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How to create a dogs' eye
in Graphite Pencils

Artist level:  Intermediate

Welcome to this tutorial showing you how to create a dogs eye in graphite pencils, using embossing tools & erasers which will help to achieve extra realism in your work.  ​This Tutorial is for artists of all calibres and none, explaining in detail the process that will help you create your own portrait and showing you how effective an embossing tool can be. If you do not have these items in your art kit, you could use a wooden skewer instead, however I would recommend you purchase a set as they are extremely useful and if you like detail in your graphite work, the emboss tools are a must. This is not the only way to work with graphite pencils, other artists may use a different technique but this is the one that works best for me. 

This tutorial uses only 4 pencils and the range I use are the Derwent Graphic, however most pencil ranges have the same grades and so you will get the same effect regardless of which brand you use.   ​ 
The reference image can be found below, which you can screen grab and print out or view on a tablet whilst reading the instructions on a smartphone or computer.

​Enjoy!

The Products you will need

Reference Image

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Smooth white Art paper,  Clean Eraser,  Emboss/Indent tools, Electric eraser (optional) or pencil eraser, Clean tissue,  Clean and soft brush.
​Also have a sheet of clean paper for leaning on so you do not touch your working paper at any point and smudge the graphite laid down.
​Graphite pencils needed:   ​2B, 4B  6B,  8B 
Paper Used:  Strathmore Bristol 500 plate     Graphite pencils Used: Derwent Graphic

 Embossing/Indent Tools

An indent or emboss tool can be used for numerous art projects such as clay sculpting or painting however these are one of those products that should be in every pencil artist's kit as they can help achieve highly detailed work, cutting out the struggle of trying to add in highlights later on in your work which can be very difficult.  You can buy single or sets of embossing tools with different sized peaheads, from extremely small to large, having a choice will allow you to choose the best option for the size of your portrait and how much detail you wish to add to your work. For this sample, I only used one size, and the one you chose for your drawing will depend on how big you draw the eye. This image is around 4" square and so used one which is about 1mm width.

IMPORTANT TIPS:  
* Ensure your pencils are sharp before starting, the side of the lead will be used for applying base tones  and the fur applied using the point.​
*  Graphite pencils smudge easily, so to avoid transferring natural oils on to your Art paper from your working hand, ensure you have a clean sheet of paper to lean on whilst working.
* Never blow onto your paper after erasing, saliva can damage your Artwork which you may not be able to repair.
​

The first thing to do is to draw the outline of the eye itself. Sketch it out first if you prefer and then apply a heavy outline using the 4B, use the example above if it's easier to copy from than the actual reference photo. The reason for such a dark outline will be explained in the next section. The top of the eye has not been filled in as I need to apply eyelashes in this area with the indent tool and so keep this graphite free for now.  When indenting, you may need to work with a lamp close to the paper at an angle so you can see where you are placing the markings as you go along. Add as few or as many indents as you wish in your portrait and for best effects, press into the paper - using a heavyweight paper such as 300gsm and upwards is ideal for this as you won't tear the paper and it is more likely the indents will stay 'clean' without the worry of the pencil being pushed into the grooves on the paper as you blend later. 

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Once you have finished indenting, the first base layer can now be applied with a 2B grade. It is recommended that you apply the pencil following the direction of the indent so as not to accidentally push any graphite pencil into the grooves, another tip is to spin the paper round as you are laying your base layer so you can carry on applying the layers without having to twist your arm round at the same time. The arrows on the second photo shows the direction you should apply the pencil and by using the full length of the lead means you limit the amount of hard edges which makes blending far easier. Do not worry about applying the layer too heavily as the blending process softens the finish anyway. If you have applied too gently, you can always repeat the process until you get a nice, dark shade in preparation for blending. The darker it becomes, the brighter the indented 'highlights' appear and the more effective your work.

Once you are happy with the shade of your base, it will now need to be blended to soften any harsh edges that may have been created by the pencil.  Wrap a clean tissue around your index finger and following the same direction as you applied the indents, gently pull the tissue across the paper. Alternatively, you can get more control if you use a paper stump or a tortillion as the tip is much finer and you can work smaller areas. Clean tortillions are not as effective as well used ones as you have excessive pencil on the tip so it simply blends the tones already laid as opposed to transferring some of the pencil onto the tip of the blender. You should still be able to see the white indents and hopefully you have worked with the lines instead of against them to avoid pushing graphite into the paper grooves.

You will notice, after all that blending that the initial base tone and outline has been muted so much that you will need to apply a second layer. There is no limit as to how many layers you apply following the same process before, but do be aware that each time you repeat this, the more likely it is that some of the pencil will fall into the indents, so you do need to be careful. Using the 6B grade, fill in the dark shadows above and below the eye area as well as inside the eye itself. Deepen the outline once again in preparation for blending using the image above as a guide if it is easier than working from the reference image for this detail.  Using the 4B grade, reapply a second base layer over the outer areas using the exact same process as you did the first time. Always apply following the direction of each hair you indented and follow up by blending with the tissue or blending stump following that same direction. As before, the grade of the pencil will lighten somewhat with blending

Related articles that may be of interest​

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Discover the Derwent Graphic pencils.

One of the best papers for pencil artists. Find out why!

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Using the 6B pencil, apply another layer over the iris, making sure you avoid the highlights, these can easily brightened up a little later. Use the 8B pencil to create the darkest shadows above and below the eyelashes as well as deepening the shadows at both corners of the eye. As before, you can use the images above to recreate the detail on your own drawing, note that the bottom half of the iris should be kept lighter than the top which helps to create depth in your portrait. Once you have finished the shading you do not need to blend the whole area this time, you should only soften the edges of the dark areas with a blending stump which will allow you more control than using a tissue. Ensure the shaded area below the eye itself stays much darker than the fur area below it, simply soften the harsh edges at the bottom so it appears to blend into the lighter area.

Once you have applied all the shading, the next stage is to pull the highlights back as they will have become darkened somewhat with all the pencil layers - this can be minimised if you used a wider emboss tool on a heavier weight paper allowing you to press deeper into the paper. The Strathmore Bristol paper used for this drawing is the lightest at 260gsm but you can also buy it in weights of 390gsm and 520gsm which allows you to apply far more layers. To lighten up the indents, a battery powered eraser will achieve a more effective finish than a pencil rubber and I would recommend that you have both in your pencil case. The powered eraser is controlled by the push of a button usually on the top of the body and if you have not used one of these items before, I would recommend that you try a few samples on a separate sheet of paper as they are quite powerful and have a tendency to run around on the paper if you do not learn to control it correctly first. To remove excess pencil from the paper, place the clean tip on the paper and quickly pull upwards and off the paper which will help to create a sharp point at the end much like real hair does. Continue with the rest of the fur, highlighting both short and long fur where you want to create bright highlights, but keep the tip of the rubber clean throughout by running it over a spare sheet of paper whenever it becomes too laden with graphite. Wherever bits of rubber are left on the paper, use the soft brush to dust it away rather than touching the paper with your hand which can transfer oils from your skin onto the paper and spoil your drawing.

To soften the hard starting points of the highlights just created, apply individual hairs using the 4B pencil to help soften these edges. Check the image above with the green battery powered eraser in the corner and then the one below it so you can see what I mean about the harsh white edges that require softening with pencil. The intention is to create a more natural finish whilst minimising hard edges. Brighten the highlights in the eye area too and then reapply the darkest shadows in between the white fur using the 8B pencil. This should not need blending but if you have created hard edges, use a small paper blender to soften the edges a little

Having completed all the fur including the highlights, I use the sharp edge of a rubber/eraser to pull out the highlights of the iris and the lid line along the bottom of the eye. You can use a soft putty rubber instead for this which is more pliable or break off a corner of your rubber and use the tip of that instead. Soften using the paper stump to avoid a harsh edged finish.

Complete

To finish up, it is important to ensure there are no harsh edges and to finalise those darker areas using the 6B  pencil. Apply any long and dark whiskers to your portrait too and if you need to brighten any highlights, ensure you balance it out again by applying some dark strands of fur to soften any obvious edges where you have erased the pencil away. As you can see from the final portrait to the right, your own drawing should have a balance of highlights and shadows which will help to create the 3D effect seen in this image. Make a mistake, it can easily be erased but remember, your dogs eye should reflect your own style and I encourage you to embrace this rather than try and copy my style.

​I hope you enjoyed this tutorial, and if you would like to request a subject for inclusion in a future mini tutorial, please get in touch!

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Highlights - Embossing or erasing?

At an old Art Workshop of mine, a Spaniel eye was created using the same techniques as explained on this page and I have picked out 3 of the portraits that show you how different techniques and styles can impact your work. There is no right or wrong way to create your portrait and every sample below is highly impactive but for very different reasons.
Which one do you prefer?

​The artist spent a lot of time applying heavy indents to the paper before laying any pencil down, this minimised the need to erase later on and with this patience and dedication, it helped them create a highly detailed drawing.

This artist applied a few light indents to the paper before applying graphite. Some of the highlights later applied were created with a rubber. This is slightly looser than the first example but still highly effective.

Although indents were applied to this portrait, the artist chose to create their highlights mostly by erasing the graphite. The thicker highlights help to create higher impact to the final drawing.

View Our Other Graphite Pencil Tutorials

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​Tutorial created: December 2019