Adding a simple background to your pencil drawings can be a nice accent to the overall portrait. Just make sure it accents it and doesn't overwhelm it.

Remember, the subject of the portrait is the star not the background.

I have seen students draw beautiful pencil portraits only to destroy the overall appearance with a gaudy background.

When I add a background to one of my pencil portraits, it's usually a simple, shaded background. This is easy to accomplish. First, take a piece of scrap drawing paper and a #6B or #7B drawing pencil. Scribble a very dark area of graphite onto the scrap paper. Now take a soft cloth and wrap it around your index finger. Rub the cloth on the graphite scribble. The cloth will "pick up" the graphite.

Starting at the bottom of your portrait, begin adding the shaded background with the "dirty" cloth. Take it easy and go lightly. You can add more shading if you have to.

As you work your way up the portrait's background, the shading will get lighter because most of the graphite has come of the cloth. If you need to add more graphite to the cloth, rub it on the scribble again. If you need more graphite on the scribble, add more with the pencil.

As you move toward the top of your portrait, the shading should be lighter. The bottom of the portrait's background should always be darker than the top.

Also, keep in mind where the light source is coming from. If the light is coming from the top, right, the bottom, left of the background will be darker because it's in the shadows.

If you want to draw something in the background keep it simple. Keep the subject of your portrait as the main focus.

A simple, shaded background can add to your portrait. It will make it more interesting than a white background.