1. Hold the pencil sideways so the greatest area of the tip is in contact with the paper.
This position allows you the control to lay down a very light base of color which you can then layer on top of until you have achieved the desired hue. It also allows for smooth color and minimizes unsightly lines.
2. Practice by shading two contrasting colors into one another.
For example, take your red pencil and your green pencil. Starting with the red pencil, shade from left to right, dark to light. Next, take your green pencil and shade from right to left, dark to light. Work on blending them as seamlessly as possible where they meet in the middle.
3. Master the art of burnishing.
Use a very light or colorless blender or a paper stump tool to smooth out colors and minimize the appearance of pencil strokes. This will work better than your thumb, as well as giving you more control.
4. When creating highlights and shadows, avoid the temptation to use black and white.
Sticking to black and white for all of your shadow and highlight needs can leave a picture looking flat. Dark blues, purples, and indigo make for a richer shadow, while very pale golds and yellows make for warmer highlights.
5. Blot, don’t rub, with your eraser.
Rubbing colored pencil will do more harm than good, grinding colors into the page rather than removing them. For more control and a cleaner page, press a kneaded eraserlike this oneon the area and then carefully peel it off, the same way you did with Silly Putty and the Sunday comics as a kid.
If you’re like me, you could probably use some more visual explanations. I recommend…
Thistutorialon DeviantArt This detailedvideoon YouTube Thisarticlewith great example pictures, and ThisPinterestboard with even more resources to explore
These colored pencil techniques cover the 5 main ways that you make marks with colored pencils: stippling, hatching, cross-hatching, back and forth stroke, and scumbling. You can see examples of these 5 techniques on the left!
By using multiple pencil grades, you can increase the tonal range in your work and elevate your shading quality. Always start the shading process with a harder pencil, then move forward with a softer, darker pencil. This technique ensures convenient smudging and the perfect blending of light and shadows.
Blending is one of the most important shading techniques to learn – and probably the one you'll use the most. It's a drawing method that's used to smooth away lines, creating soft gradients and a professional finish.
Start with light pressure and gradually increase it as you add subsequent layers. This approach allows you to control the intensity of the colours and create smooth transitions between shades. Remember to use multiple light layers rather than pressing too hard straight away.
Creating realistic images with colored pencils involves layering multiple colors on top of one another to generate accurate textures. Layering refers to the process of applying multiple colors on top of one another. To start layering, you'll want to start with a base layer.
The 4 shading techniques are blending, hatching, stippling, scumbling. There are also subcategories of each, including cross-hatching, contour hatching, pointillism. Each shading technique can be used in a variety of ways and they can be mixed with each other creatively.
Keep the lines spaced closer together to make darker shadows or place them further apart to make that part of the drawing look brighter. Try to pull hatching lines in one long stroke to keep them uniform. Follow the contours of objects with your lines to help simulate a three-dimensional form.
While the softer B pencils are generally considered the best for shading, there's no reason to discount the harder H pencils. The HB and H are good choices for fine, light, even shading.
Keep the lines spaced closer together to make darker shadows or place them further apart to make that part of the drawing look brighter. Try to pull hatching lines in one long stroke to keep them uniform. Follow the contours of objects with your lines to help simulate a three-dimensional form.
Make sure you use the same pressure over the whole layer. Make sure all your pencil strokes are going in the same direction together. Then carry on adding more layers on top using same colours and maybe more pressure with same direction of strokes until you have created a solid smooth coloured drawing.
Introduction: My name is Trent Wehner, I am a talented, brainy, zealous, light, funny, gleaming, attractive person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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