Here is a portrait sketch I did, an 11 x 14, pencil on paper, a commission that would be given as a gift. I combined two images into one drawing.
The subjects? A beautiful woman and her two beautiful daughters...
In this I used a variety of pencils ranging from 6B to 2H. The 6B was used for the dark values like the hair, clothing and eyes, and the 2H was for the skin. By using these different pencil leads, you can build up the contrast, without putting down too many strokes on your paper. Too much graphite on your paper can make it look shiny, which distracts from the presentation. Sometimes it can even wrinkle your paper!
It also helps to use a high quality paper like strathmore--which has some "tooth" to accept the graphite, and enough strength to resist tearing small holes when you erase an area a lot.
For every good pencil stroke I put down, I have to erase at least three bad ones, so to have a high quality paper is essential!
Hope you enjoyed this post and have a blessed day,
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See more of my artwork at: MattPhilleo.com