Artclass challenge: Draw Stonehenge in Pencils Demonstration

Stonehenge a stone circle in Wiltshire, England is the ideal subject matter for drawing. Shading technique and blocking in have been practiced. Here, I expressed Stonehenge in silhouette against a big sunset, creating drama.

Negative space of Stonehenge

The first image shows Stonehenge’s negative shapes within a narrow rectangle. The central dividing line makes plotting this enigmatic stone circle easier. Notice the interesting shapes where the sky peeks between the stones. Negative space is a great technique for practicing drawing freehand.

Gridlines over the Stonehenge drawing.

1 Onto a sheet of A5 sketching paper, a rectangle of 10x5cm was divided into 5 sections via a HB and ruler. The lines have been drawn lightly but have been emphasized here. The bottom segment is where Stonehenge will inhabit. This segment has been split in half to make the freehand drawing easier. The image showing Stonehenge’s negative shapes can be used a drawing reference.

Watch my video clip.

Shading in the zenith of the sky

2 The four segments above Stonehenge serve as signposts for where tones in the sky will shift in value. The zenith will be darker than the horizon. There is also ample room for expressing a dramatic sunset. I sketched out uneven horizontal lines across the sky to represent banner clouds melting at sunset. With a 2B pencil, I began at the zenith, expressing dark, but not too heavy shading, working downwards.

Shading the sky towards the horizon

3 The background sky will exhibit a gradual tonal shift as it moves towards the horizon. This provides the perfect backdrop for clouds that appear lit up by sunset. I worked the pencil past the upper banner cloud, easing the pressure off as I worked towards the horizon. Keep the pencil moving in an organic manner to create soft effects.

Applying paler shading further down.

4 I worked past the second banner cloud, creating progressively paler tones as I worked the pencil towards the horizon. Be careful not to shade too heavy here or the sky won’t appear to glow behind the stone circle.

Shading lightly behind the stones

5 The negative shapes of Stonehenge seem to glow against the rest of the sky. The pencil shading was very light here, adding a little shading to the far left and right of the scene. This will help suggest a single light source.

Dark shading on the banner cloud

6 For the banner clouds, I expressed heavy shading on the upper edges of their formations, easing off toward the cloud base. This will help suggest oblique sunlight hitting the cloud base. Notice the tones veer steeply on the clouds against a sky of a gradual tonal shift.

Step tonal gradations on the cloud

7 Horizontal streaks and highlights were expressed here and there to inform upon the texture of melting clouds. I shaded out from these streaks to create softness.

Notice streaks in the cloud base.

8 I worked similarly on the other banner clouds, creating a progressively steeper tonal shift upon the cloud base. Notice each banner cloud appears narrower as they recede towards the horizon. This helps create the illusion of distance.

Working similarly on the other clouds

9 I deliberated over the texture of the clouds so that they contrast against the smoothness of the background sky. This creates interesting focal points within an otherwise empty sky.

Refining the shading on the clouds.

10 The third banner cloud is the narrowest of all and therefore would exhibit the steepest tonal shift of the three. I left pale streaks and expressed darker streaks adjacent. Although not the main subject matter, the sky provides the setting for Stonehenge.

Blocking in Stonehenge.

11 With the stage set, I shaded in Stonehenge itself. I applied heavy shading via the 2B pencil, moving the marks in various directions with the stones. The effect sought after is not a solid block of black, but marks of various weights, betraying expression from the human hand. High contrasts between the sky and the silhouette, provides the central focal point of the drawing.

Working dark shading over the stones.

12 I continued to shade in Stonehenge, moving the pencil organically. This is great practice for getting to know how pencils behave under various pressures. As can be seen, only one pencil has been used throughout this drawing, proving lots of art equipment is not necessary for drawing practice.

The finished drawing

This exercise has practiced freehand drawing via awareness of negative space, basic plotting, followed by the expression of a multitude of shading. These pencil techniques can be used with increasing challenge with added techniques.

Stonehenge stone circle against a big sunset provides perfect opportunities for practicing these basic shading techniques in pencil.