Art & Craft — Picture Making

Subtopic: Drawing — Smudge Technique (for 9-year-olds)

What you will learn:

• What the smudge (blending) technique is.
• How to make soft shadows and smooth areas using your finger, tissue or cotton.
• How to draw a simple object and make it look round with light and shadow.

Materials (easy to find in Kenya)

• Pencil (HB or 2B) or charcoal stick.
• Paper (plain exercise book or scrap paper).
• Tissue paper, cotton wool, old clean cloth or your finger for smudging.
• Eraser and sharpener.
• Optional: blending stump (rolled paper) or cotton bud.

What is Smudging?

Smudging (also called blending) is when you gently rub pencil or charcoal marks to make them look soft. It helps you draw shadows and round shapes like fruits, faces and clouds.

Simple steps (easy!)

1. Draw a light circle — this will be an apple or ball.
2. Decide where the light comes from (e.g., from the top-left).
3. Shade the opposite side of the circle lightly with your pencil (small strokes).
4. Use a tissue, finger or cotton wool to rub the shaded area gently. This makes the shadow soft.
5. Leave a small white spot where the light hits the object — this is the highlight.
6. Use an eraser to make small bright parts if needed.

Quick safety and care tips

• Wash your hands after using charcoal (it can make your hands dark).
• Work on a clean table and put a scrap paper under your hand to avoid marks on your drawing.
• Do not rub too hard — go slowly and gently.

Small drawing demo (look at the pictures)

Practice activities (try these)

1. Draw three circles: make shadows on each using a different tool — finger, tissue, cotton. Which looks softest?
2. Draw a simple mango or orange. Shade and smudge to show roundness. Show a light spot.
3. Try smudging only part of a drawing to make a cloudy sky or soft background.

Teacher / Parent tips

• Ask the child where the light is coming from before shading.
• Encourage gentle rubbing — too hard removes pencil lines.
• Show examples of shadows around the classroom or outside (e.g., fruit, stones).

Quick questions to check learning

• What does smudging do to pencil marks?
• Where do you put the light spot on a round object?
• Name one thing you can use to smudge if you don't have a blending stump.