SUPPLY LIST COLORED PENCIL WITH MIXED MEDIA with Sarah Becktel Lesson 3: Adding Watercolor to Colored Pencil Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Board or Strathmore 400 Series Mixed Media Paper I ll be working on a surface toned with fluid acrylic (as demonstrated in Lesson 1), but your surface can be toned or white, whichever you prefer.
Artist-grade colored pencils There are many high-quality brands available, so you can use whatever works best for you and your budget. Many colored pencil lines are available as both sets and open-stock (meaning you can buy individual pencils.) Look at the colors available in both the sets and open stock to choose what will work best for you based on the subject matter you want to draw. Watercolors Artist grade watercolors are recommended, but you can also use student grade. Again, you do not need a big set of colors to start. I would recommend having red, yellow, blue, and whatever additional colors you re interested in working with. Round watercolor brushes I typically use synthetic brushes in sizes 2, 4, 6, and 8. The size I use will depend on the size of my work (the larger the number, the larger the brush.) If you ve never used watercolor brushes before and aren t sure, I d go with a 4 and an 8- that will give you some versatility. I will be using Princeton Velvetouch Round Brushes. HB graphite pencil Kneaded eraser (and any additional types of erasers that you like using) Paper towels Small plastic container or bowl for water Easy-to-remove or low-tack tape (3/4 to 1 wide) Blue painters tape is a good option I typically tape down my art so it stays put while I m working. If you re working in a pad, this is unnecessary. Optional Supplies: Sketch Paper I like to draw out my compositions on sketch paper first, then transfer that drawing onto mixed media board or mixed media paper. But you can work directly on the mixed media surface if you prefer. 3B or 4B graphite pencil I use a softer pencil when transferring my drawings from sketch paper to the final mixed media surface.
Instructions: In this lesson, we ll be focusing on enhancing colored pencil with watercolor. I ll be working on Strathmore s 500 series mixed media board that has been toned with fluid acrylic, but you can work on white paper if you prefer. If you need a review of how I tone my boards, please check back to lesson 1. I drew out my red fox and landscape on sketch paper and then transferred it onto my mixed media board. If you need a refresher on how to transfer your drawing, you can check out lesson 2 for a review. I ll be working on the landscape first and I want it to appear foggy and overcast. I m going to start with watercolor to create this effect, and then I ll layer colored pencil on top of it. In general, objects that are farther away lose detail and color saturation. This effect is further accentuated with the presence of fog, so I m making my shrubs lighter as they get farther away.
Next, I mix a light, neutralized green color to suggest the other grasses and brush in my landscape. I m laying down the color with small strokes to suggest tall grass and clumps of vegetation. As I work towards the foreground of my landscape, I m adding more color and detail. I start my fox with colored pencil in the same way that I started my jackrabbit in lesson 2. I m building up the colored pencil slowly and keeping my layers thin. I m using small strokes to indicate the direction of the fox s fur, but I m not worried about drawing individual hairs. At this point, it s more important to get the value and color relationships mapped out. I can work on tight detail later.
Next, I m adding watercolor on top of my colored pencil. I m mixing a few colors that are close to the colors in the fox s fur and I m adding a lot of water to keep the paint very transparent. The watercolor isn t meant to cover up my colored pencil, I want it to deepen and saturate the colors that are already there. While the watercolor on my fox is drying, I m going back to the landscape to add some colored pencil. Right now, the landscape is still completely watercolor, so it appears smoother and more ephemeral then my fox. I m adding colored pencil into the foreground to add texture and make the landscape and fox look more integrated.
Now that my fox is dry, I can use colored pencil to further develop my drawing and add fine details. I m pushing the white areas of her fur lighter and I m further darkening the shadow areas. I m adding small linear strokes to suggest fur and I m adding more detail in her face. I m adding more color and detail to the landscape to make the grass feel fuller and more substantial, and I m also darkening the shadow areas on my fox.
Once that watercolor has dried, I go back in with colored pencil one more time to add a few more details into the foreground and middle-ground of the landscape.