I recently was working on a figure drawing, something fast for practice. I thought it would make for a short yet informative blog post.

From critiquing artwork in the members area I often get questions concerning modeling. How to make the transition between values smoother. A lot of artists struggle with having their drawings look too rough in the shading department.

Through the use of a circular blending motion both with a brush and pencil, I’m able to create a soft transition from light to shade. 

One very informative tip is to rest most of the weight your arm on your hand, not the pencil point. When you take the weight off of the pencil point you are able to to shade and blend in a soft nonintrusive way.

Of course you will want to use diverse pencil strokes throughout your figure drawing. If everything is too blended you run the risk of having your figure drawing look like a cotton ball. 

Balance is the key to using diverse pencil stoke direction. However for this drawing tip, for a soft blend, try using a circular blending motion.

 

 

Let me know what you think about this technique. Leave a comment below. Also if you are looking for feedback on your drawings checkout our member site.