the BASIC TECHNIQUE series
Pencils, points, leads, and types
The Chisel Point
Duration: 8½ mins
Learn how to form the chisel point, on any type of pencil, and how to use it for drawing both soft shading and sharp line... all with the same point!
Pencil Grades
Duration: 7¼ mins
Know the differences between the grades, and the advantages of each type. Understanding your pencils is critical to good drawing. Beginner? Discover which grades you need.
Choosing Pencils & Leads
Duration: 9¼ mins
Explore the benefits and drawbacks of wood-cased, clutch (lead holders) and mechanical pencils. Which types to begin with, and the grades of lead you need.
Drawing Basics
First Steps
Duration: 10 mins
Learn the differences between the B and H grades - soft to hard. Two exercises help you explore the darkness and range of tones each grade can produce.
Layer and Burnish
Duration: 10½ mins
The techniques of Layering graphite grades, Burnishing with harder grades. Compares layering to blending. Learn how patchy shading is harming your drawings.
Tapered Lines
Duration: 9½ mins
Draw large areas in seamless sections. Draw complex areas one small section at a time. Tapered lines - why you should use them, and how to form them.
Shading Basics
Linear Shading
Duration: 10¼ mins
Improve your shading and blending skills. How to approach every drawing, the necessity of using tapered lines, and final blending with a tortillon and colour-shaper.
Contour Shading
Duration: 10¼ mins
Improve your shading and blending skills. How to approach every drawing, the necessity of using tapered lines, and final blending with a tortillon and colour-shaper.
Tonal Shading
Duration: 11¼ mins
Linear tonal shading, the common problems to avoid, how to plan before you begin, and whether blending might be an option.
Shade and Blend a Lily
Duration: 11¼ mins
Improve your shading and blending skills. How to approach every drawing, the necessity of using tapered lines, and final blending with a tortillon and colour-shaper.
Erasing Techniques
Erasing Basics
Duration: 8¼ mins
Types of eraser compared, from hard typewriter to soft art erasers, stick and mono erasers, to kneaded erasers and Blu-Tack. And how to remove dark graphite almost back to white.
Erasing Selectively
Duration: 10¾ mins
Changes often need to be made - shapes cut in or added; highlights cleaned or sharpened; perhaps foliage that needs to be cut into background areas to increase depth. How to achieve all those and more...
Erasing to Fine Tune
Duration: 10¼ mins
Use partial erasing for subtle results that drawing alone cannot achieve. How to lighten over-dark areas without destroying the detail; maintain detail while fading to the desired values; and create lighter areas within dark.
Indenting Techniques
Indenting Basics
Duration: 13½ mins
Pristine white, parallel-sided lines, with a sharpness that erasing cannot achieve. Learn how to indent effectively, and how to avoid common problems.
Indirect Indenting
Duration: 7½ mins
Applied through a cover sheet, you can plan the positions first or indent spontaneously. The final section follows the use of Indirect Indenting by Master Artist JD Hillberry.
Graphite Indenting
Duration: 12½ mins
Creating very thin grey grooves in your paper that form fine highlights within areas of dark shading, which is particularly useful when drawing hair. Why Graphite Indenting works, and with practical advice on its use.
Division Techniques
Divide and Conquer
Duration: 12 mins
Conquer "I can't do that, it's too difficult!" by breaking everything down into manageable parts. How and why you should divide your work into smaller and smaller sections, for results that will surprise and delight you.
Divide by Line and Tone
Duration: 14½ mins
Divide a drawing into easy sections - and then divide it again into Line and Tone. How to analyse each section, so you draw what you know rather than see, for natural and realistic results. With lots of practical drawing advice too.
Divide To Control
Duration: 19¾ mins
Divide your work and stay in control. How understanding and drawing what you know, rather than see, lets you draw from your mind and bring your subject to life. Bonus: how to easily create natural depth in foliage and hair.
Guideline Basics
Guideline Basics - the Grid
Duration: 21¾ mins
Accurately transfer a photo or sketch to your paper. Get the most out of this centuries-old method. The Advanced section removes the need for a grid on your paper, allows you to replace erased guidelines, and check on accuracy as you draw.
Manual Methods
Duration: 13 mins
An introduction to five manual (hand-held) ways to accurately copy and resize a photograph, sketch, or other source material to your drawing paper. Try combining two or more to create your own custom method.
Device Methods
Duration: 21 mins
Explore five digital and optical devices you can use to accurately copy and resize your reference. When time is short these devices speed up your workflow. Use them to build compositions or just transfer the reference to your drawing paper.
The Magic stage
Duration: 22¾ mins
Use the MAGIC middle stage when copying your reference to drawing paper. Learn the problems of copying references. Discover how to take what you need and modify what you can use. Don't be controlled by your sources - YOU control THEM.
Jerry
Your videos are excellent, and I mean excellent. Most good books I read three times, first a quick overview to see what's there, next to get the meat and finally to get what I missed (there is always something) and integrate it with other sources. Your videos are like a good book.
Criz71
I have found Mike's videos really helpful in my drawing development. The techniques are well explained and demonstrated with examples of what they look like in his artwork. These will work for any subject you wish to draw. I highly recommend these video tutorials if you are wishing to expand your drawing skill and understanding of basic techniques and their applications.
