AVT 667-Colored Pencils

Colored pencils fall into the same category of enthusiasm I reserved for graphite: They are versatile tools, cheap, easy to be grasped by anyone, and capable of the same wide range of expressive qualities as standard pencils with the added benefit of incorporating color.  Color and pencil are like peanut butter and chocolate, two great tastes that taste great together. 

That said, I do believe that the addition of color to the medium can be paralyzing for some artists (it was for me, for awhile).  Color is a skillset in and of itself, subject to its own rules and working methods.  Switching from a graphite pencil to a colored pencil is not a 1 to 1 translation, as now the artist must think about color harmony, temperature, saturation and a whole host of other concerns beyond just value.  For this reason, I’d recommend at least an introductory color theory lesson before bringing them into the curriculum.  Explaining primary, secondary, and complimentary colors will go a long way towards making students feel more comfortable before working with these things.  

I’d also spend some time covering the various means of combining colors with colored pencils.  This too is something I struggled with when I first started playing around with them.  Multiple colors can be used to crosshatch, stipple, layer, overlay, and create smooth gradations, but these methods aren’t always immediately obvious to novices.  If you want to get really crazy, solvents can be added into the mix causing the binding agent of the pencil to breakdown and the pigment to act almost like paint.  A color can be laid down and manipulated on the surface using solvent and a paintbrush.  Solvents can be toxic, so this method may best be reserved for older students.   

The following resources may be helpful in teaching students colored pencil blending techniques: 

“The Only Methods You’ll Ever Need for Blending Colored Pencil” Carrie L. Lewis

https://www.carrie-lewis.com/3-methods-blending-colored-pencil/ 

“8 Ways on How to Blend Colored Pencils Like a Pro” Jae Johns

https://jaejohns.com/how-to-blend-colored-pencils/

In class I tried my hand at Crayola “Color Sticks” which seem to be the halfway point between a traditional colored pencil and a pastel.  Their large, blocky, hard edged shape made them a little unwieldy for the type of line drawing I was trying to do, but I could immediately see how intuitive they’d be for a more painterly approach, and I liked the way they reacted to the textured paper.

In my sketchbooks, I almost always work in red or blue colored pencil (or blue ballpoint pen). I like the “glide” of a pencil, but with graphite, I find I tend to go too dark too early, and I leave smudges and fingerprints all over the place. Colored pencils have the same range, feel and texture of graphite, but without some of the drawbacks. These are all from my sketchbook, but I always have trouble taking good photos so apologies in advance for the image quality.

AVT 595-Colored Pencil

I figure beyond experimenting solely with materials for this blog, I should experiment with the format some as well.  Rather than go with my typical, free-wheeling stream of consciousness “diary” style approach, for this one, I’m attempting to be a bit more structured and methodical.  With that said, on to colored pencils!

Materials

Prismacolor Premiere 48 Piece Set- $42 from Amazon

Crayola Twistables 30 Piece Set- $6 from Walmart

50/50 Colored Pencils 12 Piece Set (Double Sided, 24 Colors)- $9 from Walmart

Verdict:  In my research I discovered that colored pencils are typically wax or oil based, with wax being preferred due to its smoother application and richer color.  I tried to find oil based pencils for comparison, but everything I came across, including the 3 brands I used, contained wax (combined with clay) “lead.”

Prismacolors seem to be considered the standard bearer for high quality colored pencils (and the price reflects that) and sure enough, I was impressed by the buttery smooth application of vivid color, the ease with which pressure can be varied, and the ability to draw with either the tip or the side of the pencil point.  They are fade resistant (“lightfast”) so work will remain vibrant for a long time.  If budget allows, these are a great option.

The Crayola Twistables surprised me.  They look cheap, they are cheap, and to most artists I know Crayola in general is considered more of a kid’s toy than an actual art supply.  In my tests I found the color of these twistable pencils to be just as easy to apply and nearly as rich as the Prismacolors.  This remained the case on any of the paper types I tested them on.  On the downside, they have thick, barrel shaped lead that doesn’t allow for nearly as much variation in line.  Also, the mechanical pencil bodies are color coded to match the pigment, but this information is practically useless.  By eyeballing one, at best you’ll be able to determine that it’s “some kind of blue.”  I had to make swatches for each to accurately discern what kind of value and hue they would lay down.  They are inconsistently lightfast, with some colors holding up well, while others (mostly oranges and reds) fade quite a bit over time.

The 50/50 set seems like generic, off brand junk.  The leads have a high concentration of clay vs wax, and as a result, are hard and sharp.  They are likely to gouge the paper if too much pressure is applied.  Lightfastness is not much of a consideration, as their color is washed out and weak to begin with.  As a very minor compliment, they are double sided, which means you can carry twice the number of weak colors in half the amount of space.  Unless storage space is a concern, or these are to be used as a cheap, disposable distraction on a car trip or something, I’d avoid these things.

In a classroom context, where materials are to be used by students as opposed to professional artists, I’d give my overall nod to the Crayola Twistable pencils.  They are of competitively high quality to Prismacolors for a fraction of the cost.

Safety & Age Appropriateness

The packaging for all 3 brands lists them as ACMI (Art & Creative Materials Institute) certified as non-toxic, with the exception of the gold Prismacolor pencil, which is singled out for containing copper.  Crayola has a warning against use by children under 36 months old, but this is due to the small parts contained in the pencil mechanism as opposed to a chemical hazard.  Otherwise, these materials could be safely used by students of any age.

They are similarly appropriate for any age in terms of technique.  Colored pencils are versatile, capable of a wide range of marks and able to draw just as easily in line or swaths of color.  Advanced students can attempt gradations of color using cross hatching, burnishing, or by introducing a solvent.  As a medium, they are flexible and easily scaled to the sophistication level of the class.

Experimentation

As mentioned in previous blog entries, I’m very comfortable with drawing, but not so comfortable with color.  With any new medium, I always start off by testing out what types of marks I can make, different ways of manipulating the tool, and how these results are affected by different types of paper.  For colored pencils, I did these tests on Strathmore 80lb Toned Gray, Canson 98lb Mix Media, and Canson 140lb Watercolor pads. 

I liked the texture provided by the watercolor paper, but overall found it to be harder to apply the pencil.  The mix media was a little smoother, but I found the stark white background to be pretty harsh.  Ultimately, the toned gray was my preference due to how smoothly the pencil went on and the way it calmed the colors down a bit. 

One of the primary techniques used in colored pencil work is blending.  Most reviews of materials I read focused on the ease of blending as a primary concern.  I never really got this to work well for me, with any of the brands I tried or on any surface.  I tried applying more or less pressure, using circular motions, cross hatching, burnishing, the results were always muddy to my eye.  After several messy doodles trying to force my color blending, in the end, I found that using limited hatch marks of one color over another gave me the best results.

In an attempt to speed up my learning process, I went to YouTube looking for assistance.  I consulted several videos, but found this general colored pencil overview by Kirsty Partridge to be the most informative:

Even with her tips in mind, my blending didn’t improve dramatically.  My assumption is this is something that comes with practice.  I wish I’d watched this before buying my supplies, as some of her techniques, like painting over your marks with solvent, are something I never would have thought of but would love to try. [Side note: Certain solvents are toxic!]  I did take a shot at coloring over lines drawn with the white pencil, and lines scratched in with a scalpel, after seeing this in her demonstration.

This yields interesting marks that are good to keep in the mental bag of tricks, but don’t seem immediately applicable to the type of work I was trying to do.

Overall Results

I’ve enjoyed expanding my tool set through these blog entries, and like charcoal and chalk pastels before them find colored pencils to be something I’d like to invest more time into learning.  They are a very “pick up and play” artmaking material.  Little-to-no prep work is required and clean up is a simple act of putting your paper and pencils away.  The pencils themselves are responsive, rich and versatile, and allow me to explore color as easily as chalk pastels but without leaving a cloud of rainbow colored dust in my wake.  In terms of intimidation factor and technique they have a low barrier for entry but unlimited potential to expand alongside one’s knowledge of color theory.

The only possible weakness I can think of are that they are difficult to blend (for me, anyway), there is a large disparity in quality between brands, and expensive pencils can be eaten away quickly by an unsuitable sharpener.  Minor quibbles aside, I am unreservedly enthusiastic about colored pencils as an art medium for students of all ages.

Lastly, I feel pretty confident that they are something I could teach comfortably.  I encountered a few speed bumps with regards to my own proficiency at blending, but I know how they work and what is achievable with them.  My own personal work with these things may not be amazing, but I can successfully impart the concepts to students and facilitate their learning.