I wanted to share with you this step by step Digital Drawing. I am aware that many of you have probably seen the final image at Wetcanvas, but I also wanted to share this portrait with every visitor.

This drawing was done in Painter IX.

Tools Used:
2B Pencil (Pencil Brushes)
Soft Blender Stump 20 (Blender Brushes)
French Watercolor Paper
Color: Shades of Gray. Never used black since traditional graphite pencils are grey, not black.

The 2B Pencil that I used is a custom Variant. I changed its Method to Cover from its default setting of Buildup. With this setting, my 2B Pencil behaves like a traditional 2B pencil. You can change the Method from the General Palette.

Once I chose the paper, I started sketching the subject being careful with proportions, which are important to capture the likeness of the subject.

Once I finished the sketch, I started to draw by crosshatching lines. Then, blending with the digital Stump. I repeated this process over and over until I reached the desired tonality, paying attention to areas of reflected light. Notice on the following pictures the gradual transition of values (shades of gray) at different stages. The entire drawing tool 1 hour 48 minutes to complete.

Final Steps:
After I finished and signed the portrait, I applied a paper texture to the entire image. I choose the Rough Charcoal Paper for this step. To apply paper texture, select from the Toolbar: Effects/Apply Surface Texture and and then selecting Using Paper from the window that will open. I set the Softness very low as well as the Amount and Shine (under Appearance of Depth section) until I was satisfied with the look of my drawing. This step is necessary if you want the drawing to have the look of a traditional drawing.See the difference this step makes by comparing the images above with the images bellow. You will notice the difference especially on the close-up picture.


Photo courtesy of
Anita Patterson.
You are welcome to view a video I recorded while drawing this portrait.Go to: Toddler Digital Drawing Video

This video is best viewed with DSL or Broadband Internet connection.
The video has been time lapse to preserve space.

I hope you have enjoyed this step by step explanation of how I draw digitally. If you have any question, please do not hesitate to contact me or leave a comment in my journal.