Unicorn

Reference Photo
Source: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3371/3591407464_a7e30e3b99_b.jpg

Materials:
22.9 x 30.5 cm sketch paper

Blending stumps (1/4 and 1/2)

Q-tips
White erasers
Derwent graphic pencil set (Soft: 9B, 8B, 7B, 6B, 5B, 4B, 3B, 2B, B, HB, F, H).

Time: Estimated 4-6 hrs.

Comments/Tips:

I don't have an exact time stamp on this because I worked on it over several days, whenever I had spare time.

I did this freehand - a.k.a no grids. I almost never use grids, though it works well for some people. Instead, I take my time with my outline sketch in the beginning and eyeball it for proportional correctness.

I used all the pencil types in my set. For the mane, I started with the lightest shades (lighter shades are the hardest pencils, such as B, HB, F, H) and then worked in the darker shades (the pencils with softer graphite, the softest one being the 9B). I had to be careful with this though - you can't press too hard with the harder pencils because they will break your paper; also the soft graphite does not go on well over top.

For shading I used blending stumps, and I also like to use Q-tips for larger areas. Some people also like to use kneaded erasers or blunt white erasers for blending, but I prefer these tools.

I did the highlights last, using white erasers. I keep cutting my erasers down so that they have a nice sharp edge - particularly necessary for the hair of the mane. Luckily, because I used different pencil shades for light/dark areas, most of the highlighting was already done.

Below is a video showing this piece at different stages of development: