Offset Lithography
This is a traditional printing process involving the use of plates and ink with printing presses. Lithography is a great option for quantity if you plan to print at least several hundred copies of a print and have the funds to cover up front printing costs. Your cost-per-piece will likely be the lowest with offset lithography. To find a quality commercial printer, you may want to contact your local chamber of commerce and ask about printers who specialize in artist prints. Investigate mid-size print shops, as high end shops focus on much larger jobs than artist prints, and small shops may be more geared to lower-end production printing like advertisements, flyers, newsletters and the like. You want the best quality/price ratio you can get. My printer of choice for my pencil drawing reproductions is North Coast Litho.

Sometimes artists are intimidated by the higher initial cost of offset printing. Keep in mind that a commercial (offset) printer often utilizes giant sheets of paper. He may be able to run multiple prints on that same sheet (2-up, 4-up, etc.) This brings the cost per print down even further, something to be considered if you want numerous prints reproduced.

You can save some money by doing the pre-press file preparation yourself. If you do not possess the knowledge and skills to prepare work for reproduction, try finding a local graphic designer to assist you.

Digital Printing
This term covers ink jet, giclee, and other direct printing methods available today. The big plus with digital printing is the ability to print low quantities – even one print at a time. At the lower end of digital printing, you can purchase an ink jet printer (hopefully with archival inks and paper) and print your own reproductions. This assumes that you or someone you know has the ability to prepare the electronic files for optimal output.

At the higher end of the digital printing scale is the giclee print. While still a form of ink jet technology, the equipment used is geared for high-end output such as art prints. Giclee prints can even printed on canvas. Many professional color labs and some commercial printers offer giclee prints. Your cost/print will be higher than with offset lithography, but you can purchase only the number of prints you need. This can be an ideal way for an artist to get started selling reproductions. The same “pre-press” consideration applies here. If you can supply quality hi-res files, you will save money.

A note about archival inks and paper: I have seen artists selling reproductions printed by low-end ink jet printers with regular paper. Look at those prints 6 months to a year later and you will often see a faded image on yellowed paper. It is similar to the effect you see on aged newsprint, and has the same cause – acidic ph of the paper. This highlights the importance of using archival paper and inks for your reproductions. The last thing you want is a happy customer today, who morphs into an unhappy customer next year, because his purchase from you had literally faded away.

I often receive emails posing this question. Many emerging artists have tremendous talent. They know the time and energy that goes into a detailed drawing, and they want to use the best materials possible.

My answer to this question surprises some. For the most part, I use ordinary pencils purchased from an office supply store. I like mechanical pencils, as the leads are quite thin and thus yield a sharp point without wasted time sharpening and making a corresponding mess. The mechanical pencils are available in several thicknesses too. My favorites are the .5 mm and .7 mm thickness leads. Most mechanical pencils come with HB leads, though you can purchase other hardnesses separately, such as H, B and 2B. There are also .3 leads, though they are so thin that the lead is almost too fragile to use effectively.

I do 90% of my drawing with the mechanical HB pencil lead. Then, I use artist pencils or leads in the B to 6B range to “punch out” the darkest areas of my drawing. See my Pencil Drawings Process page for an illustration of this effect. My two favorite art suppliers for pencils and pencil leads are DickBlick Art Supplies and Utrecht Art Supplies.

Another important aspect of pencil drawing is the type and quality of paper used. See my earlier post on selecting the best drawing paper!

When is a Drawing (or a Painting) Done?

Many of us have struggled with that question. We throw ourselves into the creation process, the inspired image fresh on our minds, only to end up overworking a drawing until it looks like mud! How does one decide when to stop drawing? When is a pencil drawing truly complete?

Speaking as one who has over-worked several drawings, I have come up with a number of tricks that help me reach for this fixative spray at just the right point.

The first thing I do is to stop drawing when I feel the piece is 90% complete … or when I know I still have more to do but it is almost done. I then walk away from the drawing for several days so that I can see it with fresh eyes later.

When I come back the the drawing table, I take the artwork and tape it to a door or wall and view it from a distance. I leave it there for another day or two and let my new impressions & inspirations sink in. Most of the time, I know at this point exactly what I want to do to finish the piece.

If I am still questioning myself, I hold the drawing up to a mirror and view it in “reverse.” This offers a completely new perspective, and I nearly always clearly see anything that has been bothering me about the drawing. Occasionally I will take a digital picture of the artwork and view it on a computer screen. It’s amazing what a different view of the art will reveal

Pencil Artist David Horne says “When you start looking for things to do in a piece of work thats normally when its done.” I think this is a wonderful quote, and I know it will help me with future pencil drawings. And pencil artist Clive Meredith shares “I tend to know that a drawing is finished when the image on paper matches the one in my mind.” … another wonderful thought!

Pencil drawing is a very soothing artform, requiring many hours of dedication in peace & quiet. It can be so easy to become lost in creating detail, that we become trapped in that detail, losing site of the desired result. I hope the above tips will help you to create your perfect drawing in pencil!

Top quality, acid-free paper is essential if you want the best drawing results. Standard drawing paper has a poor-quality surface, and lacks the qualities needed to allow rich tonal development. Everyday papers also tend to have acidic qualities, which means they will yellow and/or discolor over time. (Think of old newspapers as an example – they turn yellow and discolor.)

"Reflections" - Black and White pencil drawing by Kelli Swan

The surface of the paper is going to be one of your most important choices. Most drawing surfaces have a slight texture, or “tooth” to them. These are usually known as vellum surfaces. Drawing paper is also available with an extremely smooth surface, which would be known as a plate surface. You can purchase drawing paper as actual paper, or in heavier weights known as bristol board. A sheet of bristol is heavy enough that both sides have suitable drawing surfaces. There are also illustration boards – these are heavier still, though only one side is suitable as a drawing surface.

As a general rule, most artists using pencil, charcoal or pastel will prefer the vellum surface. The texture in the paper provides some friction to the media applied, and thus allows for a greater range of effects. Smooth or plate surface paper is usually preferred by pen & ink artists as very clean lines can be achieved with such a surface. For myself, I prefer a bristol surface when drawing “living” subjects such as people or horse or dog drawings. I like the plate surface for more mechanical subject such as aviation drawings or historic home portraits.

In addition to the weight or thickness of the paper, you will want to consider brightness. Drawing papers come in a range of “whites.” Some are soft white and have an antique appearance. Others are off-white. My favorites are the brighter whites, as I feel I can obtain the greatest range of shadows on these papers.

For years my paper of choice has been the drawing paper is Strathmore 500. It’s bright white surface and acid-free/archival properties make it a superb choice for pencil drawing. Strathmore 500 is available in paper weight, bristol board and illustration board. I also like this paper as it is available in large sheets – up to 30″x40.” My top two suppliers for this paper are DickBlick.com and UtrechtArt.com.