Silverpoint

Lines from the shoulder

Ghosting: the pencil rehearses the line in the air several times, then lands once, moving from the shoulderGHOSTING A STRAIGHT LINEstart dotend dotrehearse 3 to 4 times without touchingWRONG · WRIST PIVOT CURVES ITRIGHT · SHOULDER, LOCKED WRISTLook at the end dot, not the pencil point. The hand goes where the eye is.
FigureGhosting a line
FoundationLine + Mass

Lines from the shoulder

Ghosting, straight lines, and parallel sets

Draw a straight line between two dots, confidently, in one stroke, from the shoulder.

Difficulty
Time
about 0.5 h
You draw with
HB with a long point
Ghosting a lineThe two gripsBoard, light and posture

Why this one

  • Unit 1 of the program: Instrument Control.
  • Two sheets of lines that are straight to within a pencil's width, each drawn as a single stroke.

From your kit

The whole kit →
  1. 1Grafwood HB HB for layout and line. Long points from the Blackwing on everything up to B.
  2. 2Kneaded eraser and the Mono Zero press-and-lift corrections only; the Mono Zero for a single sharp light.
  3. 3Alpha sketchbook 9 x 6 draw at the book's size and keep the proportions; date the page.
In general, this study asks for
  • Copier paper
  • HB with a long point

Watch first

All videos →

Tripod and overhand grips, and drawing from the shoulder. Watch before Foundations session 1.

YouTube
How to sharpen a pencil with a knife (for drawing)Jake Bussell Art · The long point, step by step, with the sandpaper block.How to sharpen a pencil with a knife (like an artist)Fine Art Tutorials · A second angle on the same skill; useful if the first one did not click.

The plan

5 stages · ~37 min
  1. 1

    Dot to dot

    8 min

    Put two dots about six inches apart. Hover the pencil over the first and swing it to the second four times without touching the paper, eyes on the second dot. On the fifth swing, lower the pencil and let it land. Repeat with new dot pairs at different angles until the sheet is full. Then fill another.

    Ghosting: the pencil rehearses the line in the air several times, then lands once, moving from the shoulderGHOSTING A STRAIGHT LINEstart dotend dotrehearse 3 to 4 times without touchingWRONG · WRIST PIVOT CURVES ITRIGHT · SHOULDER, LOCKED WRISTLook at the end dot, not the pencil point. The hand goes where the eye is.
    FigureRehearse, commit, eyes on the end dot.
    Checklist0 / 1
  2. 2

    Longer and longer

    8 min

    Now dots ten inches apart, then across the whole sheet. When a line is longer than your forearm travels comfortably, turn the paper and draw it toward you. Never bend the wrist to extend a line.

    Checklist0 / 1
  3. 3

    Parallel sets

    8 min

    Draw one line. Then a second parallel to it, half an inch away. Then a third. Build a set of ten. Then a set of ten verticals, then ten at forty-five degrees. Parallel sets are what hatching is made of, so this drill pays for itself in every future lesson.

    Checklist0 / 1
  4. 4

    Check with a ruler

    8 min

    Lay a ruler along five of your lines. Where they curve, they were drawn from the wrist. Note which direction curves most; that is the direction to practise tomorrow.

    Checklist0 / 1
  5. 5

    Self-check

    5 min

    Tick each item honestly. If one is a no, the session is not finished; go back to that step.

    Checklist0 / 3

What it should look like

  • Two sheets of lines that are straight to within a pencil's width, each drawn as a single stroke.

Where it goes wrong

  • Hairy lines made of short overlapping strokes. Drawing with the fingers and correcting as you go. One stroke. If it is wrong, draw a new one next to it. Never patch.
  • Lines that curve toward the end. The wrist took over as the arm ran out of travel. Turn the paper. Shorter lines until the arm learns.

Log this session

Start the clock when you pick up the pencil. Stop it when you put it down. Log it. Every session counts toward the box.

00:00of ~30 min

Status

How did it go?

Up nextThe pressure ramp and layering