Materials I Use for Realism

I stumbled across realism during lockdown in March, 2020. Since then I have been discovering new tools and ways to make my art more realistic.

Drawing portraits is definitely not an easy job and requires high levels of patience. Each of my portraits take an average of 8 - 10 hours. Few may even take days altogether. The anticipation of how the finished piece will look like is what usually keeps me going.

Recently, I have discovered how i can make graphite powder from graphite sticks and use them for a more blended and smooth appearance. A few months ago, I was introduced to battery operated microtip erasers. These tools help make the process of creating portraits much more easier as well as more detailed.

In this post I shall discuss all that is required for creating realistic and detailed art pieces.

1. PAPER.

First, paper.

Now when it comes to which paper to use, there are a variety available in the market. However, I suggest looking at the GSM mentioned before buying them.

GSM stands for gram per square metre and refers to the weight of the paper. The higher the GSM, the heavier and thicker your paper will be. As a thumb rule, go for papers with higher GSM when it comes to painting so that the paint and the water can hold. However for sketching, or when you're using graphite or charcoal, a GSM of 160 should suffice. Thin or light papers would not be a wise choice because making portraits or any realistic artwork requires multiple layers which would crumple up or tear the paper. A very unfortunate situation.

For my portraits, I use 160 GSM papers i found at a local art store. The size can vary according to your need. I usually go for A5 for my day to day drawings, and A3 for commissioned art pieces.

160 GSM Artists Drawing notebook by Brustro

2. PENCILS

Next, we need pencils.

Pencils again come in varied hardness and blackness, commonly called H and B. A pencil which is harder contains more filler and will make lighter and thinner lines. While a pencil which has a higher number of blackness, like 8B pencils, will be darker.

For making art in realism, we need both light and dark pencils to bring out the shadows and the gradients beautifully.

For my art I use the following shades: 5H, 4H, 3H, 2H, HB, B, 2B, 3B, 4B, 5B, 6B, 8B.

Graphite pencils

3. PAPER STUMPS

Paper stumps are used for blending. Roll the stump over the area you would like to blend in small circles. It helps give off a smooth and blended appearance. It is good for blending small areas , however if you need to blend a larger portion like the background or skin, i would suggest using tissue paper.

Blending stumps are available online at low prices although you would also get them at any local art store. If you do not have access to blending stumps, just roll a piece of rectangular paper, then push the butt of the roll outwards to form a tip. There you have your own diy blending paper stump!

A very important message when it comes to blending, is never use your fingers or your hand. The oil on your skin will make the artpiece messy and difficult to blend. It also leaves a very unprofessional touch to your work.

Other tools that you can use for blending are clean brushes, cotton buds and tissue paper wrapped around your finger.

I generally use 3 different sizes of blending stumps.

Blending paper stumps

4. ERASERS

I use 3 different kinds of erasers for my work. And each of them have their own role to play.

First is a regular non dust eraser you would find at any stationary store. That of course is to erase mistakes and larger areas of graphite for the highlights and to lighten specific areas.

Secondly I use a kneaded eraser, which can be moulded into any shape like clay. This helps you to erase thinner areas or specific zones like the corner of the eyes or the tip of the nose which would be difficult to do if you were to use a regular eraser.

Thirdly, I use a battery operated microtip eraser by Brustro, which helps me erase superfine areas for detailing highlights on a water drop or strands of hair.

5. GRAPHITE STICKS

Next we have graphite sticks. These can be used in many ways. Feel free to experiment by simply rubbing it over your paper and studying the different textures it can create. However, I like to scrape the edges of the sticks using a paper cutter and collect the powder formed in a small container. Then i dip my paintbrush in it and use the powder for my base coats.

You can also find graphite powder online instead of scraping graphite sticks.

Graphite Sticks

6. MISCELLANEOUS

Paper cutter - for scraping off the powder from graphite sticks or graphite blocks.

Sandpaper - for cleaning the blending paper stumps.

Brush - for blending and for applying graphite or charcoal powder onto the paper.

As of now these are all the tools I use for creating my portraits. Keep an eye out for further posts on this site where I plan to demonstrate how I use them. Till then, too-da-loo!