Hey Everyone! I’m so sorry for being gone so long. My “real” job is in healthcare so you can imagine how busy I’ve been.

So on with the tutorial. Last post left off at step 29, so here we go with step 30

Step 30:

• The highlights for the final section are done with Deco Pink (1014), Cream (914), and Grey-green Light (289) for the brightest highlight and Deco Pink, Blush Pink (928), and Cream for the others
• Pale Vermillion (921), Neon Orange (1036), and Carmine Red (926) surround the highlights and across the top edge
• Poppy Red (922) fills in between the edge and the long highlight at center front
• Continue downward with Permanent Red (122) below the highlights
• Blend into Crimson Red (924) all the way down to where the bottom begins to curve under
• Apply Scarlet Lake (923) blending into Tuscan Red (937) at the bottom
• Apply Black at the bottom and blend with Tuscan Red (937)

The image now looks like this:

Step 31: Begin the Stem

• We will start by apply stripes of color on the curved part of the stem. Start the stem with a layer of Moss Green (1097) along the underside of the curve followed by a layer of Tuscan Red (937)
• Moving upward, apply Moss Green (1097) and Artichoke (1098)
• Moving upward again, apply Moss Green (1097) and Apple Green (912)
• Above that, apply Artichoke (1098) and Apple Green (912)
• Above that, apply Lime Peel (1005), Spring Green (913), and Chartreuse (989)
• Still moving upward, apply Lime Peel (1005), Spring Green (913), and Canary Yellow (916)
• There is a highlight at the top of the stem which is done with Pale Sage (1089), Yellow Chartreuse (1004), Light Green (920) and Sky-Blue Light (1086)
• To the left of the highlight, finishing the top curve, is Lime Peel (1005), Spring Green (913), Yellow Chartreuse (1004) at the end of the highlight is Lime Peel (1005) and Cool Grey 30% (1061) that will blend the highlight into the darker greens of the stem

Step 32: Lower part of the stem

• Starting at the inner curve, apply Moss Green (1097) and Artichoke (1098)
• Moving to the left, apply Moss Green (1097) and Chartreuse (989)
• Next apply Moss Green (1097), Artichoke (1098) and Apple Green (912)
• Then apply Apple Green (912) and Artichoke (1098)
• Lastly, apply Apple Green (912) and Green Ochre (1091)

• Blend these layers into the greens applied in Step 31

Step 33: Base of Stem

• Start at the far right, under the curve of the stem
• Apply Chartreuse (989) and Black in the darkest area
• Apply Apple Green (912) and Light Umber (941) to the small green area in front of the black
• Start the bottom of the stem with Apple Green (912) covered with Beige Sienna (1080)
• Moving clockwise, apply Apple Green (912), Chartreuse (989) and Artichoke (1098)
• Then apply Lime Peel (1005), Apple Green (912), Chartreuse (989)
• Next apply Moss Green (1097) and Apply Green (912)
• The base of the stem is finished with Artichoke (1098), Moss Green (1097) and Chartreuse (989)
• The leafy part that can be seen on the left is done using a combination of the greens. Use a loose, circular, scribbling motion to fill this area in an uneven manner
• At the center front, there is a leafy part that is slightly turned up showing the shadowed underside. This is done using Chartreuse (989), with Moss Green (1097) and Espresso (1099) blended in at the top edge

Step 34: Cast Shadow

• Finish the image with a cast shadow at the bottom
• Use black at the very base
• Then working outward, blend French Grey 50% (1072), Sandbar Brown (1094) and Silver (949) for the lightest part of the shadow
• Finalize you piece by going back over areas that don’t appear blended well enough. Add black to are3as that need to be darker
• When satisfied, sign your name
• A fixative can be applied to prevent wax bloom and to protect your work from smudging

The final image:

Compared to the reference photo:

My scanned image doesn’t look as vibrant as it does in real life but I think the image is very close to the reference. Typically I would complete the painting with the background but I decided to leave that out for this tutorial.

I hope you all enjoyed this. I would love to see your results. If you have any questions or comments feel free to share them. I look forward to the next tutorial. Thank you for taking this journey with me and until next time, keep your pencils sharp!

Hey Everyone! Today we are continuing with the Red Pepper beginner tutorial. We left off last time with step 25, so…

Step 26:

• We will be working on the section from center-front to the section we just completed
• Start with a layer of Tuscan Red (937) at the bottom then Crimson Lake (925) and Moss Green (1097) for approximately ¾ of the way across.
• Apply Poppy Red (922) to the remaining ¼
• Apply Crimson Red (924) across the entire section up to ¾ of the way to the top
• Working upward and from center-front to the left, apply Crimson Red (924) blending into Crimson Lake (925)
• As you work upward on this section, the Crimson Red area gets wider and the Crimson Lake area gets narrower.
• Apply Permanent Red (122) to the remaining section that meets the color from the top of the pepper.
• Go back over the section and blend with surrounding areas using Crimson Lake (925) and Crimson Red (924)

Step 27: Top Right Quadrant

• Start with the section under the stem curve
• Proceed as we did with the first half by laying down the highlights first
• Begin by applying Nectar (1092), Carmine Red (926), and Seashell Pink (1093) to outline the very edge of the section
• Lay down highlight starting with Deco Pink (1014). Apply Blush Pink (928), Cream (914), and White (938) as needed
• The small area between the highlight and the edge is a combination of Pale Vermillion (921), Poppy Red (922), and Neon Orange (1036)
• The top part of the downward curve begins with Pale Vermillion (921), Poppy Red (922), Carmine Red (926) and Neon Pink (1038)
• Work with Permanent Red (122), Crimson Red (924), and Poppy Red (922) to darken the lower (deeper) part of the section
• Use Tuscan Red (937) to darken the deepest part, then use a lighter application to lay a cast shadow from the stem
• Don’t forget to go back to the highlight and use a white pencil to pull some surrounding color into the highlight
• The next highlight section is split into two areas: the brightest area is Deco
• Pink ((1014), Cream (914), and White (938)
• Then to split the two areas , there is a line of Pale Vermillion (921) and Pink (929)
• The second highlighted area is textured. Start by using Pink (929) to draw some of the lines and semi-circular shapes that make up the pattern
• Go over top the pattern starting with Blush Pink (928) at the top then Deco Pink(1013)
• Then apply Salmon Pink (1001), Neon Pink (1038), and Neon Orange (1036) for the next layer
• Use White (938) to blend the area to blur the pattern lines
• The small area between the highlight and the previous section is done with Permanent Red (122), Poppy Red (922), and Pale Vermillion (921)
• The beginning of the downward curve is Pale Vermillion (921), Poppy Red (922), and Spanish Orange (1003)

Step 28:

• Starting down the right-hand edge, begin with Permanent Red (122) blending into Scarlet Lake (923)
• Scarlet Lake (923) is applied to the bottom where the bottom curve begins. Then apply Pumpkin Orange (1032) over the Scarlet Lake beginning with the mid-curve to the bottom
• The bottom of this section starts with Tuscan Red (937) and Terra Cotta (944) working into Scarlet Lake (923). We can go back and darken this area later
• Continue upward from the bottom of this section with Tuscan Red (937) and Crimson Lake (925)
• Work upward with Crimson Lake (925) starting at the leftward side of this section blending into Crimson Red (924) and Scarlet Lake (923) by the time you reach the rightward side
• Continue upward with Crimson Red (924) blending into Scarlet Lake (923) from left to right
• Then, still working upward, apply Crimson Red (924), Permanent Red (122), and Scarlet Lake (923) blending left to right
• Continue upward with Permanent Red (122) applied to the remainder of the section

Step 29:

• Go back over this section with black to darken the bottom. Blend with Tuscan Red (937)
• Blend into the top section of color using Spanish Orange (1003)

So far the picture should look something like this:

Thanks again for joining and following along. I would love to see your progress and hear you comments.  Everyone stay safe and healthy.

Hey everyone!

I am so sorry this is so late getting posted! I got a new job and have been preoccupied. So here is the next installment. Enjoy, and please let me know if you like it or show me your progress. Any feedback would be appreciated. As always, I want to back-track to the last step posted previously.

Step 12: Between Highlight and Stem

• Start above the bright highlight at center-front (6:00), apply Pale Vermillion (921), Poppy Red (922), and Orange (918)
• As you move up the slop of the hump, use these same colors but replace Orange with Neon Orange (1036) to add brightness.
• The remainder of this section is Pink (928), Pale Vermillion (921), Orange (918) then a second layer of Pink (928).

Step 13: Smile-shaped Highlight Across Center-front

• Apply a light layer of Neon Orange (1036) across the entire highlight moving from left to right
• Apply Beige (997) at the roundish are at the end, followed by Jasmine (1012) or Eggshell (140) to give a light yellowish appearance.
• **Now, if you use the app I mentioned earlier to pick colors, it says to add another layer of Neon Orange, but I found this to be too harsh so I used Salmon Pink (1001) with loose vertical strokes leaving some areas without this color.

Step 14:

• Just under the smile-shaped highlight there is a darker strip that separates the highlights. Apply Pale Vermillion (921) from the left-hand side to center front.
• Next apply a layer of Salmon Pink (1001)
• Then, using small vertical strokes that overlap into the highlight apply a layer of Poppy Red (922).
• Use a second layer of Salmon Pink (1001) to blend, overlapping slightly into the highlight.
• At the center-front, there is less highlight. Apply Poppy Red (922), overlapping slightly into the highlight. Then use Salmon Pink (1001) to blend just the border with the highlight to soften the look of the Poppy Red.
• Moving to the right, there is another lighter area. Apply Pale Vermillion (921), Blush Pink (928), Poppy Red (922), the blend with another layer of Blush Pink (928)

Step 15:

• Just under the strip of color from Step 14 is another highlight. We will be moving left to right.
• Apply Pale Vermillion (921) across to the middle.
• Then apply Pink (929) and Neon Orange (1036) on top of the Pale Vermillion followed by a second layer of Pink to blend.
• Next apply Poppy Red (922) then Pale Vermillion (921) for about ¼ of the remaining area
• Then there is another highlight: Apply Salmon Pink (1001), Neon Pink (1038) and Neon Orange (1036)
• At the end of this area, you will see a J-shaped highlight: Apply Neon Orange (1036), Pink (929), Pale Vermillion (921), and a second layer of Neon Orange to blend.

Step 16:

• At this point it will look very odd but trust me it will get better.
• Now, for the area above the smile-shaped highlight, we will work from left to right but only as far as the center-front.
• Apply Poppy Red (922). Apply multiple layers instead of one heavy layer and slightly overlap the highlights on each side. The overlap needs to be blended to soften; use white to blend the top highlight and Deco Pink to blend the bottom one.

Step 17:

• Starting all the way to the left, beside where we left off in Step 10, apply Poppy Red (922) to the top, rounded area of the pepper.
• Remember to overlap into the highlights and blend with a lighter color.
• The Poppy Red blends into Permanent Red (122) on the downward slop of the top curve. Apply this all the way across to the center front.

The drawing so far:

I know it seems like its going slow, but I don’t want to lose my beginners. If you have any questions at all, please let me know.

Thanks everyone!

Step 7: Going Deeper into the First Quarter (review)

• Below the bright 11:00 highlight, there is a slightly darker horizontal strip separating another highlight. Use Pink (929), Neon Orange (1036), and Neon Pink (1038) then a second layer of Pink (929). **Use Neon Pin, with caution. It tends to be overpowering and does not blend well. If this area appears too bright use white to blend, working the edges into the highlight.
• Below the horizontal strip is a duller highlight. Apply Blush Pink (928), Salmon Pink (1001), and Neon Pink (1038). Again, blend into the above area.
• Below that duller highlight is a darker area. Apply Permanent Red (122) all the way down to the center. You can use Salmon Pink (1001) to blend with the section above.
• Moving counterclockwise, you see a darker area below the highlight. Apply Pale Vermillion (921), Poppy Red (922) and Neon Orange (1036) all the way down to the center stem.

Step 8: Continuing with First Quarter

• At the next major highlight (10:00), we again see a darker strip separating the highlights. Layer Pink (929), Neon Orange (1036), and Neon Pink (1038) at the top blending into Blush Pink (928) at the lower edge.
• There is a darker border right at the stem that is done with Poppy Red (922)

Step 9: Above the 9:00 Highlight

• Above (or to the left of) the 9:00 highlights, you see a lighter area along the edge that is Pale Vermillion (921), Pink (929), and Neon Orange (1036).
• Proceeding counterclockwise, you see an area that appears darker and more orange. This is Poppy Red (922) directly above the highlight.
• This area starts to darken as the pepper starts to curve downward, so start applying Permanent Red (122).
• As you move downward, along the edge, you see darker shadows beginning, so blend Permanent Red (122) into Crimson Lake (925)
• Don’t get too caught up in precision. These colors blend into one another and you can go back and forth adjusting this as needed.

Step 10: Below the 9:00 Highlight

• For the first section, apply Pale Vermillion (921), Poppy Red (922), and Neon Orange (1036). Toward the lower end add some Carmine Red (926) if it doesn’t look dark enough.
• There is a very small area under the last part of the highlight (the bottom of the three). Apply Pale Vermillion (921), Neon Orange (1036) and Neon Pink (1038).

This is what we should have at this point:

As you can see. This is a slow process. It doesn’t look like we have completed much, but slow going is always better. You will have better results.

Step 11: Area from 6:00 (center-front) to 9:00

• Moving counterclockwise to the next section we will again start with the highlights
• At the center-front (6:00), just below the stem, there is a small, bright highlight spot. Apply Cream (914), Deco Pink (1014), and White (938)
• Then the highlight darkens slightly, apply Blush Pink (928), Neon Orange (1036), and Neon Pink (1038)—this is the upward slope moving clockwise
• At the top of this hump is another bright highlight, apply Deco Pink (1014) and White (938).
• The remaining highlight is Blush Pink (928), Salmon Pink (1001), and Deco Pink (1014).

Step 12: Between Highlight and Stem

• Start above the bright highlight at center-front (6:00), apply Pale Vermillion (921), Poppy Red (922), and Orange (918)
• As you move up the slop of the hump, use these same colors but replace Orange with Neon Orange (1036) to add brightness.
• The remainder of this section is Pink (928), Pale Vermillion (921), Orange (918) then a second layer of Pink (928).

We’ll stop here for now, but keep up with these posts and your finished product will be amazing!. Please post any questions or comments. I would like to see what you all are producing also. Don’t be shy. Post what you have done so far!

Red Pepper Tutorial

(Beginner Level)

Supplies

• Paper, Bristol smooth
• Prismacolor Premier pencils (see list for colors)
• Graphite pencil for initial sketch
• Eraser
• Reference Photo

Prismacolor Pencils:^*

Sky Blue Light 1086     Pale Sage 1089           Light Green 920           Yellow Chartreuse 1004

Cool Grey 30% 1061      Beige Sienna 1080    French Grey 10% 1068    Deco Pink 1014

Grey Green Lt. 289        Blush Pink 928          Cream 914                      Pale Vermillion 921

Poppy Red 922                Neon Orange 1036    Permanent Red 122      Carmine Red 926

Salmon Pink 1001           Orange 918                 Neon Pink 1036             Pink 929

White 938                       Crimson Lake 925        Jasmine 1012                Eggshell 140

Beige 997                         Sienna Brown 945       Chestnut 1081               Terra Cotta 944

Chocolate 1082               Mahogany Red 1029     Lt Umber 941               Dark Brown 946

Green Ochre 1091           Espresso 1099              Raspberry 1030             Crimson Red 924

Moss Green 1097            Nectar 1092                    Seashell Pink 1093        Deco Peach 1013

Spanish Orange 1003     Lime Peel 1005               Spring Green 913           Black

Artichoke 1098               Apple Green 912             Chartreuse 989               Canary Yellow 916

Scarlet Lake 923              Tuscan Red 937

^*Note about colors: I am using a 150-count set of Prismacolor pencils. If you have a smaller set that does not include some of these colors, check-out the resources page for a table I created which allows you to use the pencils you must create the missing colors. This is an extensive list of colors for such a simple picture. Some colors are essential while others are more optional. Use your own artistic eye to decide these issues. These pencils are also sold as open stock, so if you find that a color is essential but missing from your set, you can purchase just that pencil.

Step 1: Reference Photo

• Choose your reference photo; for this tutorial the photo is included with the list of supplies
• Optional: convert reference photo to black and white and print. I do this to make the major color shifts more obvious
• Transfer a line-drawing to the art paper using your preferred method. (see post titled “I Want a Transfer” for options)

Step 2: Erase

• Use an eraser to lighten the lines of the transferred image. This is important as the lines cannot be erased once colored pencil is put down on top. Also, the graphite can mix with the colored pencil and muddy the color.

Step 3: Choosing the Colors

• This is something you can spend a lot of time doing. Until you get some experience with color theory, it takes a lot of trial and error. There are tools out there to assist with this, so don’t be afraid to use them. I use an app on my tablet called Color Pencil Picker developed by Kristian Olidana, but there are others available. These tools, while very helpful, are not an exact match, but it gives you a very good starting point. When using these apps, keep in mind that they don’t give us info on the pencil pressure used for each color in the mix, so you will want to practice swatch your colors. See supply list for my colors.

Step 4: Highlights

• One of the first things I do is mark the areas of highlight
• We can see areas of bright highlight around the top of the pepper
• Most highlights will not be stark white. They are often a much lighter shade of the base color or they can be reflecting color from the surroundings.
• Starting with the highlight that appears at about the 11:00 position (to the left of the stem), apply a layer of French Grey 10% (1068) using very light pressure as there will be more colors to come.
• Deco Pink (1014) is layered on next, try to keep the stokes in the direction of the curve.
• Then layer on Grey Green Light (289) or white can be substituted. **Note: these are very light colors and will be difficult to see, but they need to go down first because they cannot go down over darker colors. Using toned paper makes highlights easier to see, but you will give up some vibrancy or color accuracy.
• Working counterclockwise, you see a very bright highlight at about the 10:00 position. Lay down a layer of Deco Pink (1014) then blend with a layer of white.
• Between the two highlights we have already applied, there are darker highlights. Use Blush Pink (928) or Pink (929) can be used but use a very light hand.
• Again, working counterclockwise, the next bright spot is at about the 9:00 position. Lay down a layer of Deco Pink (1014) then blend with White (938). (At this position you can see 3 separate highlights, this is the bottom of the three)
• Between this highlight and the previous one (at 10:00), there is another darker highlight. Apply Blush Pink (928), Cream (914) and White (938).

Step 5: First Quarter

• I’ve broken this picture up into quarters, so now we can go back and apply darker colors to this same section.
• Directly to the left of the stem there is a small, triangular shaped area of red before the highlights begin. Apply a light layer of Pale Vermillion (921) along the top edge using small circular strokes.
• Next, apply a layer of Poppy Red (922) then Neon Orange (1036). Plain Orange (918) can be used but the Neon adds a luminance to the overall color. Then go back with Poppy Red (922) to adjust the color if needed.
• Going “deeper” into the top of the pepper in that same area, apply a layer of Permanent Red (122). Apply this all the way down to the center between the stem and the crease that can be seen before the highlighted area. Use Pale Vermillion (921) to blend this with the area above. If necessary, go back with the Permanent Red (122) and darken the deeper areas for more contrast.

Step 6: First Quarter Continued

• Moving counterclockwise to the highlighted section running from 10:00 to 11:00
• Above the highlight, start with a layer of Pale Vermillion (921) followed by Carmine Red (926) and Salmon Pink (1001).
• To make this more realistic, use a sharp white pencil to pull some of the color down into the highlights.
• If the white alone doesn’t quite do it, use the Permanent Red (122) to lightly extend into the highlight then blend with white. This may take several back-and-forth applications to get it where you want it, but don’t overdo it! We can always add more color later, but its much harder to remove color.
• Between this highlight and the next (at 9:00) is a darker area. Start with a layer of Poppy Red (922) from the edge to about where the curve would be at its peak.
• At the peak of the curve, apply Pale Vermillion (921), Poppy Red (922), and Neon Orange (1036).
• Going “deeper” into the curve, apply Poppy Red (922) and Orange (918).

Step 7: Going Deeper into the First Quarter

• Below the bright 11:00 highlight, there is a slightly darker horizontal strip separating another highlight. Use Pink (929), Neon Orange (1036), and Neon Pink (1038) then a second layer of Pink (929). **Use Neon Pin, with caution. It tends to be overpowering and does not blend well. If this area appears too bright use white to blend, working the edges into the highlight.
• Below the horizontal strip is a duller highlight. Apply Blush Pink (928), Salmon Pink (1001), and Neon Pink (1038). Again, blend into the above area.
• Below that duller highlight is a darker area. Apply Permanent Red (122) all the way down to the center. You can use Salmon Pink (1001) to blend with the section above.
• Moving counterclockwise, you see a darker area below the highlight. Apply Pale Vermillion (921), Poppy Red (922) and Neon Orange (1036) all the way down to the center stem.

I’m currently working on putting together the first tutorial for this blog. It’s going to be a super easy project for beginners. It will probably be posted in a week or so. In the mean time, I encourage you to practice techniques for layering and blending.

Layering:

• Remember, the paper has tooth to help it hold the pigment. However, there is a limited capacity.

• Lay down color starting with very light pressure. Pressure will need to increase with increased layers to facilitate blending.

• Too much pressure too soon will crush the tooth and ñmake it much more difficult to apply further layers.

• Some colors are softer and easier to lay down than others. Be aware of this so you can adjust your pressure.

• Always lay down color from lightest to darkest.

• Be very careful when light and dark colors adjoin. It is very easy to “contaminate” one with the other

Blending:

• Blending can be done a number of ways, the most common is just layering color and burnishing.
• Burnishing is applying enough pressure to cause friction allowing the wax to soften and mix.
• Burnishing can be done using the last layer of color, by using a white pencil, or a colorless blending pencil.
• Blending can also be done using a multitude of solvents. This will be covered in later posts.

So, until the tutorial posts, practice. Practice on the same type of paper you will use for your project. This may seem boring, but it will pay-off in the future.

https://images.app.goo.gl/zTYn8swRETuK2LHX9

Ok, by now you should have your supplies and you reference photo. The next question is, “How do I get this idea down on paper?” Before we start let me give you a few important tips/reminders:

We are not drawing the complete picture in graphite pencil

This will be a line drawing

Do not draw heavy lines, they need to be erased later.

So, what is a line drawing? With a line drawing you want to outline the major image edges and you want to indicate areas of major color changes. When I am getting ready to transfer an image, I usually print it in black and white (low grade image on regular printer paper is fine). Then I use a pen, pencil, or white gel pen (depending on the values) and indicate what areas I need to transfer to my main paper. Sometimes it’s alot sometimes it’s not, it all depends on your subject. Here you can see my reference. I used red pencil to show what I will transfer to my art paper as my line drawing. I am modifying the reference slightly by removing the straw going into her lips which means I have to modify that part of her profile. I relaxed her lips and chin. I also tend to erase some of the background before printing just to save on printer ink. This is the original reference photo which was cropped from a larger shot because I only wanted the profile. This photo comes from Upsplash.com which is a royalty-free reference photo source.

Once I know what to transfer, I have to decide a method. I will tell you now, there are no set rules for this. I can tell you about common techniques, but you can do it any way you want. If you’re good at free-hand drawing, you can just draw your line drawing directly. Plenty of people can do that. I cannot! If you do, just keep in mind that the lines need to be erased later.

One technique I use occassionally is grid transfer. That’s where you draw a grid over your reference photo and a grid on your art surface. You will the draw what you see in each square. This is especially useful if you want to enlarge or shrink your image. I use this alot if the image is fairly simple. This piece was done in that manner There are also apps you can download for free that will overlay you photo for you. Once again, make sure the grid lines on your art paper are light enough to erase and don’t impress the paper.

The technique I use the most is using transfer paper. When you buy transfer paper make sure it is NOT wax-based. This is the brand I use , but there are others avaiable. The lines need to be erased later and wax-based will not erase. Look for graphite or chalk-based transfer paper. Graphite can come in black or grey. Chalk-based paper can come in a variety of colors including red, blue, yellow, and white. The color I use depends on the color of the reference photo and the color of the art paper I’m using. I often use several colors on the same piece. The way its done is to place the transfer paper between the reference and the art paper then trace your line drawings. The way I do it is to clap the art paper and reference photo to a drawing board the lift the reference and insert the transfer paper. This way I can keep everything secure if I want to change out the transfer paper. One big goof I’ve made, several times, is placing the transfer paper wrong side up. I’ve traced an entire piece that way, ending up with the reference image on the back of the reference image. This is easy to do when using white transfer paper.

Another method I’ve used is a light table. This is a lighted surface that allows you to see your reference image through the art paper to allow tracing. I don’t use it too often because the art paper I use is too thick to see through. I know many professionals that use this method, so I may be doing something wrong.

There are plenty of other methods that I’m less familiar with. Some artists will use a printer and print a line drawing directly on the art paper. This method is good as long as you can adjust the printer to make the image very light. The bottom line is that it doesn’t matter how you do it, so use the method you are comfortable with. Once you get your image transferred then you’re ready for color! This is my final image transfer. Now comes the fun part!

As always feel free to leave any comments, questions or samples of artwork. Suggestions of future topics are welcome as well. Thanks!

Ok, you’ve got your basic supplies. Now what? First, don’t jump the gun. There are a few things to do before tackling a colored pencil painting. When I get a new set of colored pencils, the first thing I do is to create a swatch sheet. This is basically a sample of each pencil so you can see how they each perform. Attached are both a blank sheet that I use and one specifically for Prismacolor. The reason you want to make these yourself instead of downloading pre-made ones is that the printer color can vary from the actual color. I make mine then laminate them so they keep. I refer to these all the time. You can also use these to keep track of a particular color blend recipe that you like. For example I have a swatch sample of different skin tones that I like to use.

Next, make sure the space you’re going to use is set up. You want to be comfortable, have your supplies in reach, have a smooth surface, and plenty of light. A lot of people like to draw with natural light, which is great, but keep in mind that light from a window will change based on time of day, time of year, and weather conditions. The space I use doesn’t have access to enough natural light so I have an overhead, adjustable light on my drafting table. The one I use has different modes and the intensity can be adjusted. Whatever light you use just make sure it is consistent throughout your entire project. Make sure your surface is clean and smooth. You can use a table, table-top easel, drawing board, whatever works for you. I have a ginormous drafting table that I picked up from a retiring architect, but I still use a drawing board. I tend to work on several projects at once, so I have each one on its own board. Some artists place another blank piece of paper under their primary surface to help but I generally don’t do this. As far as organizing my supplies, I tend to be a little OCD. Before I begin any project, I have to make sure my pencils are in the right order (right being how they are listed on my swatch sheet). That way I know what I have and what needs replaced. I keep my main set of Prismas in a 4-drawer, wooden pencil box on my desk. The other sets I keep either in the original tin or in a zippered pencil case. As far as being comfortable, for me that means I’m in my sweats, my music is on, and I have snacks and water within reach.

Now, are we ready to draw? Nope, we forgot one major thing. What are you going to draw? Subject matter. It’s a big topic. For those first starting out, do not sabotage yourself by choosing a subject that is too complex for your abilities. Once you get some experience with this medium, then you can stretch yourself. What we want to focus on at first is blending, so stay away from anything with visible texture. I find cherries and apples are good for practice. You can Google these to get an image you’re comfortable with, but I caution you not to post your final piece or claim it as your own. This will breach copyrights and can cause you grief you don’t need. There are two web sites I use for images that are royalty-free. They are Pexels and Unsplash. There are other sites like iStock and Adobe that you have to pay for the download (and the prices are ridiculous) or you can join a monthly membership (again, price…no). You can, of course use your own reference. Personally, I struggle to look at a 3D subject and translate that to a 2D drawing so I always use a photo. Plus, with a photo you don’t have to worry about the light source changing or the subject changing.

So, get your work space ready and get your subject or reference photo. The next post will be on how to get the sketch down on paper and how to begin your painting. Until next time, may you always have sharp pencils! Feel free to subscribe/follow and leave any comments on what you think. Feel free to share your projects also.

If anyone is looking for a decent set of pencils especially for a beginner, check this out. http://ARTEZA Colored Pencils, Professional Set of 72 Colors, Soft Wax-Based Cores, Ideal for Drawing Art, Sketching, Shading & Coloring, Vibrant Artist Pencils for Beginners & Pro Artists in Tin Box https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076DHN68W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_taa_dAy4DbK0KZDHG These pencils get great reviews. This is a lightning deal, so act fast.