I find that the technique of drawing in black and white can be quite a fun activity. It forces you to focus on the contrasts of light and dark tones and create an image in tint rather than color. The main thing to think about when trying a black and white drawing technique is whether the subject of the image is attractive enough. Think about how to increase the impact of your drawing by choosing a single subject placed in a flat field and in bright light.
The dog Poppy became my nature, and I chose a rather harmless portrait, placing it against the sunlight. In all its glory, a striking profile and rich black hair appeared. Depicting fur and feathers in black and white usually requires careful rendering of form and texture to create a more realistic look. An experienced artist begins by examining a reference photograph. Do not choose a photo that is valuable for the image itself - take the liberty of editing it. This way you can extract as much information as possible.
In the case of Poppy's photo, I have chosen only one fragment that I want to focus on. I also increased the contrast of the image (this can be easily done either with Photoshop or the iPad or Smartphone app) to get a better look at the texture of the fur.
Art materials used:
- Paints: Cadmium Orange, Cobalt Turquoise, Lamp Black and Mars Black, Permanent White gouache.
- Paper: non-watercolor paper 300gsm, 50x40cm
- Round brushes from Pro Arte Series 007, size 0, 2, 7, 10 and 12; nylon from Pro Arte Series 31, size 0000; Royal Sovereign Contour Brush, size 2
- Masking fluid
1. Sketch out the main points
First, I make a sketch on thick paper, carefully looking at the curls of the wool. When the result completely satisfies me, I transfer it to a sheet of watercolor paper. Apply masking fluid to capture the basic fur shapes and main details, using a large area brush and a cheap 0000 size brush to create fine lines.
2. Make a bright orange accent
The introduction of vibrant color can really spice up a black and white painting. Here a mixture of Cadmium Orange and Cobalt Turquoise is used to highlight Poppy's leash - bright orange looks great on black wool. I also chose to paint the darkest details, including the eyes and the ring on the leash, with black watercolor paint. This means that later I can apply lighter shades, and these details will stand out.
3. Add another layer of masking fluid
Masking fluid should not be used on plain paper. In this case, you need to wait until the layer of orange paint on the leash dries, and only then apply strokes of masking fluid. When I later added more orange, the areas that were protected by the masking fluid helped create the intricate, textured structure of the leash. I also ran masking fluid all over Poppy's leash to keep the black paint from bleeding in the later stages.
4. A layer of black paint
Once the masking fluid is dry, apply a base coat of Mars Black (a rich, bluish black, great for creating shadows) and Lamp Black (a warmer shade of black, good for highlighting details). Try to avoid too much wetting of the layer, as when the black color dries, it can turn into a lighter, gray layer.
5. Building textures
Let the previous layer completely dry. Examine the shape and texture of the coat again and apply more masking fluid, this time paying attention to the finer details of the pet's coat. To change the texture, you need to make sure that these new lines go through the black layer and white paper. When the next layers are applied, this is what will add zest to the surface of the picture.
Here I start working on the shadows using Mars Black, looking closely at how the fur reflects the light. All the necessary information should be visible in the reference photo, so take a close look at it and draw what you see, not what you want to see. The key here is observation.
7. Remove masking liquid
Remove the masking liquid with your fingers. Make sure the painting is completely dry before doing this; if it is wet, then the masking liquid can damage the surface of the paper. Once the masking fluid is removed, it is necessary to pay attention to how the different forms of fur fit together and decide what else needs to be added to the pattern.
8. Layer of shades
The masking liquid will keep some areas of the paper under Poppy's fur white, so they need to be darkened a little to give shadows that can soften the black layer. Painting over areas previously covered with masking fluid gives the coat a layered feel, as the contrasts created in the early layers are evident.
9. Outline shape and fur
Poppy has a white streak on her chest that needs to be masked out before applying the next coats. Other outstanding details are also worth highlighting. Once the masking fluid was dry, I painted in the finer details of the fur with small round brushes. I tried to create a sense of form by adding shadows along the lines on Poppy's face and fur.
10. Evaluation time
I stepped back and tried to identify those areas that needed additional contrast or adjustment. This is more subtle work. Using black, white, turquoise and orange pencils, I assessed the reference photo and focused on the eyes, fur, collar and carabiners.
11. Finishing touches
Once I'm done with black paint, I can start working with white gouache and white pencil to create as many reflections, details, and tufts of wool as possible. Since Poppy is drawn on a white background, all rough edges can be softened with white gouache.
Black and white images of girls are a classic. Such pictures look good in the interior, as prints on clothes and for decorating your own diaries and notebooks. However, not everyone will be able to draw an illustration the way it is seen in the head. To do this, you can use ready-made works or photographs.
Drawing from photos
If the artist has drawing skills to a fairly good degree, you can try to take as a basis photo portrait of a girl in black and white. This is necessary to make it easier to navigate the light and shadow.
You will need an ordinary simple pencil, eraser, paper and a sharpener. It is recommended to take thick paper, which is designed for watercolor. On it, the work will look more interesting and of high quality. If you take an ordinary thin sheet, it may tear. When drawing a portrait of a girl, there will be a lot of extra details. delete with eraser.
Work sequence:
- First you need to find your favorite photo. It is not worth taking very complex pictures, especially if this kind of illustration is performed for the first time;
- then we get to work, having previously prepared all the art materials and accessories;
- first with a pencil main details outlined: horizon line, figure, large objects in the foreground and background;
- the main elements of the girl's figure are drawn: waist, limbs, face, hair, clothing and what she can hold in her hands;
- go to the background and draw what is behind the heroine. To make it easier for yourself the first time, you can make the background plain or simplify it as much as possible. For example, if a girl is in nature in a photograph, you just need to draw the sky, vegetation and the surface on which she should stand - bare ground, grass, sand, tiles, and so on;
- important pay attention to correct shading to make every item look natural. To do this, you need to focus on the photo. In the original, the girl sits on a stump or log - you need to draw bark and moss. If this is not done, the end result will not be what it should have been originally;
- then pay attention to the light and shadow. This is especially true of the girl's face, as well as objects of the foreground.
Among other things, you can take a portrait photo as a basis, but such work has its own nuances. For example, work on facial features. Do not think that drawing a portrait is easier. On the contrary, it will require even more knowledge of academic drawing. So you should start with a full-length image of a girl.
Sketching from other people's work
If the artist is a beginner and he still has little experience, you should turn to the already finished works of other authors. It is important to pay attention to the style - you don’t need to choose too realistic illustrations, it’s better pay attention to minimalistic drawings. By the way, you can also use art created with a tablet. Interpretation on paper will look no less interesting.
Simple black and white illustrations of girls in pencil do not require knowledge of the laws of chiaroscuro and strict observance of proportions. You can take a picture of some cute little girl and portray her by adding your own elements of clothing or changing her hairstyle.
Drawing art from scratch
If you can't find a job to draw, you can try reproduce your own idea on one's own. Both experienced artists and beginners can try, but the latter should simplify their idea as much as possible.
To create a black and white girl, you will need all the same materials: a pencil, thick watercolor paper, an eraser and a sharpener.
The work plan looks like this:
- on a sheet objects of the second and first plan are outlined, including the heroine herself;
- after that, her face, clothes, body, as well as other objects of the first plan are worked out;
- draw the background, work on the volume of details of the second plan;
- then it all depends on the style in which the picture is made. If the drawing is made in the style of minimalism, we move on to shading, and if it is realistic, we work on proportions, light and shadows.
It is worth noting that drawing portraits of girls from the head is very difficult. This idea can be implemented either professional and experienced craftsman or by drawing.
Tips to help you draw better
Some important nuances for beginner artists will help in creating the first art:
- no need to take the complex work of famous authors for sketching. Most likely, it will turn out not at all what was expected to be seen. Perfect for first pictures. cartoon girls and girls made in black and white;
- if the author decided to depict the character in black and white, you should not add color in the process of work - this will only ruin the drawing. But colorless art will look stylized, regardless of the genre chosen by the artist;
- you need to work only with high-quality materials. It is not necessary to buy expensive art supplies, but the pencil must be sharpened and the eraser clean;
- Don't give up if your first job doesn't turn out the way you expected it to. You can draw everything - the main thing is to train.
It is worth saying that every artist started somewhere, so it is important to set yourself up for constant training and exercise. After some time, the pictures will become better and better, and each author will achieve the desired result.
Any graphic drawing can be attributed either to linear graphics or to spot graphics. In the first case, it will be a drawing with lines, in the second - stain pattern. It is also possible to combine lines and spots in one composition. Each of these cases has its own peculiarity for perception, its own meaning and beauty.
We have already said a lot about the special expressiveness of the line, and now let's look at something else visual tool - SPOT. Spot graphics are no less diverse and interesting.
SILHOUETTE IN GRAPHICS
The simplest version of black and white compositions is the SILHOUETTE, a black image on a white background or white on black. You have probably seen such black and white drawings in books.
These drawings are two-dimensional, very conditional and concise.
silhouette art has an ancient history and goes back to the figurative painting on the vessels of Ancient Greece. Remember those beautiful images on amphorae: mythological scenes, the Olympic Games, the figures of Greek beauties and athletes?..
The real boom in silhouette art came in the 18th and 19th centuries. We can say that then the manufacture of silhouettes was a craze.
Many artists have paid tribute to this type of graphics and created beautiful examples of silhouette work.
Wherever they found application: illustrations, portraits, drawings on screens, dishes and in the interior ... The ability to create silhouette compositions was taught even at the Institute of Noble Maidens!
traditional silhouette portraits cut out of black paper and pasted on a white background. The contrast of black and white made it possible to accurately and quickly convey the features of the appearance, because the profile of a person in silhouette is very easily recognizable.
Ease of execution and, accordingly, low cost made this type of graphics very popular. However, in order for the picture to be expressive, it is important to very accurately notice the features of the outlines of the shape of a particular character, to give its characteristic details.
About ten years ago, I did my own silhouette portraits. Sharp scissors, black paper, a trained eye - and in 10-15 minutes your sitter will be imprinted for centuries. Good entertainment at a party or extra money in a hungry year… 🙂
Although, of course, silhouette compositions can be much more complex and attractive to look at than just portraits.
BLACK AND WHITE PICTURES WITH SHADES OF GRAY
However, in addition to a locally black spot, all shades of gray can be used in the graphics. We see these gradations in charcoal, sauce, pastel, and ink drawings. 
In this case, the image can already be three-dimensional, realistic, very reliably conveying reality.
But be that as it may, here plasticity and expressiveness of the spot are of great importance. The artists of China and Japan are especially virtuoso in their use of the expressiveness of the spot.
Despite the simplicity of the motive, their graphic sheets are unusually attractive. The game of blurry and clear spots, the beautiful flow of gray colors, the perfection and harmony of forms. 
And now, with all our guts, we feel the tender, refined, so fragile leaves of an orchid, the soft fur of a cat, the speed of a horse’s swift run, the joy of a bird’s flight ...
Based on the example of these works, we can understand that spot pattern is more than a recognizable silhouette.
This is a very important point that I would like to convey to you.
The expressiveness of the image can be laid
NOT ONLY in the recognizability of the silhouette (which is depicted),
but also IN THE MOST FORM of stains (as pictured).
WHAT CAN THE SPOT TELL ABOUT?
Let's take different spots as an example.
Even if our eye does not find familiar outlines in any of these spots (and it tries very hard), then we can associate the shape of the spot with certain sensations.
For example, we can say whether this spot is calm or moving, aggressive or friendly, delicately refined or monumentally massive.
What associations do certain spots evoke in you? Can you feel them?
I suggest you watch the recording of one of my speeches at Periscope (from the training “Discover the Creator in yourself”). In it, I share the practice of creating spots with different characters.
After completing the exercises, you will be able to free your hand and create your own artistic images, allowing the stain to “speak” in the language of silhouettes.
Spot Language in Graphics: Practical Exercises
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SHAPE OF THE SPOT
From the main forms of the spot, we can distinguish four, each of which affects the viewer in a different way:
- Square and rectangle.
A finished, stable form, ready to express affirming images. The square is the most static and heavy, not prone to movement. - A circle.
Closed compact form focused on itself. Having no expressed basis, the circle is always unstable. For a person, the circle is associated with the concepts of “good”, “happiness”, “life”. - Triangle.
The most mobile, dynamic form, stable only if one of the sides is horizontal. The triangle is a symbol of movement, energy, sometimes even aggression. - Amoeba form.
Its fluidity expresses unstable images in a wide range from romanticism, melancholy to pessimism.
Modern artists actively use the spot precisely as a “spot”. 🙂 Admire! a master class on inkblotography
So, from this article you learned that no matter what graphic drawing you create, whether silhouette or tonal, it is important to remember about the EXPRESSION of the spot.
Improve your skills in creating spots that are interesting in shape, proportions and dynamics, and your drawings will be more expressive and attractive! I wish you success!
I would be grateful for the comments and repost of the article on social networks!
Found some great tips Bobby Chiu(one of the leading teachers on Schoolism) on how to make black and white drawings better, which I share. Some of this may seem simple, but all the tips really work. Monochrome drawings are an important part of learning to draw, they develop an understanding of tone, volume and more, and they are a little easier to draw. The tips below apply to drawing with pencils, pens, and markers.
Wipe away excess ink on a separate sheet.
Ballpoint pens are a wonderful medium and can be used to create beautiful subtle contrasting strokes.
But when you draw with a pen, always in the process of work, excess paste appears on the rod, which must be removed. I've seen artists do this many times in the margins of their work, but it's best to use a separate sheet for this. you need to press the tip of the rod to the paper and twist it a little. So the lines of the pen will be clear, thin and there will be no blots at work.
Use different shades of gray.
This tip works great with markers - there's usually a wide range of cool and warm grays. Using not one marker, but several, you can add depth to the drawing and it will look more interesting.
Draw a sketch for a marker drawing with a simple pencil.
Before doing the work with a marker, sketch out a sketch with a simple pencil. The beauty of the method is that after the markers dry, according to Bobby, the pencil drawing can be easily erased without damaging the marker drawing.
Don't throw away dry markers.
Many people tend to refill the marker at the first sign of drying, but semi-dry markers and felt-tip pens are a completely independent tool for creating amazing textures. Try using them to draw shallow shadows or uneven surfaces in your drawing.
Use all the possibilities of a pencil.
Pencil drawing is as unique as handwriting. Use a variety of strokes and pressure to emphasize the shape and achieve texture. I’ll add on my own that it’s very useful to make yourself a sheet with a “texture library”, where you can collect strokes of various shapes and directions, and look at it while drawing, so as not to get hung up on ordinary strokes.
Remember light.
While drawing with a pencil, it is very easy to darken the light places, and it can be very difficult to return the light tone, so do not rush to make the drawing contrast. If you feel that you are darkening the picture, put the drawing aside for a while to understand where you need to stop and where you can still work.
Use multiple pencils.
No one forbids drawing with one pencil, but as a rule, beautiful strokes, a clear drawing, and deep shadows can only be achieved using pencils of different softness. The order of work is from the hardest to the softest. It is convenient to sketch out the sketch and the first shadows with the H pencil and gradually move along the softness ruler with the darkening of the picture (I usually stop at 6B or 8B).
Protect your work.
Such a simple advice and for some reason many neglect it. Place a blank sheet of paper under your working palm so as not to smear the drawing. Life hack: it is better to use matte tracing paper - this way you can see the whole work.
Draw sketches or thumbnails before you start.
Also simple advice and also often not followed. Thumbnails are such small handwritings with the location and composition of the future drawing. This is an obligatory stage before large works, but it also helps in small drawings. A sketch can be very approximate, but even it will seriously simplify life.
These simple tips from a good practitioner will make your drawing neater and teach you good habits. What helps you when drawing with a pencil, pens or markers?
In order for a portrait of a person to have the maximum resemblance to the depicted person, first of all, you need to correctly draw his eyes. In this lesson, you will learn how to draw a person's eyes in stages with a simple pencil.
If you are going to draw someone's portrait, even with a simple pencil, get ready for the fact that you will have to make several sketches and ruin a lot of sheets of paper.
On New Year's Eve, the drawing of Santa Claus and the Snow Maiden becomes very relevant. I hope this step-by-step lesson in the technique of a simple pencil will help you draw Santa Claus correctly.
When drawing a portrait, it is often enough just to correctly draw the eyes, lips and nose, and a certain similarity of the posing person will appear.
The nose of each person has unique features, so it is impossible to give accurate advice on how to draw the nose of a girl, child or man.
Drawing a hand is not difficult at all, especially life-size. To do this, just draw around the contours of your hand with a pencil.
Do not complicate the drawing of comic characters. The image of the figure and face of people should be without much detail, almost schematic, slightly in a cartoonish, comic tone.
If you know how to draw a human face, then drawing a mermaid will not be difficult, because instead of legs, a mermaid has a fishtail.
The eyes of the girls, drawn in anime style, are unnaturally large, with long eyelashes and huge black pupils.
The lesson on how to draw a cartoon character Sonic is designed for very young children. The lesson is made with a simple pencil, but you can draw with felt-tip pens or colored pencils.
Drawing Winnie the Pooh in stages is not difficult at all and the picture of Winnie the Pooh will definitely turn out well.
This drawing of Spider-Man is done with a simple pencil, but you can draw it with felt-tip pens or colored pencils.
If you draw Iron Man in stages with a pencil, you will definitely get a beautiful picture of this hero. To make Iron Man more spectacular, be sure to color the drawing.
This manga style drawing is done in pencil, but there is almost the same color drawing on the site, done on a graphics tablet.
The hero of this lesson was the character of the famous cartoon about Pokemon. The drawing is made step by step, so even small children can handle this task.
Since Patrick is a starfish, the shape of his body resembles a five-pointed star. This lesson is intended for the youngest visitors to the site.
Another lesson is for children. I hope it will not be difficult to draw SpongeBob even for small children who are just starting to learn how to draw.
This doll looks more like a little princess with a high collar and lots of lace on her dress.
There are many Smeshariki and they all look alike, because their body resembles a ball or a ball. Try to draw Smesharik Krosh in stages with a pencil.
Smesharik the Hedgehog differs from Smeshariki Krosh only in that you need to draw needles along the contour of his body.
In this lesson we will draw a chimpanzee monkey step by step. If you need a drawing of a different species of monkey, you can draw it from a photograph.
Try to draw this graceful cat called jaguar. Of course, such a "cat" as the Jaguar only looks like a domestic cat and hunts not for mice, but for artiodactyls.
If you like to draw animals, be sure to draw this cute and cute Koala bear in stages with a pencil.
The bear in children's drawings has a friendly and peaceful character. In the wild, it is a dangerous and aggressive animal.
The fox looks like a dog, but in addition to a lush tail, the original bright red color of the fur has a number of other differences, for example, a narrow and long muzzle.
An elephant is very easy to draw. You will be convinced of this if you try to draw an elephant with me in stages with a simple pencil.
If you tried to draw a snake and a bird, then drawing a dragon will not be difficult for you. A drawing of a dragon made in black and white pencil does not even need to be painted.
When drawing a camel, be sure to draw the surrounding desert landscape. It's easy to draw sand and a bright sun, but you get a real picture.
The drawing of the spider does not have to be painted. It is quite enough to shade the spider with a simple pencil, and for realism, draw a web around the spider.
The snake inspires panic fear in many, since some snakes are very poisonous. But in fact, this is an ordinary animal from the reptile family, using poison for self-defense.
Drawing for children with a simple pencil is best done in stages, at first outlining only the general contours of the frog. And then, step by step, draw the whole picture.
The most difficult thing to draw a bee is transparent wings with veins. I think with the help of this lesson you can easily cope with it.
A black and white drawing of an ant made with a simple pencil will look quite realistic.
The main thing is to correctly draw a long and narrow muzzle of a hedgehog. Numerous hedgehog needles are easy to draw. To make the hedgehog look more realistic, draw nearby mushrooms or fallen apples that the hedgehog picks in the fall.
What only unusual animals are not on our planet. The panda bear is an extraordinarily beautiful and unique animal that lives only in China.
Draw a crocodile with an open mouth. So it will be easier for you to express in the drawing the ferocious and predatory nature of this most ancient creature of our planet.
A squirrel can be drawn "from life", because in any park you can meet this wonderful animal and even feed it from your hand.
No one knows exactly what a dinosaur looked like. It may have looked exactly like the picture.
Outwardly, the scorpion is somewhat reminiscent of cancer, only the claws of the scorpion are smaller, and on the edge of the tail there is a dangerous poisonous sting.
Think you can't draw such a beautiful dragonfly as in my drawing? And you try. The main thing is to take a sharper pencil so that the lines are thin and clear.
All dogs are similar to each other and at the same time no two dogs are the same. Let's draw a very cute and good-natured St. Bernard dog rescuing people caught in snow avalanches.
Many children keep hamsters at home, funny and cute animals. Take a piece of paper and a simple pencil and let's try to draw your pet step by step.
If you need to draw a pony, this cute little horse, then this lesson will help you do it step by step.
The donkey is very similar to a pony, but why does he need such long ears? However, it doesn't matter. It is only important that you can draw a donkey correctly and beautifully with the help of this lesson.
Beginning artists draw the horse's hind legs in the same way as the front. Don't make this standard mistake. Look carefully, the horse's hind legs are bent backwards.
I really like this assignment lesson. It is very simple, and at the same time allows any person to accurately draw a horse's head.
In this lesson, you will learn how to draw a rabbit in stages with a simple pencil. With the help of simple steps, you can quickly and easily draw a rabbit, try it.
Drawing a kitten is exciting, especially when the drawing "succeeds". Try to draw a kitten step by step according to this lesson.
Do you need to draw mushrooms? Then take this lesson. Step by step, you will draw the most popular white mushroom among mushroom pickers.
The maple leaf is very beautiful, especially in autumn when it changes its green color to shades of yellow and red.
This lesson is quite simple, you just need to correctly draw the "house" of the snail. To make the snail drawing more realistic, also draw a leaf of grapes.
What kind of patterns does not happen on the wings of a butterfly. The wings of even an ordinary cabbage butterfly are like an artist's palette with multi-colored spots of paint.
It is not difficult to draw a sea landscape, it is much more difficult to convey the depth of color, breaking sea waves against the rocks.
Often we do not notice what surrounds us and what we cannot live without. Trees and plants are the basis of our nature. Protect the environment!
Flowers, green grass, tree leaves not only purify our air from harmful impurities, but also decorate our lives. Look around with "other" eyes and you will understand how carefully we need to treat our nature.
You may need a drawing of a Christmas tree closer to the New Year. In addition to drawing a festive tree, the site has a lesson on how to draw Santa Claus.
There are no identical snowflakes, so you can come up with any shape of a snowflake, the main thing is that its "rays" are absolutely symmetrical.
A ladybug must be painted with colored pencils or paints, or even better, draw it against the background of the nature surrounding it: green leaves, bright flower buds.
Against the backdrop of space darkness, the Shuttle will look especially impressive. This spacecraft can turn into a plane and, after descending from orbit, will land on its own on Earth.
Helicopters, like airplanes, are civil and military. In this lesson, you will be able to draw the most common brand of civil helicopter in our country in stages.
Drawing a military aircraft you will definitely turn out beautiful if you can draw the wings correctly and symmetrically.
Drawing of an English military fighter from the Second World War. The lesson is made with a simple pencil.
Drawing a car will be much easier for you if you do it in stages. First you need to mark up the body, and then, step by step, finish drawing other parts of the car.
