Colored Pencil Painting

Painting with colored pencil is a continuation of everything we've learned about colored pencil thus far. 

Alyona Nickelsen has done it again with the publication of a second book in which she divulges more of her experiments with and study of colored pencil. She introduces some new methods and materials that take colored pencil from a drawing medium to one of fine art.

To transition from a colorist or amateur artist to a fine artist, you'll want to stick with professional quality pencils. Prismacolor Premier and Verithin, Caran d' Ache Luminance and Pablo, Derwent Colorsoft and Artists, Faber Castell Polychromos, Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor, and Soho Urban Artist are the only colored pencils you should use because they are available as open stock. Watercolor media should be limited to Faber Castell Albrecht Durer, Caran d' Ache Supracolor Soft and Neocolor II, Derwent Watercolor and Inktense, Lyra Rembrandt Aquarell, Cretacolor AquaStic and any traditional name brand paint that can be purchased individually. Oil paint should be transparent or diluted with spirits for underpainting.

In order to use colored pencil as a painting medium to rival oil, the usual art paper must be abandoned in favor of sanded or gesso primed paper preferably glued to a board as the applied mediums will ultimately crack due to the mechanical movement of flexible paper. Alyona also discovered that sanded paper keeps pencils sharp longer. Whereas, watercolor and other papers wore them down requiring repetitive sharpening. It's like coloring on a fine grained sanding block. I bet she had a Homer Simpson moment. It's something we all should've realized sooner.

Sanded Paper or Board is available in the following grits:

240 Grit is the largest tooth available in a sanded paper.
280 Grit is ideal for those with a heavy hand or want texture to show.
320 Grit is for artists who desire extra layering.
400 Grit is a favorite of many pastel artists and ideal for those trying sanded paper for the first time.
500 Grit is a moderate tooth for any medium.
600 Grit is perfect for those with a focus on detail work.
800 Grit is the finest tooth, popular for super fine pastel or colored pencil applications.

Practice Paper

 

Pastel Paper: 80lb, 118gsm. White and Assorted.

Royal & Langnickel Pastel Pads: 112lb, 180gsm; available as assorted or white for $1.39-4.19 from Blick Art.

Stipple Paper: 132lb, 216gsm; colored pencil; practice. Has a special grainy, pebble-like texture.

Acrylic Paper: 246lb, 400gsm; colored pencil; practice.

Professional Paper and Board

Pastel Premier Sanded Paper: 145lb, 310gsm; available as white or clay in 320 or 400 grit for $12.69-33.99 from Blick Art. This paper is primed and coated with aluminum oxide.

UArt Sanded Pastel Paper: 145lb, 310gsm; available as beige or dark in 400, 600 and 800 grit for $26.39/10 page pad from Blick Art.

Canson Mi-Tientes Touch Sanded Paper: 218lb, 353 gsm; 22x33" sheet for $9.45 each from Blick Art.

White Pastel Panels 320 grit available as 5 or 10 panel packages for $12.19-71.73 from Blick Art.

UArt Sanded Pastel Board for $11.69-26.95 from Blick Art.

Self Adhesive Mounting Board available as white or black for $2.09-21.25 from Blick Art.

Watercolor Canvas Board for $4.39-10.79 each from Blick Art.

Ampersand Hardbord (Masonite) 1/8" for $5.34-18.26 from Blick Art.

Acrylic Gesso for $27.85 per quart from Blick Art. Can be tinted with acrylic paint. Must be applied to watercolor board or masonite.

Apply clear gesso with a paste brush available from Blick Art for $2.39.

Apply acrylic gesso with a mini foam paint roller available in the home improvement section of Walmart.

This dual action side feed airbrush is perfect for under painting and spraying textured fixative or shellac final fixative. Get it on eBay for $22.43. Requires an air compressor.

This mini air compressor is available on eBay for $29.57.

Clear Gesso/Tooth Restorer/Textured Fixative

Methylcellulose is a vegan alternative to rabbit skin. It is also added as an emulsion stabilizer, pigment suspension agent, paint thickener and binder. It is used as sizing to treat fabric and used on paper to prevent watercolor absorption. Without pigment, it can be a clear liquid or thick gel. It's available from Dharma Trading for $15.95. Also sold as wallpaper paste at home improvement stores.

Germall Plus is a broad spectrum liquid preservative. Its active components have been solubilized in propylene glycol, making them easy to incorporate into formulations. Germall Plus is heat sensitive and should be added at a temperature of 122°F or below. Stable in pH 3-8. Available from Lotion Crafter.

1/2 tsp. Methylcellulose

1 Pint of warm distilled water

Pour warm water into a pint mason jar. Slowly add Methylcellulose stirring constantly with a spoon. Stir until the Methylcellulose is dissolved and appears clear, let sit for 30 min for bubbles to rise. Allow to gel and then, dilute 50/50 with warm water until it becomes liquid and no longer gels. Add a few drops of preservative.

To use as a gesso: Draw or trace an image on paper. A stencil can also be used. Use a rubber knead eraser to remove excess graphite. Brush the gesso over the drawing and allow to dry.

To restore tooth: Use with a brush to restore the tooth to colored areas of paper and continue adding layers. Allow to dry thoroughly before coloring over it. Clean brush with water while wet.

To use as a textured fixative: Apply over the paper surface with a siphon airbrush.

Under Painting

Use watercolor, white acrylic diluted 1:1 with water or transparent color alkyd oil paint diluted with solvent. Watery paint works best for this technique. Use a wash brush or gravity airbrush to apply paint over gesso. Allow to dry. Any color can be used and more than one color can be applied. 

Texture Paste

1/4 C. Cornstarch

1 Tbsp. Elmer's Glue All

Mix cornstarch with glue until smooth. Draw or trace an image on paper. A stencil can also be used. Use a rubber knead eraser to remove excess graphite. Carefully brush the paste onto the drawing where you want a slightly raised effect and allow to dry. The paste may be applied before or after pencil coloring.

Detailing Liquid

Triton X-100 (Polyethylene glycol octylphenyl ether) is a surfactant that reduces the surface tension of aqueous solutions. It forces pigment to mix with water. It's available on eBay for $18.00/4 oz.

 

Titanium Dioxide (water dispersible) and Black Oxide sold by TKB for $1.65/6 gram sample. Any other pigment or mica may be used as well.

Place 1/8 tsp or less of Titanium dioxide or black oxide in a shallow cup. Add a few drops of Triton to wet the pigment. Add a few drops of the above texture restorer and stir with a brush.

Use to paint bright highlights or fine hairs on your work. Once dry, it can be penciled over. Clean brush with water while wet.

Blending Powder

Aluminum oxide (1200 grit) is used in the final stage of tumble polishing stones. Colored pencil artists use it to help blend colored pencil without a wax based blender pencil or solvent. It is sprinkled onto the paper before coloring and can be used over coloring with a sponge applicator. Get it on eBay for $7.99/4 oz.

Colorless Blender

1/3 C. Plaster of Paris (blue carton)

1/2 C. Warm Water

2 Tbsp. Aluminum oxide

Paper cup

Plastic straws

Modeling clay

Plastic cup

Prepare plaster in the paper cup. Mix in aluminum oxide. Suck the plaster into straws, being careful not to get it into your mouth. Plug one end of the straw with a bean size piece of modeling clay. Place straws in the plastic cup, clay end down. Allow to cure for one week. Cut straw away from the plaster with a craft knife. 

Final Fixative

Bullseye Clear Shellac $10.99 at Walmart.

Klean-Strip Green Denatured Alcohol $7.25 at Walmart.

1 Tbsp. Bullseye Clear Shellac

5 Tbsp. Distilled water

Combine in an airbrush siphon bottle and stir well. Spray over finished artwork. Clean equipment with denatured alcohol.