Welcome to class! I hope you’re excited to learn my method for getting faces in proper proportion when sketching them. We’ll be creating 5 portraits – and you’ll have tools in your pocket to go pick more faces to draw!

This lesson includes a supply list, and at the end, a video with great info about pencils!

Before we start…a little housekeeping

I retain the copyright to the content you are learning in class. That means…

1. Do not sell or give away the concepts from my classes – you may not re-teach my instruction contained or created within these lessons.
2. Do not post a video tutorial or step by step photo tutorial of your own redraw of class content.
3. Do not repost any handouts you receive in class.

However…I love to see students making strides and taking this teaching and personalizing it with your own skills.

1. DO make your own designs and develop your own style! I love that!
2. DO gift your creations made with these techniques, of course!

At the bottom of each lesson you’ll see some ways to share your homework and ask questions, so that’ll be handy for you.

Paper

If you’ve not used toned paper before, you’re in for a treat. We’ll be using the tan of the paper as a “midtone” for drawings, and the blacks and whites will add punch beyond that.

I highly recommend a Stillman and Birn sketchbook – I’ll be demonstrating in a 7 x 10 in their Nova Series. You can get this sketchbook in tan, grey, or tan, grey and black in one sketchbook – which gives you options to try other colors if you like!

1. Stillman & Birn Nova Sketchbooks beige (tan) toned AMZ | JACKSONS 
2. Stillman & Birn Nova Sketchbook, trio of colors BLICK | AMZ |  JACKSONS

Pencils and erasers

For this course I’d like to recommend a type of pencil that not many people have – it’s a “lead holder.” Basically a fancy mechanical pencil! It requires a special little pencil sharpener, but neither pencils, leads, nor the sharpener are big expenses. Know that “lead holder” and “mechanical pencil” are the same thing.

Why? Because these can be sharpened to a very tiny point when needed. When drawing small facial features or faces, a sharp tip can be very very helpful. If you have a pencil sharpener you’re satisfied with for fine points, just get an mid and soft pencil and you’re golden!

I recommend an HB and a 4B, 6B, or 8B….HB are very common, most mechanical pencils come with HB. The softer leads are typically only available in 2.0 size leads – since they’re breakable.

See the video later in this lesson for more, but bascally here are the options I’d like to put forth:

1) A preassembled kit

Stageek is one of many companies that make a set of pencils, leads, and erasers. I tested out a few others (all made in China) and had my doubts but these seem to be mostly ok and are a quick way to get a lot. Watch the video at the end of this lesson for some things I liked and didn’t.

In this kit, you get a case with:

1. three 2.0 size lead holders
2. one each of 0.5, 0.7, and 0.9 size lead holders
3. a kneaded eraser, gum eraser, plastic eraser 
4. replacement erasers for the backs of pencils
5. 2 pretty bad pencil sharpeners
6. lots of graphite leads – HB for all, and in the 2B you get 2H 4H HB 2B 4B and 6B
7. 36 colored leads

The kit I received when I shopped has a different setup than the one picturedon Amazon, mine has a pocket for leads. Everything else is the same. You’ll want to get a Staedtler Mars Lead holder pointer (sharpener) BLICK | AMZ | JACKSONS

2) DIY kit (my better recommendation

I find a sturdier pencil than the Stageek to be more comfortable in my hand, but that’s a personal choice; the Koh-i-Noor is my preference. As mentioned – a combination of two pencils, one that can hold an HB (0.5, 0.7, 0.9 or 2.0), and a softer 4B 6B or 8B (in a 2.0 lead holder pencil).

1. For the medium – get any mechanical pencil. Drugstore one is fine, and any of the sizes (.5 .7, or .9) are just great for this class. It will likely come with a pack of HB refills with it. If you want two matching pencils you can get another of #2 below, and get some HB refills for it.
   1. JuneGold HB for 0.5 pencil AMZ
   2. JuneGold HB for 0.7 pencil AMZ
   3. JuneGold HB for 0.9 pencil AMZ
2. One of these, 2.0mm, sometimes called a “clutch” pencil (but watch out some are 5mm and up, you want a 2mm):
   1. Koh-i-noor Lead holder BLICK |  AMZ |  JACKSONS
   2. Staedtler Mars Lead holder BLICK | AMZ
3. One medium lead refill pack for 2.0 if desired (HB)
   1. JuneGold HB AMZ
   2. Staedtler HB AMZ
4. One soft lead refill pack (4B 6B or 8B):
   1. Staedtler Mars 4B BLICK |  JACKSONS
   2. Koh-i-noor 6B AMZ
   3. Koh-i-noor 8B AMZ
5. Optional: 4B leads for 0.5, 0.7, 0.9 (but I think you’re fine without them)
6. Staedtler Mars Lead holder pointer (sharpener) BLICK|  AMZ|  JACKSONS
7. Faber Castell Kneaded Eraser BLICK |  AMZ|  JACKSONS

Blending tools

1. Richeson Blending Stumps BLICK | AMZ | JACKSONS
2. Sofft blending tool set BLICK | AMZ | JACKSONS

Miscellany

1. Faber Castell Pitt Pastel Pencil – soft white BLICK | AMZ | JACKSONS
2. Ruler
3. Mont Marte Electric Eraser AMZ  or your favorite fine line eraser
4. If desired, a little tsquare BLICK | AMZ
5. If desired, the drawers with easel AMZ but you can also just tilt your sketchbook upward regularly to check your work instead