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Getting to grips with coloured pencils
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Posted
For the most part, I suspect that artists of my age haven't taken coloured pencils as seriously as we might have done - partly because when we were starting out, over 50 years ago, most of them weren't that good. I regret that Diana Hudson, who posted here as Norder, no longer visits this site - because she was and is a whizz with coloured pencil; Sylvia will remember her well. She made a lovely job of a photograph of the garden here which I posted on Facebook. They're an artist's material very much in their own right, now, though - with a Coloured Pencil Society to promote them.
We don't live long enough! My ambition is to live as long as a Galapagos Islands giant tortoise - then, I could explore pastel, which I never really have, gouache, acrylic gouache, interactive acrylics, ceracolour (a new wax-based paint I'd like to try, but who has the time?), casein, and to explore coloured pencil thoroughly, instead of just as a sketching medium.
Posted
The bag makes sense, Linda. I'd looked up the storage methods because I seemed to be acquiring pencils at an alarming rate. I have 3 sets of coloured pencils (24 in a set), plus sets of pens, and normal pencils. I live in a small bungalow, and am trying to contain the swell of art materials. I use an art desk. As far as I can, I want everything contained in that. This is what it looks like now...
The mugs are managing, the Faber pencils come in sturdy tins, that get packed away in the art desk drawers...along with watercolour and gouache materials. I must call a halt to buying pencils in sets...I see that Jacksons sell individual pencils at a price that tallies pretty well with the cost per pencil when bought in a set. So I'll just replace the ones I've used.
Like all of us, I guess, I have the ability to expand my art stuff and activity to whatever space I have...were I to take over the largest room in the house, I'm sure I'd manage to fill it. But I don't have that option or a studio, I have an art desk and have to make that enough.
You're right about coloured pencils, Robert. They have to challenge the notion that they aren't a serious media...after all many people use them to colour-in 'colouring books'. This activity is more popular than ever. But they are a serious medium, and wonderful work is being done with them.
It seems part of the human condition to want to give 'things' a hierarchy...along the lines of 'oils are the king, acrylic aren't as good, nor are watercolours, and now coloured pencils are struggling in the lower reaches.' Black & White photography is better and more seriously arty than colour, Digital movies aren't as good as movies made on filmstock...etc, etc.
In 50 years, when people are able to produce images just by thinking about them, somebody will say 'thought-pictures' were much better in my day because...
I appear to have gone off course.
Back to enjoying using coloured pencils.
The mugs are managing, the Faber pencils come in sturdy tins, that get packed away in the art desk drawers...along with watercolour and gouache materials. I must call a halt to buying pencils in sets...I see that Jacksons sell individual pencils at a price that tallies pretty well with the cost per pencil when bought in a set. So I'll just replace the ones I've used.
Like all of us, I guess, I have the ability to expand my art stuff and activity to whatever space I have...were I to take over the largest room in the house, I'm sure I'd manage to fill it. But I don't have that option or a studio, I have an art desk and have to make that enough.
You're right about coloured pencils, Robert. They have to challenge the notion that they aren't a serious media...after all many people use them to colour-in 'colouring books'. This activity is more popular than ever. But they are a serious medium, and wonderful work is being done with them.
It seems part of the human condition to want to give 'things' a hierarchy...along the lines of 'oils are the king, acrylic aren't as good, nor are watercolours, and now coloured pencils are struggling in the lower reaches.' Black & White photography is better and more seriously arty than colour, Digital movies aren't as good as movies made on filmstock...etc, etc.
In 50 years, when people are able to produce images just by thinking about them, somebody will say 'thought-pictures' were much better in my day because...
I appear to have gone off course.
Back to enjoying using coloured pencils.
Posted
You are so neat and tidy, Lewis! I see you have also bought the camera sharpener. I have got something stuck in mine and it is not producing perfect points. I have been stabbing it with dental tools, but I will have to employ a bit more muscle.
The other reason I was keen on the layered bag, was because I like to keep them in the same order as on my colour chart. With the Inktense pencils in particular, you cannot tell what colour you will get by looking at the tip. In my internet search, I found “pencilayer” organisers which were quite appealing as they have a small footprint and were also tiered. There seem to be more options if you search for pen organisers and desk tidies. I didn’t mention that I also have 3 plastic canisters, hard pencils, soft pencils and pens on a side table by the sofa as well, not to mention the canister of pens that live on the dining table and a fruit bowl of pens as well.
You are absolutely right about the status of CP’s, Robert and Lewis. It is an exacting medium, particularly the oil pencils, which are reluctant to being erased. Learning this new skill has certainly been keeping me busy, in these lockdown times, but I don’t think I am OCD enough to make it a full time occupation.
I will certainly look up the Norder lady, Robert as well as the Coloured pencil society, as I need more inspiration about what to do with them. I’m particularly interested in how to use oil pencils instead of masking fluid in watercolours.
Posted
Progress has been made today. Darkened the background with watercolour including the light colour leaf, which was a distraction and looked like a banana. Darkened the legs to make them fit in better with the background and added some dirt. Scribbled in some texture on the earth. Not sure about it, but will give it a day to see if I am happy with it, not that I will ever be ecstatic on the subject. Is he ready to go on show?
Posted
I know the feeling, Linda...I guess we all do from time to time. It's worth persevering with, the butterfly is excellent. I'd endorse what the others have said, a darker background should help, and set off the butterfly nicely. I'm assuming you're not using water-soluble coloured pencils? If so, after the application of water they are almost watercolour, and you could fill in with more watercolour. If they are largely oil-based, obviously this wouldn't work.
Wearing my 'lazy-man' hat, you could crop the picture tighter around the butterfly, thereby reducing the amount of background to work on. Probably not an option for you.
I found I didn't like blocking in large background areas with cps early on...too lazy and impatient. These days I don't think in terms of doing a 'coloured pencil' drawing, I may use a lot of them on a picture, but I start by blocking in with watercolour. The pencils work great on top of it. It's mixed media for me.
Posted
Thank you Lewis for your words of encouragement. I should have painted the background first in watercolour or gouache and finished off with cps. But I am too impatient.
I have applied another layer of green, but it looks the same in the photo. Perhaps it is telling me to stop.
The ref photo was from a Facebook group set up by Mike Jones. It is called Photos for Art and he is loading his nature photos into it. They are all royalty free for artists to use.
But here is the latest edition of by picture.