Pencil drawing tutorial - portrait drawing of a man

emmaboy23 (68)in Steem For Drawing • last month

Greetings, and I welcome you all to my blog. I’m truly excited to share my very first post in the Steemit for Drawing Community, and today I’m happy to share my own piece of art—a pencil portrait I recently completed. This drawing represents my effort, patience, and love for art. I wanted my first post to speak through lines, shades, and emotions, showing what I can do with just a pencil and paper. Without wasting much of your time, here is the process of how I made this drawing.

Drawing items

• A4 paper

• mechanical pencil

• graphite pencil

• 6B pencil

• 2B pencil

• HB pencil

• eraser

• sharpener

Step-by-step process

Step 1

I started by lightly sketching the shape of the eyes and eyebrows. The eyes are the most expressive part of a portrait, so I took my time to shade them gradually. I added small highlights using an eraser to make them appear alive.

Step 2

Next I drew the nose and lips, adding the moustache as well.

Step 3

After doing that, I then used 4B and 6B pencils to create shadows around the cheeks, under the eyes, and along the jawline, while also sketching the ears.

Step 4

Next I focused on the hair. For the hair, I followed the natural flow of each strand, using light strokes to build layers. This gave it volume and texture. The lips were shaded with subtle gradients, making sure the light fell softly on the upper and lower lips to achieve a realistic look.

Step 5

After doing that, I then sketched the neck and the suit he was wearing, and then I shaded it with a softer pencil tone to balance the entire composition.

Step 6

To complete the drawing, I darkened the deepest shadows and added highlights around the forehead and nose area. I also cleaned up stray pencil marks, and now my drawing is now complete.

A selfie of me and my drawing

Posting this drawing in the Steem ForDrawing Community for the first time truly feels wonderful. It’s more than just a portrait — it’s the start of a creative journey and an opportunity to grow among talented artists. Stay inspired, keep creating, and never stop drawing. 🎨✏️

Inviting my friends