# Tips on coloring? [Colored pencil]



## Dasaki (Sep 20, 2010)

I'm no good at drawing but I seem to have /some/ form of talent with coloring and was wondering if I could get some tips to help better my skill?

A couple better examples of what I've done, none of the linearts are mine.
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4501821/ Pretty basic but the beak is the only time I've layered three colors so far.
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4482862/ The most complicated piece I've done and I'm quite pleased with it even if I'm not quite happy with a few things.

I use a rather mixed set of pencils, ranging from a set of something even cheaper then crayola to what's left of a medium quality set my mother got years ago.

Any advice would be nice and critique is welcome too, I thank you for looking.


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## Stratelier (Sep 21, 2010)

THe thing to keep in mind about colored pencils is that they're a transparent media.  A general strategy is to start shading an area by its darkest tones (the shadows) first, and then layer lighter colors on top of it.  The lighter colors will blend into the darker colors easier this way (than vice versa).  Once you have your tone mixed up, you can polish it off with an extremely light shade (as close to white as possible, or sometimes white itself) to help smooth out the texture if you need that.

Also, if you have a shade that's too dark, break out the eraser and get to work.  Colored pencil doesn't erase completely, but it _does_ erase a little, just enough to lighten a shade and try layering colors in all over again.

There's a limit to how many layers you can mix into a shade -- standard everyday brands like Crayola will probably layer two or three colors.  High-end quality colored-pencil brands like Prismacolors can do more, like four to six layers depending on the exact tone.

It's also easiest to mix color tones of similar hues, this makes it easier to hit the particular shade you're aiming for.  And to this end the more colors you have the better, but get familiar with mixing what you have first.


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## greg-the-fox (Sep 21, 2010)

It looks like you're already coloring pretty lightly, which is good, a lot of beginners will press down too hard to get rid of all the white spaces but that ends up causing more problems than it fixes.

I'd go even lighter actually, get your pencil as sharp as possible and hold it on its side and use very little pressure. Use that technique to mix colors like Stratadrake said. But also work on your hatching technique. In the one with the couch I can tell you only used diagonal lines to shade. Slow down a bit and vary direction, check out some crosshatching tutorials. Another thing you can do is shade following the direction of curves and shadows to get a more 3 dimensional form. You can go for a more blended look or turn your pencil more vertical and do harder more defined crosshatching if you want, it's up to you. But proper crosshatching is a more advanced technique, I haven't even gotten a hang of it yet.


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## Stratelier (Sep 21, 2010)

greg-the-fox said:


> It looks like you're already coloring pretty lightly, which is good, a lot of beginners will press down too hard to get rid of all the white spaces but that ends up causing more problems than it fixes.



I can be a heavy shader.  There's one piece I did that came out with excellent color tones, but the sheer pressure etched itself through over half a dozen pages in my sketchbook.

As for the little white flecks, that's caused by the paper tooth and is a more or less natural side effect.  If you want a color to be pure and 'solid' then you'll want additional layers to help blend over it, but this varies by brand and sometimes you want that texture intact.


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## greg-the-fox (Sep 21, 2010)

Stratadrake said:


> I can be a heavy shader.  There's one piece I did that came out with excellent color tones, but the sheer pressure etched itself through over half a dozen pages in my sketchbook.
> 
> As for the little white flecks, that's caused by the paper tooth and is a more or less natural side effect.  If you want a color to be pure and 'solid' then you'll want additional layers to help blend over it, but this varies by brand and sometimes you want that texture intact.


 
If you want a smooth color, it's really best to just get smoother paper. Strathmore 400 should be good enough, but if you really want something smooth, try Bristol board. Paper can be expensive though, the 300 series is slightly cheaper than the 400 but is not quite as smooth. Still perfectly fine and probably the best bargain.


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## Zydala (Sep 21, 2010)

layers layers layers. Don't just color in a block or figure with one color - layer and mix. Get some new hues in! Watch your strokes - the couch in the second example is really etchy. Try to keep a steady hand, shade in one direction, and with the same amount of pressure. If you start light, it lets you go back and layer it all evenly again.

You can still use cheap supplies and pull off some good stuff, but you will be inhibited by what you use, too. Crayolas and cheaper pencils have more wax and not as much pigment, so like it's been said, you won't be able to build up color as much. Working on higher quality paper instead of copy and printer paper will allow you to get more texture and color in - dry media, vellum bristol and watercolor paper all have some nice tooth to them. Try some new paper and see what you think!


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## Stratelier (Sep 21, 2010)

Speaking of brands, I feel like shamelessly plugging some of the stuff I've done.

- http://www.furaffinity.net/view/767454/ - Crayola, heavy pressure + eraser highlights
- http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2048296/ - Prismacolor, medium pressure + eraser highlights

Both have vivid color tones, but the difference is primarily in how much work was required to produce them.


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## Bir (Sep 21, 2010)

Don't be afraid to draw heavily, but gradually. It's already been said, but... no matter how many colors your case comes with, you're never going to get the perfect color unless you BLEND. Always remember to color in circles. Never shake your hand back and forth to fill an area. Use tiny tiny circles to render each little part.

I love colored pencils. I've always started with a medium pressure, and built up until the page felt like wax. 

This isn't my best colored pencil artwork, but I'm also not finished with it. The branch is disgusting, and the greens missing the last couple of layers.

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3963269/


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## Dasaki (Sep 22, 2010)

Wow, I really didn't expect this many replies and I certainly thank you all for the various advice and information.


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## Arshes Nei (Sep 22, 2010)

These are old tutorials but I had done a series on colored pencils before (and I know someone asked the same thing before and I posted these again)

http://forums.furaffinity.net/threa...torial-Introduction?highlight=colored+pencils

http://forums.furaffinity.net/threa...m-and-Pencil-Tricks?highlight=colored+pencils

http://forums.furaffinity.net/threa...ng-and-Color-Mixing?highlight=colored+pencils

http://forums.furaffinity.net/threa...arning-Large-Images?highlight=colored+pencils












You can probably find more of my stuff in my FA gallery with colored pencils.


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