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Published: 2013-09-05 10:21:36 +0000 UTC; Views: 31920; Favourites: 348; Downloads: 473
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Description
This is the color pencil tutorial i promised to you.There is a huge amount of information that goes along with it, I couldn't possibly fit it in the actual submission so i will simply display it in the description.MATERIALS I USE
Derwent watercolor pencils set of 72 pcs
Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer Watercolor Pencils set of 120 pcs
Prismacolor premier soft core colored pencils set of 150 pcs
Prismacolor premier verithin set of 36pcs
Canson mi teintes 160grm/m2
Winsor & Newton Extra Smooth Bristol paper 250grm/m2
Arches watercolor paper 140lb cold press
Winsor and Newton watercolor paper 140lb cold press
Also for dry drawing i occasionally use cheap no name watercolor paper medium tooth160grm/m2, its excellent for sketching and at the same time its weight can hold details of sketches that proceed to projects eventually.
Edding 780 0.8 mm white
C.Kreul extrafine 0.8mm white
White gel pen but i am not that happy with it, it cant adjust effectively and mix over the countless color layers i have done with pencils in prior.
Closing the list of the materials i use i will honestly admit: What you use DOESN'T matter. HOW you use it, does!
HOW TO GET STARTED-COLORING AND SHADING
Obviously i will focus to my favorite style which is realism. If this is what you want to do then you will need a couple of things.
First you need a ref photo which is preferably a high resolution one. It will be impossible to render the extreme amount of details you will need to fit in your piece, if you don't have a proper ref photo. Also the ref photo, besides the high resolution will need to have an artistic value as in the aspect it transmits an emotional impact and a message, because i don't think you would want to end with a rendering of a ref picture that has 'nothing to say' therefor its flat and empty.
I keep my ref pictures in a folder in my comp, the one i am using with my piece i often zoom as much as i wish, and this is how i work, by looking at my screen and portraying everything i see, the way it fits me.
If for some reason its impossible for you to have a high res ref photo (like when you are provided with a poor ref during a commission), know that you will have to fill the gaps by yourself and thats a great deal of extra labor for you. But then again...nothing is easy, right?
Now how to transfer the ref photo on your paper? There are many methods, i believe they are all good as long as they serve their purpose and you end up with a decent basic sketching on your paper. Usually when it comes to portraits i go free hand. Understand that this doesn't make me 'unique' or 'professional' , since repetition and practice are essential for perfection. When you reach the point to have completed 500 portraits (thats a random number) then you ll be well aware where exactly to put a nose.
You can also grid (some times i do too), which is a respected way of transferring your image, or any other method, i would say that practicing free hand will be good for you in any case.
When i am about to start a color pencil drawing i don't use graphite to sketch. It smudges and then it blends with my colors and i don't like that at all. So i use either a color pencil or a watercolor pencil (dry, no watter added) or i use cinnabar to sketch. Using cinnabar to sketch has become a habit of mine after years of practicing Byzantine art. And this is a habit i cant change..
In case you wonder if you have succeeded and you did your ref justice regarding the proportions, theres a nice little trick to examine this before its too late. I have found so far two possible ways to do so. I scan my basic sketching and then i view it reversed.
If you cant scan it then you can as well put it in front of a mirror, the scanner and the mirror are never mistaken, they will always show where you are wrong.
So hypothetically you have your basic art line on your paper one way or the other. Where and how to start with your colors? I see no rules to that honestly. Others start with the eyes (I know this is what i do, i love to start with the eyes, it gives substance to my image) or the skin texture or anything else you think it suits you better. Whatever you choose to start with do it subtlety. Use fine layers, use a blending stump, erase if you must, and burnish might also be a great idea. I do all the above.
Its obvious that the light areas in your drawings you will want to keep them almost untouched. Be very careful there, use very fine color layers, light colors which you will gradually darken to the degree you wish so you make your drawing appears in three dimensions instead of just two.
Keep a file in your comp with your wips of your current project. This way you can always examine the progress of your work.
Know that you are entitled to bring changes in your refs, in a way that the end result will bring your personal touch, your personal 'signature', you can make it yours as in the aspect that your piece will be (and show this way) a part of you as the artist you are.
Making minor (or major) changes to colors, expanding the pallet or diminishing it even, will be your choice. I always do that, its not something i do on purpose, i just let my eyes scan my ref the way they wish to do, and then i let my hands carry on.
Almost always i know how things are going to turn, the finishing product is somehow 'imprinted' inside my head, even when i face a blank piece of paper when a project just starts, i don't see a blank piece of paper there, i see a finished amazing image, with every stroke, with every detail, with absolute clarity and sharpness. I know what will follow, because i see it crystal clear inside my head with all its glory, it just saddens me the fact that my skills are not solid enough to touch MY version of perfection, because the images inside my head are always so bright, so vivid, so strong, they hammer my skull so hard to let them out, and some times i fail myself because what i end up with isn't even as half as good as the images i dream off...
Regarding your questions on how to do eyes, lips, hair, skin texture:
Like i already mentioned try to start with the lighter colors, only to proceed to darker ones so to give a sense of depth to your image.
Use the blending stump regularly! I know its a time consuming process but trust me it worths the effort. The blending stump will push the pigments of the color layers deeper through the paper texture so you can use new layers on top of them making the necessary changes.
Colors are very important, but guess what? Details are very important too. Thats why i suggested earlier you have a high res ref pic to work with. In order to draw a realistic portrait, you must fit as many details as possible in it. But to draw them is one thing. To actually see them is another. If you cant see all the details you need to render, then you must train yourself to do so. All the wrinkles, pores,facial hair,tiny lines, the sum of them will define the skin texture.
SEE the details, and transfer them on your paper.
**A nice trick with realism is to go big. Seriously, the bigger your paper (or canvas) the more details you ll be able to fit in effortless**
Same goes with the eyes and lips. Don't be afraid to use the colors you wont see usually, but you know they are there, they do exist and you have to dig them out. The skin color isn't always soft pink, orange or yellow, it is also purple, green and blue, when you need to shape the darker areas.
I would suggest to practice using a mirror. As i have said this before, go ahead and use your own face as an always available and familiar reference image. Examine the skin texture with a magnifying glass, or even use a magnifying mirror to look at. See whats there, all these little miracles that happen there and practice on them. I don't say you will become experts overnight but practice and repetition are the only way to reach perfection. The day i stop practice will be the day i die. Never stop, never give up. Always try to reach higher , to be better. Trust me, the artists you admire so much and you idolize didn't reach there because they were given some kind of 'gift', they work hard and hard work always pays back.
Yes there IS the significance of 'talent'. Each one of us might have a different definition for it, i personally believe that talent is the original initiative of our genes.But what is this good for if we don't strive to improve it over time??
Know that time is your friend. Also, it is your biggest enemy.
It is your friend because improvement takes time. Perfection takes time. Practice takes time. And while you become older (and wiser hopefully) you will see that your perspectives and priorities concerning art will change. Things you didn't ever consider as possible for your art to happen when you were 16, will happen automatically when you become 30. Years of experience and practice will pile up to give your art substance.
So don't rush. Be patient. Progress doesn't come with the same electiveness to all of us.
Time is your enemy because sooner or later we all run out of it. Our days are counted, do the best you can while you have the chance to do so. And i will say it again just in case you didn't notice the first time:
NEVER stop. NEVER give up.
HOW TO FEEL ABOUT YOUR ART
And now comes the hard part. So to try and make this as easy as possible, i ll make it short.
Try to keep two things in the back of your head.
A) As we grow from kids to teens and then to adults we gain some things and we also lose some. I would strongly advice you would try to gain everything while aging, but lose NONE of the assets you had as kids. So now lets see what a kid has in advance compared to an adult. Lots of energy (little to add here, just do the best you can^^ ) and lots of fun (that you must fight with everything you got in order NOT to lose it, fun makes things bearable in every way, fun will keep you in the frolicsome mood you need to be, so to create vivid art). Don't take yourselves too seriously, keep a fresh eye and a light heart, be gentle and creative and don't forget to smile. A LOT.
B) You might find yourselves at times, surrounded by people declaring how much they care for you, BUT they don't believe you are good enough to meddle with art, therefor you will never be artists. These people are entitled to 'know better' and they will ruin most of your efforts when you try to make yourselves better artists.They will do so in the name of 'love' and 'care' and 'concern' . Avoid them like the plague they are, don't allow to anyone to make YOUR decisions. Carve your own path in this life because you have the right to do so. If you love art with everything you got, you will make it a part of your life, a necessary inseparable one!
Finally we reached to the end of it, i definitely need to give credits to Nadia she was the one to assemble this in photoshop for me since i know nothing of photoshop, she dedicated many hours to create the background, choose the brushes and the letters, she is always there for me thus she deserves my love and friendship.
If you have any kind of questions, feel free to share them.If you wish to redraw some parts of it and practice feel free to do so and when you do please share with a link here so we can together check it out.
I apologize for the size of it in overall, making a tutorial wouldn't cross my mind because i don't consider myself as an expert, but you asked me to share the love and the knowledge and this is what i did.
all for reading!
Related content
Comments: 140
jjkiefer [2015-06-15 15:55:27 +0000 UTC]
Thanks for sharing this. I am about to start my first colored pencil portrait. I have used graphite for the last 7 or 8 years and decided I'm ready to give colored pencils a shot. Here's a link to some of my work, if interested. jjkiefer.deviantart.com/galler… . Love your work! Cheers!
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XRlS In reply to jjkiefer [2015-06-17 07:06:20 +0000 UTC]
it is a big step to pass from b/w to full color. A step, some never take. I'm glad if you believe it that you are taking it, it will worth your time totally.
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jjkiefer In reply to XRlS [2015-06-17 15:51:55 +0000 UTC]
It's not a big step for me, just a different experience with different materials. My biggest obstacle will be the pencil sharpener as I use mechanical pencils for my BW drawings. I will also have to experiment with paper textures, types of erasers, and blending options as well. I still prefer BW over color but wanted a change. Thanks for sharing your tutorials as it is a good reference point to start. Cheers!
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XRlS In reply to jjkiefer [2015-06-18 06:58:11 +0000 UTC]
the best sharpener ever for color pencils is this one www.bostitchoffice.com/product…
an amazing tool truly. I use it for all my pencils, color pencils, graphite ones, watercolor pencils, pastel pencils, charcoal pencils, you name it.
mechanical pencils i have only used for my architectural projects to be honest (i'm an architectural lighting designer by default i am afraid )
you will have a wonderful journey exploring the textures of papers, now that i have used quite a bit of them (in a wide variety of textures and weights too) i can say that it is still an exciting process to me to discover little things when it comes to techniques and art supplies.
is there anything i can do to help with your journey through colors?
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jjkiefer In reply to XRlS [2015-06-18 14:32:53 +0000 UTC]
What a wonderful and thoughtful response! If you viewed my work on the link I provided earlier, you can see I do very detailed drawings, more so than your wonderful pieces.
Here is a John Lennon drawing for reference - I use Canson plate/smooth Bristol paper. I will start with this since I already have it on-hand. I recently purchased a Faber-Castell 60 color pencils Polychromos set. I have been reading about Prismacolor Verithin pencils and wondered if you have worked with these. From what I have read, they are a harder lead and lend themselves better for really detailed work. I am considering purchasing them for the fine details of my work such as the eyes, lips, and hair. Have you worked with these before and if so, is there anything negative I need to be aware of? I have also begun my search for the pencil sharpener you suggested. Thanks you so much for your time and willingness to help! It is greatly appreciated... Cheers!
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XRlS In reply to jjkiefer [2015-06-19 11:46:09 +0000 UTC]
yeah i do have the 36pc set of Verithin too that i have used only slightly because... hmmm how to put this?
i ll try to explain. Have you used a graphite pencil 3H? my guess is you have done that since graphite is your comfort zone. This is how Verithin feel. Like a 3H graphite pencils (which its not my thing really, i LOVE the rich saturated color, not in the mood really to beg my pencils to give me a bit more hue when i need it)
so i excluded Verithin for this reason. Instead i use the soft core prismacolor pencils sharpened in the electric sharpened i linked above
i have a question though. You are doing obviously very well with graphite. Why you want to move on?
(this is a question addressed to YOU alone, if anyone asked me this i would say that i am never happy with what i have -which is absolutely true - that i want to master all media and not just one, that my ultimate goal is to find the perfect way to combine ALL my tools in the most harmonious way -is there really a way to do this? yet i wonder- some day i WILL find the way to mix oil paints and color pencils too
and this will be a very happy day of my life)
i am smiling to this "What a wonderful and thoughtful response" now as i am sure you are totally aware that thoughtful replies are the perfect match to an actually intelligent and meaningful question.
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jjkiefer In reply to XRlS [2015-06-19 16:01:54 +0000 UTC]
Thanks for your input on the Verithin pencils. Since I rarely use a 3H pencil, I think I'll pass for now.
What a very interesting question to ask - Why do I want to move on? I don't have a simple answer for that. It's not so much that I want to move on as it is a change that my help me better understand and express the features of the face that draw me into the person I am drawing. To be honest, I am at a stand-still with graphite. As a young boy, I started in oils, discovered acrylics and fell in love with that. I also dabbled in watercolors but didn't have the patience for layering techniques. Then I got married and had two children and couldn't leave my paints lying around so I quit painting. Because of the demand of raising 2 kids, my wife was never home (workaholic), I gave up drawing altogether. I went about 20 years of doing perhaps 1 drawing every year or two, and usually nothing but superheroes for my kids. I took up drawing again in 2005, a few years after my divorce and fell in love with simple graphite. So, to answer your question, I suppose it's my way of taking tiny steps back into the world of color. Here's an acrylic painting I did 40 years ago.
Deep down I can't help be think it's all just a distraction from the real issue. I've lost patience in dealing with the perfections I'm looking for in graphite and am too lazy and impatient to struggle through it. Don't get me wrong. I am looking forward to my first colored pencil drawing as it will be a portrait of my 3 year old granddaughter and I have to believe that it will turn out well.
Hope this wasn't too boring of a response. Cheers!
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XRlS In reply to jjkiefer [2015-06-21 10:13:38 +0000 UTC]
what happened to you was pretty much common then. The same happened to me (its the very same that happens to the lot of us i gather) "life" happens to us all and we "forget" that art might be a priority.
we grow older my friend and we lose patience, so many times i have admitted, patience isn't my strong point.
i believe with the circumstances of your life, color pencils is the perfect tool for you.
you will get the advantages of using color and control it to the ways it suits you bringing the pace to your desire, meaning you wont have to cry over a pallet with dry acrylics you have just applied because all of a sudden you found yourself busy doing something else.
i believe the portrait of your granddaughter will turn out divine.
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jjkiefer In reply to XRlS [2015-06-26 16:01:19 +0000 UTC]
Can you tell me what your preference is for pastel pencils?
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XRlS In reply to jjkiefer [2015-06-26 17:03:59 +0000 UTC]
im using derwent pastel pencils and stabilo carbothelo, the biggest sets i could find. And i am quite happy with them .
also they work very well on pastelmat paper.
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jjkiefer In reply to XRlS [2015-06-29 15:34:37 +0000 UTC]
Thanks Christina! Have you ever used cretacolor pastel pencils? I have read a lot of good comments on it.
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XRlS In reply to jjkiefer [2015-06-30 12:04:23 +0000 UTC]
as a matter of fact no i havent use them. I took a look though at their sets and they seem to have a nice looking set of 72 pcs.
You will allow me here to share my honest thoughts about art supplies.
Yes, they are all good
Yes, the better they are the more useful they become to the artist
Yes, getting new art supplies make me feel so much happy beyond description
Yes, i tend to become greedy with them and i have selves now in my studio that look like an art supply store (admittedly some of them i haven't even touched yet, meaning i haven't use them even as of yet)
But in the end, all this matters only to a small %. Because i have used the art supplies i have purchased for my son's elementary art projects (you know the stuff kids use in the school) and the artworks turned out divine Who would believe me if i said that i used acrylics that cost 5E a whole set of 36 tubes for this?
so the point is this; use whatever makes you feel comfortable. Experiment as much as you like, you have nothing to lose, its a wonderful process and a very pleasant journey.
If you want to spend thousands of dollars for art supplies then by all means go ahead and do it. (personally i am all for it )
but if not, then all its fine. Your talent, your skills, the practice you make, all these wont be measured through the value of your art supplies.
The artist makes the good use of the art supplies, not vise versa my friend.
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jjkiefer In reply to XRlS [2015-06-30 15:57:55 +0000 UTC]
I do not have a lot of money to spend on art supplies which was one of the reasons I draw in graphite. However, your point is well taken on the artist's abilities to use the material they have. I was just attempting to avoid the pitfalls of poor quality material that creates more problems than solutions. Cheers!
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Pevansy [2014-10-21 20:49:36 +0000 UTC]
Fabulous tutorial! We are always learning new things, and all credit to you and Nadia for putting this together. I have to say from my time spent on DA I have learnt a great deal from you through studying your work, materials you use and some of your invaluable comments. Predominantly I have always worked with Oil and watercolour and was inspired by drawings on DA your drawings in particular, to pursue working with colour pencil more vigorously Previously I mistakenly felt they had too many limitations.
It is invaluable to get an insight into how another artist works. We might construct art in similar ways but it is some of the little nuances which become gems
Thanks again for the super tutorial and the lovely comments below about my work
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XRlS In reply to Pevansy [2014-10-23 16:09:33 +0000 UTC]
some times i look back to the day i signed up in the site. It wasnt a pleasant day (in fact these were very sad times for me as this is when my mom passed) and i cant believe the fact now that almost 2 and a half years past already?
I found here an endless pool of inspiration alright. And as i am a very competitive individual, time here could only make me improve. I look at my drawings now made when i got started here and imagine that i can see the difference (and we are not supposed to see the difference when it comes to ourselves)
Remember when i told you how crystal clear i could see yours?
well dont thank me. I know a lot of people in this site, but i have just a very few friends and i consider you as one.
(and i love the way you do your pencils )
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Pevansy In reply to XRlS [2014-10-24 19:36:21 +0000 UTC]
Thank you for your lovely words I remember your comments on my drawing very well
I still have a lot to learn but enjoy it immensely
Your work is a big inspiration to me and I always look forwards to seeing your next piece
Thanks again
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
the-midnight-fairy [2014-10-20 17:23:37 +0000 UTC]
Thanks for the tutorial... I dont know if is the same style Im trying to learn, but
For years people keeps tell me is just matter of practice a lot. This is just in part true, after realizing I always drawing with pencil colors and nothing really changed, after 20 years.Lately I noticed there's a LOT of people who are brillant and simply use color pencils of Prismalo, the same I have. they move hands and add shadings the same way I do, yet, my drawings looks poor compared their.
How is possible? I press my pencils first gently, then hard, as much as hard the color permit me to do it, still my drawing are not 'full' decise colors, but ended up to be all messy, not fine,the typical pencil color drawings, with that unrealistic effect. with all the lines directions of the pencil's tips still visible.
How everyone are able to make fine arts that looks like oil poirtrats so fully colored and so realistic?
See these videos:
(they dont use brushes or water, or special tools, just pencils!)
youtu.be/3Hj2-uD8AkI
youtu.be/bh8dE-dgZvQ
youtu.be/5RVNzUPTlVs
Im SURE there's some tricks and technique they all have in common, many of these 'incredible realistic' drawings are made by teenagers or young people, so its not even that they used drawings for 20 years. Theres definitively a technique.
A thing very common is that often they create drawing starting from... nothing! They place an eye, and from that eye, keeps coloring and create the right proportions keeping add nose, mouth, etc, one after one, etc.
can really tell me What technique is this?
It's not just practicing... I love to observe a lot details and I like to 'work' on details... yet, after 20 years nothing come out similar those videos..
They are really young artists... maybe 16 years old too... so they didn't need 20 years before learn to coloring like that... there must be some tutorials that really help...
I wish someone could really tell me how to learn to coloring like that...
👍: 0 ⏩: 3
XRlS In reply to the-midnight-fairy [2014-10-21 12:12:59 +0000 UTC]
this little gem here belongs to Paul. I strongly suggest you spend time in his gallery. He is amazing.
Browse their galleries my dear. Spend time with other artists work. be inspired and creative. Ask questions, maybe not everyone is willing to answer, but i was, and maybe more might be willing to share with you their point of view.
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XRlS In reply to the-midnight-fairy [2014-10-21 12:09:18 +0000 UTC]
aww it seems not all thumbs made it through will try to add them here
Prismacolor again and this is certainly one perfect job. Everything is amazing here, proportions colors lights shading, everything.
Prismacolors again, Erin is very young but look at this... i bet she sees it inside of her head before she puts it on the paper.
Sara's little miracle here in prismacolors. I know you got yours recently right? Time to party!!
almost the perfect example of how a colored pencil portrait should look like. Remember what i told you about the whites? there are no half jobs here, every single one of them has worked things to perfection.
Stunner
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PMucks In reply to XRlS [2014-10-23 15:21:10 +0000 UTC]
I'm very flattered that you chose one of my drawings in your examples. Thank you.
I agree with your point that age can make you a better artist. I started drawing much later in life than most and I don't think I would have had the patience, determination, and level of concentration when I was younger as I do now. Also, life's experiences have given me a comprehension of the world around me that I didn't have when I was young.
Regarding talent, I consider myself living proof that someone with barely a smidgeon of talent can produce something beautiful through sheer determination and hard work.
Thank you again for displaying my work and for the wonderful comment.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
XRlS In reply to PMucks [2014-10-27 11:31:23 +0000 UTC]
this Patrick "I consider myself living proof that someone with barely a smidgeon of talent can produce something beautiful through sheer determination and hard work" i do not believe. there was always something inside of you, but you see? this is what life does to us. Its always so busy to let us take a moment and think if what we are going to dedicate time to is actually worthing it.
and i couldnt myself use better words to describe this "life's experiences have given me a comprehension of the world around me that I didn't have when I was young" once i turned over 35 i saw things really differently like someone turned a switch on inside of me. For many reasons i wouldnt want to go back to my 20s, i prefer to be wiser and finally a bit more patient regarding my work. Now i dont dare to imagine how old must i be to finally gain the patience i need to have to work on multiple artworks for months...
my friend, i might not be the person to be that active with comments and socializing in general but i hope you at least know i love and appreciate your work a lot.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
XRlS In reply to the-midnight-fairy [2014-10-21 11:53:40 +0000 UTC]
it looks almost like magic huh? you said it yourself, you just see the basic sketching first, (which is very simple actually but with the right proportions) and then an eye pops out, a nose the mouth, hair, everything.
First of all i ll tell you this, partially you are right. It has nothing to do with age BUT it doesnt work the same for all of us, right? For every single person it works differently.
Surely i can not make a statement on how it works for everybody else, but i can share how it is (and feels) for me to create an artwork.
Age has made me a better artist. In personal matters it has made me also wiser but this isnt something we will discuss at the moment. Here we will discuss art alone.
But how age has made me a better artist? Its simple really, but very very significant.
Age has given me something that its irreplaceable. And thats "vision". You might not believe this but to me practicing is ofc important, talent is ofc important (hah what talent IS really? i always thought theres no such a thing and it all comes down to practicing ) but Vision is the only thing you only need to create, in my opinion at least.
Now what does that mean? And how does this translate to real life?
So lets get started. Every image you receive, your perception of this world, thus your artistic endeavors are closely connected on how your brain comprehends and acknowledge the environment.
For example, to me, world is a big colored bubble like the ones that can be blown by a chewing gum, you know the ones? I know it sounds funny but its true. I see colors everywhere, even in the most peculiar places, even where they don't exist at all.
All the images i create my dear, they already exist somewhere inside of my head. The only thing i have to do is to pull them out (does it make any sense at all?) Some images are very persistent and they hammer me until i set them lose. And this is the reason why i do my art. Its a necessity for me, to keep the world into a balance.
(like i told you in the first place i could only let you know how it feels for me, i cant talk really for anyone else besides myself)
I am aware, everything i am telling you so far doesn't give you an actual hint on HOW to do things in real. What i know for a fact is that practice makes perfect. I know it sounds boring, but practice doesn't always have to be a chore. To me, practice is pure pleasure.
So i took the liberty to have a look at your drawings (if you dont mind me) and check your gallery.Regarding your color pencil drawing i do like them. They have the potential to turn into what you showed to me into the links you shared above BUT you gave up too soon my friend. You consider your artwork finished and complete where it was only a work in progress. You should have insist and give it more of your time, time is very important, and necessary to complete an artwork.
Here i will in my turn share with you what i consider as beautiful examples of what i mean with it;
take a look at those pictures, nothing seems to be unfinished, the values of shading are remarkable, the colors are all self explanatory, and they all have something in common. Vision!
i know its pastels but pastels have a lot in common with color pencils.
beautiful, right? the only white spots of the paper are the white flowers and the highlights. It shows all the time dedicated to this.
amazing details in color pencils.
if this isnt a beauty then i dont know what it is.
i know this is just graphite but look at it...i mean cmooon. Its damn perfect.
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AstridBruning In reply to XRlS [2014-10-23 05:20:28 +0000 UTC]
Thankyou for including my drawing in this very interesting tutorial
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XRlS In reply to AstridBruning [2014-10-23 11:00:19 +0000 UTC]
your art is powerful my dear friend, you know how much i love it, whatever you touch you turn it into gold.
You are welcome
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the-midnight-fairy In reply to XRlS [2014-10-22 06:58:24 +0000 UTC]
First of all, I have to thank you for your time to write me such interesting reply.
I think I couldn't agree more ...
lately, after 20 years , I'm starting to considering again to take my drawing skills in the next level (I'm realizing that no matter how much one can practice, everyone of us have their limits... I m to the point to give up, and think that what you saw in my gallery, is my limit, since I've practice for ages.... and even if I can notice my leatest drawings are different from the previous, yet, it's no that big change...
Maybe I can't reach that quality I always seak for my drawings when I saw all the beautiful artworks, and I feel upset...
I totally agree about the fact that my drawings (each of them) is not complete at all. I never spent more than 1 week to work on it (I mean for those more 'detailed' like portraits)
Yes, time is really important, but Im realizing that one of the reason my drawing looks like that is because the pencils (and paper, Fabriano 4 smooth), Ive used till today were always the same, always only mix between: Prismalo I and Prismalo colors II, Stabilo colors, and Statdler colors.
The dark areas, even if I try to go more intense or add new details in certain places or add new shades, are impossible for me because these pencils dont really covering at 100%. (and I always start pressing my hand very genly, with light colors first, to obtains gradually the shades) but these pencils I think are very limited, especially in my hands and with my way shading with pencils...
So I've decided to change brand and quality, and finally, yesterday Ive ordered on Amazon my first professional colored pencils, Prismacolor Premier Soft Core 72 + blenders and sharpen from Prismacolor as well. I think everything will be delivered to me in 1 or 2 weeks.
I've decided to continue my practing using more professional tools and see what happens.I know its not the tools that really makes miracles, but they can help me to see how are my skills if associated with professional colors)
Surely I'll need to practice a lot again, and I really want to understand whats my real limit.
At least I have to reach my true one.
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JestersOfTheMoon [2014-03-22 04:38:23 +0000 UTC]
Hello! I've been a fan of your work for a very long time-- it's really gorgeous and original. )
I myself have only been drawing for three months, now-- so, I'm a beginner. I was super excited to stumble upon this gem of a tutorial, especially when I realized it was you!
I'm almost done with redrawing your portrait in this, and I'd love your feedback on it when I'm done. I have a bit more of a impressionist version with more contrasting colors, but I think it's not too bad. Thank you for doing this! It's been very helpful so far.
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XRlS In reply to JestersOfTheMoon [2014-03-22 09:26:52 +0000 UTC]
i am glad you find it helpful, this was its purpose anyway.
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JestersOfTheMoon In reply to JestersOfTheMoon [2014-03-22 06:09:44 +0000 UTC]
Heh, I actually finished it early. here it is:
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XRlS In reply to JestersOfTheMoon [2014-03-22 09:26:09 +0000 UTC]
have checked it already. And you can always go back to it or use the rules to another portrait. I like the colors.
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JestersOfTheMoon In reply to XRlS [2014-03-22 19:06:17 +0000 UTC]
Thank you so much! That means a lot.
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PhotonLights [2013-12-11 15:07:15 +0000 UTC]
I finally got time to look at this, really great tut! When I decide to give color pencils a shot I will definitely look this up again, thanks so much for making it!
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ericbernut [2013-11-23 10:58:31 +0000 UTC]
I m going to follow step by step and expect your comment.Thank you for sharing.RGDS Eric
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XRlS In reply to ericbernut [2013-11-23 13:44:40 +0000 UTC]
when you have a wip or the final piece even give me a nudge and i will comment. Good luck my friend
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honeycat007 [2013-11-22 03:36:44 +0000 UTC]
So, if you don't mind me asking, do you draw on orange paper?
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XRlS In reply to honeycat007 [2013-11-23 13:43:40 +0000 UTC]
on white paper and tinted paper too, this one here was terre de sienne tint but lately i love to use Stonegenge too with subtle hues on, and i have some really dark ones i intent to use too and we see how this goes because it will take so much layering to make the light colors stay.
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honeycat007 In reply to XRlS [2013-11-25 04:28:07 +0000 UTC]
that's very cool- i can tell you are really professional with your work you should (one day) make some more tutorials. I work mainly with grayscale, but I've been trying to do colored pencil, so yeah i need all the help i can get XD
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Babcicathy [2013-11-02 03:44:41 +0000 UTC]
How do I downoad your tutorial? I click on it and it doesn't get large enough to read. Your art is beautiful.
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XRlS In reply to Babcicathy [2013-11-02 06:57:04 +0000 UTC]
click on the download button up right to your screen.
Thanx
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BlueRidgePainter [2013-10-26 03:07:54 +0000 UTC]
XRlS , you will never know how very useful this tutorial has been. I really do not know how to thank you enough.
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chriStonerart [2013-09-26 14:45:07 +0000 UTC]
very helpful thanks...αν και χρησιμοποιουσα πολυ μικρος καποτε τα καλυτερα colored-pencils της faber πλεον δεν υπαρχει ουτε ευρο για να παρω εστω τα απαρετητα. Χαιρομαι τουλαχιστον που υπαρχουν ακομα μεγαλα ταλεντα στην χωρα μας keep it up!
το κατεβαζω αν δεν σε πειραζει...
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XRlS In reply to chriStonerart [2013-09-26 15:10:17 +0000 UTC]
τωρα δεν υπαρχουν λεφτα για το σουπερμαρκετ κιεσυ μου λες για τα μολυβια?
Εδω Χρηστο δεν πρεπει να εχεις παραπονο, πραγματικα η χωρα αυτη παραγει τεχνη και επιστημη (ειτε το πιστευεις ειτε οχι) σε απιστευτες ποσοτητες.
Απλα φευγουν φιλε μου και φιαχνουν την ζωη τους (και την καριερα τους) αλλου και οχι εδω. (λογικο και επομενο...)
Να δεις εγω ποσα τουτοριαλς εχω κατεβασει εγω και η φαση ειναι οτι τα διαβαζω συχνα πυκνα, ειναι απιστευτα ενδιαφερον να βλεπεις την διαδικασια καποιου αλλου για να δημιουργει την τεχνη του. Αν το δικο μου σε βοηθαει εστω και στο ελαχιστο χαιρομαι πολυ.
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chriStonerart In reply to XRlS [2013-09-26 19:31:40 +0000 UTC]
ναι κουκλιτσα μου εχεις δικιο...με βοηθησε και θα με βοηθησει και στο μελλον. σε ευχαριστω.
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George-H-Art [2013-09-13 13:43:46 +0000 UTC]
Hi, my lovely Greek Goddess. I've read your tutorial about 5 times and I must say it's very inspiring. I'm starting a portrait this week and thanks to you I'm confident that it'll go well. Anyway, I've been practicing my cp skills, drawing apples, grapes and cherries and taking your advice, not giving up and it's better than I thought. I've been drawing these "easy" pieces because one thing I have learned since I've been drawing is to learn how to walk before I can run Reading your tutorial has shown me that we have a lot in commen, we are, in some ways, very similar. I had people telling me, that's just a phase, you're not an artist, you'll only be disapointed. They have gone quiet now, which tells me I'm on the right path
Thank for this and the little insight in to your mind, it must be lovely in there
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