How to use colored pencils !

Here are 5 top tips on how to use colored pencils for beginners!

1. Make sure your pencils are sharp!

It is always great to start off with sharp pencils because it will allow you to have more control of where the color will go compared to blunt pencils which will give you thicker strokes of color. 

It is also important to use quality colored pencils which will not break every time you sharpen them. A few brands I would recommend for colored pencils are: Faber Castell, Prismacolor and Winsor & Newton. A more affordable yet professional brand which I found is just as good as the more expensive brands, is Arteza. Click on the following link for a good offer on Arteza coloured pencils: https://arteza.co.uk/dp/72-professional-coloured-pencils-tin-box 

2. Use colored pencils to sketch your outline.

If you do not want your drawing outline to show up after you colour it in, then try rubbing out the initial sketch outline and use colored pencils instead. This will ensure your drawing will have a flawless finish at the end.

This is a drawing I recently did using colored pencils. Notice how only the vase was outlined in black for emphasis and the rest of the drawing was sketched out using colored pencil so that you do not see any black pencil sketch lines. However, the background was done using yellow watercolor paint.

3. Don't lean too hard on your pencil!

This is one of the biggest mistakes that beginners make. If you lean too hard on your pencil, you will get a dark color right away which will be extremely difficult to erase when a mistake is made. There is also a risk of ripping or leaving a crease on the paper, so try holding your pencil lightly and do not apply a lot of pressure.

4. Use layers of color!

When you are wanting to color in an area of your drawing, make sure to add light layers of color in the same direction until you reach the shade you want. Start off with light pressure and slowly build up the intensity of the color as you add more pressure. 

5. Blend in the opposite direction!

Once you have added many layers of colour and you want to blend them all together so that it gives you a smooth finish, add another layer of color but stroke your pencil in the opposite direction as the other layers. 

Kirsty Partridge Art has a tutorial on how to blend coloring pencils which I have found very useful, check it out here: https://youtu.be/5ucIphuuioA  

Hopefully this video helps you out and next time you use colored pencils, keep these tips in mind and I am sure you will start to see an improvement very quickly. Most importantly, when you use colored pencils, you must TAKE YOUR TIME when adding layers of color and blending because if you rush, you will not get the result you are looking for.