How To Draw Bubbles With Colored Pencils On White Paper

Are you lot blending and shading with your colored pencils the right way?

Lots of people sleep on colored pencils for art because they apparently find this medium quite challenging, particularly when blending and shading.

But is that really the case?

Not quite!

The truth is that colored pencils are pretty like shooting fish in a barrel to use. With the right techniques for blending and shading, you lot tin can really brand your coloring pages come to life with this bang-up medium!

We've got some useful tips and tricks on how to utilize colored pencils the right way, so if you demand to up your game, read on!

What Makes Colored Pencils Different From A Normal Pencil?

Here's the fob to mastering whatsoever fine art technique: know what you're working with offset.

This applies to every coloring medium out in that location, whether it's gel pens, markers, watercolor brush pens or in this case, colored pencils.

Colored pencils are non your run-of-the-mill school supplies. This cartoon medium doesn't use the usual graphite found in ordinary writing pencils. Instead, colored pencils have an oil- or wax-based core and use a combination of pigments and binders to produce color. The proportion and combination of these materials ultimately decide the quality of the pencil.

As a dominion, you should always get for colored pencils with buttery-soft wax cores. These pencils tin can be found in many art supply stores and come up in a wide multifariousness of colors. Wax-based colored pencils lay pigments really well on newspaper and are relatively easier to piece of work with compared to their oil-based cousins. They're quite affordable, too.

On the flipside, stay away from pencils that accept more than binders than pigments every bit they tend to be "hard" and take patchy strokes.

Basic Tips When Using Colored Pencils

You don't need a lot of preparation when using colored pencils for art. All you need to have are your pencils, a handy sharpener, and a few proficient tips like these to maximize the experience:

Sharpening Your Colored Pencils

Dull pencils are a job to piece of work with, and so before you begin coloring, make sure yous that your pencils are prissy and sharp!

Blunt pencil points prevent yous from laying pigments properly on the page--- the colors but don't come out correct. They're as well not adept for doing small details. Sharp pencils, on the other hand, produce ameliorate pigments and bolder colors because they tin can penetrate between the tiny grooves found on the paper's surface.

Some people like to acuminate manually to avoid wasting pigment but electrical sharpeners likewise work great for a more consistent point. Just make sure not to employ dull sharpeners! They could damage the pencil, break the cadre and even bit away at the wood casing.

Using The Right Paper

Similar all other art mediums, yous can truly bring out the best qualities of colored pencils when you use high-quality paper. Skip your ordinary copy paper--- they're not platonic for this type of medium because their fibers tend to get flattened by the coloring movement. Instead, go for paper that'south prissy, thick and able to accept pigments well.

Colored pencils besides employ materials and substances similar paper towels, alcohol and solvents for blending, so don't settle for less and brand sure that the paper is thick enough to handle some stress and moisture.

Useful Tips and Techniques For Blending and Shading With Colored Pencils

Now that yous've got the basics covered, it's time to have some fun! Here are some useful blending and shading tips:

Reducing Finger Fatigue and Creating Textures

Holding a pencil may seem similar a no-brainer to almost folks, only did you know that it can significantly touch your artwork and even your health?

Colored pencils are quite thin, and then people tend to put unnecessary force per unit area on their wrists and fingers to gain more control and dexterity. This leads to hurting and discomfort.

Thankfully there's a quick play a trick on to lessen finger fatigue. In the video higher up, our resident artist Debbie demonstrates how to concord your colored pencils properly.

Gripping the pencils farther from its base allows for wider coverage, lighter strokes, and a more than relaxed concord. This should exist the general position of your mitt when coloring. You want to starting time lightly showtime, and so slowly build the colors.

Gripping the pencil closer to the base is great if you want bolder strokes and more control. However, you should only utilise this method when you lot're working with details and intricate designs

Further along the tutorial, you'll also see some great techniques on how to create textures and depth. This is especially useful when y'all're coloring fluffy characters similar the cute snowfall dogs from our coloring book Dogs, Everyone'southward Best Friend.

Go In Different Directions

Kids are often told to color in 1 direction to keep things pretty but that's non the case when information technology comes to colored pencils.

Coloring in one direction is a faster way to do things, sure, but this method leads to streaky lines and uneven distribution of paint. Your strokes will ultimately appear broken and awkward when they meet in different areas, so mix things up and color in unlike directions instead.

The most common manner to do this is to create circular strokes, especially when you're nonetheless laying down your base color. This technique helps you distribute the color more evenly.

Other techniques, like coloring in the opposite direction of your initial strokes and crosshatching, also allows the pigment to penetrate between the newspaper'southward tiny grooves and dips (also called the tooth of the newspaper) ameliorate.

Force per unit area Shading

Pressure shading is 1 of the easiest means to add depth and dimension to your works. It's then easy that fifty-fifty beginners tin main it in no time!

Pressure shading is when you lot produce different shades by simply changing the corporeality of pressure you utilize on the pencil. Light pressure level volition obviously produce light shades while heavy pressure will requite you darker shades. Practice swatching a lite-to-nighttime gradient and vice versa and then when yous're prepare, apply it to your artwork.

The amount of force per unit area yous put will besides depend on the sharpness of your pencil. If your pencil is sharp, you don't need to put equally much pressure as you would on a dull pencil. Make sure to always continue your pencils on point to relieve your hands from fatigue.

Don't forget your lighting when force per unit area shading! The areas that get hit past the light source are brighter; areas away from the light source should exist darker. Low-cal studies are a bit tricky at first, merely just keep at it. You lot'll run into that your artworks will take on more depth and dimension in one case you've mastered this skill.

Burnishing

Once you lot've picked the right colors and have laid down your strokes, it'south time to make things permanent by burnishing.

Burnishing means applying and blending your color pencils to the page until you've covered all the white spaces with paint. It'southward like using the paper to its max capacity--- when you're burnishing, all of the paper's tiny grooves, nooks and crannies are filled so you're left with a dainty, shine and waxy surface.

Remember: you tin can't add more than pigment one time you've burnished the paper, so it'due south important to cull your color combinations wisely.

Pick out the colors yous'd like to utilize every bit your base, and then cull your highlight and shadow colors. Take your time and build those colors slowly but surely. If you lot add also much pigment too soon, you lot may accidentally terminate up burnishing your page, so exist patient. Work from light to nighttime so that you can correct whatsoever mistakes along the way. Continue coloring until you reach that smooth, burnished effect. From there, you can then use dry and moisture blending methods (discussed after) to finish your artwork.

Using Dissimilar Colors For Blending

The awesome thing near colored pencils is that y'all can mix and friction match various color combinations and still end up with a visually pleasing output. Merely check out the video above--- who knew that a simple apple can accept so many colour layers?

With colored pencils, yous can play around with unconventional color combinations and layers to create a more than hit effect. This is groovy for creating still life and realism, but you lot tin can also employ it to your coloring book pages. Pick out a adept color combination for your midtones, highlights, and shadows and don't be afraid to experiment. You lot'll be surprised by the results!

Blending Using Dry out and Wet Materials

Colored pencils work keen on their own, simply did y'all know that you can as well alloy them but like pastels or watercolors?

To alloy colored pencils, you'd need the help of a few blending materials and substances. Don't worry, you don't have to spend a minor fortune just to get a smooth transition since well-nigh of these materials tin can be institute at dwelling. If yous're ready, here are ii techniques on how to alloy colored pencils:

Dry Blending

For the dry method, you can apply simple paper towels to gently smudge the area and blend the pigments together. Use the shine side of the paper towel for light blends and the rougher side for more heavy-duty blending. You can too use toilet paper and cotton pads to practice the job.

If you want to use a colorless blender, go for it. Colorless blenders are basically pencils without whatever pigment, then you tin use information technology to alloy and burnish wax-based pencils.

The smoothness of the colors depends on the blazon of blender yous're using. Some colorless blenders get out the colors with a more subdued, less opaque outcome, while others don't affect the colors' opacity at all. If yous're a niggling brusque on greenbacks, you lot can e'er use a dollar shop white pencil (they tend to have more binders than bodily pigments) to stand up in as your blender.

Wet Blending

Wet blending uses substances that break down the pigments on the page. Once the pigments are broken downwardly, they can move around and blend with each other smoothly.

Blending substances include household items like infant oil, lighter fluid and rubbing alcohol. You tin can likewise use solvents and mineral spirits.

This is the usual procedure for wet blending:

First, make sure that you lot've got enough pigment on the paper or coloring page. Then, dab a small amount of your blender of choice onto the page using a brush. Lastly, alloy your colors together. A trivial goes a long fashion, then be careful not to utilise besides much or you'll end up dissentious your paper.

Take extra intendance when using flammable materials similar lighter fluid, solvents and mineral spirits. Use them in a well-ventilated area, away from open flame and from curious kids!

Bonus Colored Pencil Tutorials!

Of class, colored pencil techniques don't end with blending and shading. Here are a few bonus tutorials to take your colored pencil skills to the next level:

Experiment With Paper

We've talked about importance of using the right kind of newspaper earlier in this article. Why don't you lot accept it up a notch and use colored paper for your side by side artwork? Colored paper instantly gives your artworks a dramatic and more striking expect--- just like the owls on the video to a higher place.

Coloring Skin And Warm Tones

Whatever medium you're using, coloring skin tones will always exist a challenge. This tutorial will help you choose the right colors to accomplish that perfect skin shade and texture. Retrieve, going slow and steady is the trick to mastering colored pencils, so merely be patient and accept your time.

Avert These Colored Pencil Mistakes

Anybody makes mistakes, especially when using a new medium like colored pencils. Thankfully, you lot don't have to fumble around. This video already points out the about common colored pencil blunders--- all y'all take to practice is do your best to avoid them!

Final Thoughts

Opposite to popular belief, colored pencils are like shooting fish in a barrel to use. With the right shading and blending techniques, you lot tin can create stunning artworks with this versatile coloring medium. But remember that coloring with pencils takes a bit of patience. Don't await to get a perfect await from the get-get. Instead, accept your fourth dimension and relish the ride. With patience and skill, you can create then many wonderful designs with your colored pencils.

Did you lot notice this article helpful? Drop a comment below to and let us know what you lot recall! Don't forget to share this to your coloring buddies, too!

Source: https://www.colorit.com/blogs/news/how-to-blend-and-shade-with-colored-pencils-for-adult-coloring-books

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