Smudgesticks

[talmir]

Hello, I´m just wondering if the artists on this board have any handy tips, links to tutorials or how to´s on using the smudgestick to its best effect? I´m trying to improve on my shading.

[Kishlahar]

Smudgesticks are great, they are wonderful for getting skin tones, and smooth gradients, what I would advice is practice alot with them, lay down some tones, (don't use the time of the pencil, that makes to deep indentions in the paper, use the side of the pencil, so you can shade bigger areas, or crosshatch /hatch lightly with a softer pencil) this is for before using smudge stick. then smudge them together, don't push down to hard., so after you have some tones down you can pick out highlights with a putty rubber. If you rub the smudge stick in graphite powder, or a more shaded area of your picture, you get graphite only on the tortillion, so you can get smoother lines, lighter lines, and it is very easy to pick higlights out of these, or cut it to get a wider one which is goo for big areas.

Check out http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/2022995 and http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/2780923

these are some pictures I did with a smugge stick and pencil, you might get some idea from them, (I have more in the gallery but I don't want to plug to much) and gimme a message if you want any more help. or questions.

another good book to check out for tortillions (smudge sticks) is lifelike portraits from photos by Lee Hammond. (great book)

Good luck,

-Alex.

[Kishlahar]

Doh, first link should be http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/2022955 erk.

[danteort]

Personally, I'm against smudging when working with pencil. I like pencil work that is slowly built up with a sharp pencil, layer by layer. Work so lightly that you can barely see the pencil being applied to the paper, and slowly build up the tones.

But maybe that's just me.

[grinn]

I think stubs are fine, If you like just using pencile to make line after line to build up value then you might as well be using a pen, which has more definition anyways in the end, and wont fade as easily.

But dont overuse one, if its easy to tell you used a stub your probably used it too much.

[Kortez]

I have to disagree with you grinn. I don't think you could do something like this (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4393&highlight=waterstreet) using a pen. Nor could you do something like that with a smudgestick.

I'm not a big fan of smudgesticks, but it's not like my opinion matters :)

:chug:

[Elwell]

smudging is the lenseflare of traditional drawing.

[Kortez]

wow, well said!

:)

[mroq]

those reminds me of Boris Valejo techniques ;) with no offence to nobody

[AnarchyAo2]

I kinda like the smudge sticks. If I didn't use that, then i'd be using my fingers (i've been using my fingers for a year now, and just bought a smudgestick). The only real shortcut it gives me, is the time saved from not washing my hands after i'm done drawing. Maybe I haven't discovered better techniques, but I guess I"ll find out in time.

[MadSamoan]

Yes, they can be abused as a crutch and are probably best avoided until the student has adequate control of values on his own. With that being said though, look up a master draftsman who incorporated stumps in his technique, Pierre Paul Prud'hon.