Here’s our final lesson on materials. I’ll show you all the ways I sharpen all the pencils that I use. Come back again tomorrow, cause I’ll give you guys a walk-through of your first drawing project, Simplifying from Observation.
Newest
Sepia Officinalis
2d
Wow, when I saw the title I thought : I'm going to skip that so fast... but then it turns out it's full of super good tips. Not to be missed!

somebodythatexists
2mo
Anyone else got jumpscared by the holy sound-effect? I was wearing headphones and it was kinda loud. Made me jump on my seat.
Andrea Anaya
4mo
You could also use a small container to throw out sharps (like the razor blade). I use a small plastic container that used to contain bouillon cubes. You could tape up the blade, and then put it in a container to be extra safe. Toss the container when it is full.
Andrea Anaya
4mo
Seems obvious, but I did not know I could just tear off the sandpaper off of those small paddles.

honey666
4mo
I use Razor blades to sharpen my pencils, every month I lose one or two razorblades so I open a new one. Its been like two years and I still can't find them not even one.
Claudia Finelle
4mo
I keep finding my erasers melt the paint off of drawing pencils. It happened with all brands of erasers, the last offenders were prismacolors magic rub erasers . Anyone have good tips on how to clean them efficiently?

Kristelle
4mo
Two questions:
1) how do I empty the staedtler sharpener once it gets full?
2) is the hole on the bottom for storing the extra white bits?
scott ford
4mo
Mine the top unscrews and you can empty it

Laurent Van Acker
4mo
Hey Kristelle,
I think your questions are answered but this is a visual answer:
Brad
4mo
I'm pretty sure the bottom hole just forms a post to attach the metal sharpener to. I went and got my spare felt's thinking your idea with a little tape was genius, but felts are just to large meaning they would be impossible to get back out.
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onigi *pronunce [on-ie-gee]*
4mo
Here are my HB, B, 3B 7B and charcoal pencil I sharpened with a knife.
The tips look rough and unstable. Maybe I cut too much parts of the wood?
Sharpening pencils is hard but sometimes I feel it's like meditating.

onigi *pronunce [on-ie-gee]*
4mo
I mean, HB, B, 3B, 7B graphite pencils and one charcoal✏.

Marvel A
4mo
Using my trusty old Panasonic Sharpener to keep my pencils sharp

Theresa
4mo
Will the Staedtler lead pointer work with all brands of 2mm clutch pencils?

Theresa
4mo
Too bad every brand doesn’t produce a lead pointer. I have found just one of my four pens work with the Staedtler lead pointer so I just have to work around by sharpening all the leads in my Prismacolor clutch and then transferring them to the other brands. This explains why the lead kept breaking when I tried sharpening them. I need a soft grip which is why I didn’t buy Staedtler in the first place. The Baile from Japan are light with a soft grip. Nice for long sessions of shading.

Dana
4mo
Not necessarily but it will probably work with most. I have 3 lead holders that size. The lead pointer works with 2 out of the 3 of them. The 2 it works with are the ones that look like the staedtler holder. The one it doesn't work with is a crappy cheap plastic one. It's a bit too big and rounded to fit down in the main hole. If it looks like a technical clutch pencil it'll probably work.
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tgk1729
5mo
Thank you for the video Stan. Can we use a sanding sponge block for sharpening the pencils, instead of sandpaper?

Zak
4mo
I like to use a 1/8" thick sponge sanding sheet from gator. I cut it down to about 1"x2", and can easily go into my pencil bag in a snack sized ziploc. Cut to this size, you can get about 6 of them out of a full sheet. Plus they can be rinsed out in the sink and used indefinitely. I buy the fine grit sheets.
Dan Walden
4mo
I use a sponge. It's nice for creating smooth curves on the profile, but it won't knock down the corner as fast.
Micah Glinter
5mo
love sharpening!
Micah Glinter
5mo
Supplies and a lil bit of warm up exercises me and my sisters did
Nicolas Malloy
5mo
Stan knows his craft.
Thank you, Stan, for another great video. I am thoroughly enjoying this course. You set clear expectations with the course description and outline and by explaining the difference between the free and premium benefits. For the students that missed this information, it is located on the Overview tab of the course homepage.
Here is the course outline of topics:
1. Materials
2. Lines
3. Shapes
4. Perspective
5. Intuitive perspective
6. Values
7. Edges
As promised, Stan provided us with in-depth coverage of materials. I learned quite a bit of essential information here. However, for premium members, this course started with an exclusive episode of the Draftsmen podcast, “Advice for Beginners.” There was so much useful information packed into this hour-long video that I watched it multiple times. I also took notes. I feel as though many of the nay-sayers in the comments skipped or skimmed through this material.
My first homework assignment was to be proactive.
Sometimes students need explicit directions to prod them into action. It is best to read between the lines. Stan provided a curated list of books and resources in the lesson notes. Once I saw it, I knew this was not there to decorate the page. It was an implicit call to action for premium members. My first homework assignment was to watch every video and explore every book on the list. There was even an app for training your eyes! I filled up my first few weeks of the course with just this information block. I took notes. I practiced drills and warm-up exercises every day.
Yes, some of this information is available for free for non-premium members. Who cares? Free or not free, that’s not the point of taking a course. The thumbnail image for “Advice for Beginners” says it all. A good teacher doesn’t hold your hand. He holds up the light and provides a curated experience from his knowledge and expertise. Learning is hard work, and students need to be proactive.
Your homework.
If you feel like the course has not started, return to the “Advise for Beginners” lesson notes. Rewatch the podcast. Take notes. Explore the curated list of books and resources, starting with the video “How to be a good student -Draftsmen S1E05.” Take notes. Use the Eyes training app and practice drawing basic shapes for at least 30 minutes daily. Draw a perfect circle clockwise while saying, “wax on.” Draw a perfect circle counterclockwise while saying, “wax off.” Aim to draw a perfect circle with your eyes closed. Make drawing basic shapes effortless.
Once you have done this homework, you are ready to watch lesson two, “Learning How to Draw,” again. Take notes. Read the Lesson Notes page carefully. There is another list of curated resources. Watch every one of these videos. Take notes and practice what these videos show you. Practice 30 minutes daily for at least a week or two while you digest this content.
Do you see the pattern?
Learning is hard work. Be proactive. Take responsibility.

uberbutters
4mo
Is 'The Symbolic Interpretation of Thumbnail Art' in the syllabus?

markb
5mo
Hi Nicolas. Nice Post. Where's the app for training your eyes you refer to?
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Franklin Palma
5mo
Is it me or are the subtitles out of sync?
5mo
the closed captions are in sync for me. I'm not sure what would cause them to be out of sync. Have you tried using a different browser?
Rudy Lopez
5mo
I’m having trouble with my downloads. It’s saying “access denied” to all of them.
5mo
That's strange. I tried it through my account and haven't had any difficulties. Can you take a screenshot and email support@proko.com with it? We can pass that on to our developers.
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Cameron Dunbar-Yamaguchi
5mo
Charcoal & Graphite pencils are freshly sharpened, and ready to draw. This was some simple gesture/form practice while also experimenting with values to see what I would come up with, and how it feels.
Lynn Couture
5mo
I’m a beginner and I just sharpened my stylus. Wait for it…..no I didn’t
Denat
5mo
There’s another way
Zhenya Morgatskaya
4mo
Wow thank you! I did need a better way to sharpen my stylus
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Rebecca T
4mo
Hahahahah! Love it.
Cameron Dunbar-Yamaguchi
5mo
That takes hatching to a whole other level XD
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william2
5mo
I haven't got any of that sandpaper stuff, though I do look forwards to the first project tomorrow. I'll try and get it done soon as I can once it's up, might be a day or so because I also have mid years going on.
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About instructor
Founder of Proko, artist and teacher of drawing, painting, and anatomy. I try to make my lessons fun and ultra packed with information.