Today, I’d like to share how I organize my colored pencils while I’m working on a project.
This question arrived as a reader comment, and I gave a short answer at the time. But I quickly realized it deserved a better, more in-depth response. After all, as the reader said, “After time, people end up with a working practice that suits them personally, but if you see how others work it can be a help.”
Here’s the question to get us started.
I enjoy your blog and learn a great deal. Thank you. How do you organize your pencils as you are working. Do you keep them in their tins or in a rack of some sort.
How I Organize My Colored Pencils
First of all, I need to tell you that I’m using the word “organize” rather loosely. I don’t have special tools or equipment to do much organization, as you’ll soon see. Rather, both methods are rather loose forms of organization.
As I write these words, my primary work space is a comfortable chair in the living room. There is a smaller chair on either side of my chair, and a small, cluttered desk behind the chair. So my working area is rather small and limited.
When I’m Not Drawing
Most of my pencils are stored in the tins when I’m not using them. I have a full set of Faber-Castell Polychromos, as well as quite a few replacements. The main pencils are in the tins. The replacements are either in plastic sleeves or coffee cups. Because of the cats, the cups are stored in a drawer.
The Caran d’Ache Pablo pencils are also in their tin.
I also have smaller collections of other odd-and-end pencils. They’re all in a fishing tackle box, and I keep that with the tins above.
None of these storage methods are where I work. Whenever I want to draw, I move whatever containers are required to the chair on the right of the chair I sit in.
When I Work on One Piece at a Time
I’m generally using only one brand at a time, so I have that tin handy. It’s not often open because of my ever vigilant studio assistants, who love chasing pencils. I take out the colors as I need them the first time I work on a project. While I’m working, I either hold them all in my left hand or lay them on the desk.
At the end of the day, I tuck the used pencils into a little space on the desk so only the ends are visible. So far, the cats haven’t found them!
When I use more than one brand, the “organization” is pretty much the same. The pencils I’ve used are all tucked into that little cubbyhole together. I know it sounds messy, but sorting through a dozen pencils is better than sorting through tins!
Besides, I don’t usually use more than 12 to 20 pencils at a time, so this method works fairly well.
When I Work on Multiple Pieces at a Time
Obviously the organizational method described above doesn’t work when I’m doing more than one piece at a time unless the pieces use the same colors. I don’t have that many “little spaces” on the desk!
So what I do is keep the pencils for the extra drawings in small jars and I store the jars on my standing easel. If I have more than one extra drawing in progress, then I use masking tape and a Sharpie to label each jar with the working title of the artwork.
When I want to work on one of those “extra” drawings, I move the jar of pencils for that piece to my work area. When I finish, I move it back to the easel.
While I’m working, I either have a handful of pencils or the extra pencils are on the desk if I’ve been using them. If there aren’t many colors in the jar for that drawing, I may have them all in my left hand.
That’s How I Organize My Colored Pencils While Working
That’s probably not a very good answer, but it should give you some kind of idea of the process. I have to put all my pencils away when I finish because the cats think they’re excellent toys. That’s why I store in tins. The rest of the process has pretty much developed over the course of time.
Granted, it’s pretty simple. But the combination of cats, the need for back support, and convenience make this setup the best one so far.
One additional tip. I don’t know if you’re aware of it or not, but Pablo pencils are not round. They are hex-shaped, with six flat sides. That makes them ideal for leaving on a desk top or flat surface. If for no other reason, that makes them a good fit for me. It just so happens that I like using them, too.
I hope that’s been helpful. If nothing else, it proves that you don’t need expensive tools or equipment, or a lot of space in order to use colored pencils effectively.
And isn’t that one reason we all like them so much?
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When I’m working on a project I store my using pencils in a cloth pencil holder. I have them in colour order and usually remember which pencil is which before I’m very far into my project. At the end of the day I roll them up and place them on the shelf.
Nanette,
That sounds like a good idea.
I have one of those cloth pencil holders and they can be handy. But unless I’m working with just a few colors, I usually have too many pencils out to make that practical without ending up with a big roll of pencils!
Thank you for reading this post and taking the time to leave a comment!
Hey, Carrie! Your description of your drawing set up was reassuring for me. I recently had to move and lost my “studio” which was really my bedroom, but I had a nice drawing board in front of a double window. I’ve had a difficult time adjusting partly because I no longer have that “ideal” situation. Hearing you are content with moving pencils back and forth and using several chairs for back comfort makes me realize it’s a matter of perception more than anything. I am working it out and it doesn’t need to be perfect. I’ve figured out how to work from a recliner and use a family heirloom secretary for a drawing board along with TV trays and rolling carts. I thought about getting a cat but decided I don’t have the patience. Thanks for all you do to encourage and educate.
Deborah,
I’ve tried a lot of ways to draw, including the h-frame easel I used to paint on. None of them were perfect all the time, and some of them didn’t work at all. Not all the problems were with my feet or back.
But for right now, the recliner is the best option and I don’t mind moving pencil tins from one location to another. In fact, I’ve been doing a lot of limited palette ACEOs lately, and have found I don’t even need to move the entire tins. I pick one or two colors out of my box and leave them out until I’m ready for another color combination on a new ACEO.
You are also absolutely right that finding a good workspace solution has just as much to do with perception as anything else. I was much more successful in finding a comfortable way to organize my pencils (and myself) when I stopped thinking I needed dedicated space and official “art furniture” (easel, etc.)
But I also have to confess that necessity was a big help to me. When I had to find some other way to work, then I found it. Wa-la! I’ve been working while sitting in a recliner ever since. So in the long run, my computer crash and having to share time on my husband’s computer was actually a blessing!
Thank you for reading and for sharing your thoughts. I’m glad to have been of encouragement to you!
Thanks for sharing this, Carrie! I also work on several different places including my easy chair and a little table in the dining room.
I have one pencil of rach of my colors (mixed brands; I don’t have sets since I buy only lightfast pencils from open stock) in roll-up cloth holders I made, arranged by color. I also have a fan of swatches (designed by Barbara Benedetti Newton), arranged in the same groupings as the rolls. When I’m planning colors for a piece, I pull colors from the rolls, but leave them there so I always have a full set, and use pencils from my stock, which is stored in narrow trays in a big plastic drawer. If the pencil in the roll is the o ly one, I buy more of that color.
It sounds like you’ve given a lot of thought to your system of organizing your pencils. That’s something many artists should probably do, myself included. I confess that I’ve tried a number of things over the years and other than keeping pencils either in the original tins or in fishing tackle boxes sorted by color, no system has lasted for the long-term.
So thank you for taking the time to explain your system so thoroughly. I’m sure that others will benefit from your comments! I certainly found them interesting.
I like to keep my pencils of choice in their original containers, specifically, the Prismacolor Premier pencils. The fluted plastic trays keep them in place and in order and then the trays can be housed in a wooden storage cabinet until needed. When I take on a drawing, I’ll choose the colours I think that I’ll need and put them in small, shallow wooden trays that I can use to keep my colours separate according to which part of my drawing that I may be working on at any given time.
So far, this system seems to be working out quite well with the exception being that although I start out with about a dozen or so colours, by the time I get a few hours into a drawing, the next thing I know is that I’m reaching for another tray or two as it’s common for me to end up with about 30 or more colours on the go by the time I get right into it…lol! I don’t think that I’m alone in that department as I have heard of others ending up doing the same thing.
For some of the other brands that may not have come with proper storage containers, I’ll store those ones in smaller wooden storage cabinets such as Meeden or Viswin brand products that are shallow, compact units that will house a good amount of loose pencils and other items such as erasers and small hand sharpeners as well as paint brushes. The Viswin brand has removable slats allowing you to adjust and separate your collection of pencils.
It sounds like you have a pretty good system worked out, Kim.
Thank you for taking the time to share it with us.
I’m always curious about this so thanks for your answer!
I built my own “set” of pencils over time (see Karen Hull’s work) to get the colours I’d use the most from a range of brands. When you’re a broke noob it makes sense especially if unsure on the pencils. They’re stored in a set of pencil cases (Speedball global leather pencil case- 120 pencil storage- I own 4), inside an Ikea cube, inside a Kallax bookshelf.
In use they’re put in a giant mug (Starbucks) which is easy to move around with the handle. That fit my copics which is why I started doing it. Worked so well that when McDonald’s freebie glass tumblers were offered I grabbed a stack and use them too. The pencils upright are fanned nicely for rapid selection. It’s also meant stuff stays put on my desk.
Art gear can swan dive off my desk whether my fault or feline quality controllers doing night time security sweeps… My first Caran d’Ache investment, a full blender bright barely a month used, vanishing one night taught me that.
I do have a few tins acquired in past 3 years when I was finally able to invest in complete sets of pencils. I am slowly swatching to see what I think and especially for my own lightfast testing. Finding affordable wooden pencil tray style storage was a long term goal. Last Christmas I got myself one each of Derwent’s “limited edition wooden pencil boxes” when a local art mob very heavily discounted them. I’ve drooled over the contents (many many) but unused as yet.
Max,
Thank you for reading this post. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you also for your description of how you store and organize your pencils. Your system is like the systems of a lot of artists: Home-made!
Mugs are good for keeping pencils on your desk, though I’ve had cats fish pencils out of the mug and swat them into oblivion. One suggestion: put tissue or paper towel or even a piece of cloth in the bottom of the mug and store the pencils tip down. That way, you won’t be piercing your hand with pencil points while reaching for a pencil (or am I the only one that happens to?).
Your missing blender will probably turn up sooner or later, and most likely in a very odd location. I’ve found pencils long after I thought they were gone forever.
Thank you again for your comments and the detailed description.
Best wishes!