Steemkidsedu Tutorial 11: Pencil art challenge | A Cartoon Sketch of the Exterior View of a Beehive by @ukpono | March 9, 2023

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Hello, art lovers!
It's another time to get busy with our hands. For this challenge, the task is to create a pencil art.

As you already know, pencil art is any drawing made with only PENCILS. It's an agelong form of art that is still practised to this day.

Pencil art, also known as pencil drawing or sketching involves tons of sketching and shading. To master both skill sets, one needs to understand the principles of light. Without this, it's impossible to create those life-like images we see and admire.

The image above is a view of the exterior view of an imaginary beehive. In four steps, you will discover how this was created, as well as the inspiration behind this sketch.

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To begin, I gathered my supplies:

• A sheet of A4 paper
• HB pencil
• Eraser
• Ruler (15cm rule)

Ready to Draw!

_{With my work area ready, I began to draw on the A4 paper.}

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Step 1: Draw the tree and beehive.

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Step 2: Next, draw a Teddy Bear flying with a balloon.

Would have loved to draw the queen bee there but since it leaves the hive for two reasons — first, during her maiden mating flight and next if the colony swarms— I chose the bear instead to specifically depict the spirit of adventure. Being adventurous exposes us to new things and sparks creativity. I will suggest that every kid develops this spirit.

Step 3: Add the flora (plants)

Honeybees are natural pollinators. More reason why their hives are usually situated in natural environments like gardens, meadows, orchards and so forth. Since honey bees build their nests in tree cavities, it's just common to find flowering plants around.

Step 4: Shade and shade.

This part is tasking but fun. Understanding the principles of light will make your sketch pop. For me, I began by shading the darkest and lightest part of the leaves on the treetop, then darken the tree's trunk. This was done to make the hive stand out.

I tried imagining what this scene would have looked like if it were only black and white. Can you see the worker bees around?

I'm pretty sure that a drone is among them. Drones are the male bees. They barely do any work, but their presence is needed in the bee colony. Because without them, queen bees can't reproduce more larvae which will in turn produce the honey we consume at home.

Final thoughts
Making a pencil art is quite simple. All you need is a work area, pencils and a good understanding of the principles of light. Would you like to create one too? Check @nadeesew's contest here.

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