Using Colored Pencils For Beginners

Ready for another one of our mini art lessons? Today we will be covering one of today’s most popular coloring mediums: colored pencils. These pencils are preferred by artists of all ages because they’re easy to use and relatively inexpensive. Many people also love the nostalgic feeling that they get when working with these pencils, as it reminds them of coloring as a child. However, that’s not to say that colored pencil techniques are juvenile – there are a wide variety of ways you can use these versatile tools. Whether you’re a beginner looking for a new hobby or an advanced artist, learning to work with a colored pencil properly can be a game-changer.

Colored Pencil Tips For Beginners

We try to make our art lessons beginner-friendly, so we’re going to focus on sharing the fundamental instructions for using these pencils. There are plenty of additional techniques you can adopt at a more advanced level, but we’re sticking to the basics today.

Step 1: Sharpening The Pencils

Making sure your pencils are properly sharpened is extremely important. Having sharp pencils helps you maintain light pressure while you’re coloring your base layer since you don’t have to press down as hard. This also helps you avoid breaking the tips of your pencils. To sharpen them, you have to consider their components. You shouldn’t use a regular pencil sharpener, since a colored pencil has a core made of clay, wax, or oil-based materials. This affects how you sharpen them, and what kind of sharpener you should use. Let’s take a look at two types of pencils:

• Soft pencils: These pencils are made of clay or wax, and they’re best for producing deep colors and blending shades. However, they’re also very fragile and can break easily if you aren’t careful. When you’re sharpening soft pencils, it’s recommended that you use a handheld sharpener. Once you stick the pencil inside the sharpener, it’s best to sharpen it by turning the sharpener and keeping the pencil still.
• Hard pencils: These pencils are typically made of some kind of oil-based material, which makes them more similar to traditional lead-core pencils. They’re quite tough, so they can be sharpened with electric sharpeners or even artist’s knives if you prefer.

Step 2: Understanding Basic Pencil Strokes

Now that your pencils are nice and sharp, it’s time to start working on your strokes. While there are many different techniques you can apply, there are three basic strokes you’ll want to master: straight strokes, circular strokes, and tapping.

• Straight strokes: This is the stroke that most people are already familiar with. It’s also known as the “line,” because you’re repeatedly drawing them. You continue to add lines, placing them as close together as possible so they don’t look like separate strokes, but rather one mass of color. This technique is often used to create the base layer of a piece, and there are a few variations that you can try out if you’d like. They are:

Hatching – drawing lines side by side, either close together or far apart
Crosshatching – drawing overlapping lines in opposite directions
Back and forth – coloring in a continuous back-and-forth motion

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• Circular strokes: You can achieve this stroke by continuously drawing small or large circles, making sure they stay connected until you’ve filled in the desired area with color. While not as popular as straight strokes, there are definitely times when you might want to use this coloring technique. For beginners who are using coloring books, this stroke can be helpful.

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• Tapping: This technique requires making tiny dots/marks on the paper. It seems pretty simple, but you can actually achieve very intricate designs with the tapping method. It’s useful for coloring in very tiny details on your piece, or for adding accents to an already colored area.

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Step 3: Creating Bold Colors

Since colored pencils are semi-transparent, they can sometimes appear to produce pale or extremely light colors. But don’t worry – you can still achieve bold colors on paper with these pencils. Here are a few things to pay attention to if you’re wanting to get some vibrant hues:

• Pressure and Pencil Type: If you’re applying light pressure with your pencil onto your paper, then you aren’t going to get a bold color. The more pressure you add, the more vibrant your results are – but too much pressure can break the pencil’s tip. This is where the type of pencil you’re using comes into play. Soft pencils will produce deeper colors and are best for layering, so if you want to achieve rich colors, we recommend using this type of pencil. You can still use hard pencils, you’ll just have to do some layering.

At Cheap Joe’s, we proudly offer a large selection of colored pencils from high-quality brands. Browse options from top manufacturers, such as PRISMACOLOR, Cretacolor, Caran d’Ache, Derwent, and Faber-Castell to find your new favorite pencils.

• Layering: This is a technique in which the artist continuously applies and reapplies the same color to an area until they reach their desired thickness or color result. It can be time-consuming, but it’s the best way to customize your piece and get it looking exactly how you want it. You can also create custom colors and shading by layering one color over another.
  
  
• Check Your Paper Quality: The last aspect you’ll want to consider is the type of paper you’re using. When you’re using these pencils, it’s best to use artist-grade white paper, as it works better with the semi-translucency of the pencils. Tinted or colored paper can be problematic because the paper color can show through. Although you can get dramatic effects by coloring on black or toned paper as long as you layer color opaquely. You’ll also want to make sure you’re using high-quality paper that’s strong enough to hold up against pressure. Also, a smoother paper with just a little tooth tends to work best to create vibrant colors and smooth transitions.

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Getting Started with Colored Pencils

We hope we’ve inspired you to pick up a colored pencil and start creating! Here at Cheap Joe’s, we have everything you need to get started with your new hobby. Check out our wide selection of pencils to find the highest-quality options at the best prices. We also have a great inventory of pencil cases and pouches, so you can protect, store, and transport your supplies as needed. Feel free to give us a call with any questions or concerns, and don’t forget to check out the Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff YouTube channel for product spotlights, art lessons, and more!