Today, I’d like to talk about three colored pencil problems.
But rather than just identify these problems, I want to share some solutions, too. After all, a diagnosis is no good if you don’t also get a remedy, right?
Three Colored Pencil Problems
First, let me identify the common colored pencil problems I want to discuss.
- Using the wrong tools
- Using the wrong methods
- Trying to make colored pencils do something they’re not designed to do
Problem #1: Using the Wrong Tools
There are a lot of tools and accessories for colored pencil artists. I’m not talking about any of them. For this discussion, I’m talking about the pencils themselves. They are, after all, our most important tool.
How can you be using the wrong pencils?
Colored pencils come in three basic grades: Scholastic, student, and artist (or professional). There’s nothing wrong with these grades. They all have their uses and are designed for those uses.
Scholastic colored pencils are made for schools. They have enough color in them for school students to color maps and any other assignments.
Student grade colored pencils are for artists who want something better than scholastic pencils, but either don’t have the budget for high-quality pencils, or simply don’t want to spend the money. They’re a great pencil for artists who want to learn the craft without breaking the budget.
Artist grade pencils are top-of-line, and are usually for artists who are doing commission work or making art for competitions or exhibits. If money is not a concern, then they’re also great for learning how best to use colored pencils.
How do you know if you’re using the right tools?
If you’re hoping to sell or exhibit your artwork, you should be using the best pencils possible. For example, if you’re using scholastic pencils, you’re using the wrong tool unless that’s all you can afford.
If, on the other hand, you’re still learning the craft, then it makes sense to use student grade colored pencils. They’re high enough quality to give you a true feel for the medium, but they’re also less expensive than artist grade pencils.
If you’re a hobby artist coloring for fun, then you can use any grade and do well.
Problem #2: Using the Wrong Methods
This problem is a bit more difficult to identify. There are so many methods that there isn’t time to talk about all of them here and now. So let me explain by using myself as an example.
I’ve used a number of different methods over the years. I’ve been able to make good art with all of them, but some of them were easier to use than others. Some were a real struggle, while others didn’t help me accomplish what I wanted to accomplish.
For example, when I started out, I used a direct method of drawing. With that method, I started a drawing by using the local colors of the subject. Green for grass, brown for horses, blue for the sky and so on. I created values by mixing in other colors or using darker values of the local colors, but the focus was on local colors.
I still do that sometimes, but more often, I start with an umber underdrawing.
They both work. They both work pretty well, so why the change?
The reason is that the umber underdrawing method works better for me. I like working out shapes and values with a single shade of brown without also having to make color selections. When the underdrawing is finished, then I glaze color over it. The results are much more satisfactory and the drawings look more natural in color to me. That’s especially important with landscapes.
How do you find your “best method”?
There are so many methods of drawing that you don’t need to be stuck with the method you learned first. If the method you learned first is working for you and you enjoy it, then you have no reason to change it.
But if you struggle with the method you’re using, then you might be using the wrong method. Try something else!
The best thing to do is search the internet for artists who produce videos, and who produce the kind of art you most want to create. I’m talking about style here, not subject.
Watch those videos and try those methods. Do they work for you? Learn them and see if they’re also enjoyable.
If they don’t work at all, keep looking.
If the methods sort of work for you, then make adjustments. Adapt them until they do work.
Problem #3: Trying to Make Colored Pencils Do Something They’re Not Designed to Do
Now we get down to the nitty-gritty. How is it possible to make colored pencils do something they’re not designed to do? I can think of one way we artists routinely try to make them something they’re not (and yes, I’m as guilty as anyone else.)
We try to make them fast.
Colored pencils are not fast. Let’s be honest: they can be downright tedious at times. Yes, there are times when the process of making one stroke after another can be soothing and relaxing. But I’ve also had times when I just want to be done with something, and putting one stroke after another is so slow!
There are ways to speed things up. Solvent blending is one method. Using water-soluble colored pencils or other mediums like watercolor, inks, or markers are also ways to go faster. But those methods don’t speed up the colored pencil part of the process; they just speed up the overall process.
If you’re looking for a fast medium, don’t consider colored pencils. They simply are not fast. If you’re using colored pencils and trying to make them fast, then you’re using them in a way they were not designed to be used.
Am I against using solvents and mixing media? No (unless you’re allergic to solvents, of course.)
What I am saying is that colored pencils are naturally slow. Trying to make them fast is defeating their purpose and probably frustrating you, into the bargain. It’s not worth the frustration!
Those are a Few Common Colored Pencil Problems
One final thought. Although I’ve identified these as problems, they aren’t really problems all the time.
They are, in fact, part of the learning curve with colored pencils. Most artists start learning colored pencils using what they have and learning how someone else works. But they learn from experience or other artists, and they progress to better tools, better methods, and they learn the limitations of colored pencils.
But artists are always trying colored pencils and new readers are always coming to this blog, so I thought it was a good time to talk about these things.
If you’re a new artist and have already experienced some “problems”, then I hope I’ve helped you.
Want to read more posts like this? Sign up for Carrie’s free weekly newsletter and be among the first to know when she publishes new articles.
