How to Relax and Loosen Up with Your Drawing

It is common to be too tight and focused on details early on. Ironically being LOOSE in the beginning will actually improve the final details in your drawing. 

​You do not have to dread the blank sheet of paper in front of you. Here are some ways to help you relax and enjoy drawing. 

Remember the starting lines will get covered up

Be loose and very general with your beginning pencil lines, make a soft suggestion of where the eyes and face will be.

Remember that all of these soft lines will be covered up with future mark making and shading. So don't worry about messing up.

Use powdered graphite to block-in value shapes

Why? Sometimes a pencil point or line can be too restrictive. Powdered graphite is easier to put down broad, loose, value shapes of darks.

Please don't be afraid to get your dark shadows in, because again future marks will go on top.

​No ... the second photo above isn't darker than the photos to the right.  You may think I lightened some of the eye area, I didn't.  

​What I did was go darker with the eyebrow, lidline, and lashline. It's just an optical illusion. Those darker marks make the values before it look lighter.

Have fun and enjoy drawing.

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