Welcome to Pencil Drawing Tutor! We specialize in teaching traditional drawing techniques using graphite and charcoal. With our step-by-step tutorials, you'll learn to draw both from reference photos and completely from scratch. As our member, you'll have access to teaching materials, real-time narrated videos, reference photos, pencil sketches, and detailed written tutorials with pictures.
Join us for hand-drawn art tutorials that will help you capture realistic details and create your own masterpiece. Learn from our experienced teacher Jasmina Susak, who has guided countless students to success.
Have you always wanted to draw realistic animals but didn’t know how and where to start? We've got you covered. We’ve created a collection of step-by-step tutorials designed specifically for beginners. In our narrated videos and written tutorials with images, we’ll guide you through each stage of the process, sharing our techniques for creating lifelike textures and achieving true realism using graphite pencils.
Join our creative community and master the fundamentals of realistic fur textures. For the membership fee (cancel anytime), you can choose from different levels to suit your experience, whether you're a beginner or more advanced. We are always excited to see our students progressing nicely and bring their drawn animals to life!
With a brand new drawing tutorial added every week, our tutorial catalogue and creative community are growing fast! Each lesson is split into easy-to-follow parts, designed to help you master new techniques and improve your skills in realistic pencil drawing.
Browse through all the available pencil drawing tutorials and join our growing community to start creating your own masterpieces, guided by Jasmina Susak.
New tutorial: Learn how to draw a pencil with graphite pencils.
Pencil drawing on bristol paper: 6" x 6" (15 x 15 cm). Completed and posted on April 02, 2025.
This is the latest narrated drawing tutorial by our instructor. In this real-time video, you will learn how to draw a big tip of the pencil completely from scratch.
New tutorial: Learn how to draw inverted/negative drawing with graphite.
Pencil drawing on bristol paper: 5" x 5" (12 x 12 cm). Completed and posted on February 23, 2025.
The latest inverted drawing by our tutor. A beautiful lemur with a fluffy tail. Learn how to make the fur soft by using the "magical" tool that our art instructor uses and recommends.
New tutorial: Learn how to draw a part of giraffe's fur using graphite pencils.
Pencil drawing on bristol paper: 6" x 6" (15 x 15 cm). Completed and posted on February 14, 2025.
The latest graphite pencil tutorial by our tutor is now available! Learn how to create a stunning giraffe's fur texture by using just a few graphite pencils.
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Many people believe they can't draw and don't even try. Others face challenges and struggle to get the results they want, eventually giving up. But with the right guidance and tutorials, anyone CAN draw. It's not about talent. The point is: some people need more time to reach a certain level, while others get there faster.
With our tutorials, you can start with simple lessons that even kids can do. Then, step by step, you'll progress to more detailed drawings and enjoy watching yourself improve. This is when you'll start to feel truly motivated.
As our student, you'll get access to PenPick Graphite, a unique Color Picker for Artists.
This web app lets you upload your own reference photos. Simply click/tap on the image, and PenPick will suggest the perfect pencil to use (from 9H to 14B). The app also has an Accuracy feature, showing a percentage to indicate how close the suggested pencil is to your selected value. A higher percentage means a better match. Find out more on the website: www.pen-pick.com
Discover the power of accurate outlines that lay the foundation for photorealistic and captivating drawings.
Craft depth and dimension through skillful application of the darkest elements.
Enhance your artwork by incorporating mid-tones and highlights for a broader range of values.
Perfect the art of adding intricate details, achieving a remarkable level of realism.
Our art instructor, Jasmina Susak, believes in the transformative power of art. She encourages everyone to explore their capabilities, develop self-discipline, and even improve their health through drawing.
So, how drawing can benefit you:
When it comes to graphite pencils, most brands are more or less the same - whether it's Staedtler, Koh-I-Noor, Caran d'Ache, Prismacolor, Faber-Castell, Derwent, etc. However, we highly recommend Matt Graphite Pencils by Faber-Castell because their newly developed graphite doesn’t shine like traditional graphite, which has always been a common problem for artists. Plus, they’ve added grades up to 14B, compared to the usual maximum of 9B. This allows artists to create deep, rich black tones that look like charcoal but without the unwanted shine. (See the accompanying drawing of a Ragdoll Cat, done entirely with Matt graphite pencils.)
We are not promoted or affiliated with Faber-Castell; this is simply our heartfelt recommendation and the pencils our instructor uses throughout the tutorials on this website.
The quality of materials is very important - for making your drawings look better and for enjoying the process. Graphite and charcoal don't require expensive supplies, so treat yourself with high-quality tools for easier, more satisfying results. Here are some essentials:
Click the button for a new challenge.
Come back tomorrow for a new pencil drawing idea.
If you’ve ever struggled with drawing hair or making it look shiny, this exercise will help you reach that goal. You'll realize that drawing hair isn’t as difficult as it seems. This short and effective step-by-step guide will show you how to drastically improve your sketching skills within a few days. It’s an easy hair drawing method for beginners, but even advanced artists use it to add depth and dimension to their sketches. So, where does a complete beginner start? Even if you’ve never drawn before, just follow the instructions in this 6-step tutorial and take your hair drawings to the next level.
Let’s draw a strand of hair that can be applied to any hairstyle, even curly hair. First, use a 2B pencil and create hair-like strokes from the top to midway and from the bottom to midway, as shown in the image below. Vary your pencil pressure to create a mix of thick and thin hair strands, and use both sharp and dull pencil tips for a more realistic texture. Add longer and shorter strokes to avoid a uniform look. Slightly lift off the pencil before reaching the area where you want the highlight to be. Each stroke should gradually disappear into the white of the paper, creating a smooth, natural fade. With just this technique, the strands already appear smooth and shiny, even at the earliest stage.
Next, blend the highlight using a blending stump. Lightly go over the ends of the pencil strokes and shade the highlighted area. Ensure no part of the hair clump remains white, but avoid making the highlight too dark. Follow the direction of the hair flow while blending.
Now, use an HB pencil in the same way as you did with the 2B pencil. Lightly go over the areas drawn with the 2B, including a little bit of the highlights. When you go over the highlights, lift the pencil to avoid darkening them too much - they should remain brighter than the surrounding area. This will help soften the lines from the first step
Create darker lines with a 6B pencil (or darker) to add depth, focusing on the outer edges of the lock — the bottom and top areas, but avoiding the middle where the highlights are. Start at the base of the lines, drawing short strokes inward, and finish them farther from the highlight by gently lifting the pencil. This will make the hairs gradually blend into the mid-tone. You can even use a 9B or 14B pencil for the darkest values. If you're drawing the whole hair (not just a single strand as in this tutorial), use the darkest pencils between the locks, where the hair receives less light, and the locks cast shadows on each other. Notice how the locks now appear more bent, thanks to the added depth from the darker values.
Use a precision knife to create lighter hairs, particularly in the middle over the highlight. You can also use white charcoal, a white fine-tip ink gel pen, or a Gelly Roll pen for this. If you overdo the highlighting, simply go over it with the pencils you’ve used to darken it. Next, add highlighted flyaways over the darker areas with quick, confident strokes. When drawing hair, always include flyaway hairs, especially around the head if you're creating a full portrait. This helps break the edge between the hair and the background.
As the final step, add some darker flyaways around the hair lock. Use well-sharpened HB and 2B pencils to create variation in the darker flyaways. Randomly place the tip of your pencil on the hair and, using rapid, sudden strokes, draw in any direction. Place the flyaways randomly, as hair moves naturally, and individual strands can appear anywhere. This technique will give the hair a more natural look.
Next task: Try drawing the locks with different shades. For example, start with a 4B instead of a 2B pencil, or begin with an H4 to create blonde hair.
