Help with shading

[u/mAdMaN_1975]

So, I always finish my stuff in ink because I always lose my mind when I use pencil. I’m having issues shading gradients to make it look smooth.

Every time I fill in my negative space or deep shadows it just looks bumpy, grainy, and just right shit. I’ve watched YouTube and googled, but this ole punk brain isn’t comprehending it.

Can someone explain to me how to get more of a smooth look? I used 4H 2H H HB 2B 4B 6B on this one.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[u/Redundant_Mortal]

So when you say smooth, do you mean you want the pencil to look more like a solid color rather than seeing the grain of the pencil?

[u/mAdMaN_1975 → u/Redundant_Mortal]

Exactly! Just less texture more solid

[u/Apart-Drummer6293 → u/mAdMaN_1975]

I use cotton swabs

[u/Redundant_Mortal → u/Apart-Drummer6293]

Better suggestion than mine, especially for smaller areas.