Why colored pencils? Colored pencil art is having a certain level of newfound appreciation in the art world. Significantly, we can see the medium popping up on social media. To point out, the adult coloring trend (as a relaxation tool), and the fan artists.
APPRECIATION
When I joined Instagram, I became immersed in fan art and portrait artists. I have been to some of the world’s greatest museums, so I know what you can do with paint. I didn’t expect however to see such realistic, hyper-realistic at times artworks done with such breathtaking results. They were exploring the creative potential of the medium, making the world marvel at the outcome.
COLORED PENCIL AS A PROFESSIONAL ART MEDIUM
I had a background in pastel portraits and watercolor pencils, but this was different. I am naturally inclined to realism and portraits. To see another medium that could get me those results I was interested in. Most people consider colored pencils to be for kids. But the artist-grade colored pencils are very different. They contain a higher degree of wax and pigment. Allowing a really rich, deep luminescent color. I love how finished drawings can be so smooth and pigmented that they resemble paintings!
COLORED PENCILS FOR FINE ARTISTS
After selling my last batch of pastel portraits, I decide to invest the earnings in a professional pencil case from Faber- Castel. The Polychromos range is mesmerizing with its 120 colors ready to use. More than enough to draw everything you want! That was the start of my collection. You can draw anything with colored pencils. They can easily rival paintings in luminosity and depth of color!
TYPES OF COLORED PENCILS
You can divide colored pencils into 4 categories: Artist-grade, Student and Scholastic-grade, Watercolor pencils, and Pastel Pencils.
- Artist-grade pencils are filled with higher concentrations of high-quality pigments than student-grade colored pencils. Their lightfastness resistance to UV rays in sunlight is also measured and documented. Core durability, break and water resistance, and brand popularity is also notable features of artist-grade colored pencils. Artist-grade pencils have the largest color ranges.
- Student and scholastic grade: they can exist from the same brands as artist-grade pencils but are different in texture and amount of pigment.
- Watercolor pencils: Watercolor pencils and Artist-grade watercolor pencils
- Pastel pencils: Pastel pencils are similar to hard pastels. I use Pastel pencils on their own or in combination with other mediums. They can be used dry, wet, or blended. Many artists use them for preliminary sketches.
TYPES OF ARTIST-GRADE COLORED PENCILS
There are three main types of artist-grade colored pencils:
- Wax-based: Usually softer but prone to breakage
- Oil-based: Harder lead, great for details because they keep a sharper point
- Water-soluble: can be used on their own as a regular pencil or with water and a brush.
You can mix them up in the same artwork. Unlike oil paint and acrylics (which don’t mix), this allows for a greater amount of layering and to work with several brands and pencil types.
ADVANTAGES OF WORKING WITH COLORED PENCILS
Colored pencils have many advantages as I soon found out. They are portable and lightweight. Do not require too much of a set-up and are as easy to clean. Always ready to use, they make the perfect tool for small studio spaces.
Artist-quality colored pencils are light-resistant or lightfast. Making the art very durable and stable. They can be sharpened to a fine point to allow for exquisite detail. The colors can be easily blended in endless combinations. To create even more shades, tints, and hues. By this point, I was in love with the medium. And I had a lot more to discover.
Thank you for reading!
WHAT’S NEXT?
If you like to commission me to do a piece in colored pencil, you can reach me with the contact form here.
Thank you for your interest!
