Baby Steps: Draw a Precious Pencil Portrait with David Tenorio

When drawing an infant, as with parenting, gentle lines and a lovingly light touch are essential.

In this graphite lesson (61 mins), artist David Tenorio guides you through the subtle art of rendering delicate features, balancing proportion, and keeping contrast low so your subject retains a gentle, tender presence.

Rather than chasing flawless perfection or strict technical rules, this session focuses on the practice of seeing and responding, using light pencil strokes, thoughtful comparisons, and a willingness to adjust as you go.

What You’ll Explore in This Lesson

• Infant vs. Adult Proportions: See why an infant's facial features sit lower on the head compared to adult models, and learn how to map out a soft "ball and jaw" layout that accounts for unique angles.
• Handling Delicate Features: Learn how to render eyes, lips, and soft shadows using gentle hatching and graphite washes rather than hard, rigid outlines.

• Low-Contrast Shading: Discover why keeping your values soft and avoiding stark dark-against-white edges brings life and tenderness to young subjects.
• An Organic Approach to Mark-Making: Practice "growing" your lines gradually and building hair textures naturally, letting go of the need to measure or control every single detail.
• Everyday Materials: Follow along with accessible supplies—standard HB, 2B, and H pencils, a needed eraser, and plain printer paper—proving that compelling art comes from process and observation, not expensive tools.

Pick up a pencil, hold it lightly, and enjoy the rhythm of bringing your portrait to life slowly on the page. Let's get started.