Pencil projects
DOODLES
 Doodles should not be thought of as drawings without meaning or
drawings that have no importance or significance.
 In fact, they do, as many artists find other peoples’ doodles
fascinating. It’s an important way of showing the unconscious
process of creativity. Doodles are usually created with pen or
pencil.
 They are usually a secondary part of our thinking process. For
example most of us doodle when we are in meetings - it helps us to
escape the boredom of the moment - and doodling allows us to
descend into our own private world.
 We also doodle when we are on the telephone when we tend to
use the phone pad as a sketch book. I believe there is a wealth of
ideas that come from doodles so treat them as research.
first thoughts from observations
 Just like doodles first thoughts from observations are our initial visual
response to what stimulates our thinking processes.
 Most artists always carry a sketchbook with them.
 It allows us to record moments that include landscapes, portraits,
textures, architecture, nature, light, atmosphere, and so on.
 This is all visual research that is stimulation and a continuous
resource for our ideas.
 Sketchbooks of artists are fascinating to look at, as in the
sketchbook you can see the origin of ideas, and responses, that the
artist is engaged with
FIRST THOUGHTS AND IDEAS
 Many ideas start with a visual brainstorming. The artist or designer
plays with the potential of their ideas in their sketchbooks.
 They make thousands of rough sketches continually changing and
rethinking their ideas. Stretching the thinking and the dynamics of
their designs to the limit.
 Designers work first with open minds, which allows for client
comment.
COMPOSITION: THE BASIC ELEMENTS
 Shape can have a very intuitive influence. Only as
we become more experienced do we become
formally aware of how to construct a composition.
 Intuitively, the beginner will invariably place the
mass of the subject (still life, portrait, whatever) in
the middle of the picture plane.
 In 90 cases out of 100 this placement is a mistake,
creating too much of a focal point and not
allowing the eye to be taken on a journey across,
and into, the rest of the picture plane
ORDER AND BALANCE
In any given picture there are a series of
tensions that must play off and counter each
other so what we finish up with is a pictorial
synthesis or a pictorial order.
This is what is meant by a composition having
a semblance of order and balance. If you
look at most classical works of art, particularly
landscapes by Poussin or Claude, you will see
this quality in abundance.
MOVEMENT
The importance of movement through the picture
plane cannot be over-emphasized. Shape and other
pictorial elements help us to create movement.
 The artist can engage the eye of the viewer so that it
moves across the picture plane, stop the eye at a
certain point and then move it back into space,
bring the eye forward again, and at the same time
across the picture space, and then take the eye right
out of the picture to the end of its journey.
EXERCISES WITH HARD PENCIL
 In this section, we are going to introduce you to a series
of projects and exercises that will give you a practical
introduction to using the range of hard pencils.
 As we have previously said, the hard pencil makes a fine
precise line. What we shall show you is how that line can
be employed to demonstrate your ideas, expressions
and observations.
Medium: 6H, 5H and 4H
As you will see, the types of marks or lines
produced with these pencils are quite similar
and lie within a close range. The fineness and
hardness of the line suits precision drawing, such
as architect’s plans for example.
I personally would not use them to build up
tone, because the contrast you can produce
with them is limited. However, this is a personal
opinion.
Medium: 3H, 2H, H and HB
 When you start experimenting you will notice that the
marks are more intense tonally than was achievable
with the previous set of pencils.
 You can still make very precise lines, but at the same
time clearly develop the weight of the mark, and bring
more expression and life to what you are doing.
 These are ideal implements for putting down your first
thoughts and making subconscious ‘doodles’.