There are a number of different graphite drawing techniques you can use to create different effects in your drawings. Hatching is a great way to add shading and depth to your drawings. To hatch, simply draw a series of close parallel lines. These can be in any direction, but usually follow the contours of whatever you’re drawing.

In summary, all you really need for graphite drawing is a pencil, a piece of paper, an eraser and a sharpener. Finally, graphite pencils are cheap, easy to transport and they do not make a mess. This is why almost everyone has tried graphite drawing and why it’s the first art medium that people experiment with.

Professional illustrators still create graphite preparatory drawings because the surface adjusts easily: erase, refine, layer soft B grades for tonal studies, then scan or project the drawing under paint.

Graphite drawing techniques sit at the core of nearly every artist’s skill set, from thumbnail sketches to museum-ready portraits. In our 12 Essential Drawing Mediums article, graphite claimed pride of place because it’s the simplest, cleanest way to master value, edge control, and texture before branching into ink, charcoal, or paint.