Let’s talk about creating light values in colored pencil drawings.
Today’s post is the result of a reader question. The reader asked me how to add a lot of layers to a section of a drawing that’s light-colored. Here’s the question in her own words.
Hi! This may be a stupid question, but how do you add a lot of layers to a section of CP work that is supposed to be very light colored? I end up doing lots of layers in the darker or brighter sections of a piece and very few in a light/pale section. Is that normal or is there a way to add more layers to a pale section?
Before I answer the question, let me assure you that there is no such thing as a stupid question, in my opinion. Do you have a question? No matter how basic it may seem, ask me! I’ll do my best to answer your question from personal experience, or find an answer for you.
Now for the answer to this reader’s question.
Creating Light Values in Colored Pencil
Before I give specific tips, the type of paper and the color of the paper is important. Since the reader didn’t specify a color of paper, I concluded she must be using white paper. When must of us use the term “paper”, we are talking about white paper. When we’re using a colored paper, it’s common to say “black paper” or “tan paper” or whatever.
So my suggestions are based on that conclusion. The process will be different for colored papers. The darker the paper, the greater the difference.
I also thought she must be using a smooth paper, but that was less certain.
So what I’m going to do is describe the process for smooth papers like Stonehenge and Bristol. Then I’ll give a few tips for textured papers like Pastelmat and UArt.
Here goes!
Smooth Papers
Most artists let the white of the paper help create the light values they need. Ann Kullberg, for example, often left her brightest highlights pure white in her portraits. She built the darker values around those highlights. Her book, Colored Pencil Portraits Step-by-Step, explains the process. It’s no longer in print but you may still be able to get a copy here.
I was never able to preserve my whites that well, so I usually layered light colors over the highlights. Sometimes I mixed White into those colors.
You should be able to add as many layers as the paper will take even in the light values. Just use light colors. Those areas will never be as bright or light as the white of the paper, but that can be effective.
Textured Papers
With Pastelmat and other similar papers, you can add brighter, lighter colors over the middle values if necessary. (That’s one of the reasons I like it so much!)
In this sample, for example, I’m layering yellow over other colors on a dark paper. The result is even more effective on white Pastelmat.
In my experience, there are two ways to add these highlights and lighter values.
Soft Pencils for Highlights and to Lighten Colors
The first is to use softer, waxier pencils over dryer, oil-based pencils. For much of my work, I do as much as I can with Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils, then add accents with Prismacolor Premier. For really opaque accents, Derwent Drawing Chinese White is perfect. It’s one of the most opaque whites on the market (all the Derwent Drawing colors are fairly opaque).
NOTE: Derwent Drawing pencils have quite a thick pigment core and they don’t hold a point very well because they’re so soft. So any highlights you add with them will have soft-ish edges. You probably also won’t be able to get pinpoint highlights.
Hard Pencils for Highlights and to Lighten Colors
Ironically, the other option is to use harder pencils. If you have Prismacolor Verithin pencils, try them to lighten colors or add highlights on textured papers.
They glaze very easily on Pastelmat so I like using them for the underdrawing phase.
But that also makes them good for glazing light colors over darker colors to get an overall lighter value. This isn’t quite as effective as using them for underdrawings, but it is a good option. Because they’re so dry and hard, the color skims over whatever you’ve already put on the paper, so you get a thin application. That’s what glazing is all about.
Because the pigment cores are so thin and hard, Verithin pencils are also ideal for adding pinpoint highlights and accents.
One Last Suggestion
If all you want to do is tint an otherwise white highlight on white paper, all you need is a glaze of color. Apply one or maybe two layers of a light color with very light pressure. Add one layer at the lightest pressure possible and see how that looks when compared to the rest of the drawing. If the highlight is the right color, stop.
If you want a little bit more color, then do another layer, also applied with very light pressure.
How many layers you need varies, of course, depending on your subject and the specific highlight. Proceed one layer at a time. Pause and evaluate the results after every layer.
This process works no matter what type of paper you use.
Creating Light Values in Colored Pencil
Regardless of your favorite paper, if you need really bright highlights, leaving the paper untouched is the best choice. Yes, even with Pastelmat. I learned that the hard way and it’s why I’m gradually switching to White Pastelmat for everything.
But it never hurts to try different things. These are some of the things I’ve tried when it comes to creating light values with colored pencils.
Hopefully, they will work for you, too.
Got a question? Ask Carrie!
