Several of you have posted questions about mechanical pencils. Here’s a video discussing mechanical pencils. Here’s the basic concept:

1) If you use a mechanical pencil, it’s best to use the type that has a larger lead (0.7mm) like a wooden pencil. Be sure you have a special sharpener that gets the pencil sharp enough.

2) Don’t use the thin-lead pencils (0.005mm leads). They are too square on the ends and break too easily.

3) I believe wooden pencils work better.

I’m very happy to say that DVD tutorials will finally start shipping on October 9!

Here’s how to pre-order…

Anyone who has posted a comment to the blog will be emailed pre-order access on October 4. (If you want to make sure you’re on this list, just make a comment below to this blog post before October 4.)

Everyone else on the email list will be given access on October 9. If you’re not on this list and want to be, sign up here.

We don’t want anyone to ever feel that we’re spamming them, so we won’t be inundating you with reminders. If you’re interested in the DVD, please be looking for the email you’ll receive on October 4 or October 9.

Initially the 2 DVDs will only be available to blog commenters and email subscribers, not publicly for sale on the website.

Thanks!

Hello Everyone,

I just wanted to let all of you know that I’m alive and well. Things have been extremely busy with my local classes and some illustration commissions I’ve working on to pay the bills.

At this point there are two DVDs that are almost ready to go to be manufactured.

As soon as these DVDs are ready to be purchased, I expect to be able to afford getting away from more of the illustration jobs and having time to create more tutorials for all of you.

I appreciate all of you who were concerned. The DVDs and more free tutorials will be coming as soon as I can get them out.

Thanks for your support.

Darrel

I will try to start replying to all the comments you’ve been making over the last couple of days. Hopefully, starting this evening and over the weekend. I may want to use the video for a couple.

Thanks for your patience everyone!

Darrel

Here’s a response I wrote recently to someone who was wondering about using projectors to lay out their picture. I thought that some of you may appreciate it as well.

For now, if you’re used to using a projector, and that is within your comfort zone, by all means use it for now. I will be introducing a number of other techniques for starting your drawing, and there are many, but I don’t have a demo on those alternatives yet. One demo will be addressing the use of projectors and how to properly use one without causing more problems in itself, and there are many.

I have introduced the start of a method to use in the “Eye” DVD that will be coming out soon. I think it might help you with a few tricks, utilizing your straight edge and divider. Unfortunately, there is a stigma attached to using a projector, as well as other methods, and that’s unfortunate. I would rather a person take advantage of something, if it helps them to get to the next step, than to not do it at all. Often the very ones that will put a guilt trip on you for using the projector, are often using something themselves, but don’t want you to know. When an illustrator has a job with a tight layout, deadline, etc., they usually need to do what’s necessary to get the job done and meet the client’s expectations. It isn’t a contest. The only thing that they need to prove is the outcome.

If it’s your desire to learn how to draw, I want to do everything that I can, to help you learn to draw as well. It’s fun and challenging when you know how and what to do. As you start gaining control, learn what to start looking for, feel more confident, and develop patience as you see your drawing evolve, you will probably continue to branch out and try new things. And, there can be a tremendous amount of satisfaction derived from what you learn and achieve. But, I will never put you down for using an aid. It may give you a great start, and yet it isn’t the finished product and it certainly doesn’t solve all the problems. In fact, if you don’t know how to use your chosen aid, it can just cause more problems than you realize. I will take you through a number of methods, and there should be something for everyone that will suit your own personal goals and desires. It should give many of you the opportunity to experiment, have fun, and find the method that interests you personally.

My main goal, is to help as many as possible, improve their art and make it an enjoyable and rewarding experience for themselves and others. I want to teach everyone how to make their drawings, however they start them, capture the character and personality as they come alive and captivate the viewer. And for those who have never attempted it, I hope to inspire them to try it, even at the simple levels.

There is so much to learn and share, and it will take time. I’ve just started to get all of this out to everyone and into production.

Thanks for taking the time to ask questions and make your comments. It’s greatly appreciated!

Darrel

If you’ve been looking for the 5-pencil method supplies, a supplier has now put a kit together for you.

The kits are only US$34.95.

I’m here to help any way I can, including to help you get art materials as affordably as possible.

There’s also a list of the supplies that Dick Blick seems to carry. There are some items that don’t seem to be available from them (like the brush) but if you find an item they carry that’s been missed — or find a better deal — be sure to let me know.

Here are some tips and tricks for drawing eyes. Several of you have asked questions about this kind of thing, and Aamer, in particular, has asked about his drawing of Al Pacino.

Here are 5 things that I would take into consideration, plus a sneak preview of an uncut, unedited video clip that will be a portion of the upcoming DVD on how to draw eyes.

1) When making eye contact, make the Iris round, a perfect circle. Then put the pupil in the center of that round sphere.

2) Add the highlight after completing the eye

3) Don’t draw highlight exactly like the reference. Usually just a single highlight to the side is the best. Almost never put the highlight in the pupil.

4) The pupil should be the darkest place in the face. The highlight should be the lightest point on the portrait. By creating the greatest level of contrast in the eye (highlight contrasting with the pupil) it makes the eyes become the focal point of the portrait.

5) Draw the entire portrait up in equal tone all over. In other words, fill in all of the dark areas with your 4H before starting with your 2H pencil, and so on.

Now here’s a video clip from the eye DVD that is in production now.

This is the first of what will hopefully be many video responses to your questions about techniques presented in the video tutorials on this site and, soon, the DVDs that will be coming.