Classic Colour Pencil Techniques

The Colour pencils are without doubt the handiest colouring products. You have probably used them so much for simply colouring that you may not realize what fantastic effects classic colour pencils are able to create. Just release your imagination and follow some of the techniques shown below.

Topics

Colour & Creativity Questions

Art & Graphic Questions

Design Range Questions

Graf von Faber-Castell Questions

Refill & Repair Tips

Feathering

Colour an area and draw softly over it with a lighter colour so the original area shows through.

Blending

Lay different colours on top of each other to achieve a large range of colours and shades.

Burnishing

To polish colours, use a white colour pencil across the colours you have already laid down.  Further layers of this technique allow you to blend as well as lighten up the colours.

Gradations

Classic Colour pencils are available in 48 colours available. You can use them to make transitions from a light to a darker tone or even from one colour to another.

Pointillism

You can get a sparkling effect by drawing dots of different sizes, densities and colours. This can give the appearance of a single colour when viewed from distance.

Hatching

Draw parallel or intersecting lines close together. Vary the density of the lines to get greater depth.

Cross Hatching

To create both colour and texture; draw a set of parallel lines crossing each other at an angle.

Frottage

Place a blank sheet of paper on top of a surface and colour. The effect will come through.

Emboss

Lay a scrap piece of paper over your drawing paper. Use a ballpoint pen and press down hard to draw your design on the scrap paper. Your drawing will appear as a dent in the drawing paper. Remove the scrap paper and rub the side of the pencil point over the embossed area.