In this lesson, instructor Chris Legaspi will show you how to render using a red conté pencil. You will study a painterly approach to drawing with this tool: starting from the gesture and contours, then slowly establishing the shadow shapes and halftones. Chris will teach you how to self-assess your drawing throughout the process to make sure you achieve the “beats of three.”

This lesson belongs to the course An Overview of Rendering Techniques. In this 9-week course, Chris Legaspi teaches you a variety of techniques for rendering your drawings and paintings. You will learn to create lay-ins, mass in value shapes, refine, and render using different mediums. Whether you are working in pencil, conté, charcoal, watercolor, or oil paints, this course will help give you the skills and approaches needed for developing your rendering style.

Throughout this course, you’ll have access to the NMA community for feedback and critiques to improve your work as you progress.