theULTIMATEGUIDEtoCOLOREDPENCILover35step-by-stepdemonstrationsforbothtraditionalandwatercolorpencils
GARYGREENE
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TheUltimateGuidetoColoredPencil.Copyright©2010byGaryGreene.ManufacturedinChina.Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedinanyformorbyanyelectronicormechanicalmeansincludinginformationstorageandretrievalsystemswithoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher,exceptbyareviewerwhomayquotebriefpassagesinareview.PublishedbyNorthLightBooks,animprintofF+WMedia,Inc.,4700EastGalbraithRoad,Cincinnati,Ohio,45236.(800)289-0963.FirstEdition.
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LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationDataGreene,Gary.Theultimateguidetocoloredpencil/GaryGreene.--1sted.p.cm.
ISBN978-1-600613913(hardcover:alk.paper)1.Coloredpencildrawing--Technique.I.Title.NC892.G7542010741.2'4--dc22
2009037812EditedbySarahLaichasandKathyKippDesignedbyGuyKellyProductioncoordinatedbyMarkGriffin
METRICCONVERSIONCHARTToconvert to multiplybyInches Centimeters 2.54Centimeters Inches 0.4Feet Centimeters 30.5Centimeters Feet 0.03Yards Meters 0.9Meters Yards 1.1
AbouttheAuthorGaryGreenehasbeenworkingasaprofessionalartistcontinuouslysince1967.Duringhiscareer,Garyhasworkedasafineartist,instructor,author,photographer,artdirector,designerandillustrator.HeisthefounderandownerofGGArt,abusinesshebeganin1984andstillsuccessfullyoperatestoday.GarygraduatedmagnacumlaudefromtheUniversityofHardKnocks.Garyworks in numerousmediums, both digital and traditional, but colored
pencil has been his artistic passion since 1983. He is a pioneer in the use ofwater-solublecoloredpencilsasamainlinefineartmediumandhasdevelopedorrefinednewtechniquesforcoloredpencil.Someofhispaintingsmayrequireupwardsof500hourstocompleteandwhenpeopleseethemtheyoftenexclaim,“That’scoloredpencil?”TheUltimateGuide toColoredPencil isGary's tenthNorthLightbook.His
firstbook,CreatingTexturesinColoredPencil,soldmanythousandsofcopiesworldwideandwasinprintformorethantwelveyears.Hisotherbooksdealingwithcoloredpencil:ColoredandWatercolorPencil—NoExperienceRequired!,CapturingRadiantFlowersinColoredPencil,andPaintingwithWater-SolubleColoredPencilshavealsobeenbestsellersintheirgenre,enjoyinglonghistoriesandinternationaldistribution.GaryoriginatedtheArtist’sPhotoReferencebookseriesandauthoredfivetitlesonFlowers,Landscapes,Buildings&Barns,Boats& Nautical Scenes and Reflections, Textures & Backgrounds. Gary has alsowrittenarticlesfor(amongothers)TheArtist’sMagazine,AmericanArtistandInternationalArtistmagazines.
Gary’scoloredpencilarthaswonnumerousnationalandinternationalawardsincluding theColyer-WestonArtLeagueNationalArtMeritCompetition,TheArtist’sMagazineNationalArtCompetition,andthreeColoredPencilSocietyofAmerica (CPSA) Awards of Excellence. He has conducted workshops,demonstrations,andlecturesintheUnitedStates,CanadaandAsiasince1985.VisitGaryathiswebsite,www.ggart.biz.
DedicationForGregg–myproudestproduction(withalittlehelp).
AcknowledgmentsThankstomywife,Patti,forherhelpwiththeproductionofthecolorcharts,andtoEsterRoifortheassistancewithherfabulousIcarusDrawingBoard.AveryspecialthankyoutotheindescribablygraciouspeopleatNorthLightBooks,whoseconfidenceinmyworkhasimpartedself-confidence.
tableofCONTENTSTitlePage
SpecialOffers
Introduction
1
MaterialsandTools
AnatomyofaColoredPencil
BrandsandTypesLightfastPencilsTranslucency
ErasingWaxBloom
ColorCharts
PaperSharpenersErasers
SolventsOtherSupplies
2
ReferencePhotos
ReferencePhotography
SubjectMaterial5TypesofPhotoReference
PhotoEquipment
PhotoAnomaliesGettingSharpImagesColorTemperatureCompositeErrors
CroppingPrintingOutaReferencePhoto
PhotostoPracticeWith
3
ColoredPencilTechniques
LawsofColoredPencilColorSelection
ColoredPencil101AddColorGraduallyColorContaminationWorkDarktoLightMakeAdjustmentsHousekeeping
TheLayoutQuickDemonstrations:LayeringBurnishingUnderpainting/
Water-SolubleColoredPencil
Fixative
4
LayeringDemonstrations
MagnoliaBlossomSeagullonBlack
CheckerspotButterflyGlassBottles
WinterBarnSceneCopperPans
5
Burnishing
Demonstrations
BowlofFruitGloxiniaonBlack
FlowerPotsStainedGlassWindow
BrassPigHands
6
UnderpaintingDemonstrations
DonkeyMountainLandscape
RoseMapleLeavesTreeBark
WagonWheel
7
Water-SolubleColoredPencilDemonstrations
CallaLiliesKiteandClouds
PuppiesSunset
WaterReflectionsPomegranates
8
CombinedTechniqueDemonstrations
AlgerianIvySilhouetteatDuskHoodOrnament
OrchidRapids
HotAirBalloon
T
IntroductionheUltimateGuide toColoredPencil ismy tenthbook forNorthLightBooks, the fifth on colored pencil.Although I try to avoid clichés, theonlywaytodescribemynearlytwo-yearjourneyinproducingthisbook
isthatithastrulybeenalaboroflove.
Mypreviouscoloredpencilbookswereprimarily targeted forartistsnew tothemedium,butTheUltimateGuidetoColoredPencilincludesdemonstrationsthat challengemore advanced colored pencil artists, alongside demonstrationsnewcomerscanlearnandthenmoveontothemoresophisticatedlessons.Producingthisbookhasbroadenedmyownartistichorizonsaswell,inspiring
metocreateavarietyofdemonstrationswithnewapproachesandinnovations.As inallofmybooks,everyefforthasbeenmade towrite the instructional
text as clearly and concisely as possible, entirelywithout “artspeak,” so don’tbotherlookingfortheterm“juxtapose”—it’snotfoundanywhereinthisbook.
GaryGreeneWoodinville,Washington
T
1
MaterialsandTOOLS
hischapterexploresthepropertiesofcoloredpencils:whattheyare,whattheydo,howtheywork,howtheydifferandwhattheyhaveincommon.Italsoincludesin-depthinformationonessentialmaterialsandtoolssuch
as papers, solvents, sharpeners, erasers, lengtheners aswell as complete colorrangechartsforallmajorcoloredpencilbrands.
AnatomyofaColoredPencilManyfolksbelievethatcoloredpencilsareonlyfordrawingbecausetheylooklikegraphitepencilsandarenotliquid.Thisisnottrueatall.Coloredpencilisaversatile,two-dimensionalmedium,andworksofartcreatedwithcoloredpencilarepaintings,notdrawings.
Acoloredpencilconsistsofacore(oftenmistakenlycalledalead,suchasina graphite pencil) composed of pigment compressed with a wax or vegetablebinder. The core is surrounded by a casing—two pieces of either round orhexagon-shapedwoodwithagrooverouteddownthecenter.Thecasing,usuallymadeof cedar, is cemented together andpaintedor varnished.The endof thepencil nearest where the brand name is stamped is usually capped to preventartists from sharpening it away. Some colored pencils brands, such asPrismacolor,ArtStixandCretacolorshavenocaps.
WhatAreColoredPencils?
Therearegenerallythreepartstoacoloredpencil: thecore, thecasingandthecap.Most colored pencils are capped and sharpened at purchase. Two casinghalves are laminated together and painted or varnished the same color as thecore.Sometimesthecasingispaintedblack.
ColoredPencilTypesColored pencils come in three categories: wax-based, oil-based and water-soluble.
Wax-based colored pencils are the most common. Their cores consist ofpigment bound togetherwithwax,which has a creamy consistency for easierapplication.Wax-basedcoloredpencilsaremorepronetobreakage,weardownmore quickly and give off considerable debris.Wax-based colored pencils arealso susceptible to bloom— a thin, powdery film that appears on the artworkshortlyafterthecolorisapplied(we'lltalkmoreaboutwaxbloom).Oil-basedcoloredpencilshaveavegetableoilbinder insteadofwax,giving
them a slightly harder core. They tend to break less than wax-based pencils,givingofflessdebris.Oil-basedpencilsarelesscreamyinconsistency,butsincetheycontainlittleornowax,theydonotbloom.Oil-basedpencilscanbemixedwith wax-based pencils, though bloom from the wax-based pencils will stilloccur.Water-solublecoloredpencilscanbewaxoroil-based.Thecoreismadeofan
emulsifying agent mixed with a binder that allows them to be liquefied withwater.Water-soluble colored pencils are notwatercolors, thoughmany peoplecall them “watercolor pencils.” Most water-soluble pencils have the samesmoothconsistencyaswaxoroilpencils,somewithaslightlyhardercore.
ColoredPencilTypesTherearethreetypesofcoloredpencil:Water-soluble(top),oil-based(middle)andwax-based(bottom).
Wax-BasedColoredPencils
Therearemanybrandsandvarietiesofwax-basedcoloredpencilsonthemarket,buttwocommonbrandsthatIpreferareSanfordPrismacolorandDerwent.
SanfordPrismacolorSanfordPrismacolorpencilsarebestknownfor theircreamy,softconsistency.Becauseoftheirhighwaxcontent,noothercoloredpencilappliesandblendsassmoothly. However, there are drawbacks to using pencils with a high waxcontent.Theyrequirefrequentsharpeningbecausetheyweardownquicklyandbreakeasily, theygiveoff considerablecrumbs, and theyproducewaxbloom.Prismacolorsareeasilyidentifiedbecausetheyaretheonlycoloredpencilsnotpre-sharpened or capped at either end. They are manufactured in the UnitedStates and are offered in three distinct sub-categories of wax-based coloredpencils:
AnAssortmentofWax-BasedColoredPencilsFromtop:PrismacolorArtStix,Carand'AcheNeocolorIIWater-SolubleWaxPencil, Derwent Coloursoft, Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901, PrismacolorVerithin,Prismacolor.Note that thePrismacolors are not cappedor sharpened(more bang for your buck). The Derwent casing is painted brown, and thepigmentcolorisnotedbythecolorofthecap.
1. Prismacolor Premier are artist quality, thick core pencils. They have thewidestcolorrangeofanybrandat132colors.
2. Prismacolor Verithin pencils, distinguished by their slender hexagonalcasings, have the hardest, thinnest and lowest wax content cores of anycoloredpencil,makingtheminvaluableforproducinglayouts,cleaningupedges and working small areas. The 36-color range matches the mostwidelyusedcolorsinthePrismacolorPremierline.
3.ArtStixare similar inappearance topastels,butarePrismacolorPremierpencils in stick form. They can be used to cover large areas quickly orsharpenedfordetailedwork.ArtStixareavailableinarangeof48popularPremiercolors.
DerwentDerwent wax-based colored pencils are manufactured in England and areavailable in four lines; three differ primarily in hardness and one is water-soluble.
1. Derwent Coloursoft pencils have thick cores and are nearly as soft asPrismacolors,withaslightlychalkyfeel.Availableinitsownrangeof72colors.
2.DerwentArtistpencilsaremoderatelyhardandhaveaslightlywaxy,thickcore.Theyareavailablein120colorsinthedeluxehardwoodboxsetorinarangeof72colors.
3.DerwentStudiopencilshavehard,chalkythincoresandarebestsuitedforlayering.Available in thesamerangeof72as theArtistandWatercolourlines.
4.DerwentWatercolour pencils have the same characteristics as the Studioline,exceptfortheirsolubility.They'reavailableinthesamerangeof72astheArtistandStudiolines.
Carand'AcheCaran d’Ache Luminance 6901 colored pencils are super-soft, wax-basedcolored pencils containing pigments that are resistant to UV rays, are 100percentlightfast,and61ofthe76colorscarrythehighestinternationalstandardfor coloredpencil lightfastness,ASTMD-6901.Their thick, roundcasingsaremadeoflightlyvarnished,environmentallycorrectCaliforniacedar.Luminance6901coloredpencilsaresuperbperformersforanycoloredpenciltechnique.Butwait, there's more: When purchased open stock, Luminance 6901's cost over
threetimesasmuchastheaveragewax-basedcoloredpencil.
Caran d’Ache also makes excellent oil-based and water-soluble coloredpencils,aswellaswaxpastels,allofwhicharedescribedonthenextfewpages.
Oil-BasedColoredPencils
Faber-Castell Polychromos are high quality, oil-based pencils from Germany.The 120 colors are somewhat harder thanwax-based pencils, but they do nothaveadryorchalkyfeel.Their thickcoreshaveaspecialcoatingthat inhibitsbreakage, enablingPolychromospencils tokeep sharppoints, andunlikewax-basedcoloredpencils,leavefarlesscrumbsintheworkarea.
Carand’AchePablohavealloftheadvantagesoil-basedcoloredpencils,yetfeel soft and creamy like a wax-based pencil. These beautifully made Swisspencilshavearangeof120colors,manyofwhichareunique.LyraRembrandtPolycoloraresimilartothePolychromospencils,buthavea
range of 72 colors. They have a feel somewhere between a Pablo and aPolychromospencil.PolycolorpencilsaremanufacturedinGermany.
AssortmentofOil-BasedColoredPencilsOil-based pencils are a bit more expensive than wax-based, but because theytend to break less, they last longer. Oil-based brands from top to bottom:Rembrandt Polycolor by Lyra, Pablo by Caran d'Ache, and Polychromos byFaber-Castell.
Water-SolubleColoredPencils
Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer pencils have a range of 120 colors and coreconsistency that match their sister oil-based Polychromos pencils. AlbrechtDüreraretheonlywater-solublecoloredpencilsthatcompletelydissolvewhenwater is added. Their hexagon shaped casings are slightly thicker than moststandardelectricpencilsharpenersandpencillengthenerscanaccommodate,soit'snecessarytowhittledownthecasings.
Carand’AcheSupracolorIIsoftpencilshavethesame120-colorrangeasthePablo pencils and the only way to visually differentiate the two is bySupracolor’swhitetipontheclosedend.TheSupracolorpencilshavethesoftestcoresofanywater-solublecoloredpencilanddissolveadequatelywhenwaterisadded.Carand’AcheNeocolorIIaretechnicallynotcoloredpencils,butareaccepted
as such by the Colored Pencil Society of America. Although they look likecrayons, Neocolors are highly pigmented “wax pastels” that are very creamy,intenseanddissolveeasily.Becauseoftheirhighlywaxycomposition,theycanonly be sharpened manually. Neocolors are available in 126 colors whosenomenclature (color names) does not completely coincidewith the SupracolorandPablolines.Lyra Rembrandt-Aquarell pencil’s 72 colors alsomatch the Lyra Polycolor
oil-basedlinewithsimilarcorehardness.Prismacolor Watercolor pencils are available in 36 colors that match the
popular Premier colors. Unlike the Premier colors, Prismacolor Watercolorshaveadry,chalkyfeel.
AssortmentofWater-SolubleColoredPencilsFrom top to bottom: Neocolor II by Caran d'Ache, Supracolor II by Carand'Ache, Prismacolor Watercolor, Rembrandt Aquarell by Lyra, and AlbrechtDürerbyFaber-Castell.
HowWater-SolubleColoredPencilsDissolveOneofthestrengthsofwater-solublecoloredpencilsisthatyoucancoverthepapersurfaceandblendcolorswithoutusingsolvents—youjustneedwater.Whenyouaddwatertodrywatercolorpencilpigment,thepigmentliquifiesandfillsthegrainofthepaper,muchasitdoeswhenyouaddsolventtoregularcoloredpencil.(Seeforamorein-depthdiscussionofwater-solublepenciltechniques.)Thepigmentshouldcompletelydissolvewhenwaterisaddedandnotleaveagranularpigmentbehind.TheFaber-CastellAlbrechtDürerpencilistheonlybrandthatachievesthis.
ColorShiftsColorsmaychangesomewhatwhenwaterisadded.Violetandpurplehuesareparticularlyvulnerable.Intheupperbar(below),thecolorsaresimilarbothwetanddry,butinthebottombar,thereisacolorshift.Colorshiftsvaryfrombrandtobrand,sotestcolorsbeforestartingapainting.
ColorlessBlenderPencilsColorlessblenderpencilscontainnopigment.Theircoresconsistonlyofawaxor oil-based binder. They are used to blend, burnish or mix colors togetherwithoutaddingmorepigment.
The Prismacolor Blender is wax-based and water-soluble, but unlike thepigmented Prismacolor pencils they are dry and crumbly. The PrismacolorBlenderblendswellwithwaxpencils.TheSplenderBlenderbyLyra isoil-basedanda littleharder thana regular
oil-basedcoloredpencil.Splendershavea tendency tocrumble,andcanblendbothoil-andwax-basedpencils.Derwent Coloursoft also makes a wax-based blender, similar to the
PrismacolorBlender,butabitchalkier.
ColorlessBlenderPencilsTop:RembrandtSplenderbyLyra;bottom:PrismacolorColorlessBlender.
LightfastColoredPencilsUntil recently, lightfastnesswas a concernwith colored pencil, but in 2003 astandardforcoloredpencillightfastness,ASTMD6901,wasestablished,pavingthewayformanufacturerslikeCarand'AchewiththeirLuminance6901line,toproducepencilsthatusethehighestqualityfade-resistantpigments.
Highquality, artist-gradecoloredpencils, like thoseused in thisbook,havelightfastness characteristics that are compatiblewith, but surpass, othermediasuchaswatercolor, acrylic andpastel.Aswithother fineartmediums, certaincolor pigments havemore resistance to fading thanothers.Earth colors, graysandotherneutralcoloredpigmentsaremorelightfastthanred,yellowandpurplepigments.Careful display and storage of paintings in any mediumwill enhance their
lifespan.Seriousartworkshouldbe framedwithacid-freematerialsandnotbeexposedtodirectsunlight.
TranslucencyAlltwo-dimensionalartmediumsareeitheropaqueortransparent.Oil,acrylic,gouacheandpastelareexamplesofopaquemediums—whenyoupaintonecolorover another, the color underneath disappears. Watercolor is a transparentmedium— when you paint one color over another, it creates a new color.Colored pencils are a translucent medium—when they are layered over oneanother,theoriginalcolorremainsandanewcoloriscreatedatthesametime.This unique property gives colored pencil its almost unlimited versatility,openingcreativeopportunitiesnotpossiblewithtraditionalmedia.
ErasingandRe-applyingColoredPencilAprimarycharacteristicofcoloredpencilisthatitcannotbecompletelyerasedwithout damaging the surface it is painted on.Although colored pencil that isbuiltupona surface is easilyerased, aghostwill still remain.Usingahighlyabrasiveeraserorscrapingtheareamightremovetheghosting,butitwillrenderthe surface unworkable and destroy the art. Because colored pencil istranslucent, re-applying colored pencil over an erased area may not cover it,especially ifyouare tryingtocoveradarkcolor.Forexample, if rediserasedandyoutrytocoveritwithyellow,theredwillstillbevisible.If thesituationwere reversed, redwouldmore successfully cover a yellow area, although theshademaybeaffected.Thisiswhyitisimportanttohaveaplanbeforestartingapainting,asexplainedonTheLawsofColoredPencil.TurntopagesEraserstolearnwhaterasersworkbestwithcoloredpencil.
WaxBloomWaxbloomisathin,powdery,whitefilmofwaxthatbecomesapparentshortlyafterwax-based colored pencil is applied. Darker colors seem to bloommorequicklybuttherateforallcolorsisthesame.Theremedyforbloomistosprayitwith fixative—wiping it off is not only temporary and ineffective, but it alsoremovesthepigmentandmayevendamagetheart.Fixativeisappliedonlyafterthe piece is completely finished since it is unworkable after it is sprayed on.Both Prismacolor Final Fix andKrylonWorkable Fixative are recommended.Seefortipsonhowtoapplyfixativetoacompletedpainting.
WaxBloomThe right side of this color bar shows the thinwhite filmofwax that appearsafterwax-basedcoloredpencilisapplied.
SPHERES21x32inches(53x81cm)Colored pencil on museum board This painting could be called a “latebloomer.”Itwaspaintedonwhitemuseumboard,andtheentirebackgroundconsists of black Prismacolor. The spheres were painted first, then the
backgroundwaspaintedaroundthem.Onlysmallsectionsofthebackgroundat a time were painted, and with each separate painting session, the blackPrismacolor bloom looked different.When the background was finished, itlooked somewhat like apatchworkquilt,with each session’sworkhavingadifferent level of wax bloom. It required an application of almost three-quarters of a can of spray fixative and two hours to make the backgrounduniform.
ColoredPencilBrandsColoredpencilcharacteristicsvaryfrombrandtobrand,andknowingthemwillhelp you choose the right pencil to achieve the goals of your paintings. Forexample, an extra-soft, wax-based colored pencil made by one brand mayproduce better results for you than another brand with a slightly harder wax-basedcoloredpencil.
Colored pencil manufacturers may use the same nomenclature for certaincolors, but shades of those particular colors may vary greatly from brand tobrand. Each manufacturer may use different pigments, or they may have adifferentideaofwhataparticularcolorlookslike.Thereisahugerangeofcolorstochoosefromwhenyouconsiderallofthe
major colored pencil brands. Each manufacturer has “special” colors in theirrange that are not available from competing brands, and are not easilyreproduced by combining colors. For example, Prismacolor has a range ofFrenchGreys,whicharedistinctlywarmer than theusualWarmGreys;Carand’Ache has unique colors such as Brownish Beige, and Faber-Castell’sTerracottaiscompletelydifferentfromPrismacolor’sTerraCotta.Colorscanbepurchasedinsetsorindividually(calledopenstock).Purchase
fullsetsofthedifferentpencilbrandstouseforreference,thenbuyopenstockas needed. A painting will never require 120 different colors. It is mosteconomicaltobuyvariousquantitiesofthecolorseachpaintingrequires.
ExperimentwithDifferentBrandsExperiment with various colored pencil brands to understand their uniqueproperties.Colorswiththesamenamemayvaryfrombrandtobrand,soit'sbesttofamiliarizeyourselfwithdifferentrangesofcolors.
ComparingColoredPencilsThe following pages contain swatches of the major brands' color rangesavailableasopenstock.Eachrangeisarrangedalphabeticallybynomenclature.Use the chart below as a reference for comparing the properties of differentbrandsofcoloredpencils.
*WaxPastel
ColorRange:SanfordPrismacolorPremier
1:ColoravailableasPrismacolorVerithin
2:ColoravailableasPrismacolorArtStix
3:ColoravailableasPrismacolorWatercolor
ColorRange:CaranD'acheLuminance6901
ColorRange:DerwentColoursoft
ColorRange:DerwentStudio/Watercolor
ColorRange:DerwentArtists
ColorRange:Faber-CastellPolychromos/AlbrechtDürer
ColorRange:Carand’AchePablo/SupracolorIISoft
ColorRange:LyraRembrandtPolycolor/Aquarell
ColorRange:Carand’AcheNeocolorII
*Alsoavailableasametalliccolor**Onlyametalliccolor
PapersforColoredPencilColored pencil can be applied tomany surfaces beside paper, including cloth,canvas,hardwood,draftingfilmandclayboard.However,itcannotsuccessfullybe applied to smooth, nonporous surfaces such as glass, porcelain, metal andacetate.
ToothWith this inmind, the primary feature a paper surfacemust have for coloredpencil is its texture, or tooth. If the paper surface is too smooth, therewill belittleornothingfor thecoloredpencil toadhere to,causing it tobunchupandnotstayinplacewhenitisapplied.Toothisthethousandsoftinyvalleysinthepaper surface thathold thecoloredpencil inplace.Themorevalleys thereareandthedeepertheyare,themorecoloredpencilcanbeappliedandthemoreitcanbecontrolled.
PaperToothTooth varies from smooth, hot-press or “plate” surfaces to rough, cold-presswatercolorpaper.Toothpatternvaries amongbrands.From top tobottom, theexamplesaboveare:aBristolvellumplate(smooth)bBristolvellumregular
c4-plymuseumboardd Hot press watercolor paper e Cold press watercolor paper f Roughwatercolorpaper
Acid-FreePaperIfyourartistobeevenmarginallyserious,itshouldalwaysbedoneonacid-freepaper. A paper’s fibers contain acid, and if it is not neutralized duringmanufacture, the paper will eventually yellow and deteriorate in a relativelyshortperiodoftime.Acid-freepaperisusuallymadefromragorcottonfibers.Someproductssuchasillustrationormatboardclaimtobeacidfree,butonlyhave acid-free veneers of paper sandwiching a non-acid-free core. Usingillustrationormatboardasamediumcanbeproblematic,sincetheveneercanbeliftedwithrepeatedapplicationsofcoloredpencilthatwillruinthepainting.
PaperThicknessPaperthicknessismeasuredeitherbyplyorweight.Plydesignatesthethicknessofapaperinlayers.Newsprintcanberegardedas1-ply,whilemostpaperfoundin drawing tablets is 2-ply. For light applications of colored pencil, 2-ply isacceptable,but3-or4-plypaperisabetterchoice,sinceheavyapplicationscanwarporpuncturethinpapers.
WeightMany papers' thickness, such as watercolor paper, is measured by weight.Weight is calculated by howmuch a ream (500 sheets) of paperweighs; 500sheetsof300-poundwatercolorpaperthatarethesamelengthandwidthas180-poundpaperareobviouslygoingtobethicker.
ColoredPaperColored paper adds still another dimension to colored pencil art.When usingcoloredsurfaces,techniquesaremodifiedaccordingtohowdarkthepaperis;forexample,whenblackpaperisused,workinginthenegativeisnecessary.
TypesofPaperThe papers I recommend for colored pencil are: Strathmore or Rising 4-plymuseumboard,andStrathmore3-or4-plyBristolvellum,regularsurface.Theseacid-freepapersnotonly standup tomany layersof color,but their resilienceallowsforreapplicationofcolorovererasedareas.Theyalsotoleratesolventsofallkinds,andpermitlightapplicationofwaterwithoutwarping.Museumboardisavailableinshadesofwhite,grayandinblack.
PaperCross-Sections
WatercolorPaperforColoredPencilsIn addition to its obvious use with water-soluble colored pencils, watercolorpaper can be used with wax and oil-based pencils. There are three kinds ofwatercolorpaperthatdetermineitstooth:hot-press,cold-pressandrough.
Hot-press papers are smooth, like plate surfaces, and are less forgiving toworkwith.Having very fine, shallow tooth, hot-press surfaces are harder andmorewater-resistantthanotherwatercolorpapers.Hot-presspapersdonotallowrepeated layering of color ormuch latitude for correction, eitherwhenwet ordry.Cold-press surfaces are similar toBristol vellum andmuseumboard in that
theyhavesufficienttoothtoholdlayersofcoloredpencil,butthesimilarityendstherebecausecold-presspaper’stoothismuchwiderandshallower.Cold-presspaper is much more porous and absorbent than hot-press, which allows for“lifting”(erasingwithwaterandabrush)ofsmallareasafterwaterisapplied.Rough watercolor paper is exactly that, its texture so obvious it could be
referred to as “tooth on steroids.”With very deep andwide valleys, it is veryporousandsoabsorbentthatitdriesmuchmorequicklythanhot-orcold-press.Rough watercolor paper quickly wears down colored pencil points, but is aperfect vehicle to create textures. It is also themost resilient paper to erasure,bothwetanddry.
Howwatercolorpaperismanufacturedalsodeterminesitsquality.Handmade
papers are the highest quality, but can be extremely expensive. Mould-madepapersareusuallygoodqualityandareavailable inawidevarietyofsurfaces.Machine-made papers are student grade and usually have regular, linen-liketoothpatterns,notsuitableforcoloredpencil.Arches 300-pound rough and Fabriano 300-pound “Soft-Press” are both
excellentwatercolorpapersforwater-solublecoloredpencil.
ColoredPencilSetupAcoloredpencilpaintingcanrequireasfewsuppliesassomepencils,paper,asharpenerandaneraser(andifyouthinkyouaregood,youmaynotevenneedtheeraser!).Ontheotherhand,watercolorrequiresatleastatinofwatercolors,watercolor paper, brushes, a palette,water, a container and paper towels.Oilsrequire tubes of color, a canvas, brushes, palette, palette knife, solvent, acontainer for thesolventandrags.Coloredpencil isnotonlyhassle freewhencomparedtootherpopularmedia,butisobviouslyfarlessexpensive.
Andhowaboutcleanup?Noliquidsmeansnospills,nobrushestowash,notoxicsolvents,noobnoxiousodors,justpickupyourpencilsandputtheminabox.Ofcourse,wehavedescribed the simplest coloredpencil setups.Brushesand other applicators, palettes, solvents and such can play a role in coloredpencilart,too.
BasicSetupforWorkinginColoredPencilFrom left to right: adeskbrush, abattery-operatedelectriceraserwithavinyleraserstrip,akneadederaser,anerasingshield,acupfulofpencilextenders,awatercolor brush, cotton-tipped applicators, a small jar for solvent, a full-spectrumdesklamp,coloredpencilsandacordedelectricpencilsharpener.
SharpenersApencil sharpener is themost important colored pencil tool—it is to coloredpencilasabatistobaseball.Therearefourkindsofsharpener:smallhand-heldmodels; versions that aremanually operated by a crank, usuallymounted to awall or desk; small, portable battery operated sharpeners, and larger, electricmodelswithacord.
Why are sharpeners so important? Because colored pencils must almostalways be kept needle sharp. I find that using a manual sharpener is timeconsuming,impracticalandpossiblyevendangerous.Coloredpencilisnotafastmedium.Itoftenrequiresmanyhourstocompleteapiece,andusingamanualsharpenerwillneedlesslyincreasethistimesignificantly.Mostimportantly,thefrequent repetitivemotion of sharpening can cause carpal tunnel syndrome inyourwrist.Batteryoperatedelectricsharpenersareconvenientandportable,butconstant
usewillburnthemoutinarelativelyshorttime.An electric sharpener with a cord is a must, and should be capable of
sharpeningapencil toaneedle-likepoint.Asharpener’s“throat”shouldbeasshallowaspossible,enabling thepencil tobesharpeneddown toasmall stub,whichwillsavemoneyinthelongrun.Someelectricsharpenershavean“autostop”featurethatstopswhenthepencilissharpened,andalargebaskettoholdtheshavingsisatimesaver.
SharpenersFromlefttoright,asmallmanualsharpener,aportablebatteryoperated,andacordedelectricsharpener.
ErasersIn lightof the fact that it isnotpossible to completelyerasecoloredpencil, itmay sound contradictory to say that erasers play an important role in coloredpencilart.
Although erasers cannot completely remove colored pencil, they do removeallthatisbuilt-upfromasurface,andtheyalsocancontributetomakingtheartitself.However,itshouldbenotedthatacoloredpencilpaintingshouldbewellthoughtoutbeforeitisstartedtominimizeerasinglargeareas.KneadedErasersKneaded erasers are the first choice of colored pencil artists for erasing tasks.They are putty-like, pliable, nonabrasive erasers and they leave no debris.Because thekneadederaser ispliable, it canbeshaped forerasingsmallareasand “lifting” pencil crumbs. Tapping or pressing a kneaded eraser against anarea that has been coloredwill lighten the areawithout damaging the surface,allowingnewlayersofcolortobeadded.Erasingheavilybuiltuporlargeareasofcoloredpencilwithakneadederasercanbetimeconsumingandmessy,eventhoughthereisnodebris.
WhiteVinylErasersWhitevinyleraserspickupwhatkneadederasersleaveoff,beingbestsuitedforerasinglargerareas.Likekneadederasers,vinylerasersarealsononabrasive,butunlikekneadederasers,theygiveoffdebris.
ErasersAtleft,topandbottom,arekneadederasers,newandused.Attoprightisavinyleraser,andbelowthatisan"Imbibed"eraser.
ImbibedErasersImbibederasersareimpregnatedwitherasingfluid.Theyareprimarilydesignedforliftinginkfromdraftingfilm,buttheydoanexcellentjoboferasingbuiltupcoloredpencilwiththeleastinjurytothepapersurface.
AbrasiveErasersAbrasive erasers, suchasPinkPearl and inkerasers shouldneverbeusedwithcoloredpencil.Abrasiveerasersdamagethepapersurfacesothatcoloredpencilcannotbereapplied.ArtGumErasersArt gum erasers, often used with graphite pencils and charcoal are notcompatiblewithcoloredpencil.Attempting toerasecoloredpencilwithanartgumeraserwillproduceonlyoneresult:amess.
LiftingColorwithaKneadedEraserKneadederasersaresoftandpliableandcanbeformedandshapedtoeraseanysizeareaonyourpainting.
ElectricErasersElectric erasers increase efficiency and can save time. They are available in
battery, rechargeable and corded models. A variety of eraser “strips” areavailable for the larger corded and rechargeable models, but white vinyl andabrasive ink erasers are the only erasers available for small, battery-poweredtypes. Small erasers are less obtrusive and make precise erasures, especiallywhentheyareusedwithanerasingshield.Cordedandrechargeableerasersareexcellentforerasinglargeareas.
Battery-OperatedElectricEraserThesmallbattery-operatederasersacceptwhitevinyleraserstripsandareeasytousewithanerasingshield.
ErasingShieldAnerasingshieldisathinaluminumrectanglewithvarioussizesandshapesofslotspunchedinit.Usedwithanelectriceraser,smallareasofyourpaintingcanbeisolatedforerasurewithoutdisturbingthesurroundingareas.
SharpeninganElectricEraserStripSharpeninganeraserstripwithanemeryboardprovidesevenmoreprecisioninerasingtinyareas.
ErasingColoredPencilThe comparison chart above shows how well the different erasing methodsperformonbothlightandheavyapplicationsofcoloredpencil.
SolventsUsedwithColoredPencilAfacetofcoloredpencilartemploystheuseofsolvents.Solventsdissolvethebinderallowingpigment tobespreadaround, similar to thewaywater-solublecolored pencil reacts when water is added. Solvents of all kinds work withcolored pencil: Bestine rubber cement thinner, Tur-penoid (turpentine),isopropyl(rubbing)alcohol,mineraloil,bleach,lighterfluid,vodka,gin,rocketfuel, etc., as long as they are clear. Each solvent has different workingcharacteristics,suchashowtheydissolvethebinder,howtheyspread,howtheyareabsorbedorreactwiththepapersurfaceandhowquicklytheyevaporateordry—in every instance creating a different result. We will explore sometechniquesusingsolventsinChapter3,ColoredPencilTechniques.
StoringandApplyingSolventsDue to potential toxicity, care should always be taken when using solvents.Aside from common sense instructions such as using solvents in a well-ventilated room, avoiding open flames, smoking, contact with skin and eyes,etc., there are special procedures to follow when using solvents with coloredpencil.Aminuscule amount of solventwill be used at any given time, so it'sbettertopouritintoasmall,re-sealableglasscontainersuchastheonesshownatright.Whennot inuse, thecontainercanremaincapped,minimizingfumes.Storage in small containers also prevents contaminating the entire batch ofsolventbyinadvertentlyintroducingcoloredpencilintothemaincontainer.
Brushes are used with water-soluble colored pencil, but are also used forapplying solvents towaxandoil-basedcoloredpencil.Cotton swabsareoftenused with colored pencil techniques that include solvents.Wads of cotton orpiecesofclothcanalsobeusedtoblendlargerareaswithsolvents.
Applyingsolventwithacottonswabproducesadifferenteffectthanapplyingitwithabrush.Addingsolventwitha swabaggressivelyblendscolor into thesurface,whileusingabrushcreatesalessintenseeffect.Solvents should be applied onlywith inexpensive synthetic brushes.Due to
solvents’ corrosive nature, brushes deteriorate with continued use. Save yourgoodbrushesforwater-solublework.
OtherSuppliesKeepingYourWorkspaceCleanAlthoughcoloredpencilisprobablytheleastmessyartmedium,especiallywhenitcomestocleanup,itisnecessarytokeepthesurfaceyouareworkingonclearofdebrisgivenoffbysoft,wax-basedcoloredpencils inparticular.Anylarge,soft-bristled brushwill accomplish this.Canned compressed air, used to cleandust off of electronic equipment, can be used to blow away the debris whilekeepingtheartwork“touch-free.”Takecarewithcompressedairtokeepthecanuprighttopreventmoisturefromescapingandsprayingontotheart.Attemptingto blow debris awaywith your own breath is not only ineffective but can bedisastrous,especiallywhenusingwater-solublecoloredpencils.
PencilLengthenersPencillengthenersorextenderslengthenthelifeofapencilandprovideabettergriponthelittlestubs.Apencilextenderconsistsofawoodenhandleattachedtoametal tubewithaslidingclamptohold thepencil inplace—asimpledevicethatisamajorhelpwithcoloredpencilart.
TheIcarusDrawingBoard®TheIcarusisaglassdrawingboardwithaheatingelementimbeddedinit.Paperplaced on the Icarus is heated, softening wax-based colored pencils so theybecome almost viscous, speeding up the painting process and producingpainterlyeffects.TheIcarusisespeciallygoodforsmoothgradationsandblends.
LightingItisnotalwayspossibletohavenaturallighttodoartwork(especiallyatnight),so good artificial lighting is a necessity. Full-spectrum lights, with a colortemperature rating of 5600º K (kelvin), should be used when doing artworkbecause it reduces the possibility ofmisinterpreting colors. Ordinary tungstenlighting (commonly used in household light bulbs) has an orange cast whilecommonfluorescent lightsourcesaregreenish,bothofwhichcancausecolorsto appear inaccurate. Using poor lighting can also result in eyestrain becausecoloredpencilrequiresclosework.Morethanonelampmayalsobenecessaryfor adequate lighting. OttLite® desk lamps and similar products are goodlightingchoices.
ReferencePhoto
FINISHEDPAINTING:INDIVIDUALITY18"×25"(46×64cm)Coloredpencilonmuseumboard
T
2
ReferencePHOTOS
hischapterdealswiththemostimportantancillarytocoloredpencilart:taking strong reference photos. Unfortunately, some artists are eitherblasé or apprehensive about taking photographs, but in order to be
successfulwithcoloredpencil,atleastacasualfamiliaritywithphotographyisamust.Whoknows,youmightevenenjoyit!
ReferencePhotographyReferencephotographyandcoloredpencilartgohandinhand.Becausecoloredpencil paintings take so much time to complete, it is impractical, if notimpossible,toworkfromreal-lifesubjects.Fruitinastilllifewouldrot,flowersfromthegardenwouldwilt,oramodelsittingforaportraitmayneedafaceliftlongbeforeapaintingisfinished.
Thegoodnewsisthattakingreferencephotoscanbeasmuchfunaspaintingand it provides an endless source of original subject material. Photographyenhancesartisticexpertisebymakingyouawareof subjectsyounevernoticedbefore. A photo provides a permanent record of a subject, and the ability tothoroughlystudyandunderstanditssubtleties.Photographingpotentialsubjectsfrom different angles and under different lighting conditions will providevaluable information that will greatly improve your chances of producing aspectacularpainting.Theprimarycompositionalelementsforyourpaintingshouldbemadeinthe
camera's viewfinder first, adjusted before printing the reference photo, thenadjustedagain,ifnecessary,whileyouarepainting.Thiswilleliminatesecond-guessing andbuildyour confidence inhowyourpaintingwill turnout. Itwillalsodevelopyoureyeforphotographingsubjects.ConsidertheSourceMany artists unwittingly use photos from various sources, such asmagazines,books and the Internet, for reference. This may be in violation of thephotographer’scopyrightifyoudisplay,publishorsellartcopiedfromasourceother thanyourown.However, if thepainting ischangedenoughso that itnolongerresemblestheoriginalphoto,oronlyminorelementsaretakenfromthephoto and used in a different context, it will probably not involve copyrightissues.Using photos fromprintedmaterialmaynot be as sharp as an originalphotoandphotosfromtheInternetare,bynature,verylowresolution.
Paintingsshouldbetheartist’sownwork,startingwiththereferencematerial.Aknowledgeofbasicphotographyandusingeitheradigital single lens reflexcamera(DSLR),ora35mm(film)singlelensreflexcamera(SLR),willprovideyou the best possible source of original reference material to use in your
paintings.
SubjectMaterialforColoredPencilThe best subjects for colored pencil paintings are those that have a specialinteresttoyou.Doyoulikepets?People?Flowers?Stilllifes?Thepossibilitiesforsubjectsareendless,but thetrickis toselect therightpencil,papersurfaceand technique to best depict the nature of your subject. Having the ability torecognizetheseelementsisanimportantsteptomasteringcoloredpencil.
Thisimageofboatchainsonadockmakesanexcellenttexturestudyforcoloredpencil.Harbors,marinasanddocksaregreatsourcesforreferencephotos.
Weatheredwoodisaperfecttextureforcoloredpencil.Therough,lineartextureof the antique table provides an interesting contrastwith the smooth, roundedceramicflowerpots.
SubjectMaterialForColoredPencil
Flowers,likethispansy,arealwaysgoodsubjectmaterialforcoloredpencilart.Lookforbloomswithpronouncedvariegations,unusualshapesorvibrantcolorsanddonotbeafraidtomoveinclose.
These“doughnuts”havenocaloriesbecausetheyareceramic,butyouwouldn'tknow it if itwerenotpointedout.Theoriginal scenewasclutteredwithotheritemsforsale,whichmadeitnecessarytomoveincloseandcropouttheclutter.
Thistypewriterwasfoundinanantiqueshopwhich,alongwiththriftstoresandjunkyards,arefertilelocalesforreferencephotos.Ifyouintendontakingphotosin a retail store, be sure to identify yourself (a business card is helpful), stateyourintentions,andaskpermissionfirst.Mostshopkeeperstakeadimviewofcustomerstakingphotosoftheirinventory.
FiveTypesofReferencePhotosIgroupreferencephotosintofivetypes.Whenphotographingorselectingsourcematerial,mostofyourphotoswillfallintooneofthesecategories.Sincetheydonothave“official”names,wewillcoinsometerminologyforthem:1.Posed2.Found
3.Enhanced4.Stock5.Composite
PosedReferencePhotosPosed references are preplanned, set-up and created by you. They allow youcomplete control over composition, subject material, lighting and exposure.Examplesofposedreferencesarestill-lifesandportraits.
FoundReferencePhotosFound-subject compositionsare those thatyouhappenacrossandcompose in-cameraforpotentialpaintings.Compositionsare takenfromdifferentangles,avariety of exposures and, if possible, under different lighting conditions. Inaddition to antique stores and junkyards, look for found photos at farmersmarkets,fairs,gardens,marinas,oreveninyourownbackyard.
EnhancedReferencePhotos:BeforeandAfterImproveareferencebycropping,movingorremovingelements,withoutaddingelementsfromanotherphoto.
StockReferencePhotosStock reference photos are found subjects that can be combined with otherphotos as additions, foregrounds or backgrounds. For example, clouds can bephotographedandcombinedwithanotherphotowithanuninterestingblanksky.A wide variety of subjects can be combined to make great compositions forpaintings.
ForegroundphotoCompositeReferencePhotosCompositereferencephotosincludetwoormorephotosthatarecombined,eitherdigitallyormanuallypastedtogether,tocreateanentirelynewreferencephoto.
Manyof the referencephotosused for thedemonstrations in thisbookhavebeenenhancedorarecomposites.
Backgroundphoto
Compositephoto
PhotoEquipmentCamerasA camera with interchangeable lens capabilities is a must-have for referencephotography.WhiletheinitialcostofaDSLR(digitalsingle-lensreflex)cameraishigher than thatofa filmcamera, in the longrun itwill saveon thecostoffilmandprocessing,plusnomorewaitingtoknowforsureifyourphotosturnedout.
Although therearemany“point-and-shoot”and“bridgecameras” (acamerathat looks like a DSLR or SLR with a fixed lens) that have high megapixelcounts, they do not have the resolution, versatility, superior optics, and in thecaseofDSLRcameras,theabilitytoshootRAW.Ifyou favor aDSLR, look for cameras that have a resolutionof at least 10
megapixelsormore,whichwillyieldsharp8×10-inch(20×25cm)prints,plusthe ability to cropwithout losing noticeable resolution. The camera should beable to photograph RAW, for more correctable uncompressed images, inadditiontoJPGs("jpegs").BecauseRAWfilesareuncompressed,theyaremuchlargerthanjpegs,soamemorycardwithmorestorageisagoodidea,especiallywhenRAWandJPGimagesareshotsimultaneously.Buyacardwiththelargestcapacityyoucanaffordandasmallercardasabackup.An8-megabytecardanda4-megabyteshouldbeadequate.
Digitalsingle-lensreflexcamera(DSLR)
Some cameras, Sony for example, have an anti-shake feature built into the
body, allowing you to shoot at slower shutter speeds, under less than ideallightingsituations,andstillget reasonablysharp images.This feature isusefulandeconomical,sinceitworkswithalllenses.Othercameras,suchastheCanonandNikon,havespeciallensesthathavetheanti-shakefeature.Theselensesareconsiderablymoreexpensivethanlenseswithoutanti-shake.Digital cameras are changing and improving all the time, so talk to your
cameradealerbeforebuying.LensesA zoom lens with a focal length range of 18-200mm should be more thansufficient for nearly every photographic situation. If you're shooting flowers,portraits or subjects where close-up details are desired, a 100mmmacro lensshouldbeconsidered, although theyare somewhatexpensive.Lensesmadebythe camera’smanufacturer are slightly higher in quality (andmore expensive)thanthosemadebycompaniesthatonlymanufacturelenses.
ElectronicFlashMostDSLRandSLRcamerashaveabuilt-inpop-upflashthatistoopunytobeseriously effective. A separate, dedicated flash, made by the camera’smanufacturer,shouldalsobeinyourcamerabag,especiallyforsituationswherelightingandclose-upworkareimportant.Placingalightmodifierovertheflashsoftensitsoutputresultinginamorenaturallook.
TripodThe advent of digital photography has lessened the need for a tripod.PhotographingathigherISO(lightsensitivity)settingsnowproducesacceptableprints for referencework, andwith anti-shake capabilities, the need to carry atripodhasbeenrelegatedtoonlythemostexactingphotographs.
100mmmacrolens
Zoomlens
Electronicflashunitwithalightmodifier
PhotographicAnomaliesandBlundersWhile correct exposure, sharp focus and good lighting are keys to qualityreferencephotos,itisalsocriticaltoknowthatthecameraseesthingsdifferentlythan the eye. Youmust correct for the discrepancies and not include them inyourpaintings.
Wide-AngleDistortionAwide-anglelenswilldistortobjectsincreasinglyasits focal length decreases, or its angle becomeswider. The reasonwide-anglelenses distortmore than anyother lenses is because their primary lens is verycurved compared to the flat sensor in a DSLR, or film plane in a SLR. Thiscurvatureincreasesasthewideangleincreases.Wide-AngleWithoutTiltingtheLensAsacamerawithawide-anglelensis
tilted away from thehorizontal plane, thedistortionbecomesmorenoticeable,particularlywithsubjectsawide-angle lens iscommonlyused for, suchas tallbuildings and interiors. Subjects photographed close-up are also distorted,making wide-angle lenses less than ideal for portraiture. Lenses with a focallength of 35mm or less are considered wide-angle and should be used withdiscretion.
Wide-angledistortionTelephotoDistortionAsalens'sfocallengthexceeds50mm,itbringsdistantobjectscloserandcompressesthespacebetweenmid-andforeground.Forexample,ifyouusealongtelephotolenstoshootascenewithalakeintheforegroundanddistantmountainsinthebackground,themountainswillappeartoberightbehindthelake.Moderatetelephotolenseswithfocallengthsrangingfrom85to100mmareidealforportraits,butasfocallengthsexceed100mm,facesappearunnaturallyflattened.
If photographic anomalies such as wide-angle and telephoto distortion areincorporatedintoyourpainting,itwilllookunnaturalandamateurish.
Wideanglewithouttiltingthelens:nodistortion
Telephotodistortion
GettingSharpImagesReferencephotosshouldalwaysbesharpandclearlyshowasmuchdetailas
possible.Allofthedetailsdonothavetobeincludedinyourpainting,butallofthemclearlyinfocuswillhelpyoudeterminewhattoincludeandwhattoleaveout.What is in focus from the foreground to the background is called depth of
field.Asalens’sfocallengthincreasesfromwide-angletotelephoto,thedepthof field becomes shallower.Tokeep referencephotos sharp, it is necessary toshootatsmallerapertures(higherf-stopnumbers)wheneverpossible.Thiscanbe problematic when using longer telephoto lenses because they not onlymagnifythescene,buttheymagnifybodymovementswhenhandhold-ingyourcamera as well, resulting in soft or blurry images from camera shake. Asmentionedpreviously,manymodernDSLRcamerashaveanti-shakecapabilitiesthathelppreventsoftimages.
SharpDepthofFieldEverythinginthisphotofromforegroundtobackgroundisinsharpfocus.Whenphotographing sceneswhere themost detail is needed, use the smallest f-stoppossible.Thismayrequireelectronicflashor(horrors)atripod.ModernDSLR
camerashavetwoadvantages:theabilitytochangeISO(thecamera’ssensitivitytolight)settingsontheflyand“anti-shake”compensation,builtintothecamerabodyorintospeciallenses,allowingphotographerstohandholdtheircamerasatsmallerf-stopsandslowershutterspeeds.
ShallowDepthofFieldThebackgroundisoutoffocus.
CameraShakeThesubjectisnotinsharpfocus.
ColorTemperaturePhotography cannot reproduce colors exactly, but with the advent of digitalphotography, once common color temperature problems can be easily avoidedby adjusting the DSLR camera’s white balance. Color temperature describeslighting quality; for example: sunny, overcast, tungsten, fluorescent, etc.Withfilm cameras, it is necessary tomatch the right filmor filterwith the lightingsituation.
TungstenLightsThe same applewas photographedunder lighting conditions of different colortemperatures. This photo was shot using tungsten bulbs, which are the samewarmtemperatureascommonhouseholdlightbulbs.
FluorescentLights
This photo was shot under fluorescent lights, which are a cooler colortemperaturethantungstens.
CompositePhotoErrorsWhencombiningtwoormorephotos,careshouldbetakentoavoidlightingandproportionalgaffes.Ifoneimageislitfromtheleft, itshouldnotbecombinedwithanimagelitfromanotherdirection,atleastinyourpainting.
Scaleisimportanttoo;forexample,youwouldnotwantpeopletobethesamesizeasbuildingsinyourpainting.
BeforeUsing incompatible light sources for a composite photo means the lightingshadowsareinconsistent.Lookattheshadowscastbytheredpepperversustheonescastbytheappleandcherries.
AfterUsing a consistent light source means all the cast shadows are in the correctposition.
CroppingLet’s sayyouhave selected a referencephotograph topaint from.There are anumberofthingstoconsiderbeforestarting.
Successfulpaintingsalwayshaveastrongcenterofinterest,soitisimportantthatthereferencephotoisframedinsuchawaythatwhenitistranslatedintoapainting, it will attract and hold the viewer’s attention. This is achieved bycropping,whichcanbedonewithacomputerprogramlikeAdobePhotoshop™ormanually by arranging four sheets ofwhite or blackpaper as an adjustableframe.Keepinmindthatyouareactuallyenlarginganimagebycroppingit,sowhenusingaDSLR,alwayssetthecameraforitshighestresolutionandlowestpossibleISO,oruseafinegrain,lowISOfilmwithaSLRcamera.BeforeCroppingThis is the photo as it came from the camera. As is, it doesn't make a goodcompositionandthere'snostrongcenterofinterest.
AfterCroppingCropping has gotten rid of the uninteresting and distracting areas around theperimeterofthephotoaboveandfocusedyourattentiononthecenterofinterest.
RemovingClutterAnotherthingtoconsiderisclutter.Lookforanythinginthereferencephotothatmay distract from the subject. Unnecessary objects, shadows, highlights andsuchcanberemovedwithPhotoshop,whichwillprovideapreviewofhowthechangeswill look in thepainting. Insomecases, it ispossible tomanuallycutandpasteoverunwantedobjectsbyusingadditionalprints,otherwiseitmaybenecessaryjusttoremembertoleavethemoutofthepainting.
RemoveClutterCompare theoriginalphotoat leftwith the"cleaned-up"photobelow.Doyousee how many distracting objects and shapes have been removed to make amuchmoreappealingcomposition?
PrintingaReferencePhotoThe idealworking size fora referencephoto is approximately8.5×11 inches(22×28cm).Somedetailcouldbe lostwithsmallerprints,anda largerprintmaylackdetailregardlessofsize,dependingonthesensororfilm’sresolution.Alargerprintmayalsotakeuptoomuchworkspace.
When producing your own prints, sometimes it may be helpful to makeadditionalcopies, somewith the image lightened to showmoreshadowdetail,andothersthatenlargeareaswherethedetailsarenotclearinthemainprint.
OriginalreferencephotoCroppedandenhancedworkingreferencephoto
Lightenedreferenceprint
Fenderdetail
Rearwindowdetail
Taillightdetail
Sidewindowdetail
PhotostoPracticeWithHere is a selection of reference photos that can be “improved”with cropping,deleting or enlarging elements, or even combiningwith other images. Each issuitable foroneormorecoloredpencil techniques, soafter tryingsomeof thestep-by-step demonstrations in Chapters 4-8, explore how you can apply thetechniquestotheseimages.
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3
coloredpencilTECHNIQUES
hosewhoarenotfamiliarwithcoloredpencilmayhavethepreconceivednotionthatallyouhavetodoisputthepenciltopaperandpressdown,or “color.” This idea may have come from childhood memories of
coloringbooks and crayons.After you read andunderstand this chapter, thesepreconceived ideas will disappear. Colored pencil, like any other artisticendeavor, requires a learning curve and practice, practice, practice in order toachievemastery.
Inthischapterwewilllookatlayering,thebasiccoloredpenciltechniqueallcoloredpenciltechniquesarebasedon;burnishing,thepainterlytechnique;andunderpainting,atechniqueIoriginallydevelopedtocreaterealistictextures.Wewill also explorewater-soluble coloredpencil techniques, someofwhichmaysurpriseyouwiththeirsimilaritytowatercolormethods.
TheLawsofColoredPencilTherearecharacteristicsthatmakecoloredpenciluniquecomparedtoanyothermedium and are significantly connected to everything colored pencil. I havecoined an axiom for these characteristics that I call “The Laws of ColoredPencil.”
•Coloredpencilistheonlytranslucentmedium.•Coloredpencilisnotafastmedium.•Coloredpencilcannotbecompletelyerasedwithoutdamagingthepaintingsurface.
•Coloredpencilismixeddirectlyontheart,ratherthanonaseparatepalette.Asyoureadonandbegintounderstandthisfineartmedium,youwillseehowintertwinedtheselawsareincoloredpenciltechniques.
MixColorsDirectlyOntheArtUnlikeothermedia,withcoloredpencilscolorismixeddirectlyontheartasyoupaint, instead of mixing the medium on a separate palette. This providesincreased control over color application and more time to concentrate on theartworkinsteadofmixingcolors.
Pre-PaintingPlanningandPreparationBecauseacoloredpencilpaintingmay requiremanyhours tocomplete, it isagood idea to plan a course of action before starting. Considering that coloredpencilcannotbecompletelyerased,committinganirreparableerroraftermanyhoursofworkwillnotmakeforahappyartist,tosaytheleast.
PaintingSizeSizematterswithcoloredpencilart.Paintingsshouldbeat least9×12inches(23×30cm)or larger toadequately laydownsufficient layersofcolor.Smallareas fill in so quickly that it limits themedium fromdepicting subtle values,huesandtextures.Inaddition,largercoloredpencilpaintingshavemorevisualimpact.
ARCSANDRADII21x14inches(53x36cm)Coloredpencilandwater-solublecoloredpencilonwatercolorpaper.
KnowYourSubject
Onceyouhavedecidedonwhattopaintandyouhaveselectedareferencephototoworkfrom,makesurethatitclearlyshowsenoughdetailintheshadowsandhighlights. If not, additional prints should be made at different exposures orenlargementsmadeofproblemareas(seePrintingaReferencePhoto).
MatchingTechniqueandSubjectThenextstepistodecidewhattechniquesbestdescribethesubjectyouwishtopaint.Choosingatechniqueortechniqueswilldeterminewhattypeofpencilandsurfaceyouwill be using.For example, let's sayyouwant to paint somethingsimilar toArcsandRadii (above).Tobest show the texturesofoldweatheredwood, a water-soluble colored pencil underpainting is first made on roughwatercolor paper with a light beige hue, then overlaid with linear strokes ofdarkerhued,oil-basedcoloredpencils.
ColorSelectionColorselectionforyourpaintingdependsfirstonwhattechniquesaregoingtobeused,thenwhathuesmostcloselymatchthesubject.Forexample,wax-basedpencils are better suited to burnishing and should be the first choice over oil-basedpencils,evenifsomeoftheoil-basedcolorsareaslightlybettermatch(ofcourse,waxandoil-basedpencilscanbecombined).
Todeterminethecolorpaletteforyourpainting,colorsshouldbemixedfirstonatestpaletteofthesamesurfaceyouplantouse.Next,selectaportionofthepainting that may be difficult and do a separate rehearsal of that area beforestarting.Afewhoursofpreparationandplanningcansavemanyhoursofwastedtime
andfrustration.
SampleTestPaletteCreate a sample palette of your color selections prior to painting to seewhathuesbestmatchyoursubject.
TestPaletteandRehearsalSampleMy test palette (above) and rehearsal sample on black museum board (right)weredonebeforebeginningthefinishedpainting(below).
CANDLES20x30inches(51x76cm)Coloredpencilonblackmuseumboard
ColoredPencil101Before discussing specific techniques, there are several pointers you shouldknowthatareapplicabletoallcoloredpencilart.
DifferentStrokesColored pencil can be applied in a variety of ways: hatching, cross-hatching,stipplingandsoon,butallofthedemonstrationsinthisbookuseeithercircularor linear strokes. These strokes are the most effective with colored pencilpainting.
What stroke to use depends on the size and shape of the subject. Circularstrokesworkbestwithflatareas,while linearstrokesareusuallyused inareaswithobviouscontours.HowToHoldthePencilBothcircularandlinearstrokesaremadewiththe
pencil held in a normal (most comfortable) writing position, approximatelyperpendicular to the paper surface. Except in special instances, color shouldneverbeappliedwiththepointhorizontaltothepaintingsurface.
FollowingContoursIn order for subjects to look natural and to give them dimensionality, coloredpencil strokes, and (if needed) subsequent strokes of water or solvent, shouldalwaysbeappliedinthesamedirectionandfollowthecontours,textureorgrainofthesubject.
ContoursdrawnwithlinearstrokesStrokedirectionfollowsthecontours
AddingColorGraduallyRegardless of technique, color is always added gradually, with as little
pressure as possible and a needle-sharp point. Heavy application of pigmentmadeallatoncedefeatsyourabilitytoutilizecoloredpencil'suniquetranslucentcharacteristicsbecausetheyaresimplyoverpowered,somewhatlikecoveringaprimesteakwithabottleofketchup.Keeping the pencil sharp allows the point to deliver the pigment into the
tooth's valleys. A dull point does not fit into the valleys, leaving them bare,which makes it seem like not enough color is being applied. The naturalresponse is toapplymorepressure,which leads toapplying toomuchpigmenttoosoon.
Addingcolorgradually
Addingcolortooheavily
Asharppointpenetratesintothetoothofthepaper
Adullpointdoesnotreachthevalleys
ColorContaminationIn the process of painting, regardless of technique, individual areas should beworked to completion, rather than covering large areas and going back overthem with subsequent layers. This reduces smudging and provides a betterestimationofthepainting'sprogress.
Colorscanbecome“contaminated”byinadvertentlymixingonewithanother.Because of colored pencil’s translucency, contamination can occur with anycolor. However, the contamination is more noticeable when a dark color isdragged into a light color, as shown below. To avoid contaminating lightercoloredareas,paintthemfirstwhentheyareadjacenttodarkercolors.
Darkcolordraggedintoalightcolor
Lightcolordraggedintoadarkcolor
WorkingDarktoLightPaintthedarkestvalueofaspecificareafirst,andthenaddlightercolorsontop.Thecoloredpencil’suniquetranslucencyallowsdarkervaluestoshowthroughlightercolorslayeredoverthemwhilethelightercolorsretaintheirvisibility.
HighlightswithBarePaperWhenpainting onwhite paper, leave it free of color for primary, or specular,highlights (the bright spot of light that appears on shiny objects). Only thespecular highlights in the painting below are bare white paper. Secondaryhighlights (those that are not as intense) are mostly white pencil mixed withsomeofthecoloroftheimmediatearea.
INDIVIDUALITY18x25inches(46x64cm)Coloredpencilonwhitemuseumboard
MakingAdjustmentsAdjustingaWaxorOil-BasedColoredPencilValuesandhuescanbeadjustedbydabbingthemwithakneadederaserorusinganelectriceraser,thenre-applyingcolorovertheerasedarea.Formorepreciseadjustments,sharpenanelectriceraserstripanduseitwithanerasingshield.
AdjustingWater-SolubleColoredPencilWater-solublecoloredpencilisnotquiteasadjustable,especiallyafterwaterisadded.
Although water-soluble colored pencil can be lifted or erased when dry,adjustments can alsobemadewhile it is stillwet, by lightly scrubbingwith abrush or cotton swab, as with watercolors. Caremust be taken not to overdoliftingwetpigment, especiallyonhot-press surfaces,oron surfacesother thanwatercolorpaper.Oncethecolorisdry,traditionalerasingisnotpossible,norisliftingwithwater.
WAXOROIL-BASEDCOLOREDPENCIL
AdjustingColoredPencilWithSolventAreaswithsolventapplied to thepigmentcanbeeasily lightenedandadjustedwithakneadedorelectriceraser.
WATER-SOLUBLECOLOREDPENCIL
a.Beforewettingb.Pigmentliftedc.Wettingpreviouslyliftedpigmentd.Pigmentremovedwet
COLOREDPENCILWITHSOLVENT
a.Before adding solvent b.After applyingBestine rubber cement thinner c.Erasedwithelectriceraserd.Secondcolorappliede.Solventre-applied
HousekeepingColoredPencilDebrisAlthoughcoloredpencil isprobably the leastmessymedium, small crumbsordebris isgivenoff thepencilasyouwork.Wax-basedpencils,Prismacolors inparticular,producemoredebristhanoil-based.Ifleftunattended,thesetinybitsofcoloredpencilcanlodgeinthetoothofthepaper,causingpotentialproblems.Forexample,ifyouareusingaredpencilanditleavesdebrisinanareathatisintendedtobepaintedalightcolor,theareacanbecomecontaminatedresultingin tiny red streaks when the lighter colors are applied. Since colored pencilcannot be completely erased…you get the idea. Debris should be removed assoonaspossiblewithasoftbrushoraspraycanofcompressedair.
Debrislodgedintoothofpaper
Redpencildebrisonpaper
Debrisstreakswhencolorisadded.
RoughEdgesandSmudgingCleaningUpRoughEdgesUsing soft pencils on a toothy surface results in rough boundaries, or edges,between different objects in your painting. These rough edges are especiallynoticeable when the burnishing technique is employed. Because of theirhardnessandthincores,Verithinpencilsarebestsuitedtocleanuproughedges.
PreventingSmudgingIftheheelofyourhandcontactsyourpaperonthecoloredareas,smudgingmayoccur, especiallywith strongcolors suchas reds,violets, darkblues and such.Smudgingcoloredpencil isminimalwhencompared topastels,but if it is leftunattended, smudged colored pencil can also lead to color contamination. Asheet of tracing paper under your hand, or not resting your hand on paintedareas,preventssmudging.Lightsmudgingcanbeeasilyremovedwithakneadederaser.
Beforecleaninguproughedges
Aftercleaninguptheedges
CreatingtheLayoutImpressedLinesBefore beginning most colored pencil paintings, a layout (also known as apattern, rendering or line drawing) must be created. The layout shows theoutlinesandmainelementsofthedesignyouwillbepainting.Coloredpencil'stranslucenceandresistancetoerasuremakeitnecessarytouseaspecificlayouttechnique.Ateverystageofthelayoutprocess,sharppencils,lightpressureandlightlinesareamust.Iftoomuchpressureisapplied,lineswillbeimpressedinthepapersurfaceandwillbecomevisiblewhencolorisadded.Impressedlinesare most problematic when using the layering technique. While it is almostimpossible to avoid impressing lines in layouts, they canbeminimized if youfollowthepracticesshownhere,andtheycanberepairedbycarefullystipplingdirectlyintotheimpressionwithamatchingcolor.
GraphiteLayoutYourpaintingalmostalwaysbeginswithalayout,alsoknownasalinedrawing.Ifyourpainting isevenmoderatelydetailed, it isusuallymoreaccurate ifyoueitherfirsttracethereferencephotoontotracingpaperiftheartworkissmallerthanapproximately16x20inches,orprojectitdirectlyontotheworkingpapersurface.
ImpressedLinesImpressed lines are formed in the paper surface when too much pressure isappliedtothepencilduringthelayoutprocess.
RepairedImpressedLinesAfterrepair,theimpressedlinesblendintothesurroundingcolor.
HowanImpressedLineisRepairedImpressed lines can be repaired by carefully stippling directly into theimpressionwithamatchingcolorandasharppoint.
Ifyouusetracingpaper,alighttableprobablywillbenecessarytoseethrougheven the most transparent tracing media. Trace the lines with a red Verithinpencil.Youshould traceaphotograph thatyoudonot intend tokeep,becauselineswillbeimpressedintothephotoprint'ssurface.
When the tracing is complete, attach the tracing paper to the art withremovable tape, then slip an equal size sheet of graphite paper between thetracing paper and the art. Re-trace the outlines on the tracing paper, this timewithagreenVerithin soyouwillbeable to see thatyouhave re-tracedeveryline.While tracing, ahappymediummustbemetbetweenapplying toomuchpressure,which leaves impressed lines,andnotapplyingenough,whereyou'renot transferring lines at all. After all of the lines are re-traced, remove thegraphitepaperandchecktoseeifallofthelineshavebeentransferred.Withalargerpainting,youshouldattachtheartboardtoawallorothersturdy
surfacewithpush-pinsortacks.Toavoidholes,attachthepinsaroundtheedgesof thepaper insteadof through it.Lightly trace theprojected imagewitha2Bgraphite pencil, drawing only rough shapes, leaving the details for when thelayout is finalized.Allowing for ambient light in the roomenables you to seewhat you have traced.During the projection process, be sure not tomove theprojectorandkeepinmindthatwhenprojectingslides,theprojectedimagewillbecome distorted due to the film being affected by heat generated by theprojector’sbulb.
DrawColoredPencilLinesAdjacenttoGraphiteLinesUseVerithins or other hard coloredpencils of the appropriate color (outline agreenobjectwithagreenpencil,etc.),tore-drawtheoutlines,usingthelightercolorwhentwoormoreareasabutoneanother.
Thecoloredpenciloutlinesareplacedadjacent to thegraphite linesbecausethecoloredpencilwilltrapthegraphiteunderneathit if theyaredrawnontop,makingerasureofthegraphitelinesmoredifficult.Usewater-soluble coloredpencils to re-draw theoutlines in awater-soluble
painting;whenwaterisapplied,thelineswilldisappear.EraseGraphiteLinesCarefully remove the graphite lineswith a kneaded eraser, so just the coloredpencillinesremain.
Thegraphitelinesareerasedbecausetheytoowouldshowthroughlayersofcolored pencil. During the process of erasing the graphite, the colored linesremain (they cannot be completely erased), but they may need to be lightlytouchedup.Asthepaintingiscompleted,allofthecoloredpenciloutlinesdisappear.
Referencephotoofamango
1.Graphitelayout
When painting on black or other colored surfaces such as museum board,extracareshouldbetakenwhenerasingthegraphiteorcoloredpenciloutlines,because erasers will leave visible smudges to areas that are not covered withpigment. To minimize this problem, use an erasing shield (see Erasers)wheneverpossible;trytoerasewherethesurfacewillbecovered;orcoversmallareas, such as short lines,with a black colored pencil (do not try to touch upcoloredpapersotherthanblack).Lessseveresmudgingwilldisappearwhenthepaintingisfixedatcompletion.
TrappedGraphiteLinesTop: Colored pencil line on top of graphite lineMiddle: Liftedwith kneaded
eraserBottom:Erasedwithelectriceraser
2. Colored pencil lines drawn adjacent to graphite lines
3.Graphitelineserased,leavingonlycoloredpencillines
Layering,theQuintessentialColoredPencilTechniqueThelayeringlookisuniquetocoloredpencil.Dependingonhowthecolorisapplied,itcanhaveasoft,airylookwhenmorepaperisallowedtoshow,oritcanhaveanalmostpainterlylookwithadditionalapplicationsofcolor.
Color is gradually applied, or layered, dark to light (on a white or light-colored surface), building increasingly complex values, hues and textures.Although every colored pencil type works well with layering, harder pencilshave a slight edge over the softer varieties because the points maintain theirsharpnesslonger.
ALAYEREDPAINTING:
2PINK4ME21x14inches(53x36cm)Coloredpencilonmuseumboard
DegreesofLayeringThere are different degrees of layering, determined by adding more or lesspigment, which controls values or the overall look of a painting. The rosepaintingonthefacingpage,2Pink4Me,isanexampleofheavylayeringinwhichmostof thepaper toothiscovered.Heavylayeringdoesnotmeanusingheavypressure. In a well executed painting, the pigment is distributed consistentlywithoutgapsorbunching.
Papertoothalsodeterminesthelookofalayeredpainting.Hotpressorplatesurfaceswithfinetoothproducepaintingswithasoft,pastel-likequality,whileregular cold-press, vellum surfaces are the best all-around choice for layering.Rough surfaces such as cold-press watercolor paper produce almost lifeliketextures,especiallywhenthesurfaceisunderpainted.
Layeringonhot-pressorplatesurface
Layeringoncold-pressorvellumsurface
Layeringonrough,cold-presssurface
demonstration:
THELAYERINGTECHNIQUEBecause of its simplicity, a colorful mango will be used to demonstrate fourcolored pencil painting techniques in this chapter: layering, burnishing,underpainting, and water-soluble colored pencils. Using the same subject foreachdemonstrationwillenableyoutoconcentrateonthetechniquesratherthanon the subject, and tomake comparisons between the look of each technique.We'llstartwiththelayeringtechnique.
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ReferencePhoto
1.YellowOchreandLimepeel
2.DarkChromeYellow(Polychromos)
3.SpanishOrangeandSunburstYellowPAINTTHEYELLOWSIDEStartingwiththemango’syellowside,layerthedarkestvaluesfirst,
thenoverlapeachlayerwithlightercolors.(AllcolorsarePrismacolor
Premier,unlessotherwisenoted.)
1.IndianRed(Polychromos)
2
2.CrimsonLake
3.ScarletLakeandPoppyRed4.PaleVermilion,LightOrange(Polychromos)andTangerine(Polychromos)5.SpanishOrangePAINTTHEREDSIDENext,painttheredsideofthemango,layeringdarktolight,leaving
barepaperforthehighlight.
3PAINTTHESTEMANDSHADOWFinishwiththestemandcastshadow.
1.Stem:CoolGrey30%,BurntOchre,LightUmber,YellowOchreandVermilion2.Shadow:CoolGrey50%,CoolGrey30%,YellowOchre,DarkChromeYellow(Polychromos)
demonstration:
THEBURNISHINGTECHNIQUEBurnishing offers more creative control over value, hue and texture than anyothermediumandcansocloselyresemblethepainterlylookofoilsoracrylicsthatpeopleareoftenshockedthataburnishedpaintingwasexecutedincoloredpencil. At first glance, the painting "Persimmons" (below) instantly revealssmooth,shinyskinscontrastedagainstroughstems.Acloserlookrevealsmanysubtleties in valueandhue, all accomplishedwith thiswonderfully controlled,yethighlycreativetechnique.
The burnishing technique begins where the layering technique leaves off.White(orotherlightcolor)isusedtoburnish,ormix,layeredcolorstogether,thenthesamesequenceoflayeredcolors(exceptforthedarkest),isre-applied.Thisprocessoflayeringandburnishingisrepeateduntilthepaperiscompletelycoveredwithcoloredpencil.Thefinalstepremovesanyremainingtoothwithacolorlessblender.
PERSIMMONS
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PERSIMMONS18x27inches(46x69cm)Coloredpencilonmuseumboard
BEGINWITHTHELAYERINGFollowingthestepsintheLayeringDemonstrationontheprevioustwopages,paintthemango,layeringthecolorsfromdarktolight.
NOWBEGINBURNISHINGBurnishwithWhite,exceptforthedarkestvalue.
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RE-LAYERTHESAMECOLORSUsingmorepressure,re-layerthesamesequenceofcolorsfromSteps1,2and3onthepreviouspages,exceptforthedarkestvalueshownhere,EnglishRed.
REPEATBURNISHINGWithincreasingpressure,repeattheburnishingprocesswithWhite.
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RE-LAYERTHESAMECOLORSUsing more pressure, repeat the layering process until the paper surface isalmostcompletelycovered.
FINISHWITHCOLORLESSBLENDERRemove any remaining paper surfacewith a colorless blender and clean uproughedgeswiththeappropriatecolor.
Light pressurewith gradual applicationmust be used during the burnishingprocess, so the values and hues can be developed properly. However, as thepigmentbuilds,sodoestheneedformorepressure,untilsignificantpressureisnecessarywhenfinishingwiththecolorlessblender.
SurfacesnotSuitableforBurnishingBurnishing on a surface with inadequate tooth will result in the pigmentbunchingupandnotremaininginplacewhenyoutrytoaddmorecolor,becausethere is insuf-ficient tooth to anchor it.While smooth paper surfaces such asplatecanbelayered,itismoredifficulttoburnishonthem,andsurfaceswithouttoothcannotbeburnished.
Lightcolors,suchaspaleyellow,lightgrey,beige,paleblueandsuchcanbesubstituted forwhite, and can be used in combination, even in the same area,creatingdifferingvaluesandhues(seethechartbelow).Foranentirelydifferenteffect,acolorlessblendercanalsobesubstitutedforwhiteoranotherburnishingcolor.
Burnishingonanunsuitablesurface
Burnishingonhotpresspaper
Underpainting:TouchableTexturesandMoreUnderpaintingallowsyoutocreateamazinglylifeliketextures.Palecolors,suchascream,yellow,beige,skyblueandsucharelayered,thendissolvedwithasolvent,orwaterisaddedtolayeredwater-solublecoloredpencil.Darkervaluesandhuesarelayeredorburnishedontopforthedesiredtexture.Bykeepingthevalueoftheunderpaintedhuetoaminimum,enoughtoothshouldremaintolayerorburnishdarkercolorsontop.
Another useful application for underpainting provides amethodof avoidingmixingdark into lightcolors.Tocreate thesilhouetted treesagainst thesky inthepaintingMadrone (below), theentire skywasunderpainted firstwithwax-based colored pencil and solvent, then the trees were added over it. Due tocolored pencil's characteristics, it would be impossible to completeMadroneusinganyothertechnique.
ATEXTURESTUDYWITHUNDERPAINTING:CHAINED
TOTHEPAST18x22inches(46x56cm)Colored pencil and water-soluble colored pencil on watercolor paper
AVOIDINGUNWANTEDMIXING:MADRONE18x28inches(46x71cm)
ColoredpencilonmuseumboardWater-soluble colored pencils are widely used for underpainting. While
solvents are used to create evenly distributed applications of color inunderpaintings,water-solublecoloredpencilsareusedtoproduceunderpaintingsof uneven density. Oaks (right) is an example of underpainting with water-solublecoloredpencil.Waxandoil-basedcoloredpencilscanbeliquefiedwithavarietyofsolvents,
witheachsolventcreatingitsownuniqueeffect.Thenumberofsolventsthatcanbe used are limited to howmuch toxicity you are willing to tolerate. Bestinerubber cement thinner was used to underpaint the rocks in A Couple on theRocks(below).
WATER-SOLUBLECOLOREDPENCILUNDERPAINTING:OAKS28x19inches(71x48cm)Colored pencil and water-soluble colored pencil on watercolor paper
UNDERPAINTEDWITHWAX-BASEDPENCILANDSOLVENT:
ACOUPLEONTHEROCKS25x37inches(64x94cm)Coloredpencilonmuseumboard
TheEffectsofSolventsonColoredPencilDifferentsolventsreacttowaxandoil-basedcoloredpencilsinsubtleways:•Bestinerubbercementthinnerdriesquickly,producessmooth,evenlayersofcolor,andworksbestinsmallerareas.BrandsotherthanBestinereactdifferentlytocoloredpencil.
• Turpenoid, which bills itself as odorless turpentine, is best suited forblendinglargeareasbecauseofitslongdryingtime.
•Rubbingalcoholalsotakesawhiletodry,butunlikeBestineandTurpenoid,itdoesnotcompletelydissolvecoloredpencil,producingagranulareffect.
Using solventswith intensecolors suchas red,darkblueandviolet shouldbeconfined to small areas because they are difficult to control and overpowercolorsappliedoverthem.
Colors can be layered, thenmixed togetherwith solvent, or solvent can beappliedtoeachlayerofcolorseparately,asinglazing.Whentheglazingmethodis used, additional layers of color and solvent do not mix with the layersunderneath.Eachmethodproducesaslightlydifferentresult.Layering wax-based or water-soluble colored pencil, smudging with a dry
cotton swab or cotton ball, then applying solvent or water, produces textureswithsmoothgradationssuchasclouds,skiesandwater.Coloredpencilcanalsobeheavilyappliedtoaseparatesurfacethensmudgedontotheworkingsurfacewithacottonswab,cottonballorothermeans.
demonstration:
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THEUNDERPAINTINGPROCESSThe underpainting demonstrated here involves three colors blended togetherwithsolvent.Foraslightlydifferenteffect,solventcanbeappliedtoeachcolorseparately. A water-soluble underpainting would also be appropriate for themango.
BEGINWITHLAYERINGLayer the entire mango except the highlight areas with Sunburst Yellow,CadmiumOrange(Polychromos)andPoppyRed.
APPLYSOLVENT
Applysolventwithacottonswab,workingfromyellowtored.
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LAYERTHECASTSHADOWLayer thecastshadowwithCoolGrey30%andapplysolventwithacottonswab.
LAYERTHECOLORSLayerthemangowiththesamecolorsusedintheLayeringDemonstration.
Water-SolubleColoredPencil:WatercolorsWithouttheCussingAnythingthatcanbedonewithwatercolorsisequallydoablewithwater-solublecoloredpencils.However,water-solublecoloredpencilsaremuchmoreversatile,andfareasiertocontrol.WhenapaintingsuchasLiquidFuchsias(below)isdonewithwater-solublecoloredpencilusingtraditionalwatercolortechniques,itisimpossibletotellitfromanactualwatercolor(readontoseehowitwasdone).
LIQUIDFUCHSIAS17x26inches(43x66cm)Water-solublecoloredpencilonwatercolorpaper
1
demonstration:
WATER-SOLUBLECOLOREDPENCILIn the“traditional”water-soluble technique, colors areapplieddry, as in thelayering technique, then clear water is brushed on. For the best results, usecold-presspaperwithabrushmadenearlydrybypattingitonapapertowel.Inthis demonstration, the mango is painted separately from the cast shadow tolessen the chance of mixing the grey shadow into the colorful fruit. After thepaintingdries,additional layerscanbeaddedtoenhancethecolor, ifdesired,ortouchupweakspots.AllofthepencilsusedhereareFaber-CastellAlbrechtDürer.
BEGINWITHLAYERINGLayer themango'syellowhalfwithAppleGreen,DarkNaplesOchre,DarkChrome Yellow and Cadmium Orange. Layer the red half with Middle
CadmiumRed,ScarletLake,VermilionandOrangeGlaze.
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APPLYWATERApplywater in the samedirection as thepencil strokeswith amedium-dry,roundwatercolorbrush.
FINISHWITHSTEMANDSHADOWLayerthestemwithDarkNaplesOchreandRawUmber.Applywater.LayerMiddleCadmiumRedandScarletLakeandapplywater.
LayertheshadowwithColdGreyIII.Applywater.LayerDarkNaplesOchre,OrangeGlaze,VermilionandScarletLakeovertheshadow.Applywater.
WatercolorTechniqueswithWater-SolubleColoredPencilWater-solublecoloredpencilscanbeusedinanywayyouwouldusewatercolors.Insteadofapplyingallofthecoloredpencilatonce,andthenaddingwater,youcanlayeracolor,addwater,thenaddlayersofcolorandwaterinwhatisknownasglazing.
Another common watercolor technique is applying wet pigment to either awetordrysurface,knownaswet-onto-wetandwet-onto-dry.Now,howintheheck canyoudo thatwith coloredpencil?Simple: break thepoints offwater-solublecoloredpencilsandplacetheminthewellsofapalette.Addafewdropsofwaterandletthepointsabsorbthewaterforabout30minutes,whentheyaremagically transformed intoa consistencyexactly likewatercolors froma tube.Applythepigmentwithabrushtoawetordrysurface.Other variations can be employed, such as taking color directly from the
pencilwithawetbrush,thenapplyingthepigmenttoawetordrypapersurface.
1.Placeapencilpointinthewellofapalette.
2.Addwaterandletsitforabout30minutes.
3.Mixandusethepigmentasyouwouldanytubeofwatercolor.
Wetwater-solublecoloredpencilpaintbrushedontodrywatercolorpaper...
...andontowetwatercolorpaper
NotwithWatercolorThere are a number ofways you can paintwithwater-soluble colored pencilsthatarenotpossiblewithwatercolor,suchasapplyingcolordirectlytoawetordrysurfacewithawetordrypencilpoint.
Insteadof applyingwaterwith a brush,water-soluble colored pencil can besprayed with a small atomizer, resulting in a modi-fied layered look, andintensifyingthecolor.Toavoidsplatteringorrunning,theartworkshouldbelaidflat,sprayedatleastfivefeetawayandsprayedinstages,withsmallamountsatatime,allowingdryingtimebetweenapplications.Anotheruniqueeffectemploysgrindingwater-solublecolorpencilcoresinto
a powder and sprinkling it onto wet paper. The powder can then be movedaroundthepaperwithawetordrybrush,orthepapercanbetippedindifferentdirections.Layering,burnishing,underpainting,solventandwater-solubletechniquescan
allbeusedinunlimitedcombinations,makingthecreativepossibilitiesendless.We will explore some of them in Chapter 8, Combined TechniqueDemonstrations.
Directpaintingwithwater-solublecoloredpencil.
Groundeffectscreatedbygrindingwater-solublecoloredpencilcoresintoapowderandsprinklingitontowetpaper.
PutDownYourPencils,thePaintingisOver
As previously discussed onwax bloom is a by-product of wax-based coloredpencils,anditshouldbeignoreduntilyourpaintingiscompleted.Donottrytowipeitoffwhileyourpaintingisinprogress;doingsoonlyremovesthepigmentyouhaveworkedsohardtoapplyandthebloomwillreappearanyway.
The solution to wax bloom is to use fixative, but be absolutely certain thepainting is finished, because you can no longer add colored pencil after it isfixed.Howmuchfixativetousedependsonthepainting'ssize.Smallpaintings,less
than11×14 inches(28×36cm),mayrequireonly three tofourcoats.Largerpiecesmayrequiresixtoseven.People who are sensitive to chemicals may need to use a respirator while
sprayingfixative,buteveryoneshouldwearsafetyglassesofsometypetokeepsprayfromgettingintoyoureyes.Take the painting to be fixed outdoors (never spray fixative indoors or you
willregretitforweeks),layitflatonasmalltable,andpositionitthewayitisnormallyviewed.Holdthespraycanabout6inches(15cm)fromthepaperandbeginspraying,whileconstantlymovingthespraycanfromlefttoright,acrossthe paper.When the spray reaches the end of the paper, briefly let up on thenozzle, move down and spray in the other direction. Repeat until the entirepaintingissprayed,alwaysbeingcarefulnottospraytooclosetotheart,andtokeep the spray can moving. Allow the fixative to dry, then turn the paintingupsidedownandrepeattheprocess.Eachcoatwillrequireincreasedtimetodrybetween applications. Fixing is complete when all traces of wax bloomdisappear.
FixativeFauxPasIfyouspraytooclosetothepaintingorstopmoving,thefixativemaycausethepigment to run, which would be irreparable if severe. Spraying too far awaycausesoversprayandthecoatingwillfeelgritty.
Spatteringisanotherpotentialproblem.Neveruseacanoffixativethatislessthanone-fourthfullonalargepaintingandalwaysturnthecanupsidedownandspraytoclear thenozzleaftereachuse.Itmaybeagoodideatopracticeonatestpiecebeforeyoubegin.Certain pigments are prone to color shifts if care is not takenwhen fixing.
Colors in theViolet,Purple,Magenta family,particularlyPrismacolorPremierpencils,turnnoticeablypinkish.
Here'sthefinishedpaintingbeforefixativewasapplied.
Sprayingexcessivefixativecausedsomeofthecolorstorun.Thispaintingmaybeirreparable.
PreppingforPosterityIfyouplantoenteryourpaintingsinexhibitsorcontests,makethemintoprintsorhavethempublished,youshouldalwayshavethemscannedbyaprofessional.Havetwocopiesmadeofyourart:ahigh-resolutionscan,full-sizeataminimumof300dpi(dotsperinch,orppi,pixelsperinch)and,ifyoucannotproduceityourself,alow-resolution72dpicopy,withthelargestdimensionat720pixels.Thehigh-resolutionscancanbeusedforreproductionssuchasgicléeprintsandthelow-resolutionreproductionfore-mailinganddisplayonaweb-site.Artworkshouldalwaysbescannedbeforemattingandframing.
MattingandFramingColored pencil art should always bematted, not only for presentation but forprotection aswell. If youdonotwish tomat your artwork, spacers should beusedtokeeptheartfromtouchingtheglass,whichovertimecandamagetheart.
A professional should do yourmatting and framingwith archivalmaterials.Using inferior, nonarchivalmaterialswill eventually ruinyour art.Plexiglas ispreferabletoglassifyouevershiptheart,plusthereisnopossibilitythatitwillshatterandcausepermanentdamage.Mats and frames should complement the art, not detract from it. Avoid
brightlycoloredortexturedmatsandlarge,ornateframes.
T
4
LayeringDemonstrations
hefirstofthemajorstep-by-stepdemonstrationsarelayeringstudies.Wehave kept these demonstrations simple, without backgrounds ordistractingdetails,tokeepyoufocusedonthesubjectandtohelpyouto
gainconfi-dencewiththemedium.Aftertryingother,moreinvolvedtechniquesin this section, you may want to revisit what you have done, and addbackgrounds or use a different technique. The "Magnolia Blossom," "GlassBottles" and "Copper Pans" demonstrations also lend themselves to theburnishingtechnique(showninChapter5),sobesurenottousefixativeontheartifyouwanttoworkonitagainlateron.
demonstration:
MAGNOLIABLOSSOMThis magnolia blossom is a classic vehicle for the layering technique. Thedarkest shadowareasof thepetalsarepainted first, then eachareaof lightervalues is addedon top of one another.As inmany of the demonstrations thatfollow,thebackgroundhasbeenleftoutinordertoconcentrateonapplyingthetechniquetothesubject.Later,addingasimpleout-of-focusbackground,similartothebackgroundusedwiththemapleleaves,wouldaddanextradimensiontothisstudy.
MATERIALSSanfordPrismacolorApple Green, Burnt Ochre, Chestnut, Clay Rose, French Grey 50%, GreenOchre,LightUmber,Limepeel,Magenta,MahoganyRed,MarineGreen,PinkRose,Raspberry,RosyBeige,Sepia,TuscanRedFaber-CastellPolychromosFuchsia,LightPurplePink,PinkCarmineCarand’AchePabloGreenOchre,KhakiGreen
Papersurface
3-plyBristolvellum,regularsurface
ReferencePhoto
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LAYERING
THELAYOUTCreatethelayoutfollowingtheinstructionsonCreatingtheLayout.
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3
PAINTTHESHADOWSONTHEMAGNOLIAPETALSUsingsmall,circularstrokes,layerthedarkestshadowareaswithRaspberry,MagentaandClayRose.Layermid-value shadowswithClayRose, and the
lightershadowareaswithRosyBeige.
LAYERTHEMID-TONESThemid-tonesarelayeredoverthedarkestshadowareasaswellasthemiddlevalue areaswith PinkCarmine and Fuchsia. Layer the lighter shadows and
lightermid-valueareaswithLightPurplePink.
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COMPLETETHEPETALSLayer the lighter areaswithPinkRose, leaving the highlights free of color.Adjustasneededbyre-layeringdarkandmid-valuecolorstodefineshapes.
RENDERTHELEAVESANDBUDLayer the leaves’ dark values with Marine Green and Green Ochre(Prismacolor); mid-values with Khaki Green, Limepeel and Green Ochre
(Pablo), leaving the highlights free of color. Lightly layer highlights withLimepeel.Layer thepinkareaof thebudwithTuscanRed,FrenchGrey50%andLight PurplePink.Complete the green portionwithMarineGreen,GreenOchre(Prismacolor),LightUmber,LimepeelandAppleGreen.
6FINISHWITHTHEBRANCHESLayerthelightbrownportionsofthebrancheswithSepiaandBurntOchre.
Usingshort,horizontal, semi-circularstrokes, layer thebrancheswithSepia,ChestnutandMahoganyRed.
demonstration:
SEAGULLONBLACKThink dark backgrounds to best depict light colored subjects. This nearlymonochromatic light-value seagull layered against a black background is anextremecase.
Aswithallofthedemonstrationstofollow,blackandcoloredbackgroundsareallpaintedonfour-plymuseumboard,whichprovidestheabsolutebestsurfaceforcoloredpencil.Abackgroundmightalsoaddinteresttothisstudy.
MATERIALSSanfordPrismacolorBlack,CoolGrey10%,20%,30%,50%,70%,90%,Goldenrod,LightUmber,Nectar,WhiteFaber-CastellPolychromosOchrePapersurface
Black4-plymuseumboard
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ReferencePhoto
THELAYOUTCreatethelayoutfollowingtheinstructionsonCreatingtheLayout.
PAINTTHEHEADANDBODYUsingshort,linearstrokes,lightlylayerWhiteasshown.
Uselessormorepigmentasneededtocreatevaluevariances.
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PAINTTHEWINGSUsing short, linear strokes, lightly layer Cool Grey 10%, 20% and 30% toestablishvaluesonthewingfeathers.LightlylayerCoolGrey50%,70%and
90%tocolorvalues.LayerBlacktodefinethedarkestdetails.
PAINTTHEBEAK,LEGSANDFEETLayerWhiteandOchreto thebeak.LayerWhiteandNectar to thelegsandfeet.
5FINISHWITHTHEPERCHLayertheperchwithLightUmber.
demonstration:
CHECKERSPOTBUTTERFLYWithlesspapertoothvisible,thisdemonstrationlooksmorelikeburnishingthanlayering. The reason is that a smooth paper surface and harder pencils wereused in order to satisfactorily paint the small areas of color. Using a toothysurfaceandsoft,wax-basedpencilssuchasPrismacolorsonthispaintingwouldbesomewhatliketryingtopaintawatercolorwithabroom.
MATERIALSFaber-CastellPolychromosBlack, Burnt Ochre, Cadmium Orange, Cold Grey II, Cold Grey III, DarkCadmiumOrange, LightYellowOchre, PermanentGreenOlive,RawUmber,TerracottaSanfordPrismacolorPaleSage
SanfordVerithinBlack,PumpkinOrange
Carand'AcheLuminance6901CobaltGreen
Papersurface
3-plyBristolvellum,platesurface
2
1
LayeringaCheckerspotButterfly
THELAYOUTCreatethelayoutfollowingtheinstructionsonCreatingtheLayout.
PAINTTHEORANGEWINGPATTERNSUsingsmall, linearstrokes,layertheorangewingpatcheswithBurntOchre,PumpkinOrange,Terracotta,DarkCadmiumOrangeandCadmiumOrange.
3
4
PAINTTHEWHITEWINGPATTERNSUsingsmall, linearstrokes, layer thewhitewingpatcheswithColdGreyIIIandColdGreyII.
DRAWTHEVEINSUsingheavypressure,drawthewingveinswithBlack.
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6
PAINTTHEBLACKWINGPATTERNSUsinglinearstrokes,layertheBlackwingarea.LayerthewingtipswithColdGrey II in thewhite areas,Black in the darkwing tip areas, andBlack and
Terracottaontheedges.
PAINTTHEBODYPARTS
Abdomen:White spots – layerColdGrey II;Orange patches – layerBurntOchre, Terracotta and Dark Cadmium Orange; Black area – layer Black andBlack(Verithin).
Thorax:Usingmediumpressure,layershortstrokesofBlacktoshow“furry”texture;layerorangeareawithTerracottaandDarkCadmiumOrange.Eye: Using small, circular strokes, layer with Raw Umber, Light Yellow
OchreandBurntOchre.LightlylayerdarkspotswithBlack(Verithin).Head: Layer the “face" with Terracotta and Dark CadmiumOrange. Using
short,linearstrokes,layerwithBlackandBlack(Verithin).Antennae: Layer tips with Burnt Ochre, Terracotta; layer stalks with Black
(Verithin).Legs: Using linear strokes, layer legs with Raw Umber, Burnt Ochre and
Terracotta.
7FINISHWITHTHELEAFUsinglinearstrokes,layertheleafwithPermanentGreenOlive,CobaltGreenandPaleSage.
demonstration:
GLASSBOTTLESGlassisanexcellentsubjectforcoloredpencil,regardlessofthetechniqueused.The layering technique was chosen here to enhance the appearance oftransparency.
Thebottleswere“posed”outdoorsandphotographedundernaturallighting.This inadvertently led to some moisture condensation in the clear bottle, anexampleofanunnecessarydetailinthereferencephototoleaveout.Thisstudyalso lends itself to the burnishing technique—check out "Individuality" onHighlightswithBarePaper.
MATERIALSSanfordPrismacolorBurnt Ochre, Clay Rose, Crimson Lake, French Grey 10%, 20%, 30%, 50%,70%,90%,Goldenrod,GreyedLavender,Orange,PaleVermilion,PoppyRed,ScarletLake,Sepia,WarmGrey90%
Faber-CastellPolychromosBurntOchre,DarkChromeYellow,GreyGreen,Terracotta
Papersurface3-plyBristolvellum,regularsurface
1
ReferencePhoto
THELAYOUTCreatethelayoutfollowingtheinstructionsonCreatingtheLayout.
2
3
STARTWITHTHECLEARGLASSBOTTLELayer thedark areas on the clear bottle’s shoulderswithFrenchGrey50%,30%,20%andGreyGreen.LayertheremainingareaswithFrenchGrey30%,
20%and10%.
ADDTHEAMETHYSTBOTTLELayer the dark values with French Grey 20%, Clay Rose and GreyedLavender; the mid-values with Clay Rose and Greyed Lavender; and the
lightervalueswithGreyedLavender.Leave thehighlights freeof color.DrawthedarkdetailswithWarmGrey90%
4
5
THEORANGEBOTTLEISNEXTUsing small, circular strokes, layer the lip with Sepia, Burnt Ochre(Prismacolor), Burnt Ochre (Polychromos), Terracotta, Pale Vermilion,
Orange,GoldenrodandDarkChromeYellow.Leavethehighlightsfreeofcolor.
Using linearstrokes, layer thebottleneck’sedgeswithGoldenrodandDarkChromeYellow.LayertheremainderoftheneckandbodywithPaleVermilion,Terracotta, Orange and Dark Chrome Yellow, leaving the highlights free ofcolor.DrawthedarkverticallineswithSepia.LayertheorangearearefractedontherightsideoftheclearbottlewithBurnt
Ochre(Prismacolor),BurntOchre(Polychromos),PaleVermilion,andOrange.Layer the orange area refracted on the amethyst area of the clear bottle withBurntOchre(Polychromos),andOrange.LayeroverthedarkgreydetailontherightsideoftheamethystbottleneckwithOrange.
READYFORTHEREDBOTTLELayer the lip of the red bottlewithCrimsonLake, Scarlet Lake, TerracottaandDarkChromeYellow.Leavethehighlightsfreeofcolor.
LayerthereflectionontherightsideofthebodywithTuscanRed,CrimsonLake,PaleVermilionandOrange.Applyaminimumofcolortothesecondaryhighlight.Draw thedarkvertical lineswithTuscanRedandCrimsonLake.Layer the
darkervaluesof theneckandbodywithCrimsonLakeandScarletLake;mid-
6
valueswithScarletLakeandPoppyRed;thelightervalueswithPoppyRed;thesecondary highlights with light applications of Poppy Red; and leave thehighlightfreeofcolor.
FINISHWITHTHEDETAILSLayer the reflection on the right shoulder of the orange bottle with ScarletLakeandPoppyRed.DrawthedarkdetailswithSepia.
Layer the remaining refracted details in the clear bottle with Tuscan Red,ScarletLake,PoppyRed,andPaleVermilion.DrawtheremainingdetailswithCrimsonLake,WarmGrey90%andFrenchGrey20%.
demonstration:
WINTERBARNSCENEThiswinterscenedemonstratestwodistinctivestrokes:thebarnislayeredwithstronglinearstrokestosimulatetheroughtextureofthebarnwood,andsmallcircularstrokestoshowthesoft,smoothsnow,thetexturedbarkandthemistygroveofevergreensinthebackground.
Thecompositionwasenhancedbysimplifyingthereferencephoto, includingenlarging the barn after removing the small shed behind it, by including onlyonesetoftracksintheforeground,andbyshowingfewerbaretreebranches.
MATERIALSSanfordPrismacolorGreyedLavender,TuscanRedFaber-CastellPolychromosChrome Oxide Green, Cold Grey I, II, III, IV, VI, Dark Red, Dark Sepia,Madder,PermanentCarmineSanfordVerithinTuscanRed
Papersurface3-plyBristolvellum,regularsurfaceToolsParallelstraight-edge(optional)
1
ReferencePhoto
THELAYOUTCreatethelayoutfollowingtheinstructionsonCreatingtheLayout.
3
4
2LAYERTHEBACKGROUNDLayerthebackgroundskywithColdGreyIII,IIandGreyedLavender.
LayerthebackgroundtreeswithColdGreyIVandChromeOxideGreen.Usinglightlinearstrokes,layerthebaretreesbehindthebarnwithColdGrey
III.
BRANCHOUTLeaving the tops of the branches free of color to depict snow, layer theoverhangingbarebranches in the foregroundwithDarkSepia. If necessary,
erase the background above the smaller branches with a sharpened electriceraser.LightlytouchupthebackgroundaroundthebrancheswhereneededwithColdGreyIIandGreyedLavender.
PAINTTHEBARNREDUsinglong,linear,parallelstrokes,layerrandomlyalternatingapplicationsofTuscan Red (Verithin), Tuscan Red (Prismacolor), Dark Red, Permanent
Carmine,andMadder.Aparallelstraight-edgewasusedinthisdemonstration.
5
Usingsmall,circularstrokes,layerthewindowswithColdGreyVI.
FINISHWITHTHEFOREGROUNDSNOWUsing small circular strokes, layer the foreground snowwithColdGrey IV,III, II, I andGreyed Lavender. Leave the paper bare for the lightest snow.
Checkyourentirepaintingandadjustasneeded.
demonstration:
COPPERPANSPaintingthecopperpansinthisdemonstrationgivescoloredpencilsachancetoshine,providinganopportunitytocreateanalmostendlessvarietyofvaluesandhuesbymixingcolorsindifferentsequencesandcombinations.Asaguide,Step3showsexamplecolorcombinations,butinaddition,itmaybeagoodideatocreateatestpaletteonaseparatepieceofpaperasyouwork,totryoutdifferentcolorcombinations.
OriginalReferencePhoto
MATERIALS
SanfordPrismacolorBurnt Ochre, Chocolate, Cream, Dark Umber, French Grey 50%, Jasmine,Mineral Orange, Pumpkin Orange, Sienna Brown, Terra Cotta, Tuscan Red,YellowedOrangeFaber-CastellPolychromosDarkChromeYellow,Ivory,Ochre,TerracottaCarand'AchePabloApricotCarand'AcheLuminance6901ApricotPapersurface
3-plyBristolvellum,regularsurface
2
1
WorkingReferencePhoto
THELAYOUTCreatethelayoutfollowingtheinstructionsonCreatingtheLayout.
ELLIPSETEMPLATE(OPTIONAL)To insure accurate ellipses, the working reference photo was scanned, andthen ellipses describing the pans’ basic outlineswere tracedon a computer,
thenincorporatedintothelayout.
3TYPICALLAYERINGCOLORSEQUENCEThiscolorkeyisaguidetothemanysubtlechangesinvalueandhueofthecopperpans.
4COMPLETETHECOPPERPANSUsingStep3 as a guide and a test palette, layer the remaining copper pots.Checkyourentirepaintingandadjustwherevernecessary.
B
5
BurnishingDEMONSTRATIONS
urnishing—layering a sequence of colors, then mixing them togetherwithwhite or other light color and repeating the sequence until all ormost of the surface is covered with pigment—is the technique that is
featured in the next six demonstrations. Like all of the demonstrations in thisbook,aconcertedefforthasbeenmadetovarythesubjectmaterialandtocreatedifferentwaysof approachingeach technique.For example, thedemonstrationstarting on the next page that features a bowl of fruit employs “heavy”burnishing on white paper, while a “lighter” version of burnishing is used todemonstraterough-texturedvasesonblackpaperinthe"FlowerPots"demolateroninthischapter.
demonstration:
BOWLOFFRUITInsteadofburnishingexclusivelywithwhite,theelementsinthispaintingareallburnished differently. The bowl is burnishedwith cream instead of white; theorange, while having some highlight areas burnished with white, is primarilyburnishedwithvalueslighterthanitsbasevalue,plustheorangeallowssomeofthe paper's tooth to remain, simulating its mottled texture. The multi-coloredpearislayeredcontinuouslyuntilthepaperdisappears.
We start this demonstration with the bowl to minimize transferring thestrongercolors.Throughoutthelayeringandburnishingprocess,itisimportantforeverystroketofollowthesubjects’contours.
MATERIALS
SanfordPrismacolor
BurntOchre,CarmineRed,Cool
Grey50%and70%,Cream,CrimsonLake,DarkBrown,DarkGreen,FrenchGrey10%,GingerRoot,GrassGreen,Jasmine,LemonYellow,LightUmber,Limepeel,Orange,PaleSage,PaleVermilion,PoppyRed,ScarletRed,Sepia,SpanishOrange,TuscanRed,White,YellowOchre,YellowedOrangeFaber-CastellPolychromosBurntOchre,DarkChromeYellow,OrangeGlaze,LightYellowOchre,RawUmberCarand’AchePabloGreenOchre,OliveYellow
Tools
Colorlessblenderpencil
BestinerubbercementthinnerSmallwatercolorbrush
2
1
ReferencePhoto
BURNISHING
THELAYOUTCreatethelayoutfollowingtheinstructionsonCreatingtheLayout.
BEGINLAYERINGTHEBOWLFollowingthebowl’sgrainpattern,lightlylayerthecastshadowswithSepiaandLightUmberwith linear strokes.Layer the darker sections of the bowl
withRawUmber,GingerRootandFrenchGrey10%,usinglong,linearstrokes.Layer themid-valueswithGingerRootandFrenchGrey10%.Layer the lightvalueswithGingerRootandleavethepaperbareforthehighlights.
3
4
BURNISHTHEBOWLLightlyburnishthecastshadowswithRawUmberandGingerRoot.BurnishtheremainderwithCream.
LAYERANDBURNISHTHEBOWL,PARTDEUXRe-layer the cast shadows with Light Umber and Ginger Root. Layer thedarkersectionsofthebowlwithGingerRootandFrenchGrey10%.Layerthe
lightvalueswithFrenchGrey10%orWhite.
BurnishthecastshadowswithGingerRoot.Burnishallbutthecastshadows,lighterareasoftherimandthehighlightswithCream.BurnishthelighterareasoftherimwithFrenchGrey10%orWhite.
5
6
DOTHEDARKSIDEOFTHEORANGEUsingstrokes thatemanate to thestem, layer theoutercircumferenceof theorangewithSepia (darkestareaonlywhere theorange touches thepearand
theapple),LightUmber,RawUmber,BurntOchre(Prismacolor),BurntOchre(Polychromos),TerracottaandPoppyRed(inareaadjacenttothepearandappleonly).
THECOLOROFANORANGEIS…Lightly applyGingerRoot to the center stem, covering the entire area, anddabasmallamountofBestinewithabrush.DrawdetailswithLightUmber
(inside) and Sepia (outside). Using circular strokes that emanate to the stem,layerthemid-valueswithGrassGreen,BurntOchre(Polychromos),Terracotta,OrangeandOrangeGlaze.
7
8
KEEPONLAYERINGLayer Yellowed Orange and Dark Chrome Yellow, except over highlightareas. Re-layer the dark values with Burnt Umber (Polychromos) and
Terracotta.
BURNISHAWAYBurnish the secondary highlights with white, leaving bare paper for theprimary highlights. Burnish the orange with Spanish Orange, Light Orange
andDarkChromeYellow,varyingapplications to show thepeel’s subtlehuesandallowingsometoothtoremaintosimulatetexture.BurnishthedarkvalueswithBurntOchre (Polychromos)andTerracotta.Burnish thecentergreenarea
9
10
withDarkGreen.LightlyburnishgreenareaswithGrassGreen.
THEPEAR—GOCRAZYWITHCOLORUsing small, circular strokes, layer various combinations of Limepeel,
French Grey 10%, Jasmine, Burnt Ochre (Prismacolor), Burnt Ochre(Polychromos), Terracotta, Tuscan Red, Crimson Lake, Carmine Red, ScarletRed, Poppy Red, Pale Sage, Pale Vermilion, Orange, Orange Glaze, YellowOchre, Dark Chromium Yellow, Spanish Orange, Light Yellow Ochre andLemonYellow.Leavethehighlightsfreeofcolor.
BURNISHTHEPEARBurnishthepearbyre-applyingthesamecolorsasinthepreviousstepuntilthepaper’stoothdisappears.BurnishthesecondaryhighlightswithWhite.
ApplySepia,LightUmber andBurntOchre (Prismacolor) to the stem, thenapplyasmallamountofBestinewithabrush.
11
12
LAYERTHEGREENSIDEOFTHEAPPLEFollowing the contours of the apple, layer the apple’s dark green centerwithFrenchGrey70%,DarkGreenandAppleGreen.Layerthegreenmid
and light values with Limepeel, Green Ochre, Olive Yellow, Yellow Ochre,LightSageandCream.
LAYERTHEREDSIDEOFTHEAPPLELayerthedarkestredvalueswithTuscanRed,BurntSienna(Prismacolor)andCrimsonLake, themidvalueswithScarletLakeandPoppyRed,and
the lightervalueswithPaleVermilionandOrange.Drag someof theadjacent
13
14
color into the secondaryhighlightwithadrycottonswab, leaving theprimaryhighlightfreeofcolor.Re-applyOliveYellowiftherearegapsbetweentheredandgreenareas.
BURNISHWITHWHITEBurnishtheapplewithWhite,excepttheverydarkestvaluesinthecenterstemareaandtheprimaryhighlight.
FINISHTHEFRUITRe-layerthegreenareaswithLimepeel,OliveYellow,andPaleSage.Re-layertheredareaswithBurntSienna(Prismacolor),CrimsonLake,Scarlet
Lake,PoppyRed,PaleVermilionandOrange.
15
BurnishthesecondaryhighlightatthebottomoftheapplewithFrenchGrey10%.LayertheentireapplestemwithGingerRoot.ApplyDarkBrownandLight
Umber.Heavilyburnishtheentireappleandpearwithacolorlessblenderuntilpaper
toothdisappears.
ADDTHECASTSHADOWLayer the shadow cast by the bowlwith Cool Grey 70% and 50%, thenburnish with Cool Grey 50%. Check your entire painting and adjust as
needed.
demonstration:
GLOXINIAONBLACKBurnishingonblack,oranotherdark-coloredsurface,isadifferentanimalthanburnishing on white or a light-colored surface, in that the sequence of colorapplicationdoesnotnecessarily follow thedark-to-lightmethod.White,or thelightestvalues,areinsomecaseslayeredfirst,withmid-valuecolorslayeredontop, in order to adjust their value.Mid-values can also be darkened to depictshadowsby layeringdark values or black on top, or vice versa.For optimumresults,usesoft,wax-basedpencilsand,asalways,addcolorgradually.
For thisdemonstration, thegloxinia’s colorwas intentionally changed fromthereferencephoto’spink-redhuestoviolet.
MATERIALS
SanfordPrismacolorAppleGreen,CoolGrey10%,20%,30%,90%,DarkGreen,GreyedLavender,KelpGreen,Lavender,Limepeel,OliveGreen,ParmaViolet,Violet,White
PaperSurface
Black4-plymuseumboard
1
ReferencePhoto
THELAYOUTAlthoughgraphitelayoutlinesarenearlyinvisibleonablackordarksurface,theywillnotbewhencolorisaddediftheyarenotsuf-ficientlyerased.Color
outlines should also be drawn as lightly as possible, and then erased beforeadding color because they will be permanently conspicuous. That being said,special care must be taken when erasing dark surfaces because erasures canshowinbareareas.
2
3
LAYERTHEPETALSUsinglinearstrokes,layerLavender,ParmaViolet,WhiteandViolet.AdjustvalueswithGreyedLavender,CoolGrey10%,20%,30%and90%.
BURNISHTHEPETALSUsing more pressure, re-apply Lavender, Parma Violet, White, GreyedLavender,CoolGrey10%,20%,30%,VioletandCoolGrey90%.Repeatas
necessary.
4GOFORTHEGREENLayer the sepals and stemwithDarkGreen,OliveGreen, Limepeel,AppleGreenandCoolGrey90%.Layer the leaveswithDarkGreen,KelpGreen,
OliveGreen,Limepeel,CoolGrey90%andCoolGrey30%.
5FINISHTHELEAVES,SEPALSANDSTEMUsing more pressure, re-apply Cool Grey 90%, Kelp Green, Olive Green,LimepeelandAppleGreentothesepalsandstem.
Lightly layer theveinswithCoolGrey50%and thedepressionsadjacent totheveinswithCoolGrey90%.Usingmorepressure,re-applyCoolGrey90%,KelpGreen,OliveGreenand
Limepeeltotheleaves.AdjustthedarkvalueswithCoolGrey90%.Whenthesurfaceisadequatelycovered,lightlydrawtheleafedgeswithCool
Grey30%.Lightlylayertheleaves'velvetsheenareaswithCoolGrey50%.
demonstration:
FLOWERPOTSHere we have a demonstration that is not quite layering and not quiteburnishing.Insteadit'ssomethinghalfwayinbetween,withblendedapplicationsof color, still allowing paper surface to show through in order to depict theroughpatinaoftheflowerpots.Thetwoblueandwhitepotsinthebackgroundarelayeredwithcolor,thenlightlyburnishedwithacolorlessblender.Therustypotinthecenterandthecolorfulpotintheforegroundarenot.
MATERIALS
SanfordPrismacolorBlack,BlueLake,BlueVioletLake,Bronze,BurntOchre,CoolGrey70%,DarkUmber,FrenchGrey10%,20%,30%,50%,Goldenrod,IndigoBlue,Jasmine,LightAqua,MineralOrange,PowderBlue,PumpkinOrange,SiennaBrown,TerraCotta,TuscanRed,White
PaperSurface
Black4-plymuseumboard
Tools
PrismacolorColorlessBlender
OriginalReferencePhoto
WorkingReferencePhoto
2
1THELAYOUTCreatethelayoutfollowingtheinstructionsonCreatingtheLayout.
PAINTTHEBLUEPITCHERANDPOTUsing small, circular strokes, layer the two blue potswith random areas ofWhite, French Grey 10%, 20%, 30%, 50%, Blue Lake, Blue Violet Lake,
PowderBlue,LightAquaandIndigoBlue.
Leaveshadowareasfreeofcolor.
3
4
BURNISHTHEBLUEPITCHERANDPOTUsingthesamesmall,circularstrokes,lightlyburnishthepotswithacolorlessblender,addingmorecolorifnecessary.AdjusttheshadowareaswithBlack.
PAINTTHEMIDDLEPOTLayerthemiddlepotwithrandomareasofTerraCotta,BurntOchre,SiennaBrown, Tuscan Red, Pumpkin Orange, Mineral Orange and Dark Umber.
Leaveshadowareasfreeofcolor.
RandomlylayerJasmineoverpreviouslycompletedareas.LayerBlueLakeasshown.
5
LightlylayerFrenchGrey30%tosecondaryhighlights,FrenchGrey20%tohighlights.AdjustshadowareaswithBlack.
PAINTTHEFOREGROUNDPOT
Randomly layer the inside surface of the potwith FrenchGrey 20%, 30%,50%,Goldenrod,Bronze,TuscanRed,CrimsonLake,ScarletLake,BlueVioletLakeandBlueLake,usingtight,circularstrokeswithmoderatepressure.
Layer theoutside surface in the samemannerwithFrenchGrey20%,30%,50%, Tuscan Red, Crimson Lake, Scarlet Lake, Blue Violet Lake and BlueLake.Layer the left rim with French Grey 50%, 30%, Blue Violet Lake, Burnt
OchreandDarkUmber,usinglight,linearstrokes.Lightly layer the shadowareaswithCoolGrey70%andTuscanRed,using
linearstrokeswithaslittlepressureaspossible.
AdjustshadowareasandremoveanyremainingoutlineswithBlack.
demonstration:
STAINEDGLASSWINDOWIfyou likecolor, thisdemonstration,withcombinationsof50differenthues, isfor you! A tiny portion of a large stained glass window provides a colorfulsubject that is well suited for the burnishing technique. Since the processremains the same for everypieceofglass,oneexample is shown step-by-step,andthenacolorkeyidentifiescolorsequencesfortheothers.Thesubjectalsolendsitselftointerpretationandcreativity,sofeelfreetochangesome(orall)ofthecolors.
MATERIALS
SanfordPrismacolorAppleGreen,Beige,Black,BlueLake,BlueVioletLake,BurntOchre,CanaryYellow,Chartreuse,Chestnut,Chocolate,ClayRose,CoolGrey10%,20%,30%,50%,CopenhagenBlue,Cream,DahliaPurple,DarkBrown,Grape,GrassGreen,GreyedLavender,Henna,Jasmine,Lavender,LemonYellow,LightPeach,LightUmber,Lilac,MineralOrange,Mulberry,Non-PhotoBlue,PaleSage,ParmaViolet,PeachBeige,PinkRose,PumpkinOrange,Raspberry,RosyBeige,Sand,SeashellPink,SiennaBrown,SkyBlueLight,SpringGreen,TrueBlue,TrueGreen,Violet,White
Carand'AcheLuminance6901CornelianCarand'AchePabloFastOrange
SanfordVerithinBlack,plusothercolorsasneededtosharpenedges
Papersurface3-plyBristolvellum,regularsurface
Tools
PrismacolorColorlessBlender
OriginalReferencePhoto
WorkingReferencePhotoTheredboxon theoriginal referencephoto(facingpage) indicates theareaofenlargement.Irotatedit90degreesclockwisetoproducethisworkingreferencephoto.
1THELAYOUT
CreatethelayoutfollowingtheinstructionsonCreatingtheLayout.Leaveoutthe thick, black vertical window brace shown in the working reference photoabove.
2THELAYERINGANDBURNISHINGSEQUENCESteps 3 through 8 show the layering and burnishing sequence for the greenleaves.We'llbeusingthissamesequenceforallthecolorsinthestainedglass
window.RefertotheColorKeyontoseewhichcolorsgowhere.We'llstarttheprocesswiththegreenleaves.
3
4
LEAVES—LAYERONEPaintthefirstlayerwithGrassGreen.
LEAVES—LAYERTWOPaintthenextlayerwithAppleGreen.
5
6
LEAVES—LAYERTHREEPaintthethirdlayerwithSpringGreen.
LEAVES—FINALLAYERPaintthefinallayerwithPaleSage.
7
8
BEGINBURNISHINGBurnish the Grass Green areas with Apple Green and the remainder withWhite.
FINISHLEAVESRe-apply Grass Green, Apple Green, Spring Green, Pale Sage and White.Burnish with a colorless blender pencil until the entire surface is covered.
SharpentheedgeswithVerithinpencilsinGrassGreenandAppleGreen.
COLORKEY1LightPeach,Cream,White2 Dark Brown, Chocolate, Sand, Cream 3 Parma Violet, Blue Lake, BlueViolet Lake,White 4 Parma Violet, Blue Lake, Blue Violet Lake, CoolGrey10%,White5Chestnut,Henna,ClayRose,RosyBeige,PinkRose,CoolGrey50%,30%,20%,10%
6ClayRose,RosyBeige,PinkRose,CoolGrey20%,White7RosyBeige,PinkRose,CoolGrey10%,White8Henna,RosyBeige,PinkRose,CoolGrey 10%,White 9 Peach Beige, Seashell Pink, Sand, Beige, White 10Rosy Beige, Sand, Beige, Cream, White 11 Dark Brown, Burnt Ochre,Pumpkin Orange, Mineral Orange, Cornelian, Fast Orange, White 12Grape,Violet,LightUmber,GrassGreen,TrueGreen,CoolGrey20%
13Jasmine,CanaryYellow,LemonYellow,White14CanaryYellow,LemonYellow,White15CopenhagenBlue,TrueBlue,Non-PhotoBlue,SkyBlueLight, White 16 True Blue, Non-Photo Blue, Sky Blue Light, White 17CrimsonLake,PoppyRed,CarmineRed,White18CrimsonLake,CarmineRed,White19CrimsonLake,ScarletLake,PoppyRed,White20Dahlia
9
Purple,Mulberry,Lavender,White21GreyedLavender,Lilac,CoolGrey30%,White 22 Light Umber, Grass Green, Apple Green, Spring Green,Chartreuse,CanaryYellow,White23SiennaBrown,BurntOchre,MineralOrange,Jasmine,Cream24Raspberry,MineralOrange,Jasmine,CreamSTAINEDGLASSCOLORSEQUENCESomeof thecoloringinthepaintingwaschangedormodifiedfromthe
referencephotoforvarietyandsimplicity.Thelastcolorineachsequenceshown in the ColorKey list is the burnishing color, and the sequence isrepeateduntilthepapersurfaceiscompletelycovered.Acolorlessblenderpencilisusedforfinishing.AVerithinpencilinamatchingcolorcleansuptheedges.
10PAINTITBLACKApply Black to the leaded areas between the glass until the paper iscompletelycovered.SharpenedgeswithaBlackVerithin.Extra attention
shouldbepaid tokeeptheartworkfreeofblackcoloredpencil residue.Checkyourpaintingandadjustwherevernecessary.
demonstration:
BRASSPIGThis is both a demonstration of burnishingwith a colorless blender andan
exerciseinhowtochooseandcombinecolors.Thissubjectconsistsofsomanycolor combinations in random patterns, it's not practical to lay thedemonstration out step by step like the other demonstrations in this book.Insteadofmappingouttheentiresubject,adetailofthepig’srightearisshowntoserveasatypicalcolorguide.Agoodwaytocompletethisdemonstrationistocombinethecolorsonaseparatepalettebeforestartingandduringthepaintingprocess.
MATERIALSSanfordPrismacolorArtichoke, Bronze, CeladonGreen, Cool Grey 10%, 30%, FrenchGrey 10%,30%, 70%, 90%, Ginger Root, Green Ochre, Jade Green, Kelp Green, LightUmber, PeachBeige, SandbarBrown,WarmGrey90%,WhiteFaber-CastellPolychromosGoldOchre,GreenGold,GreyGreen,RawUmberPapersurfaceGrey4-plymuseumboardTools
PrismacolorColorlessBlender
WorkingReferencePhoto
DetailReferencePhoto–Snout
DetailReferencePhoto–RightEye
1
DetailReferencePhoto–LeftEye
THELAYOUT
CreatethelayoutfollowingtheinstructionsonCreatingtheLayout.
2*Faber-CastellPolychromos
PAINTTHEEARUsing the example above as a guide, layer the following colors (inalphabeticalorder):Artichoke,Bronze,CeladonGreen,CoolGrey10%,30%,
FrenchGrey10%, 30%, 70%, 90%,GingerRoot,GoldOchre (Polychromos),Green Gold (Polychromos), Green Ochre, Grey Green (Polychromos), JadeGreen, Kelp Green, Light Umber, Peach Beige, Raw Umber (Polychromos),SandbarBrownandWarmGrey90%.
3
4
LAYERCOLORSANDADDHIGHLIGHTSContinue layering the pig to completion, using various combinations of thecolorsshowninStep2,andaddingWhitetoindicatehighlights.
FINISHTHEHIGHLIGHTSANDBURNISHComplete the highlights by layering with Ginger Root, French Grey 20%,10%,orWhite.Leavethesecondaryhighlightsfreeofpigment.
Burnish with a colorless blender pencil. Check your painting and adjust
wherevernecessary.
demonstration:
HANDSRegardlessofcolor, thesmoothnessofhuman fleshand itsmyriadsubtlehuesmake it a great subject for burnishing. The color key illustrations on showtypical color sequences, but not every one can be shown, and that is yourassignment:todecidehowtocombinethecolorstoworktogether.
MATERIALSSanfordPrismacolorBeige,BeigeSienna,BlushPink,Chestnut,ClayRose,Jasmine,LightPeach,PeachBeige,LightUmber,Nectar,Pink,PinkRose,RosyBeige,SeashellPink,Sepia,WarmGrey10%,20%,30%,50%,WhiteFaber-CastellPolychromosLightFlesh,Ivory,MediumFleshPapersurfaceFawnRising4-plymuseumboardTools
PrismacolorColorlessBlender
1
ReferencePhoto
THELAYOUTCreatethelayoutfollowingtheinstructionsonCreatingtheLayout.IusedaPolychromosMediumFleshpencilforthislayoutbecauseitisdarkenoughto
bevisibleagainsttheFawncolorofthemuseumboardandstanduptoerasure,yetlightenoughtodisappearafterpainting.
2LAYERTHEADULT'SHANDLayer the adult's hand to completion (except for the nails), using variouscombinationsofthecolorsshowninthecolorkeyonthefacingpage.
3TYPICALLAYERINGCOLORSEQUENCE:ADULTHANDThecolorkeyaboveshowsthesequenceofcolorsforthefirstlayerofcolor,starting with the darkest value in any given area. At this stage, leave a
highlightononesideoftheskin’slinesfreeofcolor.Theareathatgoesfromthesideofthethumbtothebottomofthepalmisalsoleftfreeofcolor.
4LAYERTHECHILD'SHAND
Layerthechild'shandtocompletionusingvariouscombinationsofthecolorsshowninthecolorkeyonthefacingpage.
See for instructions on painting the thumbnail and fingernails on the adulthand.
5TYPICALLAYERINGCOLORSEQUENCE:CHILD'SHANDThecolorkeyaboveshowsthesequenceofcolorsforthefirstlayerofcolorforthechild'shand,startingwiththedarkestvalueinanygivenarea.
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LAYERTHETHUMBNAILUsing linear strokes, layer the thumbnailon theadulthandwithClayRose,Rosy Beige, Nectar, Pink Rose, Seashell Pink, Light Flesh and White
(highlightonquickonly).LayertheedgewithJasmine,WarmGrey10%,CreamandIvory.
LAYERTHEFINGERNAILSLayertheremainingfingernailsontheadulthandwithWarmGrey50%(castshadowonmiddlefingernailonly),WarmGrey30%,20%,10%,Jasmineand
Cream.
8BURNISHTHEHANDSUsing small, circular strokes, lightly burnish both hands with Light Peach,exceptthelightestanddarkestvaluesandthebarepaper.Lightlyburnishthe
cast shadows with a colorless blender pencil, Light Umber and Clay Rose.Lightlyburnishthelightestvalueswithacolorlessblender.Donotburnishthebarepaper.LightlyapplyWhitetohighesthighlightareasofthethumbnailandtheskincreases.Checkyourpaintingandadjustasneeded.
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UnderpaintingDEMONSTRATIONS
nthissectionwewillcoverunderpainting,whichinvolvesfirstcoveringthepapersurfacewith thesubject’s lightunderlyingcolor,usingeithersolventor water. Underpainting is the technique to use for textures, and the
demonstrationsinthischapterexploreavarietyofvisuallytactilesubjectsfromsplinteryweatheredwoodtosoftrosepetals.Althoughamajorityofthedemosin this chapter are underpainted with water, there are additional solventunderpaintings in Chapter 8, Combined Technique Demonstrations, for yousolventfansoutthere.
demonstration:
DONKEYUnderpaintingproducesthelookofdepthtoanimalhides.Water-solublecoloredpencil was chosen for this demonstration because the underlying colors andtextureofthedonkey'shidearesubtlymottled.Itisimportanttofollowthehairpatternwitheverystroke,includingwhenaddingwater.
MATERIALS
SanfordPrismacolorDarkBrown,DarkUmber,FrenchGrey20%,30%,50%,70%,SiennaBrown,Sepia,WarmGrey20%,30%,50%,70%,90%
Faber-CastellAlbrechtDürerBurntOchre,WarmGreyII
Faber-CastellPolychromosBurntOchre
Papersurface300-lb.FabrianoSoft-Presswatercolorpaper
Tools
Mediumroundwatercolorbrush
(sizedependsonsizeofpainting)
ReferencePhoto
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UNDERPAINTING
THELAYOUTDraw theouter lineswith awater-soluble coloredpencil and the inner lineswithadrypencil.
LETTHEUNDERPAINTINGBEGINUsingshort,linearstrokes,layerBurntOchre(AlbrechtDürer),followingthepatternofthedonkey’scoat.
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WETYOURDONKEYApplywaterwithanearlydrywatercolorbrush in thesamedirectionas thepencilstrokes.
LAYERTHEDONKEYHIDELayeroverunderpaintedareaswithDarkUmber,DarkBrown,SiennaBrownandBurntOchre(Polychromos)withshort,linearstrokes.
5FACEPAINTINGADONKEYLayerthelightareasoftheearswithFrenchGrey70%,50%,30%,20%andBurntOchre(Polychromos),usinglinearstrokes.
LayerthelightareasaroundtheeyesandoutereyelidswithFrenchGrey30%,20%and10%.TieintosurroundingareaswithBurntOchre(Polychromos).CarefullydrawtheouterdarkeyelidareaswithSepiaandFrenchGrey70%
andtheinner(right)eyelidwithWarmGrey90%.Usingsmall,circularstrokes,layertheeyeswithWarmGrey90%,Sepiaand
BurntOchre(Polychromos).Uselesscolorforhighlights.Usingcircularstrokes,layerthemuzzlewithSepia(darkvaluesonly),Warm
Grey90%,70%,50%,30%and20%.LayerinsidethenostrilswithWarmGrey50%,70%and90%.LayerthemouthwithWarmGrey90%and70%.
6BEGINTHEFENCELayerthefencewithWarmGreyII,usinglinearstrokes.Applywaterwithanearlydrywatercolorbrush,inthesamedirectionasthepencilstrokes.
7FINISHTHEFENCELayer the fence with Warm Grey 70%, 50%, 30% and 20%. Check yourpaintingandadjustwherevernecessary.
demonstration:
MOUNTAINLANDSCAPETo achieve the lighting of this twilight scene, the entire background wasunderpaintedfirstwithapinkishhue,muchasyouwouldifusingwatercolors.Thecloudlayersittinginthevalleywaspaintedmainlywithbluesandpurples.To balance out the composition, the mountain peak in the background wasenlargedslightlycomparedtothereferencephoto.
MATERIALSFaber-CastellAlbrechtDürerLightFlesh
SanfordPrismacolorBlack,BlueSlate,BlueVioletLake,BlushPink,ClayRose,LightPeach,LightViolet,Nectar,Peach,Pink,PinkRose,RosyBeige
Papersurface300-lb.FabrianoSoft-Presswatercolorpaper
ToolsLargeflatwatercolorbrush(sizedependsonsizeofpainting)
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ReferencePhoto
THELAYOUTCreate the layout following the instructions onCreating theLayout.Draw
theouterlineswithawater-solublecoloredpencilandtheinnerlineswithadrypencil.TheoutlinesforthetreesshouldbedrawnafterthecloudsarepaintedinStep6.
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UNDERPAINTTHEBACKGROUND.BreakoffthepointofanAlbrechtDürerLightFleshwater-solublecolored
pencil into the well of a watercolor palette (as described on WatercolorTechniqueswithWater-SolubleColoredPencil).Dilutethepigmentwithenoughwatertoapplyathinlayerofcolortotheentirepaintingsurfacewithalarge,flatbrush.
LAYERTHECOLORSOFDUSKStartingattheareaclosesttothehorizon,layertheskywithClayRose,Rosy
Beige,Pink,PinkRose,Nectar,BlushPink,PeachandLightPeach.
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LAYERTHECLOUDSUsing tight, circular strokes, layer the clouds in the valley with Imperial
Purple,BlueVioletLake,BlueSlate,LightVioletandBlushPink.
PAINTTHEMOUNTAINLayer themountain peak in the background with Imperial Violet and BlueVioletLake.
6PAINTTHEFOREGROUNDTREESUsingtight,circularstrokes,paintthesilhouettedforegroundtreeswithBlack.Checkyourentirepaintingandadjustwhereverneeded.
demonstration:
ROSEThis lovely rose is underpainted with yellow and solvent, instead of simplylayering,togiveitagoldenglow.
Two reference photos were digitally combined, giving the background moreinterestanddepth.
It ispreferable topainteachpetalseparatelybecause thecolorsandvaluesdiffer frompetal topetal.Thisalsoreduces thechanceof smudging.A typicalcolorsequenceisshowninSteps4-8foraselectarea,butrefertothereferencephotoorthecompletedarttodeterminewhereadditionalcolorsarenecessary.A Canary Yellow (1916) Prismacolor Art Stix can be substituted for the
underpaintingtospeeduptheprocess—justbesurenottoapplyittooheavily.Itstillwillbenecessarytofillinthetoothwiththepencil.
MATERIALS
SanfordPrismacolorAppleGreen,BurntOchre,CanaryYellow,CoolGrey70%,DarkGreen,DarkUmber,Magenta,Orange,Raspberry,TuscanRed,YellowedOrange
Faber-CastellPolychromosPinkCarmine,Terracotta
LyraPolycolor
LightCarmine
Papersurface3-plyBristolvellum,regularsurface
ToolsSolvent–BestinerubbercementthinnerorTurpenoidCottonballsElectriceraserKneadederaser
WorkingReferencePhoto
SecondaryReferencePhoto
1THELAYOUTCreatethelayoutfollowingtheinstructionsonCreatingtheLayout.Drawthelines inside the rose slightly darker so they will show through the yellow
underpainting.
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BackgroundReferencePhoto
UNDERPAINTWITHYELLOWApplyCanaryYellowovertheentirerose.
APPLYSOLVENT
ApplyBestineorTurpenoidwithasaturatedcottonball.Removeexcesswithakneadederaser.
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LAYERTHEROSEPETALSSteps4through8showatypicalrosepetallayeringsequencethatyou'llusefor all the petals. First, with an electric eraser, remove some yellow
underpaintingforthepetalhighlights.
BEGINLAYERINGCOLORSLayerTuscanRedtotheshadowareas.
DEEPENSHADOWSLayerRaspberrytotheshadowareas.
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CONTINUELAYERINGAddMagentatothepetalsasshown.
FINALLAYERLayerPinkCarmineovertheentirepetalasshown.
9COLORKEYFORPAINTINGTHEROSEHere is an approximate color sequence for painting other areas of the rose.Thenumberstellyoutheorderinwhichtopainteachlayer.
1—LayerDarkUmberandTuscanRedtothedarkestareas.2—LayerTuscanRed,RaspberryandBurntOchretodarkestshadowscaston
redareas.3—LayerRaspberryandBurntOchretomid-darkshadowscastonredareas.4—LayerRaspberrytolightershadowscastonredareas.5—LayerBurntOchre,TerracottaandOrange tomid-darkvaluesonyellow
areas.6—LayerBurntOchreandYellowedOrangetomid-valuesonyellowareas.7—Leaveunderpaintingfreeofcolorinlightestyellowareas.
10ANDFINALLY—LAYERTHEBACKGROUNDUsing small, circular strokes, layer the backgroundwithCoolGrey 70%,Dark Green and Apple Green. Check your entire painting and adjust as
needed.
demonstration:
MAPLELEAVESThisdemonstrationofbig,backlitmaple leavescouldalsobecategorizedasacombination of techniques. The leaves were underpainted with water-solublecoloredpencils,usingthe"traditional"method,andthebackgroundwaspainteddirectlywithabrush,usingwater-softenedpencilpoints.Solventwasnextusedwithbothwaxandoil-basedcoloredpencilsontheleaves,stemsandbranches,thenthebackgroundwasburnishedusinganIcarusheateddrawingboard(seeLighting). Even the strokes differ: the leaves are painted with light, linearstrokes, all going in the same direction, and the background consists of bold,circularstrokes.
MATERIALSFaber-CastellAlbrechtDürerCinnamon,Cream,GoldOchre,Ivory,Ochre,SapGreen
Faber-CastellPolychromosBurntOchre,GoldOchre,NaplesOchre,RawUmber,VenetianRed
SanfordPrismacolorCoolGrey50%,90%,Cream,CrimsonLake,DarkUmber,Jasmine,IndigoBlue,KelpGreen,Sand,ScarletLake,TuscanRed
Papersurface300-lb.FabrianoSoft-Presswatercolorpaper
ToolsMediumandsmallroundwatercolorbrushes(brushsizesdependonsizeofpainting)BestinerubbercementthinnerorsimilarsolventCottonswabsColorlessblenderpencilKneadederaser
Icarusdrawingboard(optional)
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ReferencePhoto
THELAYOUTCreatethelayoutfollowingtheinstructionsonCreatingtheLayout.Drawtheouterlineswithawater-solublecoloredpencilandtheinnerlineswithadry
pencil.
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UNDERPAINTTHELEAVESPaintingeachleafseparately,layerAlbrechtDürerGoldOchre,Ochre,CreamandIvory.OmittheGoldOchrelayerforareaswithoutdarkvalues.Between
eachlayerofcolor,liftandblendapplicationswithadrycottonswab,discardingtheswabsbetweeneachcolor.
WETTHELEAVESANDUNDERPAINTTHEBRANCHESApply water with a nearly dry, medium size, round watercolor brush.Continue layering and adding water to all of the leaves.When dry, lightly
layerAlbrechtDürerCinnamontothebranchandleafstems.
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WETTHEBRANCHANDSTEMSApply water to the branch and stems with a nearly dry, small, roundwatercolorbrush.
UNDERPAINTTHEBACKGROUNDBreak the point off an Albrecht Dürer Sap Green pencil into a watercolorpaletteandaddafewdropsofwatertothepoint(asdescribedonWatercolor
TechniqueswitWater-SolubleColoredPencil).Afterthewaterisabsorbedandthecoloredpencilbecomesviscous,paint thebackgroundwithaseriesof thinwashes.Usecircular strokeswithamedium to largebrush for the largerareasandasmallbrusharoundtheleaves.
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6PAINTTHELEAVES
Completingonesectionofeach leafata time, lightly layer thedarkshadowvalues,stemsandveinswithPolychromosRawUmberandBurntOchre.Lightlylayer the leaf sectionswith combinations ofGoldOchre (Polychromos), Sand(Prismacolor), Jasmine (Prismacolor), Naples Ochre (Polychromos), Ochre(Polychromos),andCream(Prismacolor).
Smudgecolorwithadrycottonswab,thenapplyBestineorasimilarsolventwithamediumsizeroundbrush.Repeatthisprocessuntilthedesiredcolorintensityisachieved.
TIPSONTIPSCompleting each separately, lightly layer the leaf tips with PrismacolorTuscanRed,CrimsonLakeandScarletLake.
LayerthemajorveinswithPrismacolorCrimsonLakeandTuscanRedintheredareasonly.
SMUDGETHETIPSWithadrycottonswab,smudgethered,draggingsomeofthecolorbeyondthelayeredarea.Liftexcesssmudgedpigmentwithakneadederaser.
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APPLYSOLVENTUsingaroundbrush,applyBestineorasimilarsolvent,dabbingatfirst,thenapplyingshortstrokesasthesolventevaporatesfromthebrush.
RE-LAYERTHEREDSWith increased pressure, re-layer TuscanRed, Crimson Lake and ScarletLake.
RE-APPLYSOLVENTRe-applytheBestineorothersolventtothesameareas.
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BURNISHTHELEAFTIPSUsingCrimsonLake,ScarletLakeandacolorlessblenderpencil,burnishtheredtips.
LAYERTHESTEMSANDBRANCHApply layers of Venetian Red (Polychromos), Raw Umber, Burnt Ochreand Dark Umber, wiping each layer with a dry cotton swab and then
applyingBestinewithasmallroundbrush.Onthethickerbranch,dabonaDarkUmberlayerwithabrush.
LAYERTHEBACKGROUNDUsing largecircular strokes, layer thebackgroundwith IndigoBlue,CoolGrey90%andKelpGreen.
15BURNISHTHEBACKGROUNDHeavily burnish the backgroundwith Indigo Blue, KelpGreen and CoolGrey 50% (in lightest areas only). An Icarus heated drawing board was
usedforthebackgroundtoexpeditethepaintingprocessinthisdemonstration.
demonstration:
TREEBARKThisdemonstrationisfirstunderpaintedwithwater-solublecoloredpencil,thenthetextureofthebarkisdepictedwithlinearstrokesprimarilyusingoil-basedcoloredpencils.Oil-basedpencilsarepreferredbecausetheyareslightlyharder,producingthesharperlinesnecessarytorenderthecracksinthewood.Wehavealsoshownonlyasmall,representativeportionofthebarkinthestepsbecausethisdemonstrationshouldbepaintedtocompletion,onesectionatatime.Aboveall, in painting this demonstration, do not attempt to reproduce each crack,creviceandhueas it appears; instead, concentrateon replicating the texturesandhuesofthebark.
MATERIALSCarand’AchePabloBrownishBeige
Faber-CastellAlbrechtDürerIvory,LightFleshFaber-CastellPolychromosBurntOchre,BurntSienna,BurntUmber,DarkSepia,Terracotta,VanDyckBrown
SanfordPrismacolorBurntOchre,TerraCotta
PaperSurface300-lb.FabrianoSoft-Presswatercolorpaper
ToolsLarge,flatwatercolorbrush(brushsizedependsonsizeofpainting)ImbibedEraser
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ReferencePhoto
THELAYOUTCreatethelayoutfollowingtheinstructionsonCreatingtheLayout.Drawtheouterlineswithawater-solublecoloredpencilandtheinnerlineswithadry
pencil.
THEUNDERPAINTINGBreak off the points ofAlbrechtDürerLight Flesh and Ivorywater-solublecolored pencils into a watercolor palette (as described on Watercolor
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TechniqueswitWater-SolubleColoredPencil).DilutewithwaterandcombinetheliquidsapproximatelyfourpartsIvorytoonepartLightFlesh.Applyathinlayertotheentiresurfacewithalarge,flatwatercolorbrush.
ERASELIGHTESTAREASErasethelightestareaswithanImbibedEraser(seeformoreinformationonImbibedErasers).
ESTABLISHTHECRACKSDrawthedeepestcracksinthebarkwithDarkSepia.
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5FINISHTHECRACKSDrawintheshallowcrackswithBurntUmber.
CREATEBARKTEXTUREANDHUESLightly layerNougatwith long, linear strokes, leaving a gap parallel to thecracksfreeofcolor.
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CONTINUELAYERINGLayerBrownishBeige,overlappingthepreviouslayer.
LAYERMORECOLORS
Layer Burnt Sienna, Van Dyck Brown, Terra Cotta (Prismacolor), BurntOchre(Prismacolor),BurntOchre(Polychromos)andTerracotta(Polychromos)asshown.
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CASTTHESHADOWSLayerthecastshadowswithDarkSepia,usingheaviercoverageinthedarkestareas.
FINISHTHESHADOWSLayertheshadowswithBurntUmberandlightlyre-applyDarkSepia.
11COMPLETETHEENTIREPAINTINGWork on the other areas of the painting following Steps 4 through 10 totakethisdemonstrationtocompletion.
demonstration:
WAGONWHEELThisdemonstration involves separateunderpaintingsofwaterand solvent thataresubsequentlyeitherlayeredorburnished.Intheportionsofthewagonwheelthathavepaintremaining,anelectriceraserisusedtopartiallyremovesomeofthe underpainting, then color blended with solvent is applied. The bareweathered wood is best completed with oil-based or Verithin pencils becausetheir harder cores produce the crisp linework required to depict cracks andoveralltexture.
The burnishing process used for the metal portions of the hub and thebackgroundwassimplifiedandcompletedinonestep;anIcarusheateddrawingboard (see Lighting) was used for expediency. The results would be identicalwithouttheuseofthisdevice.
MATERIALSCarand'AchePabloFastOrangeFaber-CastellAlbrechtDürerCream,DarkUmber,LightCadmiumRed,Ochre,WarmGreyIII,IV
Faber-CastellPolychromosAlizarinCrimson,BrownOchre,DarkRed,DarkSepia,GreenGold,Ochre,Madder,VanDyckBrown
SanfordPrismacolorBeige,Black,Bronze,CoolGrey20%,30%,50%,70%,90%,Cream,FrenchGrey20%,GingerRoot,GreenOchre,YellowOchre
SanfordVerithin
DarkUmber
Papersurface300-lb.FabrianoSoft-Presswatercolorpaper
Tools
Bestinerubbercementthinner
Cotton-tippedapplicatorsWatercolorpaletteMediumandsmallwatercolorbrushes(brushsizesdependonsizeofpainting)ElectriceraserColorlessblenderpencil
IcarusDrawingBoard®(optional)
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ReferencePhoto
THELAYOUTCreatethelayoutfollowingtheinstructionsonCreatingtheLayout.
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LAYERTHEWEATHEREDWOODUNDERPAINTINGUsinglong,linearstrokes,layertheweatheredwoodwithFrenchGrey20%.
APPLYTHESOLVENTApply Bestine rubber cement thinner (or equivalent) with a cotton-tippedapplicatorinthesamedirectionasthecoloredpencillines.
LAYERTHEAXLELayertheaxlewithWarmGreyIII.
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5WETTHEAXLEApplywaterwithamedium-dry,roundwatercolorbrush.
PAINTTHESHADOWCASTONTHEAXLELayer thecast shadowon theaxlewithWarmGreyIV.Applywaterwithasmall,roundwatercolorbrush.
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UNDERPAINTTHEOLDYELLOWPAINTBreak the point off an Albrecht Dürer Cream water-soluble pencil into awatercolor palette, then fill the palette well with water. When the point
softens, mix thoroughly. Apply a thin layer of color with a round watercolorbrushtothespokes'lightyellowpaintedareas.
UNDERPAINTTHEBACKGROUNDUsing the same method as in Step 7, apply Dark Umber with a roundwatercolorbrushtothebackground.
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REFINESHAPESRefine the edges of the light yellowpainted areaswith a sharpened electriceraserandCream(Prismacolor).
RE-PAINTERASEDGREYAREASRe-layererasedbarewoodareaswithFrenchGrey20%.
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PAINTTHESECONDUNDERPAINTINGWith an electric eraser, lightly lift portions of the yellow underpainting.Withmedium pressure, layer Beige and Ginger Root over the yellow as
shown,andthenapplyBestineoranequivalentsolvent.
PAINTTHEPEELINGYELLOWPAINTLayerscatteredlinearstrokesofBrownOchre,GingerRootorBeige,andthen erase an adjoining parallel line with a sharpened electric eraser.
Decreasethethicknessoftheerasedlinewiththelocalbackgroundcolor.Before
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adding color, lightly erase areas to be painted dark yellow with a sharpenedelectriceraser,allowingsomeofthelightyellowunderpaintingtoremain.Usingsmall, circular strokes, apply varying layers of Green Ochre, Bronze, GreenGold,BrownOchre,YellowOchre,OchreandFastOrange.BurnishwithCream(Prismacolor)andre-applythefirstsequenceofcolorsuntilthepapersurfaceiscovered.Finishwithacolorlessblenderpencil.RetouchunintentionallyerasedareaswithCreamorFrenchGrey20%.
WEATHERTHEWOODWithvaryingpressure,draw thecrackswith linearstrokesofDarkSepia,VanDyckBrown,DarkUmber (Verithin), andBrownishBeige.Use the
darkest value (Dark Sepia) for the deepest cracks, and lighter values as thecracksbecomeshallower.Layer light, linear strokesofDarkUmber (Verithin)andBrownishBeigefortheweatheredwood.Carefullyleavealineparallelandtotheleftorbottomofeachcrackfreeofcolortoshowdepth.
Usingshort, linearstrokes,layerBurntOchretothewoodattheedgeofthehub.
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Usingasharpenedelectriceraser,erasesmallareas toshowchipsofyellowpaint.BurnishtheseareaswithCream(Prismacolor).DrawlinesaroundedgesoftheyellowpaintedareaswithVanDyckBrownor
DarkUmber(Verithin).LayerYellowOchretoshowyellowpaintremnantsontheweatheredwood.
PAINTWEATHEREDREDPAINTApplyvaryingintensitiesofDarkRed,MadderandAlizarinCrimsontotheweatheredwoodonthespokesandhub.
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UNDERPAINTTHEMETALPORTIONSOFTHEHUBBreakthepointsoffanAlbrechtDürerOchrepencilandaLightCadmiumRedpencil into apalette, then fill thepalettewellswithwater.When the
pointssoften,mixthoroughly.Applyto themetalhubwitharoundwatercolorbrush.
BURNISHTHEMETALPORTIONSOFTHEHUBPaint the leadingedgeof theupperhub ringwithBronze,YellowOchre,Van Dyck Brown, Brown Ochre and Cool Grey 20%, leaving the light
yellowunderpaintingfreeofadditionalcolor.
Burnish the top of the uppermetal hub ring and themetal hubwithBlack,CoolGrey 90%, 70%, 50%, 30%, 20%, leaving portions of the underpaintingfreeofadditionalcolor.
17PAINTTHEAXLEBurnishtheredareaswithPaleVermilionandCoolGrey50%.BurnishtheredareasinshadowwithPaleVermilionandCoolGrey70%.Burnishthe
yellowareaswithBronze,YellowOchreandCream(Prismacolor).BurnishtheyellowareainshadowwithCoolGrey70%,BronzeandYellowOchre.BurnishthegreyareaswithCoolGrey70%and50%.BurnishthegreyareasinshadowwithBlackandCoolGrey70%.
18FINISHWITHTHEBACKGROUNDUsing circular strokes, burnish the backgroundwith random, overlappingapplications of Black, Dark Umber (Prismacolor) and Chocolate. Adjust
yourpaintingasneeded.
W
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Water-SolubleColoredPencilDEMONSTRATIONS
ater-soluble colored pencils differ fromwax-or oil-based pencils incompositionwithanemulsifieraddedtothebinder,allowingthemtobeworkablewithwater.Someof thedemonstrations in this section
use the traditional water-soluble technique—applying the pigment dry, thenadding water—and others use the nontraditional method of dissolving pencilpoints in water, then adding the color with a brush as if you were usingwatercolors.However, unlikewatercolors,water-soluble colored pencil can beappliedtocoloredpaper,asillustratedinthe"Puppies"demonstrationcominguponPUPPIES,oryoucanforgetthewaterentirelyandsimplyleavethecolordry.
demonstration:
CALLALILIESIn this study,papercalla liliesarepaintedentirelywithwater-solublecoloredpencils.However, just because the pencilswe're using arewater-soluble doesnot necessarily mean water must be added. In Step 12 of this demo, layeredcolorisleftdrytodepictthebackgroundstonework’stexture,andinStep14theoutliningisalsoleftdry,guaranteeinga“cleaner”look.
MATERIALSFaber-CastellAlbrechtDürerBurntOchre,ColdGreyI,II,III,VI,DarkCadmiumOrange,DarkCadmiumYellow,DarkChromeYellow,JuniperGreen,LightPhthaloBlue,LightYellowOchre,PermanentGreenOlive,WarmGreyII,III,IV,VI
Carand'AcheSupracolorIISoftBrownishBeige
Papersurface300-lb.FabrianoSoft-Presswatercolorpaper
Tools
Mediumandsmallround
watercolorbrushes(brushsizesdependonsizeofpainting)
ReferencePhoto
1
WATER-SOLUBLECOLOREDPENCILS
THELAYOUTDrawalllineswithCoolGreyIIwater-solublecoloredpencilstoavoidcolorcontamination.
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2LAYERTHEDARKESTWHITELayerthedarkestvaluesofthewhitepetalswithColdGreyIIIandII.
ADDWATERApplywaterwithanearlydry,mediumsizewatercolorbrush.Re-applycolorandwaterifnecessary.
LAYERTHEMID-VALUESLayerthemid-valuesofthewhitepetalswithColdGreyIIandI.LightlylayerLightPhthaloBlue.
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ADDWATERApplywaterwithanearlydry,mediumsizewatercolorbrush.Re-applycolorsandwateruntildesireddarkandlightvaluesareachieved.
LAYERTHEYELLOWCENTERSLayer the centers with Burnt Ochre, Light Yellow Ochre, Dark ChromeYellowandDarkCadmiumYellow.
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WATERTHEYELLOWApplywaterwith a nearly dry,medium to small sizewatercolor brush.Re-applycolorsandwateruntildesiredvaluesareachieved.
LAYERTHEPISTILSANDTIPSLayer the pistils with Warm Grey II, Dark Cadmium Orange and DarkChromeYellow.Applywaterwithasmallwatercolorbrush.
Layer the petal tipswithColdGrey I, II and III.Applywaterwith a smallwatercolorbrush.
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PAINTTHESTEMSPaintingeachsmallareaseparately, layerstemswithcombinationsofWarmGreyVI,JuniperGreenandPermanentGreenOlive.
LAYERTHEBACKGROUNDLightlylayerthebackgroundwithBrownishBeige.
WETTHEBACKGROUNDApplywaterwith a slightlywet,medium sizewatercolor brush, using anunevenapplication.
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LAYERTHEBACKGROUNDTEXTURELighten small areas by gently erasing with a sharpened electric eraser.LayerthebackgroundtexturewithWarmGreyIII,IVandBrownishBeige.
Donotaddwater.
PAINTTHEVASELayer,addwateranddryeachcolorsegmentseparatelybeforepaintingthenext color: Warm Grey II; Warm Grey IV and III; Light Phthalo Blue;
Burnt Ochre; Permanent Green Olive; Burnt Ochre and Indian Red; LightCadmiumRed;PrussianBlue.
14FINISHTHEVASEUsingheavypressure,drawthecolorsegmentoutlineswithColdGreyVI.Do not add water. Check your entire painting and adjust wherever
necessary.
demonstration:
KITEANDCLOUDSThe electric eraser is used in this demonstration to help shape and shade thecloudsafterrepeatedapplicationsofcolorandwater.Thisismadepossiblewiththe use of the Fabriano soft-press watercolor paper, which is not only moreerasablethanotherpapersbutalsoresilienttorepeatedworking.Theimportantthingtorememberistoresistthetemptationtooverworktheclouds.
MATERIALSFaber-CastellAlbrechtDürerColdGreyI,II,III,IV,V,DarkRed,LightUltramarine,LightViolet,ScarletLake,SkyBlue
SanfordVerithinTuscanRed,Black
PapersurfaceFabriano300lb.Soft-Presswatercolorpaper
ToolsMediumflatwatercolorbrush;mediumandsmallroundwatercolorbrushes(brushsizesdependonsizeofpainting)Smallelectriceraserwithvinylerasing
strips
PrimaryReferencePhoto
SecondaryReferencePhoto
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WorkingReferencePhoto
THELAYOUT
Create the kite and kite flier layout outlineswith non-water-soluble coloredpencil;createthecloudsandgroundoutlineswithwater-soluble.
LAYERTHESKYUsinghorizontalstrokes, layerLightUltramarineto theupperportionof thesky,thencoverwithandextendwithalayerofSkyBlue.Verylightlylayer
LightVioletovertheentireskyarea.
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WETTHESKYLightly drag a nearly dry, medium flat brush horizontally across the sky.Continue strokinguntil thepigmenthasdissolved.Re-layer color andbrush
onwaterifnecessary.
BEGINLAYERINGTHECLOUDSLayerthedarkercloudswithColdGreyIV,III,II,LightUltramarineandSkyBlue.
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6
7
APPLYWATERWith a nearly dry, medium, round watercolor brush, apply water usingcircularstrokes.RepeatlayeringthedarkercloudswithColdGreyIII,II,Iand
SkyBlueuntildesiredvaluesareachieved.Dabwithamediumdrybrush.
LIGHTENSOMEAREASUsing light, circular strokes with a small electric eraser, lighten areas toclarifytheclouds'texture.
LAYERTHELIGHTERCLOUDSLayerthelightercloudswithColdGreyII,IandSkyBlue,leavingthepaperbareforthehighlights.
Usingtheelectriceraser,lightlydrawafewcirruscloudsintheblueskyarea.
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9
FINISHTHECLOUDSDabwithanearlydrybrush.Re-layerColdGreyII, IandSkyBlueandre-applywaterifnecessary.
PAINTTHEKITEApplyDarkRedandScarletLaketothekite.Applywaterwithanearlydry,smallbrush.DrawthekitestrutswithTuscanRed.
10FINISHWITHTHEKITEFLIERApplyColdGreyVI to thegroundand thekite flier.Applywaterwith amedium-dry,mediumsizebrushtothegroundandwithasmallbrushtothe
flier.Re-applyColdGreyVI andwater as necessary to cover gaps.Draw thestringwithBlack.
Checkyourentirepaintingandadjustasnecessary.
demonstration:
PUPPIESRisingmuseumboardinacolorcalledFawnwaschosenforthisdemonstrationbecause it adds the “warm,” and water-soluble colored pencil provides the“fuzzy,”toourwarmandfuzzysubjects.Becausemuseumboardisnotdesignedfor evenmoderateapplicationsofwater, it is imperative that thedriest of drybrush be used to applywater, otherwise buckling andwarpingwill result.Trypracticingonascrapboardbeforecommittingtoapainting.Thisdemonstrationis also broken down into small, manageable sections to help minimize theamountofwaterontheboardatanygiventime.Theuseofheavystrokesonasurfacenotdesignedforwatermakesitevenmoreimportantthatanymoistenedarea is completely dry before addingmore color. A hair dryer should not beusedtospeedupdryingsinceitwillcausetheboardtowarp.
MATERIALSFaber-CastellAlbrechtDürerBrownOchre,BurntOchre,LightFlesh,LightSepia,RawUmber,WalnutBrown,WarmGreyII,III,IV,V,VI,White
PapersurfaceRising4-plymuseumboardinFawn
ToolsMediumandsmallroundwatercolorbrushes(sizesdependonsizeofpainting)
2
1
ReferencePhoto
THELAYOUT
Createthelayoutwithwater-solublecoloredpencilsonRising4-plymuseumboard.
STROKETHEUPPERPUP'SBACKFURUsing heavy, linear strokes, apply Light Sepia for the darkest values, RawUmberandBurntOchre.Leavespacesbetweenstrokes.
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4
ADDALITTLEWATERApply water with the tip of a dry, round watercolor brush in the samedirectionasthestrokesyouappliedinthepreviousstep.
STROKETHEUPPERPUP'SLEFTEARMoving forward to the upper pup's left ear, and again using heavy, linearstrokes,applyLightSepiaforthedarkestvalues,thenRawUmberandBurnt
Ochre.Leavespacesbetweenstrokes.
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6
ADDALITTLEWATERApply water with the tip of a dry, round watercolor brush in the samedirectionasthestrokesyouappliedinStep4.
STROKETHEUPPERPUP'SBROWNFACEMovingforwardtotheupperpup'sheadandeyes,useheavy,linearstrokestoapplyLightSepiafor thedarkestvalues, thenRawUmberandBurntOchre.
Leavespacesbetweenstrokes.
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8
ADDALITTLEWATERApply water with the tip of a dry, round watercolor brush in the samedirectionasthestrokesyouappliedinStep6.
LAYERTHEUNDERDOG'SHEADANDEARSUsing heavy, linear strokes, apply Light Sepia and Walnut Brown for thedarkestvalues,thenRawUmberandBrownOchre.
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WETTHEUNDERDOGApply water with the tip of a dry, round watercolor brush in the samedirectionasthestrokesappliedinStep8.
PAINTTHEUPPERPUP’SWHITEFURUsing heavy strokes, applyWhite, bringing some strokes over the brownfur.Donotcoverthedarkgrey,mottledlowersectionofthepup’smuzzle.
Applywaterwiththetipofadry,roundwatercolorbrushinthesamedirectionasthestrokes.
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12
PAINTTHEUPPERPUP’SMUZZLEANDMARKINGSApply RawUmber for the subtlemarkings in the white fur between theeyesandontheforehead.
LightlyapplyWarmGreyVIandVtotheeyes.ApplyWarmGreyV,IV,III,IIandRawUmbertothemuzzle.EraseWhite
insomeareasifnecessary.
WETTHEUPPERPUP’SMUZZLEANDMARKINGSDabwateronthemuzzleandmarkingswithasmall,drywatercolorbrush.
13PAINTTHEUPPERPUP’SNOSEUsingsmall,circularstrokes,applyWhitetothehighlightsonly,andthenapplyWarmGreyIV,V,VIandBlack.
Apply water with a small, dry watercolor brush, carefully dragging darkervaluesintohighlightstosoften.Re-applyWarmGreystothenosewithoutapplyingadditionalwater.
14PAINTTHEUNDERDOG’SUPPERMUZZLEUsingshort,linearstrokes,applyRawUmber,BrownOchre,WarmGreyIIandWhitetotheupperhalfoftheunderdog'smuzzle.
Apply water with the tip of a dry, round watercolor brush in the samedirectionasthestrokes.
15PAINTTHEUNDERDOG'SLOWERMUZZLEUsingshort, linearstrokes,applyRawUmber,BrownOchre,WarmGreyIII,IV,WalnutBrownandWhitetothelowerhalfofthemuzzle.
Apply water with the tip of a dry, round watercolor brush in the samedirectionasthestrokes.
16FINISHTHEUNDERDOGANDADDCASTSHADOWS(RIGHT)Using small, circular strokes, paint the underdog's nose with White(highlights only),WarmGrey IV,V,VI, andBlack.Applywaterwith a
small,drywatercolorbrush,carefullydraggingdarkervaluesintothehighlightstosoftenthem.Re-applyWarmGreyIV,VandVItothenosewithoutapplyingadditionalwater.
Painttheunderdog'sbackwithlight,linearstrokesofRawUmberandBrownOchre and heavy strokes ofWhite. Apply water with the tip of a dry, roundwatercolorbrushinthesamedirectionasthestrokes.
Paint the pawwith light, linear strokes ofWarmGrey IV andRawUmber.Usingsmall,circularstrokesapplyWarmGreyVtothepads.Applywaterwithasmall,drywatercolorbrush.ApplyheavystrokesofWhitetothepaw.Applywaterwiththetipofadry,
roundwatercolorbrush.PaintthenailswithWarmGreyIVandLightFlesh.Applywaterwiththetip
ofadry,roundwatercolorbrush.Usingthetipofadry,roundwatercolorbrush,takepigmentfromthepointof
aWhitepencilandapplytothenailforthehighlight.Repeatifnecessary.PaintthecastshadowswithWarmGreyIII.Applywaterwiththetipofadry,
round watercolor brush. Check your entire painting and adjust wherevernecessary.
demonstration:
SUNSETThis study differs from the others in this book because it is totally ad-libbed,withoutareferencephotooralinedrawinglayout.Sunsets,sunrisesandskiesingeneralmakegreatbackgroundswithforegroundobjectsinsilhouette,sotryaddingasilhouettedsubjecttothisstudy.
Water-solublecoloredpencilsareappliedwithabrushinthefirstfewsteps,and then Neocolor II wax pastels (considered colored pencils by the ColoredPencilSocietyofAmerica)areapplieddry,allonroughwatercolorpaper.Thisisoneofmanywaysofpaintingskybackgrounds,butregardlessofthemethodyouuse,ifyou'realsodoingsilhouettes,alwayscompletethebackgroundfirst.
MATERIALSFaber-CastellAlbrechtDürerDarkCadmiumOrange,BlueVioletCarand’AcheNeocolorIIOrange,ReddishOrange,FlameRed,Vermilion
Papersurface300-lb.Archesroughwatercolorpaper
ToolsLargeroundandflatwatercolorbrushesWatercolorpalette
1
FinishedPainting
BEGINWITHTHEFIRSTWASHES
Break off the points of aDarkCadmiumOrange and aBlueViolet pencil;placeeachpointinitsownwellofawatercolorpaletteandfilleachwelltothetop with water. When the colored pencil points become viscous, stir themthoroughly with the bare end of a cotton tipped applicator until they arecompletelydissolved.
Apply a clear water wash to your paper with a large flat brush. Drain offexcesswaterandallowtheresttoabsorbintothepaper.When the paper is damp, not runny, load a large flat brush with Dark
CadmiumOrange and applywith horizontal strokes from edge to edge of thepaper, starting from the bottom and working up toward the center. As thepigment begins to be depleted from the brush, feather out the strokes at thecenterof thepainting.Washthebrush.Thenwithanearlydrybrush,continuefeatheringtheDarkCadmiumOrange.TurnthepaperupsidedownandrepeattheprocesswithBlueViolet.Betweeneverystep,allowthepapertothoroughlyairdrybeforecontinuing.
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3
Drying with a hair dryer may cause the paper to warp, resulting in unevenapplicationofcolor.
APPLYTHENEXTWASHESApplyalightwashofwaterwithalargeflatbrush.Drainoffexcesswaterandallowittoabsorbintothepaper.
ApplystrokesofBlueViolet.Turn thepaperupsidedownandapplya lightwashofDarkCadmiumOrangeasinthepreviousstep.Letdry.
PAINTTHELIGHTWorking dry, apply Orange, Reddish Orange, Flame Red and VermilionNeocolorIIwaxpastels.
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5
WETTHELIGHTLiquefy theNeocolor pigments applied inStep3with a lightwashof clearwaterusingalargeflatbrush.Allowtodry.
REPEATTHELIGHTRe-apply Orange, Reddish Orange, Flame Red and Vermilion Neocolor IIwaxpastels,workingdry.
6FINISHTHELIGHT
PartiallyliquefytheNeocolorpigmentsappliedinStep5withalightwashofclear water, using the edge of a large flat brush. Allow to dry. Check yourpaintingandadjustasneeded.
demonstration:
WATERREFLECTIONSWater reflections offer a limitless source of subjects for paintings. For thisdemonstration,wehaveselecteda tinysectionof theoriginal referencephoto,enlargeditanduseditasthesubject.Therearehundredsofsubjectswithintheoverall image, depending on what area is selected. The subject can beconsideredliterallyasareflection,orasaninterestingabstract,anditcanbepaintedwithanyofthetechniquesshowninthisbook.
For this demonstration we are using water-soluble colored pencils in the“traditional”method(applyingcolordry,thenwettingitwithabrush)exceptinthefinalstep,wherewehaveusedthe“brokenpoint”method(seeWatercolorTechniqueswithWater-SolubleColoredPencil),becauseblackismoredifficultto workwith when the traditionalmethod is employed.We have also taken alittle artistic license by using a Black Verithin to sharpen the black ripples’edges.
MATERIALSFaber-CastellAlbrechtDürerBlack,BurntOchre,BlueGreen,Cinnamon,CobaltGreen,CobaltTurquoise,HelioTurquoise,LightCobaltTurquoise,PhthaloGreen,RedViolet,Violet,Viridian,WarmGreyIII,IV
PrismacolorVerithin
Black
Papersurface300-lb.FabrianoSoft-Presswatercolorpaper
Tools
Mediumandsmallround
watercolorbrushes(sizesdependonsizeofpainting)
OriginalReferencePhotoRedboxshowsareaofenlargementusedintheworkingreferencephoto.
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2
WorkingReferencePhoto
THELAYOUTCreatethelayoutwithwater-solublecoloredpencils.
LAYERTHETURQUOISERIPPLESLayerthelightestcoloredrippleswithLightCobaltTurquoise.
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5
APPLYWATERApplywaterwithamediumdrywatercolorbrush.
RE-APPLYCOLORANDWATERRe-layerLightCobaltTurquoisetocoverbarespots,thenre-applywater.
PAINTTHEPURPLERIPPLESLayerthepurplerippleswithRedViolet,VioletandWarmGreyIII.
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7
APPLYWATER,PARTTWOApplywatertothepurplerippleswithanearlydrywatercolorbrush.
RE-APPLYCOLORANDWATER,PARTTWORe-layerLightRedVioletandViolettocoverbarespots,thenre-applywater.
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10
PAINTTHEBROWNRIPPLESLayerthebrownrippleswithCinnamonandBurntOchre.Applywater,thenre-applycolorsandwatertoevenoutbarespots.
PAINTTHEBLUE-GREENRIPPLESLayer the blue-green rippleswithCobalt Turquoise,CobaltGreen,ViridianandLightCobaltTurquoise.Applywater, then re-applycolors andwater to
evenoutbarespots.
PAINTTHEDARKRIPPLESLayer the grey ripples withWarm Grey IV. Apply water, then re-applycolortoevenoutbarespots.
Break the point off an Albrecht Dürer Black pencil into the well of awatercolorpaletteandaddafewdropsofwater.Afterthewaterisabsorbedandthe color becomes viscous, brush onto the larger black ripples with a roundwatercolor brush. When the pigment is dry, finish the smaller, thinner blackripples with Black. Do not add water (unless you’re really brave). Finish theedgeswithaBlackVerithin.Checkyourpaintingandadjustasneeded.
demonstration:
POMEGRANATESOkay,watercolor buffs, this one is for you!And if you are somewhat nervousaboutbrushwork—thisoneisforyou,too!ExceptforpreliminaryunderpaintinginSteps2and5,theartinthisdemonstrationiscompletedwithbrushes,provingtheversatilityofcoloredpencil.Wewillpaint thinwashes,buildingcolorandvaluegradually,aswellasaddingopaque,gouache-likelayersofcolor.Ifyouarenotawatercolorist,havenofear,youcancomebackandfillinbarespotswithadrypencil.Tryit,you’lllikeit!
MATERIALSFaber-CastellAlbrechtDürerBrownOchre,DarkOrange,DarkRed,ColdGreyI,Cream,GreyGreen,Ivory,LightOchre,PaleGeraniumLake,WarmGreyII,VI
Papersurface300-lb.FabrianoSoft-Presswatercolorpaper
ToolsMediumroundandsmallflatwatercolorbrushes(brushsizesdependonsizeofpainting)Cottonswabs
2
1
ReferencePhoto
THELAYOUTDrawthelayoutlineswithwater-solublecoloredpencils.
UNDERPAINTTHESKINSLayer the outer pomegranate skins with Light Ochre and Ivory. Layer theinnerskinwithCream,IvoryandColdGreyI.
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4
WETITApplywaterwithanearlydryroundbrush.
LAYERTHESEEDS
Lightly layer Pale Geranium Lake to the darkest area of the seeds only.Lightlyliftandsmudgewithdrycottonswabs.
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6
UNDERPAINTTHESEEDSApplywaterwith a nearly drywatercolor brush, leaving the small specularhighlightsfreeofcolor.
PAINTTHESKINSBreakthepointsoffScarletLake,PaleGeraniumLakeandVermilionpencilsinto a palette and add a few drops of water to each point (seeWatercolor
TechniqueswithWater-SolubleColoredPencilformoreinstructions).Afterthewaterisabsorbedandthecolorbecomesviscous,dabonathinlayerofScarletLake,PaleGeraniumLakeandVermilionwithanearlydry,mediumsize,roundwatercolorbrushtocreatethepomegranateskintexture.Workingonsmallareasat a time, lift excess colorwith a dry or nearly dry cotton swab, then reapplycolors.Aftereachlayerisdry,repeatdabbingthinlayersuntiltheskinshavethedesiredcolorsaturation.
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8
PAINTTHESEEDSBreak the points off Dark Red, Warm Grey VI, and Pale Geranium Lakepencils into a palette and add a fewdrops ofwater to eachpoint.After the
waterisabsorbedandthecolorbecomesviscous,painttheseeds'outerportionswithamixtureofDarkRedandWarmGreyVI,DarkRed,orDarkRedandPaleGeraniumLake,usingasmallroundbrush.
PAINTTHEINNERSKINUsingasmallroundbrush,paintthinwashesofWarmGreyII,LightOchre,Brown Ochre, Dark Red, Pale Geranium Lake and Scarlet Lake, until the
desiredvalueisachieved.Paintthecastshadowswithlightwashesconsistingof
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a mixture ofWarmGrey VI, Dark Red and Pale Geranium Lake. Paint darkvaluesbetweentheseedswithamixtureofWarmGreyVIandDarkRed.
PAINTTHESTEMENDSUsingasmall,roundwatercolorbrush,paintthinwashesofBrownOchreandPale Geranium Lake to both stem ends. Repaint the left stem with Brown
Ochre and a mixture of Warm Grey VI and Dark Red. Dab Warm Grey II,BrownOchreandamixtureofWarmGreyVIandDarkRedtotherightstem.
PAINTTHEBACKGROUND
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PaintthebackgroundwiththinwashesofGreyGreen,avoidingcontactwiththered areas.When dry, apply Grey Green with a dry pencil to fill in gaps andinconsistenciesincolor.
FINISHWITHTHESIGNANDITSCASTSHADOWUsingasmallflatbrush,paintthecastshadowunderthesignwithathick,opaquemixtureofWarmGreyVIandGreyGreen.
PainttheletteringandborderwithDarkOrange,thensharpentheiredgeswithadryDarkOrangepencil.Checkyourpaintingandadjustwherevernecessary.
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8
CombinedTechniqueDEMONSTRATIONS
hefinalchapterofthisbookfeaturesdemonstrationsthatcombinesomeof the colored pencil techniques you've learned about in the previouschapters, such as layering, burnishing, underpainting, and using water-
soluble colored pencils. These techniques are shown in this chapter either asseparate entities, as in the painting of thewine presser silhouetted against thetwilight, or “mixed” together, asdemonstrated in thepaintingcalled "Rapids."And, for the grand finale, I hope you'll enjoy the demonstration of a hot airballoonascendingintothesky,whichmaybeavisualmetaphorforyourfuturewithcoloredpencil.
demonstration:
ALGERIANIVYAwater-solublecoloredpencilunderpaintingwaschosenforthisdemonstrationto emulate the irregular, subtle values of the ivy. Burnishing and layeringtechniquesarealsoused.Theivywaspaintedongreymuseumboard—thegreysurface was used to allow a subject with white edges to stand out from thebackground.Remember,itisextremelyimportanttouseanearlydrybrushwhenusingpapersuchasmuseumboardthatisnotdesignedforwater.
MATERIALS
SanfordPrismacolorCream,FrenchGrey10%,20%,30%,50%,Jasmine,LightUmber,OliveGreen,White
Faber-CastellAlbrechtDürerGoldOchre,Ivory
Papersurface
GreyStrathmore4-plymuseumboard
ToolsMediumroundwatercolorbrush(sizedependsonsizeofpainting)
ReferencePhoto
1
COMBINEDTECHNIQUES
THELAYOUT
Draw theouter lineswith awater-soluble coloredpencil and the inner lineswithadrypencil.
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3
UNDERPAINTWITHCAREUsing circular strokes, apply Ivory to the ivy leaves. Apply water with anearlydrybrush.Cautionshouldbetakentouseaslittlewateraspossibleto
preventdamagingsurfacesnotintendedforwater.
BURNISHTHEEDGESBurnish the light edgeswithCreamandWhite,using lighter applications toshowlightshadows,orapplyFrenchGrey30%ifnecessary.
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5
LAYERTHELIGHTBLOTCHESANDVEINSLayerthelightgreenblotcheswithOliveGreen,CreamandWhite.
Usingasharppointatalltimes,drawtheveinswithOliveGreen,varyingthepressuretodepictdarktolightveins.
PAINTTHEDARKBLOTCHESApplyOliveGreeninvaryingamountsindarkgreenblotches.
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ApplysmallamountsofFrenchGrey10%and20%inlighterareas.
CompletethemajorveinswithJasmine.ApplyFrenchGrey50%totheshadowseparatingtheleaves.
FINISHWITHTHECASTSHADOWSANDASTAKEUsing long, linear strokes, layer the cast shadow with French Grey 70%.LayerthestakewithLightUmberandGoldOchre.
Checkyourentirepaintingandadjustwherevernecessary.
demonstration:
SILHOUETTEATDUSKThissilhouetteofawinepresserwasfoundintheNapaValleyinCaliforniaonthe grounds of a winery. Caran d'Ache Neocolor pencils can be applied dry,dissolved with water or, in this case, dissolved with a solvent. Bestine waschosenasthesolventforthisdemonstrationbecauseit iseasiertocontrolandproduces amore uniform application.When applying the solvent, be sure thecottonballisnotoversaturated,usealighttouch,andmakeeachstrokegoallthe way across the paper without stopping. The borders of the paper weremaskedwithremovabletapewhichwasremovedpriortopaintingthesilhouette.
MATERIALSCarand'AcheNeocolorIIBlack,IndianRed,Orange,Pink,ReddishOrange,Salmon,Violet,VioletPurple
SanfordPrismacolorBlack,BlackRaspberry,BurntOchre,MineralOrange,PumpkinOrange
Papersurface3-plyBristolvellum,regularsurface
ToolsBestinerubbercementthinnerorTurpenoidRubberglovesCottonballsCottonswabs
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1
ReferencePhoto
THELAYOUTCreatethelayoutwithaBlackPrismacolorpencil.
APPLYTHESKYCOLORSUsinghorizontalstrokesandworkingfromthebottomup,applygradationsofOrange,ReddishOrange,Salmon,Pink,VioletPurple,IndianRedandViolet.
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4
WASHWITHSOLVENTLightlywipeacottonballsoakedinsolventacrossthecoloredarea(youmaywanttowearrubberglovesforthisstep).Additionalapplicationsofcolorand
solventmaybenecessarytofillingaps.
FINISHTHESKYLightly apply Black Raspberry to the upper part of the sky. Apply BurntOchre,PumpkinOrangeandMineralOrange to the thinclouds in the lower
partofthesky.Applysolventtothethincloudswithacottonswab.Donotadd
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solventtotheupperpartofthesky.
PAINTTHESILHOUETTEBurnishbroaderareasof thesilhouettewithaBlackNeocolorII, thenfinishthe smaller details with a Black Prismacolor. Repeat, if necessary, to
completelycoverthepapersurface.
demonstration:
HOODORNAMENTThis demonstration of a 1948 Pontiac hood ornament combines layering andburnishing the highlights with a single color, White. The greenish-yellowreflectionsinthereferencephotowerechangedtolightbluetoproduceamorenatural look, and black museum board was chosen for this demonstration toenhancethelookofthehighlyreflective,shinychrome.
MATERIALS
SanfordPrismacolorBlueSlate,CoolGrey10%,20%,30%,50%,Cream,PaleVermilion,PoppyRed,TuscanRed,White
PrismacolorVerithin
White
Papersurface
Black4-plymuseumboard
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1
ReferencePhoto
THELAYOUTCreatethelayoutwithaWhiteVerithinpencil.
PAINTTHEBLUEREFLECTIONSVarythepressureofaBlueSlatepencil,fromlightlayeringtocompletepapercoverage,todepictthevaryingintensitiesofthebluereflections.
3LAYERTHECHROMEREFLECTIONSThe chrome is black, white and four shades of grey. Layer the chromereflections with Prismacolor White, Cool Grey 10%, 20%, 30% and 50%.
Adjust values by allowing more or less of the black museum board to showthrough.BurnishwithWhiteforthehighestvalues.Leavethepaperbareforthedarkestvalues.
4PAINTTHEREDTRIMLayer the red plastic bar with Tuscan Red, Poppy Red and the secondaryhighlightwithPaleVermilion.LayerthebluereflectionswithBlueSlateand
burnishthehighestvaluehighlightswithCoolGrey20%,10%,andWhite.
Burnish the red center of the red circlewith PoppyRed. Burnish the outercirclewithPaleVermilionandCream.BurnishthehighlighttotheleftoftheredcentercirclewithCream.BurnishtheremaininghighlightswithWhite.Checkyourpaintingandadjustwherevernecessary.
demonstration:
ORCHIDInthisdemonstration,layering,solventsandburnishingareusedtoexplorethebeauty of an orchid close up. The orchid’s center is underpainted with lightyellow hues to prevent them from mixing with increasingly stronger colorsoverlaid on top. The grainy band of magenta pollen across the center of thewhite petal is layered anddabbedwith solvent, and the uppermagenta petalsareburnished.There'salittlesomethinghereforeveryone!
MATERIALS
SanfordPrismacolorCoolGrey20%,50%,Cream,CrimsonRed,FrenchGrey10%,30%,IndigoBlue,Magenta,ProcessRed,Raspberry,SpanishOrange,SunburstYellow,TuscanRed,WarmGrey90%,White
Papersurface3-plyBristolvellum,regularsurface
ToolsBestinerubbercementthinnerorequivalentsolventCottonswabsMediumandsmallroundwatercolorbrushes(sizesdependonsizeofpainting)Colorlessblenderpencil
1
ReferencePhoto
THELAYOUTCreatethelayoutfollowingtheinstructionsonCreatingtheLayout.
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3
4
UNDERPAINTTHEYELLOWCENTERLayerthedarkeryellowareasinthecenteroftheorchidwithSpanishOrange,andthelighterareawithSunburstYellow.
UNDERPAINTWITHMAGENTALightly layer thecenterwithMagentaandSpanishOrange, thenblend themtogetherwithadrycottonswab.
PAINTTHECENTER
Apply Bestine with a small brush using light, long strokes to theMagenta/SpanishOrange areas in the center until thoroughly blended.Do notmixwithlighteryellowareas.
Dab Bestine on theMagenta areas with a small brush, then layerMagentaspots.Re-layer the Magenta/Spanish Orange areas with Magenta, and re-apply
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5
Bestinewithasmallbrush.Burnish theMagenta/SpanishOrangeareaswithSpanishOrange, the lighter
yellowareaswithCanaryYellow,thenburnishallbuttheMagentaareaswithacolorlessblenderpencil.
LAYERTHELOWERPETALSLayervariegationsonthelowerpetalswithMagenta.
COMPLETETHELOWERPETALSDab Bestine with a medium round brush to the variegations, layering thedarkerareaswithRaspberryandMagenta.
7COMPLETETHEDETAILSANDLAYERTHEUPPERPETALSDrawthethincastshadowsontheorchid’sleftsidewithCoolGrey20%andontherightsidewithCoolGrey50%and20%.
LayerthevariegationsontheupperwhitepetalswithRaspberryandMagenta,thendabwithBestine,usingamediumroundbrush.Layer the darkest values of the white pistil with French Grey 30%, then
burnishwithFrenchGrey10%.Layer thewhite pistil areawith FrenchGrey 10%andCream, then burnish
withWhite.Layer thedarkestvalues and shadowsof theupperpetalswithTuscanRed,
themid-valueswithRaspberry andCrimsonRed, and the lightest valueswithMagentaandProcessRed.
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8BURNISHTHEUPPERPETALSBurnishtheupperpetalswithWhite,exceptforthedarkestvalues.
COMPLETETHEUPPERPETALSLayer the right and left upper petalswith TuscanRed (darkest areas only),Raspberry,MagentaandCrimsonRed,thenlayerthecenterupperpetalwith
Raspberry,MagentaandCrimsonRed.Burnishwithacolorlessblenderpenciluntiltheentirepapersurfaceiscovered.
10FINISHWITHTHEBACKGROUNDLayer the dark background areaswith IndigoBlue andTuscanRed, thenburnishwithWarmGrey90%.
demonstration:
RAPIDSThisdemonstrationfullyexploitsthecapabilitiesofcoloredpencilbycombiningtechniques and media, resulting in a painting of strong textural contrast: thesoftness of flowingwater, and the rock’s uneven texture. The subjectmaterialitself also contrasts the water’s movement with the immobility of the rocks.Therearethreetechniquesdemonstratedhere:underpaintingwithwater-solublecoloredpencils,layering,andburnishing.
MATERIALS
SanfordPrismacolorBronze,CoolGrey50%,30%,20%,10%,DarkUmber,FrenchGrey90%,70%,50%,30%,20%,LightUmber,Limepeel,MarineGreen,PowderBlue,Sand,SkyBlueLight,TerraCotta,White
Faber-CastellAlbrechtDürerCream,LightBlue,SkyBlue
Faber-CastellPolychromosLightBlue
Papersurface300-lb.FabrianoSoft-presswatercolorpaper
ToolsMediumroundwatercolorbrush(brushsizedependsonsizeofpainting)Colorlessblenderpencil
1
ReferencePhoto
THELAYOUTDrawthelayoutlineswithwaxoroil-basedcoloredpencils.
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3
4
UNDERPAINTTHESUNLIGHTLayerCreamforthesunlitareasofthelargeboulderandthesubmergedrocktotheleft.
APPLYWATERWithanearlydrymediumbrush, applywater to the sunlit areaof the largerock.
UNDERPAINTTHEROCKSWITHBLUELayer the rockswith SkyBlue and Light Blue (AlbrechtDürer). Layer thesubmergedrockswithLightBlue(AlbrechtDürer).
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5APPLYWATERWithanearlydrymediumbrush,applywatertotheblueareasoftherocks.
LAYERTHESUBMERGEDROCKSANDTHEFALLINGWATERUsinglinearstrokes,layerthepartiallysubmergedrockswithSkyBlueLight,PowderBlue,LightUmber,FrenchGrey50%,30%,20%andSand (center
leftareaonly).
Usinglinearstrokes,layerthefallingwaterwithCoolGrey50%,30%,20%,
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10%,PowderBlueandSkyBlueLight.Leavelightestvaluesfreeofcolor.Usecircularstrokesatthebottomofthefalls.
BURNISHTHEWATERUsingboldlinearstrokes,burnishthewater’s lightervalueswithWhite.Re-applyLightUmberandFrenchGrey50%tothepartiallysubmergedrocksin
the foreground, then burnish them with White and Sky Blue Light. Usingcircularstrokes,burnishthefoamintheforegroundwithCoolGrey10%,20%,PowderBlue,SkyBlueLightandWhite,allowingsomepapertoothtoshowtosimulate mist. Burnish the remaining water and submerged rocks with acolorlessblenderpencil.
8ROCKON(RIGHT)LayertherockintheupperleftcornerwithDarkBrownandLightUmber.
Allowsomeoftheblueunderpaintingtoshowthrough.
LayertherockintheupperrightcornerwithDarkUmber,FrenchGrey90%andLightUmber.Allowsomeoftheblueunderpaintingtoshowthrough.Layer the rock in the lower left foreground with Dark Umber and Light
Umber. Allow some of the blue underpainting to show through. Layer LightBlue(Polychromos)ifnecessary.
Working now on the large rock: layer the upper left quadrant with FrenchGrey90%,70%,50%andSand.LayertheupperrightquadrantwithCoolGrey50%, French Grey 30% and Light Blue (Polychromos). Lightly burnish thesunlit highlight with White. Layer the lower half with Dark Umber, LightUmber, French Grey 90%, 70%, 50%, Cool Grey 50%, Light Blue(Polychromos), Powder Blue and Sky Blue Light. Using a dull, round point,heavily stipple the moss in the lighter areas with Limepeel, Bronze, MarineGreen andTerraCotta; stipple themoss in the darker areaswithFrenchGrey70%,MarineGreenandBronze.LayerthegroupofrockstotherightofthelargerockwithDarkUmber,Dark
Brown and Light Umber, allowing some of the blue underpainting to showthrough.Checkyourentirepaintingandadjustwherevernecessary.
demonstration:
HOTAIRBALLOONThis demonstration combines burnishing and water-soluble colored pencil intwo distinctly separate operations. The primary reference photo is alsocomposedoftwoseparateimages.DrawingtoolssuchasFrenchcurvesandanellipsetemplatewereusedinthelayoutdrawingandtofinishtheartwork.Useof these tools is optional. By chance, if there are balloon enthusiasts readingthis, thecloudswereadded foraesthetic interest—it isunderstood thathotairballoonsdonotflyinsuchcloudcoverage.
MATERIALSFaber-CastellAlbrechtDürerCoolGreyIII,IV,V,LightPhthaloBlueFaber-CastellPolychromosBurntOchre,DarkCadmiumYellow,LightCobaltTurquoise,LightPhthaloBlue,Terracotta
SanfordPrismacolorAppleGreen,Chartreuse,Chocolate,CopenhagenBlue,Cream,CrimsonLake,CrimsonRed,DahliaPurple,DarkBrown,DarkUmber,Goldenrod,Grape,GrassGreen,IndigoBlue,Jasmine,KelpGreen,Mulberry,OliveGreen,PaleSage,PaleVermilion,Peach,PoppyRed,PumpkinOrange,Sand,ScarletLake,SiennaBrown,SpanishOrange,SpringGreen,TrueBlue,TrueGreen,TuscanRed,WarmGrey10%,20%,30%,White,YellowedOrange,YellowOchre
PrismacolorVerithinAppleGreen,CanaryYellow,DahliaPurple,DarkBrown,DarkUmber,Goldenrod,IndigoBlue,Non-PhotoBlue,OliveGreen,Orange,PumpkinOrange,TuscanRed
Papersurface300-lb.FabrianoSoft-Presswatercolorpaper
ToolsMedium-largeroundandflatwatercolorbrushes(brushsizesdependonsizeofpainting)WatercolorpaletteColorlessblenderpencilElectriceraserBestinerubbercementthinnerCottontippedmakeupapplicators
WorkingReferencePhoto
PrimaryReferencePhoto
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SecondaryReferencePhoto
THELAYOUT
Drawthelayoutlineswithawater-solublecoloredpencil.
PAINTTHECLOUDSBreakoff thepointsofCoolGreyIII, IV,VandLightPhthaloBluepencilsinto separatewellsonapaletteandadda fewdropsofwater toeachpoint.
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Whenthepointsbecomeviscous,mixtheLightPhthaloBlueliquidwitheachoftheGreyhues.
Using a flatwatercolor brush,wet the paperwith a clearwaterwash in thecloudareaonly.Allowthewatertoabsorbintothepapersomewhat,thenlightlydabtheGreyhuesontothewetarea.
SHAPETHECLOUDSIncrease the value range and shape the clouds by lightening areas with anelectriceraser.
UNDERPAINTTHEDARKYELLOWSFIRSTLayer Cool Grey 30% to the darkest yellow sections on the left and rightundersides of the balloon. Apply Bestine with cotton tipped makeup
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applicators.
UNDERPAINTTHEVERTICALBROWNRIBSLayertheilluminatedareasoftheverticalbrownribswithYellowOchreandSpanishOrange.
APPLYSOLVENTApplyBestinewithcottontippedmakeupapplicators.
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PAINTTHEV-SHAPEDYELLOWSTRIPESThefollowingclose-updetailsdepictthetypicalburnishingprocessyou'llbeusingforallthedifferentcoloredV-shapedstripesthatgohorizontallyaround
theballoon.Onthesetwopages,we'llworkontheyellowstripes.
BEGINLAYERINGTHEYELLOWSTRIPESApplythefirstlayerofcolortotheyellowV-shapedstripesusingGoldenrod.
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NEXTLAYERApply the next layer of color to the yellowV-shaped stripes using SpanishOrange.
ANOTHERLAYERApplythenextlayerofcolorwithDarkCadmiumYellow.
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11NOWBURNISHBurnishtheyellowV-shapedstripeswithCream.
COMPLETETHEYELLOWSTRIPESUsing more pressure, re-layer Goldenrod, Spanish Orange and DarkCadmiumYellow.Burnishwith a colorlessblenderpencil until thepaper
surface is completely covered. Clean up edgeswithGoldenrod (Verithin) andCanaryYellow(Verithin).
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LAYERTHEGREENSTRIPESLayerGrassGreen(darkestvaluesonly),AppleGreen,TrueGreen,SpringGreenandChartreuse.
BURNISHTHEGREENSTRIPESBurnishthegreenstripeswithPaleSage.
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COMPLETETHEGREENSTRIPESUsing more pressure, re-layer Grass Green (darkest values only), AppleGreen,TrueGreen,SpringGreenandChartreuse.Burnishwithacolorless
blenderpenciluntilthepapersurfaceiscompletelycovered.CleanuptheedgeswithAppleGreen(Verithin).
PAINTTHEBLUESTRIPESLayer Copenhagen Blue (darkest value only), True Blue, Light PhthaloBlueandLightCobaltTurquoise.LightlyburnishwithCream.Usingmore
pressure, re-layer True Blue, Light Phthalo Blue, Light Cobalt Turquoise andCream. Burnish with a colorless blender pencil until the paper surface iscompletelycovered.CleanupedgeswithNon-PhotoBlue(Verithin).
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PAINTTHEPURPLESTRIPESLayer Grape (darkest value only), Dahlia Purple and Mulberry. LightlyburnishwithWhite. Usingmore pressure, re-layer Grape, Dahlia Purple,
Mulberry and White. Burnish with a colorless blender pencil until the papersurfaceiscompletelycovered.CleanupedgeswithDahliaPurple(Verithin).
PAINTTHEORANGESTRIPESLayertheorangestripesinshadowontheleftandrightsidesoftheballoonwith Sienna Brown, Pumpkin Orange, Poppy Red, Pale Vermilion and
Orange. Lightly burnish with Warm Grey 20%. Re-apply Pumpkin Orange,PoppyRed,PaleVermilionandOrange.Burnishwithacolorlessblender.CleanupedgeswithPumpkinOrange(Verithin).
LayertheorangestripesalongthefrontoftheballoonwithPumpkinOrange,PoppyRed,PaleVermilionandOrange.LightlyburnishwithCream.Re-applyPumpkin Orange, Poppy Red, Pale Vermilion and Orange. Burnish with a
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colorless blender. Clean up edgeswith PumpkinOrange (Verithin) orOrange(Verithin).
PAINTTHEREDSTRIPESLayer the red stripes in shadowon the left and right sides of the balloonwithTuscanRed,CrimsonLakeandCrimsonRed.Lightlyburnishthedark
values with Warm Grey 20% and the lighter values with Warm Grey 10%.ApplyTuscanRed,CrimsonLakeCrimsonRedandScarletLake.Burnishwithacolorlessblender.CleanupedgeswithTuscanRed(Verithin).
LayertheredstripesalongthefrontoftheballoonwithTuscanRed(darkestvaluesonly),CrimsonLake,CrimsonRed,ScarletLakeandPoppyRed.LightlyburnishwithCream.Re-applyCrimsonLake,CrimsonRed, Scarlet Lake andPoppyRed.Burnishwithacolorlessblender.CleanupedgeswithCrimsonRed(Verithin).
20PAINTTHEVERTICALBROWNRIBSANDBASELayerthebaseoftheballoonandtheverticalbrownribsinshadowontheleftandrightsidesoftheballoonwithDarkUmber,ChocolateandSienna
Brown. Lightly burnish with Cream. Re-apply Dark Umber, Chocolate andSienna Brown. Burnish with a colorless blender. Clean up edges with DarkUmber(Verithin).
DrawseamswithDarkUmber(Verithin),leavingagapfreeofcolordirectlybelowit.LayerthebaseandthebrownribsinthefrontoftheballoonwithDarkUmber
(darkestvaluesonly),Chocolate,SiennaBrownandYellowOchre.Leaveseamsfree of color. Burnish with Cream. Re-apply Dark Umber, Chocolate, SiennaBrownandYellowOchre.Burnishwithacolorlessblender,draggingcolorintothe seams. Clean up edges with Dark Umber (Verithin) or Dark Brown(Verithin).
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PAINTTHEPILOTANDGONDOLALayer thepilot’s jacketwithSandandJasmine, thenburnishwithCream.Layerthepilot'sneckandearswithPeachandburnishwithSand.Layerthe
pilot’shairwithDarkBrownandDarkUmberVerithins.
Layer the front and sides of the gondola with Yellowed Orange. ApplyBestine with a small round brush. Using vertical, linear strokes, layer BurntOchre (Prismacolor) to the right and left sides of the gondola, and Terracotta(Polychromos)tothefront.LayerDarkUmber,DarkBrownandSiennaBrowntotheundersideofgondola,thenburnishwithCream.Usingmorepressure,re-apply Dark Umber, Dark Brown and Sienna Brown, then burnish with acolorlessblender.CleanupedgeswithDarkUmber (Verithin)orDarkBrown(Verithin).BurnishtherollbarwithBurntOchre(Polychromos).
FINISHWITHTHEINSIDEOFTHEBALLOONANDTHEFLAME(RIGHT)LayertheyellowstripeontheinsideoftheballoonwithWarmGrey30%,
Goldenrod and Yellow Ochre. Burnish with Spanish Orange and a colorlessblender.CleanupedgeswithGoldenrod(Verithin).PainttheorangestripewithWarm Grey 30% and Pumpkin Orange. Burnish with Pale Vermilion and acolorless blender. Clean up edges with Pumpkin Orange (Verithin). Paint thegreenstripewithKelpGreenandOliveGreen.BurnishwithAppleGreen,OliveGreenandacolorlessblender.CleanupedgeswithOliveGreen(Verithin).PaintthebluestripewithIndigoBlueandCopenhagenBlue, leavinganareafreeofcolor for the flame.BurnishwithTrueBlue anda colorlessblender.CleanupedgeswithIndigoBlue(Verithin).
Paint theflame in thebluestripeareawithYellowedOrangeandTerracotta
(Polychromos). Burnish with White, then burnish with Yellowed Orange.Heavily apply Yellowed Orange andWhite over the green and yellow stripeareas.Adjustasneededwherevernecessary.