View Full Version : How do you begin coloring a drawing?
Hi everyone,
Just curious as to how everyone begins coloring a drawing (after the composition and the drawing has been done).
Do you begin at the top and work down? Do you start with a grisaille? Do you jump right in?
I'm working on another flower with a background and the background is kind of busy, so hard to tell where the color changes begin and end. I figured I'd ask to see how everyone goes about making the first marks on the paper to see if maybe there is a new way I can approach the coloring process without getting too frustrated.
Thanks!
KarenCardinal
10-10-2005, 01:26 PM
Hi everyone,
Just curious as to how everyone begins coloring a drawing (after the composition and the drawing has been done).
Do you begin at the top and work down? Do you start with a grisaille? Do you jump right in?
I'm working on another flower with a background and the background is kind of busy, so hard to tell where the color changes begin and end. I figured I'd ask to see how everyone goes about making the first marks on the paper to see if maybe there is a new way I can approach the coloring process without getting too frustrated.
Thanks!
Hey Rose!
Don't you mean after the composition, value sketches, color sketches and drawing is done? You want to have everything worked out before you make your first mark on the paper!
If you haven't done your value sketches to figure out how you want to light the scene... do them now! If you haven't done your color sketches to know how your colors will flow through your work without making it look too busy... do them now!
I start in a very "haphazard" way making blocks of color all over my paper. Sometimes I do the background first, sometimes I don't. The point is that even though it may look like I'm just randomly throwing color around, I have already worked everything out, so I'm prepared to adjust if I need to... but there won't be any questions or surprises once I put my first mark on my good paper. :D
I'm looking forward to seeing your flower! :D
Amazingreys
10-10-2005, 01:36 PM
Hey Rose!
Don't you mean after the composition, value sketches, color sketches and drawing is done? You want to have everything worked out before you make your first mark on the paper!
Great question Rose!
Does anyone have a scan or photo of their "behind the scenes" work to share so that we can see what you mean? In Lene's Arctic Fox pastel painting, I could see her thumbnails and reference pictures in the background of the photo, it was very helpful to me.
I realize this is a very "basic" concept....I've heard it over and over. But I've never seen it actually done in RL so that I understand.....?
:bangin:
I do mine the hard way. Since I paint pets, I start with the eyes. If I can't get those right, I start over. And over. (I've started that darn cat over 15 times!) Luckily, I learn a bit each time....
Just my imput which isn't worth a lot! ;)
caulfield
10-10-2005, 01:41 PM
I found at the beginning (of my short carreer as a colored pencil artist, lol) it really helped (for me) to start with a grisaille. It made me confident because I was already used to working that way in graphite. What I have been doing lately (sometimes at least) is start with a grisaille and then for my next layer of color I'll do what Karen does - color blocking the whole page. So if there is an undertone of red in one part I broadly put red and in another part it might be violet. I use very bright versions of the colors I color block with and then tone them down with my subsequent layers.
If I don't do a grisaille first I usually start with the darkest areas of the picture all the way to almost completion and go from there.I find that is another a good way to keep track of your values.
Hope this makes any sense!
Nicole
caulfield
10-10-2005, 01:43 PM
Here's a pic that I think shows the one method I use. I did the whole thing with a black grape grisaille and then started color blocking with a bunch of orange tones. Some parts have the color blocking in this pic and most of the right side is just the grisaille. I also included either the finished one or almost finished, lol.
So my method in this one was
1. grisaille in black grape
2. color blocking using the bright versions of undertones
3. apllications of what I felt was the local colors of that area
4. Then I alternate with layers of local color, the bright color blocked colors I used, and possibly the grisaille color
Amazingreys
10-10-2005, 01:50 PM
I admit, even after reading the archives and stickies, I just don't "get" grisaille or underpainting. I understand the definition, and why people use it....I'm just not able to take that next leap and figure out the hows and whens wheres and whys of application. :bangin:
KarenCardinal
10-10-2005, 02:12 PM
Hey Dana (and anyone else interested)!
Well I do have TONS of sketches ;) but I also have a dead scanner so I have to rely on the ones I already have on my computer.
First is a picture I drew for Arlene's project "Copy a Master's painting"...
I began by cropping the original work Mary Cassatt's "Mother and Child (the Oval Mirror)
http://karencardinal.com/cassatt/cassattoriginal.jpg
Then I did a very fast graphite sketch to see where I wanted to put my bright areas and dark areas. (this smudged very badly so everything looks midtoned now)
http://karencardinal.com/cassatt/Cassatt_grey.jpg
Then I scribbled a quick idea of where I wanted my colors to lead.
http://karencardinal.com/cassatt/Cassatt__csketch.jpg
This is what the work ended up looking like...
http://karencardinal.com/cassatt/cassatt_final.jpg
Sketches are also great to show you potential problems before you waste your good paper.
With this one I could tell by the value sketch that my idea for the drawing was going to be way too busy to work.
http://karencardinal.com/cassatt/wedding_bwsketch.jpg
This took a few color sketches for me to admit that a great photo does not always work as a great drawing.
http://karencardinal.com/cassatt/glasses.jpg
Don't be stingy with the sketches. For me every hour put into coloring the final work equals at least 3 or 4 hours in prep work to get to the good materials. :D
btw your opinion is VERY important! Everyone's is! :D
Amazingreys
10-10-2005, 02:32 PM
Oh Karen, this is great, thank you! :clap: :clap: :clap:
kimbas
10-10-2005, 03:56 PM
Thanks for this I to have had trouble understanding these things, I'm a little more enlightened:)
Thank you Karen, Nicole, and Dana and Kimbas... this is a GREAT help!!! I felt like I was getting lost after doing the value sketches and the drawing... I look at the blank outline on the paper and PANIC! Don't know where to begin. This helps a lot. I appreciate ALL your advice, and Karen and Nicole.. seeing it as it progresses is priceless (I should do a MasterCard commercial!)
You guys are the best!
KarenCardinal
10-10-2005, 06:31 PM
http://karencardinal.com/mc_commercial.jpg
btw I wouldn't mind seeing some more myself from those of you who are so controlled (like you Nicole and Arlene). I think it's facinating watching a work that builds up so slowly and perfectly. Sooooo not my style. :D
Karen, LOL!!!!! This is so great! You and Nicole have made my day today!
Friends on ST... Priceless! Thanks so much for your valuable input. I hope other people learn a lot from this thread as well. :clap:
Hi ya Rose.
Hmmm I guess I've been starting with an underpainting lately. Basically along the lines of a grisalle, except looser. I'm thinking paint and blocking in shapes while underpainting, not compliements or perfection.
I used to start on the eyes and proceed from there, now I like to work sort of helter skelter here and there. More like Karen and Leanne. Bringing up the painting all at once, instead of one section at a time. .
The exception to the process would be if I'm doing a commissioned portrait. Gotta have that likeness before moving on.
TJ
Hi
Great question. There are so different ways of working, it just is important to find one that suits you :o :p :rolleyes:
Coloring with color pencils I have used two methods: with and without underpainting. I'll get back to that. I also think of this as: going from light to dark or dark to light, even that is not the case in all areas of the drawing...
I always start with the eyes of an animal - if they cannot be seen (as in my "Leading Pair" drawing) I start elsewhere in the face.
I don't work "all-over" like some of the artists already replying in this thread. I have noticed that people like Gemma and Gayle and I work in a similar way, that is we make smaller areas (more or less) complete bit by bit.
I have tried graisille/underpainting just a couple of times; If I am correct then graisille is underpainting with grey values (pencil, grey colorpencils) while underpainting include colors. Please correct me if wrong :bangin: This can be colors that are complements or same hues as layers on top.
the first time I began with grey cp's - I got totally lost - and then applied darker colors of the local color as underpainting. I found it hard to know how much color to apply but I am sure it is just a question of practise.
My "Leading Pair" I used graisille with grey cp's. This was a great help to me; having the values placed on the actual drawing and not just on a photo or a thumbnail. I had expected the greys to "shine through" but that showed not to be true = had to cover with many darker layers of color. Still - found it very useful. :)
When not using graisille/underpainting I start with lighter colors and work my way "up" applying local colors (building them of different hues that is) :)
Thank you TJ and Lene.
TJ, when you all are talking about color blocking, what does that mean? Do you just pick shapes and color them in haphazardly? And are they darker colors or light ones that can be colored over with darker? I'm confused again. I thought the first layers had to be very light and delicate so not to spoil the top layers. But I see many use this color blocking technique in the beginning as a base... or a grisaille as a base to get the darks light.
Lene, thank you for the input... I would be lost if I did not work all over to get a sense of unity in color, but if it works in little bits and pieces for you and Gemma, then what you said is right, you have to find a way that fits your own personal style. Maybe that's my problem, I like too many styles and haven't found my own yet. Practice, practice, practice!
Thank you again for all of this great advice and guidance :-)
caulfield
10-12-2005, 12:18 PM
I admit, even after reading the archives and stickies, I just don't "get" grisaille or underpainting. I understand the definition, and why people use it....I'm just not able to take that next leap and figure out the hows and whens wheres and whys of application. :bangin:
I don't know if this will help or confuse... ok so if you were doing a painting with acrylics/oils of a red cloth with a fold let's say - and you had to make some parts dark red and some parts red, and so on. Well to get those dark parts, you would mix something with your red to get that dark red - most likely you would use the complement (green) or black :o. In the varying value ranges on that nice cloth some places will have more or less of that green or black mixed in right? Now if you are doing a grisaille - you are basically putting that black or green down first in varying degrees and since the colored pencils are somewhat transparent, they will mix together on the page, making those different values of red which with paint you might mix on the pallette... of course some people use a grisaille with painting too! I like grisailles because right from the beginning I have an idea of where the values are.
TJ, when you all are talking about color blocking, what does that mean? Do you just pick shapes and color them in haphazardly? And are they darker colors or light ones that can be colored over with darker? I'm confused again. I thought the first layers had to be very light and delicate so not to spoil the top layers. But I see many use this color blocking technique in the beginning as a base... or a grisaille as a base to get the darks light.
Well here is what I think color blocking is... I may be wrong but this is my idea! When I look at a reference photo - if I squint my eyes - I can see the image more as shapes and not details. If you are color blocking you are putting down general color shapes first and then bringing in the details later. Usually they are some medium/light color.
Hope I didn't confuse anyone - & again please correct me if you think I'm wrong!
Nicole
Nicole,
Yes, this absolutely helps! I figured if I was to lay down a bunch of color that it would stand out like a sore thumb, but if it's done in a light value, then the color would come through but not be so out of place! Thanks!
I loved the tips on the grisaille too! :-) Thanks so much!
Karen, Nicole gave me the courage to post this... this is the before stage and after of a sunflower ref from WC. :-) My first try with Colourfix, but I picked a dark green toned background, so the color is so muted, but I tried some of that color blocking, only I went too dark too soon. C&C welcome, but I think I'm done mostly with this and time to move on as I have learned a lot from this new background (and I'm running of of pencils! :eek: ) I included the ref from WC, photographer tessp.
Gemma
10-14-2005, 01:45 PM
I do all my planning on the computer. I create a grayscale and up the contrast on the drawing, make changes where I think it needs it and so forth. I also play with different crops on the computer, it's all worked before I start the drawing.
I know this isn't the best way to do it but I really don't do any sketches. I plan it all out using the computer as my tool. Then I only draw a contour drawing using a grid on tracing paper. So when I do a work in progress you see my contour drawing and that's just about all I do. I transfer the contour onto my stonehenge and I then start coloring it in. I think the reason I do it this way is that is the way I do it with my oil painting. In oil painting a do a very rough contour and paint away.
When I start coloring in with the colored pencil I usualling start in one spot and work around it and finish each little section as I go. Lots of times I'll start in a corner (upper left usually) and work my way down.
As an example of the computer work I'm attaching a picture of a Panda Bear I took at the San Diego Zoo. I didn't like the zoo look so I altered it a bit.
Here's the original Photo:
http://www.glassgems.net/images/PandaDemo/PandaSM.jpg
I then cropped it and added some rocks below the log and added some bamboo.
http://www.glassgems.net/images/PandaDemo/PandaAlteredST_Sm.jpg
I then drew my contour on black paper (by the way this isn't one of my best I wasn't at all that happy working on black paper). This is a closeup that shows part of the contour.
http://www.glassgems.net/images/PandaDemo/PandaWIP1.jpg
And then here's the finished piece..... remember this is not one of my favorites, I just happened to have all of the process on my computer and I didn't have to dig it out from a CD.
http://www.glassgems.net/images/PandaDemo/PandaBearSTdemo.jpg
So there you go, that's my very different way of doing it.
Gemma
Gemma, I love your different way! If only I was as proficient at computer software to be able to add rocks and bamboo!! I'm sure it just takes time and desire to learn it... but it works for you! :-) I don't know if I'd be able to keep track of smalls spots and all the different colours used in each area! That would drive me nuts... but I guess this is what makes each one of us different, and gives each person's art such a personality and style. Thank you so much for sharing your technique! I think it's cool that you can add and take away... :-)
oozoo
10-14-2005, 10:08 PM
I think it's facinating watching a work that builds up so slowly and perfectly. Sooooo not my style. :D
Me niether!! I tend to jump right in and put color wherever it's the most interesting at the moment...I also jump around a bit when I get tired of one color or texture, or something else draws my eye. I also use several different methods, underpainting, grissaille, complimentary (which I'm just learning) etc. at different times, sometimes in the same painting. And I jump from picture to picture so I don't get bored.
I'm not sure there is a "better" way to do it...some might consider my methods sloppy, and others might consider it loose and inspired. Some might consider the 3 hours of preparation for every 1 hour of color quite rigid, while others might consider it careful or dedicated.
I do love the precision of Arlene's paintings, very photo-realistic, but I also love the looser feel of Karen or Lahree's work.
Oozoo, thank you for your input... I guess in art, there are no right and wrong ways, just personal style! I am still trying to find mine ;-)
Amazingreys
10-15-2005, 12:52 PM
This is such a great thread......thank you again Rose for bringing this up.
All the comments are great, and it is interesting to see everyones' style.
I agree that art is not "one size fits all"...yes we should continue to learn, grow, improve as artists. But don't let yourself get so caught up in the "rules" that you are frozen and afraid to even try anything in fear of doing it "wrong".
I would think also, Rose, as you and I are both just setting out in our journey as artists, that in time and with more "milage" we will take bits and pieces of what we have learned and eventually develop our own unique style. :)
Arlene
10-19-2005, 08:33 PM
Dana, an underpainting is simple to understand if you "go back to basics." What do I mean?
Think of a graphite drawing. How do you show lights and darks in a graphite drawing? by values, right? A grisaille is basically doing a graphite drawing, only using cp's in either grays, complementary colors, or any other color like black grape.
when you finish a grisaille or underpainting, you should be able to look at it and see the full value range of what your drawing will be. Below I attached the underpainting for my drawing Hanging Onto your Illusions. I then grayscaled this underpainting for you to see how the values are now set.
KarenCardinal
10-23-2005, 02:04 AM
Hey Rose!
So sorry I missed this earlier! :(
Don't feel shy about sending me a pm telling me to look at a thread if I don't respond.
Honestly I really enjoy your interpretation of the sunflower! You have some movement in your lines and colors that are great! :D
I work mostly light over dark and I start with blocks of pure color, so I'm used to getting the bright bold colors down early. If this was one of mine, I'd feel like I had a great start and just had to work my lighter colors over the petals to give the feeling of sunshine on them.
If you like to work light colors first and build up to darks, then you are definately better off working in very light layers and slowly building up your values and forms.
As I said, I really like what you've done already! :clap:
All you really need is some more definition between the lights and darks on your flower and you'll have a work that will surprise you. :D
Hi,I have read through this thread and found it fascinating with all the different methods to reach the final painting,there are some very good techniques.
I love doing portraits and the first thing I draw and finish is the eyes,then I put down the shades on the face with a blush pink and leave the highlights white,then do the skin colour workin through from cream to brown with many layers between,I allways look at the photo I am copying from with 1/2 closed eyes to get the degree of shades I need,its just something I have allways done,the last thing I do is the B/G.
Steve
Well..... the first thing I do is pour a BIG glass of Diet Pepsi Vanilla, and grab a diet snack. I stare at the paper, and get queasy just thinking about it. Then I stare at my reference pic, or look inside my head if that's where I'm drawing from. By the way, that's a scarry place to be. Then I get mad at myself and tell myself that it's not going to get drawn by itself. By then my Diet Pepsi is gone. Sooooo, then I get a big dip of Skoal, wipe my sweaty palms, and get started.
I started to say, " All joking aside, but the above is the real truth." The first thing I do is sit down with Sketch paper and just make strokes with the pencil. Hatch lines, then cross hatch. Why? Because I'm WAY too heavy handed, and that gets me in " the zone". Then I try to begin somewhere in the middle and work out. I try to work my background at the same time I do the other. I'll admit I HATE doing this, but it's the only way I can see how the colors and values work with each other. The rest depends on what type of piece I'm doing.... seascape, portrait, or still life. The main thing for me is to get my touch right with the pencil before I start putting it to the good paper. And I'll erase the darn thing a million times when I'm first starting a piece. :blushing:
Karen, Steve and Greg! Thanks for the compliments and advice... I have put the sunflower away for the time being but I think i'll pull 'er back out and start again! Greg..LOL... time to get out some Diet Pepsi! :-) No Skoal for me though! Thanks for taking time to comment and cheer me on!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!!
Debee
11-24-2005, 05:11 AM
GREAT THREAD! Love reading how everyone works.
Arlene - thank you for sharing the WONDERFUL illustration. I am visual and to see to what degree you worked your underpainting just made the concept click for me. I've tried that just a little with the dahlia. (See now where some of your questions stemmed from.) My concept was that the underpainting barely showed.
I am a color blocker myself. First layer my local color then build on that by alternating other colors with the local to achieve what I want. Find I get the richest colors and subtle nuances of color within the local color that way. But when it comes to the darks it is complentaries and companion colors. I may add a huge glass of ice water or snack in there, but I'll pass on the skoal too! :eek:
And then here's the finished piece..... remember this is not one of my favorites, I just happened to have all of the process on my computer and I didn't have to dig it out from a CD.
Gemma
Well I think this is a georgeous drawing. The pose, the animal and the habitat - the stones are wonderful - all looks great to me ;)
ex-limey
11-24-2005, 05:51 PM
Hay Steve! Glad to see somebody else does the background last! :D I was beginning to think I was the only one.. :blushing: and after reading some of the head bashings to other people from the administrators, I was a little hesitant to admit it! But I guess we all have our own way of painting and drawing. It would be boring if everybody did the same thing!
Jean. :bye1: :bye1:
Rose and Debee, the Skoal helps me to think. Just why.... I'm not sure :confused: At least, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it. Try sunflower seeds, they work wonders for creativity. I'm sorry Rose, I think I just threw your thread off course..... well, time to right the ship.
Arlene
11-28-2005, 02:04 PM
Hay Steve! Glad to see somebody else does the background last! :D I was beginning to think I was the only one.. :blushing: and after reading some of the head bashings to other people from the administrators, I was a little hesitant to admit it! But I guess we all have our own way of painting and drawing. It would be boring if everybody did the same thing!
Jean. :bye1: :bye1:No not both administrators...only me! LOL. I have a very good reason for doing that Jean and I'd love if you'd try an experiment for me.
I'm including squares within squares for you to print out. In the inner squares, I'd like you to use one color only. Either true blue, canary yellow or process red. color them in using a heavy hand so no white of the paper is showing.
For the outer squares, you may choose any six colors you'd like so that each outer square is a different color. When you've done that, I'd like you to stand about 18"-24" away from them and tell me what you see with the inner squares. How does the color you chose compare to one another? Do they still all look like the same?
I've done a version on the computer just for you to get an idea but it's best to do it in cp.
Hi Arlene,I have looked at your blues on different coloured sqares,what I noticed was they appear a different shade,lighter and darker depending on what the corresponding colours are used and some blues seem to receed or come forward on others.
Steve
Arlene
11-30-2005, 05:08 PM
Hi Arlene,I have looked at your blues on different coloured sqares,what I noticed was they appear a different shade,lighter and darker depending on what the corresponding colours are used and some blues seem to receed or come forward on others.
SteveGive that man a gold star!!! :) Now tell me, if you do your subject first against the white paper for example, and then add your bg color...what might happen?
Well if I have drawn a portrait and finished it to my liking,depending on the skin tones a dark b/g added after could mean the subject is too pale and would have to add to it which would mean more work that would have been unnessasary if I had done the b/g first :D ie:-a dark b/g makes for a lighter foreground subject,an example that is brought to my mind is reading one of Ann Kullberg's books she says that values established in the b/g can be compared to the values in the skin tones and are more easily judged.
So summing it all up in a nutshell,its saves a lot of grief to do the b/g first :D
Steve
Arlene
12-02-2005, 11:41 AM
So summing it all up in a nutshell,its saves a lot of grief to do the b/g first :D
Steveit sure does! :) :clap: :bounce: :dance3: :dance2: :brevet:
tondee
01-27-2006, 10:04 AM
You know, I have to say. After going thru many of these threads (I'm new to this site) I am literally SHOCKED with this 'grisaille' concept. I ALWAYS shaded as I went. Not a good thing. Sometimes things will just fall into place, making a real quick drawing. Other times would be so painstaking that I'd dread entering the next project. So I won't. Hiatus. The last project I did was a year ago (pastel).
So, here I am, reading thru and I seen Arlene's complementary fruits with the Mark Twain quote. I thought, how effective could that be?? I didn't appreciate her or her explanations until, wandering around, I hit a link to her site and seen the "finished" Mark Twain fruits picture.
So, I'm excited with this grisaille thing (and this site, and everybody in it) that...well, I just can't wait. Having a pastel background, I never viewed color pencils as a serious medium, especially when the last one I did kept fading. But, here we go - here I go...
Tony
tondee
02-07-2006, 03:05 PM
Doing these super light layers is really trying my patience...
1) When you guys are doing these layers, how do you position the pencil to the paper, perpendicular or at an angle?
2) Do you rotate the pencil as you wear down your sharp edge or do you sharpen immediately?
3) How many layers of undertone before bringing in color?
4) Exactly how and when do I focus onto details?
Tony
Helene
02-07-2006, 10:58 PM
No not both administrators...only me! LOL. I have a very good reason for doing that Jean and I'd love if you'd try an experiment for me.
I'm including squares within squares for you to print out. In the inner squares, I'd like you to use one color only. Either true blue, canary yellow or process red. color them in using a heavy hand so no white of the paper is showing.
For the outer squares, you may choose any six colors you'd like so that each outer square is a different color. When you've done that, I'd like you to stand about 18"-24" away from them and tell me what you see with the inner squares. How does the color you chose compare to one another? Do they still all look like the same?
I've done a version on the computer just for you to get an idea but it's best to do it in cp.
Thank you Arlene for the colored squares. This was an eye opener for me. I have seen similar examples before but could not really understand what they meant, no I do (I think). The color in the middle really change a lot depending on the color surrounding it.
I need to practice with these squares to better understand my colors.
Helene
Arlene
02-08-2006, 08:54 AM
Doing these super light layers is really trying my patience...trust me tondee, it trys mine too. you might for the future look into doing a combo of pastels and cp. I haven't tried it because of the dust issue (i'm very allergic) but others have. Check out the mixed media forum.
1) When you guys are doing these layers, how do you position the pencil to the paper, perpendicular or at an angle?
at a very slight angle for those things I want smoother, and more of an angle if i'm looking for something to have more texture.
2) Do you rotate the pencil as you wear down your sharp edge or do you sharpen immediately? I sharpen my pencil at least once a minute.
3) How many layers of undertone before bringing in color? As many as it takes to get the values. Think of the underpainting as a value drawing. It's the same as a b/w drawing only with muted color. If you go through my threads again, including my newest, you'll see I put my value drawing in grayscale to show what I mean. Click HERE (http://www.scribbletalk.com/showthread.php?t=2121) to see my latest.
4) Exactly how and when do I focus onto details?
Explain what you mean. I'm not quite following.
tondee
02-08-2006, 10:15 AM
Whoa,
You keep your point THAT sharp THAT often?? Are you going thru a lot of pencils? Well, if that's what it takes...
That question regarding details left you in a blank space (between the lines). Your blankness answered my question. I was blocking in the large spaces and leaving the fine details for later. It seems very awkward to draw fine details over and over very light from the start. But from looking at your example I take it that that's EXACTLY what you're doing so that's what I should had - You know what? I hate incompetence on my behalf. It really gets in the way...
Tony
Arlene
02-08-2006, 11:39 AM
we all start out inexperienced. part of the fun is the experimentation as we learn the medium and learn what it can do for us, and that's different for each person. I block in everything...others work by just doing large and working to smaller.
and yes i go through alot of pencils. of course as i get alot more layers on, i don't have to worry as much about the pencil being so sharp, since at that stage the grain is mostly filled in.
visualawakenings
05-10-2006, 10:52 AM
Arlene or whomever,
I am new to colored pencil and normally just do my first layer lightly with all the colors but no underpainting.
Anyway, If I am understanding this correctly, (Using Arlene's for my example) You do a grahphice tonal value then spray with fixative, then you are actually doing your colored pencil right over the value drawing right?
Or are you drawing your entire drawing out again? I guess my question is: Is the total value sketch and the finished piece on the same piece of paper?
I am sure I am just making this more difficult!
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