
Explore the black and white pencil technique using a single color and paper as tone, through examples from da Vinci to Dürer, and apply it to the black capped chickadee.
Practice two pencil shading techniques: apply pressure and release for gradients, and use cross hatching with overlapping lines at varying angles to build value and texture through layered strokes.
Set up the canvas by selecting the peppermint brush, resetting brush settings for consistency, and creating a black pencil layer as you prepare to draw a chickadee.
Build depth in a juvenile chickadee with the peppermint brush, using short strokes to define dark areas, shading, and feather flow, then prep for the beak and eye.
Create and rename layers, place photo references, and build shading with light strokes to define the beak and eye in a black pencil study, refining edges, reflections, and subtle color.
Create a midtone layer to define the head and lay a smooth midtone-to-white transition, guiding gentle brush strokes for a cohesive undercoat that supports later white feather work.
Paint the white areas of the bird on a new white pencil layer with the peppermint brush, gradually building shading and transitions from black to white.
Paint the beak and eye with the white pencil, using a Big White layer and an eye white layer to sculpt light, reflections, and delicate details.
Reselect the white pencil layer and define the cap, painting highlights along the feathers to create a controlled black and white pencil illustration—not photorealism.
Learn how duplicating layers, adjusting opacity, and pinching layers increase contrast and presence in black and white pencil artwork, with tips on when to merge or avoid with delicate details.
Refining with black uses a smaller brush and a black details layer to add fine feathers, dynamic brushstrokes, and a sharper chickadee silhouette; next lesson features a white pencil.
Refine the chickadee by adding white details on a new layer, shaping feather tips, and blending black and white feathers with a smudging technique in Procreate.
Create a blended undercoat using the carbon stick tool, then adjust opacity and layer order to support the black and white pencil rendering.
The "Procreate Essentials: the Black and White Pencil Technique" class is a unique opportunity for anyone interested in art and illustration to learn how to create stunning pieces using only black and white pencils. In this course, we will delve into the potential of these two basic but incredibly effective tools, which, when applied effectively, can produce magnificent works of art.
The class's focus will be on the black-capped chickadee, a small but striking songbird found throughout Canada and North America. But before we start painting, we will take a closer look at how the Great Masters used black and white colours to make studies for their masterpieces. Through this exploration, we can understand the versatility of these basic tools and how they can be used to create complex and intricate art.
In addition to exploring the masters' techniques, we will cover some preparatory exercises to familiarize ourselves with pencil techniques, including generating shades, producing gradients, and using cross-hatching effects. These exercises will help us develop our skills and provide us with the foundation needed to create stunning art pieces.
Using the black and white pencil will follow a specific workflow that starts from the undercoat and gradually increases the level of detail until we achieve a naturalistic illustration typical of this kind. This workflow ensures that every stroke we make counts and that we are building up the layers of our artwork in a logical and efficient manner.
By the end of this class, you will have learned how to use the black and white pencils to create beautiful and intricate illustrations. You will be able to apply this technique to other subjects, as well, opening up new possibilities for your art.