highlight. Once I have the tones I want, I use the blending stump instead of the Q-tip, as it has a harder edge to it. I blend each curl (not strand of hair) separate, to keep the curls defined. Work into each highlight, and keep the brightest part of the highlight white.

4b. Hair more defined.

As you continue to work this way, the hair seems to frame the face by itself…and appears defined, without having to add every strand.

5. Hat

Step 5

The hair is finished!

To do the hat, I used the 6B pencil first, making sure to work around the highlighted areas. I then used the 8B to get the darkest contrast as I could. Using the Q-Tip, I blended into the darkest highlighted areas first, and just lightly touched the brightest highlights.

6. Shirt

Step 6

Use the same technique on the neck, chest and arms as you do for the face.

I used the 4B again just lightly for the shirt (omitting the stains!!)

*In the future I will have another tutorial showing how I do clothing*

7. Background

Step 7

For this background, I chose to do a classic portrait look. I work outside to in, using the 8B pencil until it is as dark as I want it. Because this area is so big, I use paper towel, or another soft material to blend outside to in, keeping the area right around her white, to show tones better.

8. Framing and matting

I apologize for the glare on the glass!!

I chose a light pink mat, as her shirt in the photo I used was a very soft pink. The black frame really sets off the pencil as well.

I hope you have fun trying this technique! If it doesn’t turn out the way you like at first, try again…you will learn many useful techniques of your own as you go!!

Shannon