Tutorial:  Working on Drafting Film

I discovered something new to work on just over a year ago and have been having more fun with it than I've had with my artwork for years. Drafting film is a translucent support originally developed to use for blueprints. I prefer the double sided .005 mm film which allows work on both sides of the film and have used it for graphite, pastels and colored pencil work with great success. I've had people asking questions about how to work effectively with it, so decided to design two tutorials that will cover the basics, one with graphite and one with pan pastels/pastels and colored pencils. 

There is no charge for this tutorial. I will be adding more photos to this blog post as work progresses until the image is finished so you will be able to work at your own pace. If you would like to try working on drafting film but do not have it available or do not want to invest in the cost for a full sheet or pad of the film, I will have a packet of film and other necessary supplies available for purchase including a printout of the photo and the line drawing.  

If you have questions, just post those questions here, message me through my Facebook art page (Art by Sharon Michael)  https://www.facebook.com/Art-by-Sharon-Michael-426594037677803/  You can also email me direction at: kaleidoscopefarm at gmail.com.

I am using this photo, one I took of a pony foal I raised, as the basis for these first two tutorials so there are absolutely no restrictions on the use of the photo.

             Graphite on drafting film, steps 1 through 3.

Practice sample: Pencils on .005 double sided DuraLar drafting film

Line drawing to work from in graphite on 5 x 7 drafting film

Beginning to lay in the details with graphite. 

Start with very sharp H pencil and lightly define dark areas around the eyelashes which you will want to remain white.  With the 3B pencil add the darker lines above and below the eye which will be the darker areas and, leave the light areas above and below the eye as shown. Use light strokes above the eye to suggest hair direction. For the eye pupil use very tiny circular 'scribble' strokes, lighter at the back of the eye and darkening toward the front of the eye. Once the graphite is laid down in these areas, use one of the small sponge eyeshadow applicators to blend the areas above the eye. You can use the narrow edge of the sponge to smooth the darker areas under the eye if necessary to keep a fine line.     

Examples of strokes and blending used for this tutorial.
1. Light strokes, following the way the hair lies, using B pencil. Start at the bottom with the darker line and feather the line at the top until it fades out.
2. Use eyeshadow makeup sponge (shown at left) to blend the light strokes, working from dark to light.
3. For darker areas, lay hair strokes down with 3B pencil and blend with sponge.
4. To define hair, add hair strokes over blended 3B with a very sharp 6B pencil and a very light touch, especially at the top/fadeout end of the hair.

I use graphite powder for some areas that need to be laid in darker and fairly solid. You can get graphite powder but for the smaller amounts such as I use, I find it simpler to scrub a 6B or softer pencil on a piece of sandpaper and apply that powder with a sponge or finger. I use a sandpaper strip to keep my pencils sharp, so usually have graphite powder to work from

Start adding the suggestion of hair along the lines of the previous sketch with a H or B pencil and a very light touch.

Using an eyeshadow sponge or your finger, begin blending along the lines where you have added the hair strokes.

I sometimes find that using the color version of the photo helps to define highlights, shadows and hair layers more than the grayscale poto. Start laying in the darker areas, using 3B and 6B pencils and graphite powder. For smaller areas, use a very sharp 6B with very light, overlapping circles to get a solid tone. For larger areas, smudge in graphite powder with sponge or finger. If you have loose powder on the film, dab very lightly with a cotton ball to remove excess and then use a very sharp 6B very lightly over the shaded areas to suggest hair.

Finished.  Shading details are a combination of H strokes following hair patterns and blending with eyeshadow sponges and fingers using the photo to determine where to put the shadows and highlights and gradually building coverage until it looks complete. You do need to remember you do have only 2 or 3 layers available to work with so stay with a very light touch, working light to dark, H, 3B and 6B.