Draw an Unmechanical Portrait in Mechanical Pencil with David Tenorio

"When I was younger in my career, I was very mechanical about copying [my subject's likeness]," says illustrator and art instructor David Tenorio.

David would fuss to get the shapes and lines just right, and in the end he'd achieve a respectable likeness. But with this approach, he says, "I found that the life of the drawing wasn't always there."

Eventually, David realized that technique would only get him so far. "We don't want the drawing to just be mechanical," he says. "It's not just X's and O's or lines and shades and dots."

"It's critical to think about the person you're drawing and feel something," he says.

In this lesson (86 mins), David demonstrates how he balances classical drawing mechanics and narrative intent when creating a portrait in mechanical pencil.

The lesson covers David's complete portrait-drawing process, from his favorite anchor point👆 (sniff sniff) to his surprising favorite spot to shade👇(wink wink).

Ready to draw an unmechanical portrait in mechanical pencil? Let's get started!