A simple pencil grayscale is your first step
in getting control of your pencil shading. Draw a ladder grid
of five one-inch squares. Using the tip of a sharp pencil,
shade the first as dark as you can, and the last as light
as you can. Shade the remaining squares in even steps between
the two, so that the middle square is a good mid-tone. Try
this with a range of pencils - from 6B through to 2H - so
that you can see the range of tone that can be achieved with
each one.
Extended Pencil Grayscale
seven step shading
Try doing a seven-step grayscale. A B or 2B pencil should
give you the full seven steps, though you may need to manipulate
it a little to get the very lightest tones, erasing lightly
and reworking. For a really effective grayscale, use harder
and softer pencils to get the lighter and darker shades, overlaying
differing grades to get the transitional tones. Try printing
out a computer grayscale to use as a reference.
Continuous Shading
Practice doing gradual, continuous shading from light to
dark and vice versa. Try using different pencil techniques,
using parallel shading, hatching in various directions or
small circles to find which works best for you. Use a single
pencil, and also try using a combination of pencils. Don't
use your fingers to blend tones, but use layered shading and
controlled pressure to create the variation.
