Prove yourself as the best artist for the week

Warmest greetings to everyone, and I hope all is well. It's a brand new week, and today I have come to share my drawing with you all. For this week’s exciting contest, “Prove Yourself as the Best Artist This Week,” organized by @dequeen, I chose to step out of my comfort zone by creating a pencil portrait of Dwayne Johnson. His bold facial structure and friendly smile made him an interesting subject to draw but also a real test of patience and observation. In this post, I’ll be sharing my drawing process step by step, explaining how I approached the sketch, shading, and final detailing using simple pencil techniques. Stay tuned.

Materials used

• A4 paper

• graphite pencil

• mechanical pencil

• 4B and 6B pencil

• 2B pencil

• charcoal pencil

• black pen

• eraser

• tissue for blending

Step 1

I started with the face; I started refining the eyes, nose, and mouth. Dwayne Johnson’s smile is a key feature, so I took my time shaping the lips and teeth. I used soft strokes and avoided pressing the pencil too hard. The ears and wrinkles around the eyes were added gradually.

Step 2

Next was shading. Shading brought the portrait to life. I used a 2B pencil to establish soft shadows on the face, especially around the cheeks, forehead, and temples. Gradually, I introduced darker tones with 4B and 6B pencils to emphasize areas like under the chin, around the mouth, and along the sides of the face.

Step 3

After doing that, I then focused on the neck and shaded it using my 2B and 4B pencils.

Step 4

At this point, I carefully focused on the clothing. Using my charcoal pencil, I gradually shaded it, completing the portrait.

Step 5

This is the final step where I erased unwanted marks and adjusted the darkest areas to balance the drawing. I made sure not to overwork the portrait, keeping it clean and natural. And below is my final result.

My selfie with my drawing

This drawing challenged my patience and observation skills, but it also reminded me how powerful simple pencil work can be when done with care. I truly enjoyed creating this artwork and sharing my process with this community. Thank you for stopping by and supporting my work. I’m happy to be part of this contest, and I wish all participating artists the very best.

Inviting

@us-andrew

@m-princess

@tusher63

@rumanaafroz

Cc @dequeen