Try these simple sketching, shading and mark-making exercises to help develop your drawing skills

You will need:

• A set of graphite pencils
• Watercolour sketchbook
• Eraser template shield
• Pencil sharpener
• Putty rubber
• Blending tool
• Textured paper (optional)

Exercise one

Explore an extensive range of marks and effects that graphite pencils can make with line, tone and texture. Lines can be thick or thin, long or short, straight or curved. Lines can change direction, be layered, broken or continuous. Try these mark making exercises in your sketchbook using a HB graphite pencil.

1 Hatching Draw lines close together in one direction and one layer

2 Cross-hatching Draw lines close together in two layers in opposite directions

3 Multi-hatching Draw lines close together in three or more layers and directions

4 Broad shading Use the side of the pencil to cover large areas in broad strokes while changing direction

5 Rubbing Shade over a textured surface with the side of a pencil

6 Erasing Use a putty rubber and an erasing template shield to uncover the white of the paper

7 Lifting off Use a putty eraser to gently dab off some graphite to lighten tone

8 Stippling Apply dots in varying density. Dots close together will make a dark tone; dots spaced farther apart will make a light tone

9 Parallel lines close together Create a dark tone

10 Parallel lines farther apart Create a light tone

11 Wiggly (irregular) lines and changing pressure on pencil Light pressure produces light lines; heavy pressure produces dark lines

12 Blending Shade an area with graphite then smudge with a finger or tip of a tortillon

13 Short straight lines Draw lots of short straight lines in different directions with changing pressure

14 Short curved lines Draw lots of short curved lines in different directions with changing pressure

Want to learn more about what the grading means on graphite pencils. Check out our comprehensive guide.

Exercise two

Experiment with the tonal variation of your graphite pencils by making a tonal scale. It takes practice to train the eye to see slight variations in tone. It also takes practice to be able to apply the right amount of pressure to achieve the desired tonal effect.

Tone describes degrees of lightness and darkness. You can create dark tone by applying heavy pressure with a graphite pencil. You can also achieve this by adding layers of marks, and drawing marks close together.

You can create a light tone by applying less pressure on the pencil. You can also use fewer layers, spacing marks farther apart and by dabbing off graphite with an eraser.

Four steps in tonal range from dark to light by applying varying degrees of pressure with a 2B pencil

Step 1: Start by drawing two long rectangles.

Step 2: In the left side of the top rectangle, produce the darkest tone possible for the 2B pencil by applying a lot of pressure.

Step 3: To the right of that sample, apply a little less pressure to produce a slightly lighter tone.

Step 4: The third sample will be lighter still.

Step 5: For the fourth sample, apply the lightest pressure you can to produce the lightest tone possible for that pencil.

Four steps in tonal range from dark to light by applying varying degrees of pressure with a 2H pencil

Step 6: Repeat this process in the second rectangle using the 2H pencil. It may take some time to be able to create even steps in tonal variation.

Step 7: To extend this exercise, draw a tonal scale for your 4B to 5H pencil . 

Exercise three

Let’s now use what we have just practised, to draw and shade basic three-dimensional shapes. To achieve the illusion of volume, drawings need to have a minimum of three tones – a shadow, mid-tone and highlight. The more tonal variation you can build up, the more realistic and convincing the result will be. 

To shade the correct tones, we need to know where the light source is coming from. This will indicate where the position of the highlight is and in which direction a shadow will be cast.

We can create a highlight by leaving the white of the paper, or by shading extremely lightly.

You can create a mid-tone by applying medium pressure on the pencil. You can also make more marks (cross-hatching, for instance, instead of just hatching) or place marks closer together.

The darkest tone on the shape will be on the side away from the light source and in shadow. Dark tone is created by multi-hatching, applying heavy pressure on the pencil, or placing marks together.

Notice that the shadow cast by the object onto the surface on which it is sitting has a variation of tone as well. The darkest part of the cast shadow is at the base of the shape and the lightest tone of the cast shadow is farthest away from the shape.

When shading angular forms, hatching lines are straight and each flat face of the shape is a consistent tone. With rounded forms, hatching lines are curved and the tone gradually changed over the rounded surface.

This exercise will help you practice...

• Shading tones using the techniques of hatching, cross-hatching and multi-hatching
• Shading by varying pressure on the pencil and stippling
• Creating tonal ranges from black, through varying shades of grey, to white

The cube

Three steps to drawing a cube front-on and shading a front-on cube with hatching, cross-hatching and multi-hatching

Three steps to drawing a cube side-on and shading a side-on cube by varying the pressure on your pencil

The prism

Three steps to drawing a rectangular prism front-on and shading a front-on prism with hatching, cross-hatching and multi-hatching

Three steps to drawing a rectangular prism side-on and shading a side-on prism by varying the pressure on your pencil

The cylinder

Two steps to drawing a cylinder

Shading a cylinder with hatching, cross-hatching and multi-hatching and shading a cylinder with stippling

The sphere

Shading a sphere with hatching, cross-hatching and multi-hatching

Shading a sphere with stippling

If you're new to drawing, don't stop here! Explore our other beginner-friendly guides to learn all you need to progress and develop your drawing skills.

Exercise four

How to draw a ball (sphere) with a highlight and cast shadow

As you will see, it’s the effect of highlights and shadows that turn the flat two-dimensional circle into a three-dimensional ball.

Step 1: Using a HB pencil draw a circle for the outline of the ball. If you are struggling to draw a well-shaped circle, trace around the rim of a glass or jar. Using tools to help the artistic process is totally acceptable.

Step 2: Shade the entire circle.

Step 3: Create a highlight just inside the edge of the ball, at about 2 o’clock. To do this, place the circle template of the erasing shield in position. Rub out the graphite inside this cut-out using the putty eraser.

Step 4: Gently dab the putty rubber around the outside of the erased circle to lift more graphite. This creates a soft edge for the highlight.

Step 5: Light is shining down onto the surface the ball is sitting on, and then bouncing up onto the underside of the ball. This means a subtle reflected light will show just within the underside of the ball. Mould the putty rubber to a point and gently wipe off some graphite to lighten this area.

Step 6: Explore the effect that textured paper has by repeating this exercise on a piece of textured paper.

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