Introduction to Pencil Shading

An alternative to regular 'sideways' pencil shading is to use small, overlapping circles. This is similar to 'scumbling' or the 'brillo pad' technique, except that the obejct here is to minimize texture, rather than create one. To do this, you need to use a light touch with the pencil, and work an area in an irregular, overlapping pattern to gradually build up the graphite on the page. A particularly light touch is required for lighter areas to avoid a 'steel wool' texture developing.