Graphite Powder Power, Graphite Powder Power

One of my favorite projects from my Intro to Drawing class was our graphite powder picture. I'd never heard of graphite powder before this semester, and although it's difficult to get the hang of, I really enjoyed working with it! Here's how you do it:

Choose a subject. 

You'll need graphite powder...

...and a foam brush.

Sprinkle the graphite powder onto the paper and brush it around until you have a smooth surface.

You might have to do this several times to achieve the smoothness and blackness you want. Note: don't do this in your bedroom. Apparently, it's just not a good idea.

Pick out the darkest spots and use your finger to smudge more graphite powder into those areas (the shadow of the shell). Find the lightest parts of the subject and use your eraser to pull out the color.

It takes a while before you feel like you've made any progress, so don't give up!

Keep in mind, my art skill is minimal! This blog post is mostly a demonstration for my mom, not a demonstration of my (exceptionally limited) graphite powder prowess.

Also, anyone who understood the excessively obscure reference in the title of this post gets a cookie.

Don't get it? Don't be ashamed.

Just educate yourself.

See between 2:48 and 2:54.