Do You Want To Draw?

Graphite pencils:
2H, HB, and 2B
Ledger bond drawing pad, 14 x 17 in. (36 x43cm)
Tracing paper pad, 9 x 12 in. (23 x 30 cm)
Two-ply bristol drawing paper: 16 sheets, 11 x 14 in. (28 x 36 cm)
Kneaded eraser
Drawing board Clip-on lamp with 10-in. (25-cm) reflector shade and 60-watt bulb 15-in.
(46-cm) ruler or straightedge
Single-edge razor blades
Sandpaper block
Masking tape, pushpins, or clips
Workable fixative (odorless)

To be a competent artist and draw with accuracy, it is essential to be able to select and use the appropriate tools of the trade. There are many drawing mediums-charcoal, different kinds of crayon and chalk, pen and ink-but for sharp focus drawing I prefer pencil. The lines and tones produced by graphite enable me to be as flexible as I wish. I can create a fine-line drawing or a rendering with an endless range of tones and textures.

For the beginning artist, choosing the right pencils, papers, and erasers can be difficult and confusing. The materials I will discuss here are those I have used and have found, through experimentation, to be best suited for disciplined sharp focus drawing. I will be using them for the various drawing projects throughout the book, and I recommend that you use them also, particularly if you are just starting to draw. If at any time you discover other materials that you feel will aid your own drawings, however, by all means experiment with them.

Papers. Papers are classified primarily according to two criteria: weight and content. The weight given for a specific paper refers to the weight of one ream, or 500 sheets of a standard size of that paper. For example, a 100-pound paper would weigh 100 pounds per ream. Thus, the heavier the ream, the sturdier the paper. I love to work with Strathmore 4ply paper

The content of a paper can be rag, wood pulp, or a combination of the two. Woodpulp and combination papers are chemically treated, and this causes yellowing and deterioration; 100 percent rag papers are actually shredded and soaked cotton rags held together with a binder, pressed to form sheets, and then dried. This type of paper is more expensive, but it is resistant to yellowing.

I will use three types of paper: ledger bond, tracing paper, and bristol paper.

Ledger Bond. A smooth, glossy, relatively lightweight paper which accepts ink and pencil very well, making it possible to achieve a clean, precise line. This paper can be made of rag, wood pulp, or a combination of both.

Tracing Paper. A semitransparent paper that is often used for preliminary sketches which are then refined and transferred to a good grade of drawing paper. Tracing paper can be purchased in a variety of price ranges. I recommend that you use parchment tracing paper no. 100. This particular kind of tracing paper holds up quite well under extensive erasing.

Bristol Paper. A stiff paper which is available in a variety of weights. Bristol paper also is manufactured using wood pulp, rag, or a combination. I strongly recommend a good-quality, 100 percent rag, two- or three-ply bristol paper for its durability, nonyellowing quality, and moderately textured surface. This is an ideal paper for tonal renderings; it has a slight tooth, which enables you to apply the graphite more easily.

Pencils. Standard "lead" drawing pencils are actually made of graphite, and they are categorized according to the hardness of their lead. The letter H indicates a hard lead and the letter B, a soft one. Pencils which are marked HB are considered to be in the middle, which means the line that is produced is neither extremely dark nor light. The letter designation is preceded by a number; the harder the pencil, the higher the number preceding the H. For example, a 9H pencil has a thin, hard lead which produces a very faint line, whereas a 2H pencil makes a considerably darker, more noticeable mark. The opposite is true of the B pencils; a 6B lead is extremely soft and fat, and it produces a jet-black mark; a 2B pencil makes a mark that is lighter and easier to read.

I have used pencils other than the 2H, HB, and 2B. These additional pencils are optional, and you need not purchase them; you should be able to do all the projects with your three basic hard, medium, and soft pencils. You will find that although each one makes a characteristic mark (depending on the hardness or softness of its lead), you can produce a whole range of tones by applying more or less pressure on the graphite as you draw.

Erasers. Inexperienced artists depend upon the eraser far too much; they constantly erase mistakes, not giving themselves the chance to create a rough foundation for a drawing. By the time a drawing is completed, the surface of the paper has been ruined by so much abrasion. The purpose of an eraser is to correct mistakes, but it's not necessary to erase every mistake at the beginning. Develop a well-constructed drawing first; then elimi- nate any mistakes. There are many types of erasers: Pink f Pearl; Artgum, a type which is sometimes V I called a soap eraser; vinyl, which erases i extremely well and does minimal damage to the surface of the paper; and finally the

kneaded eraser, my favorite. The kneaded 52650 eraser, which is sometimes called a GERMANY kneaded rubber, is soft and pliable like __ putty; it can be kneaded with the fingers to obtain a clean erasing surface and can be used over and over. Another important characteristic of this eraser is that it can be formed into a smaller eraser to clean tiny, detailed areas for which other erasers

would-be too large. The other erasers are solid in form and produce many small particles which can smudge a drawing very easily. Experiment with various erasers and then choose the one you prefer.

Drawing Board. You will need a drawing board as a support to which you can attach your paper. It does not have to be elaborate. A piece of plywood, Masonite, or even a stiff piece of cardboard will suffice, as long as it is large enough to accommodate your drawing paper. I suggest a board size of about 24 x 20 in. (61 x 51 cm).

Fixative. Fixative is a spray which binds the graphite to the paper so that it will not smudge. Both workable and final spray fixatives can be purchased in aerosol cans. The workable fixative is more practical because after a drawing has been sprayed, graphite can still be applied over it, whereas a final spray is just what the name implies and cannot be worked over.

Before applying fixative to a drawing, always spray a piece of scrap paper first to make sure the spray is fine and that blobs don't spatter and ruin your drawing. Before using this or any new material, read the directions; and most important of all, always spray fixative in a well-ventilated area and try to avoid inhaling the fumes, which may be harmful.

Lamp. The only light you will need for doing the projects in this book is a clip-on lamp with a 10-in. (25-cm) reflector shade and a 60-watt bulb. I have found, through experience, that the 60-watt bulb enables me to see objects easily.

Ruler or Straightedge. For creating accurate sharp focus drawings, a ruler or straightedge is essential. In addition to helping you refine straight lines in your drawing, it is a necessary tool for the procedures used in creating symmetry.

If you’ve been waiting to start your art collection, now is the time

After creating drawings for the past 40 years, his creative expression still depict the would as we see it today, there is nothing artificial about John Nelson Drawing, each drawing has it’s unique personality and emotion, you have to see to believe. John Nelson is truly a master of his craft

John Nelson is truly an American hero, Born and raised in the inner city of Washington D.C., this artist spent most of his life observing the shape and form of his culture, from the little baby asleep( serenity) in the crib, to the people in the cotton field picking cotton ( “The Only Way Out”)the young lady want so bad to leave and the cotton field to get a good education.

At a young age, I have been bless to see the world as it is, not as I want it to be, with a stroke of my pencil, I can make that time stand still. Growing up during the civil rights movement, it was not popular to be black in America so Mr. Nelson decided to dedicate his life to creating strong black images of black people with strong social thems.
That was a strange time as a teenager to see picture of black people with white lips in a negative situation, I was 14 year old when I herd Martin Luther King speak at the lincoln Mamorial it was a day I can not for get, I have my piece of history by working under the tint at the march on Washington, making silk sceen signs, I pay for that day my mother gave me a good beating for being away all that day, it was worth it.


His jazz collection is truly a masterpiece, the rendering of Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie will last threw out the distance of time. For many years, people have been talking and saying he has excellent technique and a strong since of creativity.


Top pencil artist and drawings in Washington D.C