Stop Buying Tools. Learn These Simple Tricks Instead!

What if I told you that you can draw long hair, short hair, leather, shiny metal and realistic skin all using just a few basic tools. In this video you are going to learn how to control texture instead of constantly switching materials. Because realism is not about having more tools, it is about knowing how to use the ones you already have. So let's get started. Okay so let's start by making your own graphite powder and for that you just need the desired grade of pencil and a scraper. Now start rubbing the pencil over a scraper and it will convert the solid graphite into powder. You can also use sandpaper if you don't have a scraper. Both work the same. And the fun part is that you can create it in any grade you want from 2H to 8P. This DIY graphite powder spreads softly and allows gradual value buildup instead of harsh pencil lines. Okay so now place the powder on the background area and start blending it using a medium-sized dry brush. This brush will help you go into all the small nooks and corners very easily without accidentally smudging over the outline. It also keeps your movements controlled and stays close to the edges so they remain clean and sharp. Once you are done covering the tighter areas you can switch to a bigger size brush for the larger portions. This will help you spread the graphite more evenly and save time but make sure you are still keeping your pressure light. Move your hand in small circular motions and let the graphite settle gradually into the paper instead of forcing it. If you rush this step or press too hard the background can become patchy and uneven and fixing that later becomes difficult. So take your time here and focus on creating a smooth and balanced base. The smoother your background is at this stage the more professional and realistic your final drawing will look. Okay so now start adding the B graphite powder on the face as well. Begin with the darker areas first and gently layer the powder using a Do not try to make the area dark in one go. Instead build the tone slowly and gradually. Add a little powder and blend it softly then only add more if required. Add more powder on the areas that look dark in your reference image and use very little powder on the areas where light is hitting. The parts that are folding inward will automatically stay darker because light does not reach there properly. As you continue layering you will notice that depth is already starting to appear even before we add any hair texture. That is the power of a well-built 3d base. One common mistake here is trying to create strong contrast too early without preparing the foundation. When you jump directly to very dark values the blending becomes difficult and the surface may turn patchy. It is always easier to darken an area later than to remove excess graphite. So at this stage do not think about hair or fine details. Focus on building the structure underneath because realism always starts from the layers beneath the details. Once the base is balanced and smooth adding texture on top becomes much easier and more controlled. All the reference images you need including the grid and outline versions are available on our academy site to make your drawing process smoother and more structured. Okay so now let's see how we can create a realistic hair texture on the skin and my go-to tool for sharp hair is Mono Zero Eraser. You just have to place the tip gently where you want the stroke to begin. Keep the pressure light at first then slowly increase it as you move toward the middle of the stroke and finally reduce the pressure again as you flick it outward. This will give you thin ends with a slightly brighter center which looks much more natural for hair. Make sure not to make every stroke the same length or the same brightness. Real hair is not standing in a school assembly line. Some strands are longer, some are shorter, some catch more light and some stay softer. So slightly change your pressure. Adjust the spacing between strokes and overlap a few of them here and there. That small variation will instantly make the texture look more real. Also make sure you are following the curve of the ear underneath. If the ear is rounded but your strokes are straight the whole area will start to look flat. Think of it like wrapping ribbon around a ball. The ribbon must follow the curve otherwise it looks messy instead of wrapped around. If any area starts looking too bright do not panic. Simply go back with a pencil and add a few darker strokes in between the highlights. Hair always looks more realistic when light sits right beside shadow. Without that darker support highlights can look chalky and artificial. That balance between light and dark is what makes the texture believable. It is not about adding more strokes it is about placing them wisely. Okay so now let's add some main hair texture as well and the process remains the same. Place the razor right on the edge of the darker base and start flicking it downward in one confident motion. Always keep in mind that for the main allow the strokes to be slightly longer and more flowing compared to the facial hair. Main hair is heavier and falls downward so let your wrist move more freely instead of keeping the strokes too short or stiff. If your strokes look too straight and rigid the main will start looking like dry grass instead of soft hair. Notice that you are placing these brighter strokes only on the lighter areas between the darker base strokes. This is very important. When a bright strand sits beside a darker one it immediately looks more realistic. If you add bright strokes without darker support they will look flat and if everything stays dark the texture will completely disappear. Okay so now for the side of the face the technique of adding hair will remain the same but the only thing which will change is the direction and length of the hair. So adjust your wrist slightly to follow the natural curve of the cheek. The strokes direction should not be random they should respond to the form underneath. Many beginners repeat the same straight strokes everywhere. When the direction does not follow the surface the texture looks pasted on instead of blended into the skin. So always adjust the angle of your strokes according to the curve of the form and build them gradually instead of pressing too hard in the beginning. This gradual build-up keeps the texture soft and natural instead of looking scratched or forced. If you want to watch the full step-by-step tutorial of this drawing you can access it for free on our academy site. Now let's learn the leather texture for the capsun of the horse. Before starting keep in mind that leather does not shine like plastic. It has a controlled glow created by smooth transitions between light and shadow. So start by defining the edges first then build a highlight that is brighter on the light side and softer as it moves away. Now before moving further on the strap let's define the buckle as well. Since metal reflects more light so use an electric eraser first to carve out its basic shape and lift the brightest areas. This helps the metal look shiny right from the base. After that you can go around the edges using a B pencil to define them properly. Darkening around the highlights will carve them out and give the buckle a clean and solid shape instead of looking flat. To make the strap even more realistic you can add the belt holes. So start defining them using an 8B pencil. Once the holes are dark enough add a curved highlight right beside each one. That small highlight sitting next to the dark hole will instantly make it look hollow and three-dimensional. This is where highlight and depth work together to create that hyper-realistic effect. Just keep in mind where the light source is coming from and place the highlights and shadows accordingly. Many artists try to create shine with one strong white stroke but in reality the real shine comes from balance. If the highlight is too sharp you have to soften it. If it looks dull you can gently lift it again. Back and forth refinement is normal in realistic drawing as small adjustments create hyper-realistic results. Okay so before adding the fine hair on the forehead, blend the base gently using a tissue paper. Use light pressure and work in small sections so the darker and lighter areas do not mix into one flat tone. If everything gets blended together the structure underneath will disappear. Proper blending is what smooths the surface while still preserving the form you have already built. An important tip here is to use a clean part of the tissue on brighter areas because a graphite loaded tissue will dull the highlights instantly. Okay so now we will learn which tools and techniques you can use when you need brighter yet softer hair texture on the forehead. Instead of directly diving in with mono zero strokes first grab your perfection eraser and gently lift the base in the areas where light is hitting. Use light pressure and small controlled movements to create a soft highlighted foundation. This step prepares the surface so the hair does not look harsh later. After that switch to the mono zero eraser and start adding short fine strokes over this lighter base. Make sure to keep the strokes small and close together because the hair on the forehead is much finer than the main. Avoid making long or bold strokes here otherwise the texture will start looking heavy instead of soft. Many beginners press too hard or space the strokes too far apart which makes the texture look harsh and scratchy. So layer the strokes softly and gradually. That subtle buildup is what creates a natural and soft look. Okay so now let's move on to the eye because this is the area that often decides whether the whole portrait looks realistic or not. Start by defining the folds around the eye using small circular and slightly directional strokes to mimic the wrinkled texture of the skin. Keep your highlights only on the raised areas and avoid crossing over the darker crease lines. If you brighten everything the folds will disappear and the eye will start looking swollen instead of structured. Now let's move inside the iris and build soft highlights that follow its circular shape. Always move along the curve because the iris is round not flat. The bright light reflections in the iris are super important in making it look watery and shiny. So you can carve them with a mono zero eraser or electric eraser whichever you have and look how it has started to look 3d. After placing the highlights always deepen the pupil using stronger graphite. Do not be afraid to push the dark values here because this is what gives it a nice 3d look. Don't forget to darken the texture as many artists hesitate to go dark enough and the result is an eye that looks lifeless. Now let's see how the same pencil and eraser can create a realistic metallic texture. Start by lifting the graphite from inside the ring with your electric eraser. Since metal reflects more light the highlights here should be sharp and clean. Once the bright shapes are defined go around them with a B pencil to deepen the surrounding areas. That contrast between bright highlights and dark edges is what makes the metal look polished instead of flat. Also add a soft shadow where the strap overlaps the ring so the layers feel separated. Metal always depends on strong contrast. When bright and dark sit close together the surface automatically looks shiny and three-dimensional. Okay so now move to the mouth area and it has even more fine and bright hair texture. So for that kneaded eraser is the bestest tool to start with. Dab it gently over the raised portions to prepare a soft gradient. You can also use small back and forth motions to build the skin texture and wrinkles but keep the pressure low as higher pressure can make the kneaded eraser stick to the drawing paper resulting in patchiness. Okay so now that you have base highlights in place start adding some brighter strokes where the light is hitting the most using a mono zero eraser. Many beginner makes this mistake of adding too many of these brighter highlights which makes the area look flat again and that hard work of creating the 3d base first goes into the drain. So always keep tonal variance in your texture to achieve hyper realistic results. When you have added these brighter highlights use a pencil to add darker strokes in between the lighter areas. Keep alternating between light and dark strokes because this is what creates that rough skin texture. When a bright stroke sits right beside a darker one both of them start looking sharper and more defined. If you only add highlights without deepening the areas around them the surface will look chalky and if everything stays dark the texture will disappear. Also keep changing the spacing and pressure of your strokes so the surface looks organic and natural instead of repetitive or patterned. Now let's add some final touches to the mouth portion by adding the beard hair. Use your flat tip mono zero eraser and place it near the root area then flick it downward in one smooth motion. Keep slightly more pressure at the base and reduce it as you move away to create thicker roots and thin ends. Add a slight curve to the so the beard looks natural and not stiff. At the end you add small highlights using a jelly roll pen on areas where light hits the most such as the ring, sharp strap edges and buckles. And that's how we have learned how to create various textures using the same tools. Realism is not about adding more and more details it is about controlling your values. When you build the base slowly respect the structure underneath and balance your highlights with strong shadows the drawing automatically starts looking three-dimensional. Also if you are an absolute beginner and want to learn drawing from scratch you can join our drawing course on AHR Studios Academy. It is now trusted by 20,000 students across 165 countries and you can enroll today with 90% off. Thank you so much for watching and I'll see you in the next one.