Drinker with a Blank note..

This was hand-drawn using the Faber Castell brush pen a very versatile and dependable pen.It was colorized in photoshop.

Many artists choose to draw first with a lead pencil, then overdraw this with the marker, then use a eraser to rub out any visible pencil marks. If this method suits you...use it. I`d suggest trying a 2b pencil, and drawing in lightly, so you don`t have to rub too hard when it comes to rubbing out, and perhaps damaging the texture of your paper. The important thing is to keep up your practice whatever method suits you.

This was drawn with a 8b Faber Castell pencil.

These are quality pencils, which remain smooth `til the last stroke. No scratching the page at all with these.
 For the shading, I used the Lyra Graphite Stick, because this will cover a wider area much quicker.

I find the Graphite has a less dense tonal range than the charcoal, but then, sometimes, that`s what you need.

Drawn, again, with willow charcoal, using the edges, and the width of the stick.

The backgound is soft pastel, just to offset it.

Drawn with the willow charcoal and finished with a fixative

Drawn with the willow charcoal and finished with a fixative

The grandson, Kai.
Taken at the rear of the Malmaison Hotel, Liverpool with a Nikon 55-200mm VR lens.
I like this lens, it gives a nice blur to the background, providing you leave a suitable distance between it and your subject.

This was taken at 92mm ISO 100 f4.5 1/60s.

This was taken from Princes Parade, Liverpool, facing north.

It was taken with the Nikon 18-55 vr lens
with the VR on.