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You’ll find a lot of artists trying to copy techniques or be the same as other artists but that’s not what should happen. Spending a lot of time on one single piece of art can be tiring at times so initially it’s better to be more spontaneous, it also isn’t a race.Įven though I stated artists are quicker than me, it doesn’t mean you have to be the same speed to feel equally as good or important. This isn’t something you should worry about initially however as coloured pencils should be fun and also rewarding. I know a lot of artists who can knock a drawing out in a day but I can take weeks to do a drawing. Only you will be able to know what you like and what you don’t but you will instinctively know what’s the best the more you try it.Ĭoloured pencils are a supremely slow medium, at least in my experience.
Simple colored pencil drawing ideas trial#
It is a choice you will have to make through trial and error. This is the same for artists in any medium, as an example I love to use smooth paper whereas other coloured pencil artists use pastelmat or rougher more toothy paper. I always say however that pencils are a personal choice and the pencils I use and like may or may not be to your liking or you may absolutely love them. There are some absolutely awful coloured pencils out there that will make you not want to pick them up ever again, but once you start to get a feel of how they work and how you can use them you can move on to the artist grade pencils. You wouldn’t pass your driving test and instantly buy a Ferrari, and if you could afford to you’d still probably crash it.ĭerwent pencils have a great range of student pencils aimed at those who are serious enough to want to draw at a higher than average level without sacrificing the quality of materials used to create them. While more expensive artist grade pencils are much better than standard coloured pencils, it will not instantly gift you an ability to use them. I would ask many artists what pencils they used in the hopes that if I could buy them I would instantly become better, sadly it doesn’t work that way. I suffered from this concept when I was starting out. Expensive coloured pencils will not make you a better artist All the best things in the world take time, coloured pencils are no exception.Ģ. Initially it’s wise to not think about this route when you start out, focusing your attention on improving and honing your skills is paramount but it is always nice to have future goals and each individual will have separate aims in this sector which are unique to you.Ĭoloured pencils aren’t everyone’s idea of fun or a medium everyone has to choose and continue with, it’s a choice that you could initially dislike or a choice that could eventually change your life if you stick with it and become good enough through hard work and persistence. Make no illusions, coloured pencils are an extremely tough medium to use in a way where it satisfies you as the artist but also satisfies a potential future audience if you are wanting to become an artist that sells your work and go down the fine art path. When I started out in coloured pencils I was terrified of using them, mainly because I previously tried to use them and always appeared to make continuous errors or just didn’t enjoy the process of using them. Understanding coloured pencils and what your intentions are using them By trying things out on spare paper (a failed drawing on good paper is ideal for this), you'll have the confidence to use these more interesting techniques in your final work.1. Experiment with using the light or dark tones first. See how it looks when you use just a couple of layers, compared to multiple layers. Experiment with lineweight (how hard you press the pencil), spacing, sharpness and color. Again, these examples are zoomed in so that you can see the lines and effects clearly.Īs always, practice makes perfect with crosshatching. You can also create interesting textured effects by adding the second layer at just a slight angle, or by layering sections in at random angles. You can use crosshatching to create a darker area within a layer of hatching, or to create a visual blending effect of two different colors.
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This is a very useful technique in colored pencil drawing.
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Crosshatching is basically two layers of hatching drawn at right-angles.
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