#Color pencil drawing how to
#Color pencil drawing series

Cross-hatching: hatching overlaid at an angle to build up layers of color or value keep the pencil tips sharp to create fine, even lines.

#Color pencil drawing series

Hatching: a series of evenly spaced, parallel lines that leave a little white or color of the underlying surface visible hatching in colored pencil adds texture to your compositions.Shading: produced with an even, side-to-side stroke that creates a smooth even layer of color a light touch will deposit a faint amount of color for graduated colored pencil shading.You can also learn more about creating textures in your colored pencil drawings with Painting Textures in Colored Pencil with Gary Greene. Discover these colored pencil shading and blending techniques. With these basic colored pencil drawing techniques & tips, you’ll be ready to start drawing right away. Charcoal paper, which comes in a variety of colors with smooth and textured sides, is suitable for various techniques.ĬOLORED PENCIL TIPS AND COLORED PENCIL TECHNIQUES.Bristol board is a good, lightweight board with two types of surfaces: plate, which is very smooth and is excellent for layering and blending and vellum, which has a more textured surface and is less amenable to blending and burnishing.Hot-pressed watercolor paper, which has a smooth surface, is suitable to work on because it will take many layers of color and give good results when the deposit of colored pencil is blended.Here are some good surfaces to begin with: Experiment with different papers until you find the ones best for your work. Paper with a rough surface can produce interesting textures, but rough surfaces aren’t conducive to the application of even deposits of color. Not all papers can stand up to the pressure of the pencil, especially if you’re layering multiple colors, burnishing and blending. TYPES OF PAPER USED FOR DRAWING WITH COLORED PENCILSĪny good drawing paper is acceptable for colored pencil, but a fine-toothed, firm, durable paper or illustration board is best for extensive layering and burnishing.

#Color pencil drawing how to

Learn how to draw with colored pencils and start working with colored pencils. Whatever other medium you enjoy, you’ll find colored pencil a worthwhile addition to your repertoire.Įnjoy these colored pencil techniques & tips, perfect for beginners or artists new to colored pencil drawing and painting. You can start and stop at any time.Ĭolored pencil offers the pleasures and rewards of both drawing and painting. You can walk away from the work and come back and pick up right where you left off. Because colored pencil is primarily a dry medium, there’s no drying time to worry about. You can use colored pencil to tint a drawing with light strokes that let the color of the paper show through, or you can use colored pencil to create a solid deposit of many layers of color.

You can do loose work, tight work or anything in between. Along with hard and soft colored pencils, watercolor pencils and oil-based colored pencils offer more options for beginning artists.Īside from their convenience and versatility, much of the appeal of colored pencils is the control they offer. The medium is permanent, and colored pencil drawings do not require elaborate care or storage. At the same time, colored pencil drawing lends itself to highly refined and exquisite works of art that rival those created with any other medium.Ĭolored pencils are relatively inexpensive, and the palette is extensive. Prep time and cleanup are practically non-issues, the materials are light and portable, and you don’t need messy or toxic solvents. They’re utterly convenient-a handful of colored pencils and a pad of paper are all you really need to start creating. There’s a lot to like about drawing with colored pencils.