How to Draw

Ball drawing will teach you almost all you need to know. 
The rest is practice
Ball drawing is a highly effective way to learn and practice the basics that you will need to be a graphite artist.
The Value Box
First an explanation of why we are using the ball. In our drawing lessons we are simply learning about drawing shapes.
It helps with the study of shadow and light values.
The pic below shows a drawing of a value box. I suggest you draw one yourself.

Using the value box
The value box shows a gray scale using five values ranging from white to dark.
To use a value box you place the value box beside the tone in question and compare with the value block.
It will be obvious which tonal value is the closest to the tone in question.
Now let’s begin our ball drawing lesson in earnest.
Study the drawing below, then read the explanation.

By using the value box above you can see a number of values at a glance.
1. This is the lightest part of your drawing. It is where the direct light shines. In this case it is the face of the ball where the light directly lands. On a facial portrait it would be the highlights in the pupil of the eyes (usually). You get the idea.
2. Two is reflected light. With our ball it is the light reflected from the surface of the object the ball is resting upon. If you look at a persons nose you can see a reflected light around the edge of the nostrils that comes from the upper lip. Reflected light can be tricky to see, you have to look for it.
3. This is a midtone. As the name implies it is right in the middle of the value scale. It will always be part of the middle shading used to create the 3D effect.
4. Four is the darkest part of the ball. It is the side of the ball that is opposite the light.
5. This area will be the darkest part of your drawing. Technically it is the shadow under the ball. It is not part of the graduated shading of the ball.
Time for you to draw
All drawings must start out as an accurate line drawing. If the start is not accurate, you will never get it to look right.
Here I’ve placed the highlight and marked out the other areas of the ball.
Make sure you make your image very light because the finished image will not show these lines. Unless you draw them too dark! 

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Shading is always necessary.
Here I’ve laid in the darkest part of the ball and drawn the shadow under the ball drawing.

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Now I’ve started to lay in some of the tone in the ball drawing.
Make sure to leave the highlight completely white! Don’t forget the reflective ring at the bottom either. We’ll need that to show later. 

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Continuing to shade in a gradual manner

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More shading. Notice how I’ve used my pencil to gradually darken the ball as I get closer to the darkest part of the ball drawing.
Once blended this will give us the 3D effect.
Take your time. A friend once told me while doing some metal fabrication, “Shoot for perfect. That way what you get will be ok.” I’ve learned that to be true.

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I’m still shading, but notice the graduation of tone is much smoother now.

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It’s time for some blending.
Grab a tortillion or a stump and let’s blend this puppy!
See how the blending and shading has a direction of lines? Blend following the curve of the ball drawing.
The purpose here is to make sure there is not any immediate change in tone from dark to light.
Which is another point, blend from dark to light. Usually. lol Welcome to a brief lesson in the protocol of art! They’re just rules on paper. If the rule needs to be broken, break it.

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Are you finally done!?
Seems like it takes forever for me to finish a drawing.
Just remember that the results is the important thing.
If you aren’t happy with the results, then just do it again. Believe me, you’ll get it!
Keep on drawing it now, and have fun!