This post continues the colored pencil demonstration on Wallis Paper begun in yesterday's post. A contour drawing has been made, washes of gouache (or watercolor) have been laid in and are dry. It’s time to start blending and building the color pencil layers.
Layering Colored Pencil on Wallis Paper
Colored pencil is a semi-transparent medium. This means that some of what is beneath each layer is going to show through in the final drawing. Colored pencil artists can use this quality to create vibrant color combinations which play on the layers of pencil and on the color of the paper (or underpainting if one is used).
Left: The completed pepper drawing with layers of colored pencil covering the gouache underpainting. Click on the image to see an enlargement.
When I’m working on a colored pencil drawing I keep a color swatch chart going at the edge of the paper or on a separate sheet, so I know which colors I used and in which order. That way I don’t have to guess at my blends if I am interrupted and return to a project after some time has elapsed.
I used the following Prismacolor pencils on this drawing: 931 Dark Purple, 933 Violet Blue, 901 Indigo Blue, 1034 Henna (for the sienna-like strokes on the stem only), 922 Poppy red, 930 Magenta, 937 Tuscan Red, 924 Crimson Red (this formed the basis of the main red color over the paint), 923 Scarlet Lake (also used a lot on the body of the pepper), and 914 Cream for some highlight strokes.
I worked on the body of the pepper first to build up an over all color and sense of value. Then I worked on the stem to create volume and value there and balance with the body of the pepper. After that it was a matter of doing small touches and build up here and there, bouncing around.
The entire demonstration did not take a long time because of the underpainting and the fact that pencils moved along the surface of Wallis Paper deposit a lot of pigment quickly. Also because of the texture of the paper it is easy to hide and blend the end of your strokes simply by maintaining an even pressure on that stroke.
When working on Wallis Paper with colored pencil it is important to realize that while there is significant tooth that tooth doesn’t act like the fiber tooth of “normal” paper. While it may be possible to lightly lay down 10 or more layers of colored pencil on “normal” paper the grit of the Wallis paper takes so much of the pencil at each swipe that the wax binder of the pencil ultimately starts to clog the tooth of the paper even if you are working with light pressure.
Keep this quality of the paper in mind when planning how you will blend your colors. In general try to blend with 2 or 3 colors at most. Strategize your drawing plan so that you are either building up from a complementary color which will help you give dimension to your drawing, or adding a complementary color of pencil layer onto the underlying paint or other pencil layers, for the same purpose. Use broken up and sparse applications of several analogous colors to create vibrancy in highlight areas. Listen and feel for when the paper is clogging and use that last moment to lay in any essential detail strokes with a sharp pencil.
For this drawing I started blending shadow areas with the Tuscan red and Dark Purple. Normally I go right for complementary colors and would work with Violet Blue and Indigo but I was talking and experimenting and that’s what makes drawing fun.
After I had layered the Tuscan Red and Dark Purple I decided to experiment elsewhere as well. The entire shadow of the pepper is covered with a light layer of 1067 Cool Grey 90 percent, which is a pencil I rarely use. The darker areas of the show were then built up with Violet Blue and Indigo blue, near the edges of the pepper. The shadow got too dark too quickly in this demo, partly because I was talking, and partly because this paper works up fast!
Left: Detail of finished colored pencil drawing shows how a minimal amount of layering over the underpainting results in a dimensional look.
One of the main problems I have with Wallis Paper, as mentioned above, is that I like to add in very thin defining lines as I near completion of a piece. These lines can be difficult to do on this paper because of the roughness of the surface and the location of the lines, or the number of colors beneath. On regular papers you can always get that last color on there if your pencil is very sharp and pointed, but not so here. Hence the need to limit the layers you are adding and get the most out of each layer.
One good aspect about this paper is that you can literally push earlier colors aside, when you lay on another color (so you have to be careful not to if that isn't your intention) and this can be a nice way to get some measure of "do over" not possible on regular paper. This is possible by controlling the pressure you use on the paper. Ultimately it is something that you are going to have to feel and experience for yourself. I recommend that you cut a small piece of Wallis Paper and make a small sketch and practice layering various areas, pushing some past the limit so you know where that limit is.
When applying color I recommend light strokes but you will not have the same difficulty of blending and hiding the ends of your strokes that you do on other papers. You might need to sharpen you pencil point and go in and individually reach down into the grit to deposit pigment if you want dense coverage, but it is usually kinder to yourself to accept that some speckly aspect to the finished drawing is an earned delight for working on this type of paper. Because of the clogging discussed earlier I don’t recommend use of burnishing on this paper. You can do it, it’s just a whole lot more difficult. If you want a burnished look to your piece consider saving yourself some heartbreak and sweat and take a different approach on a different paper surface.
Have a couple pencils of each color you intend to use, even in a small drawing when working with this paper. You don’t want to be almost finished with your drawing and have no pencil left in a certain color.
Finishing a Drawing
I don’t spray fix any of my colored pencil drawings, regardless of the type of paper I do them on. If you do decide to spray fix, test first as most fixatives change the colored pencil values slightly.
When completed your drawing can be matted and framed just as you would any other colored pencil drawing. I have not found it necessary to create a space behind the mat for pigment dust to fall as my pastel artist friends do on their matted pieces
Classes in Colored Pencil
If you would like to learn more about how I use colored pencil please check my website Rozworks.com in the classes section to see when classes are offered. (Or check the "classes" category on this blog to see when I announce a class.) I typically hold one beginning and one advanced class (students must have completed the beginning class with me) each year. I am working on a schedule for a spring/summer beginning class at the current time. If you would like to be put on email notification list please write to me at roz@tcinternet.net with "Colored Pencil Classes" as the subject line. I'm sorry that I'm not able to do correspondence courses in colored pencil at the current time.
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