Last time we discussed having limited space in which to create your art…
Dorms, small apartments and roaming kids all make carving out your own personal art space a challenge.
Setting up and tearing down your art project every time you want to work is disheartening. Children messing with your stuff between painting sessions can be a disaster. Dealing with smelly chemicals if you’re using oil paint or traipsing around the house with drippy containers of water if you’re using water-based paint is messy.
How about a medium that’s clean, dry, doesn’t smell and is totally portable in a small satchel or case. Colored pencils are a perfect medium for anyone that has problems with space, time or an overabundance of curious kiddies.
Colored Pencils Aren’t Just For Kids
Have you ever taken a look at professional colored pencil art? These humble little pencils are capable of creating super-realistic paintings that may be mistaken for photos.
They’re available in as many hues as acrylics or watercolors and vary in price from small, inexpensive sets for students to costly sets of professional quality pencils with dense pigment to rival the costliest paint.
A newcomer to the art pencil world is the water-soluble watercolor pencil. These pencils can be used alone, in conjunction with regular colored pencils or in combination with watercolor paints.
Colored Pencil For An Artist On The Go
Wouldn’t it be nice to have everything you need to create a work of art all neatly stashed in a container the size of a briefcase? With colored pencil, you don’t need to lug a lot of stuff around, and you can set up almost anywhere.
A few sheets of colored pencil paper or board, a pencil box with your palette of colors, a few tissues for blending and you’re all set. There’s nothing simpler or tidier than colored pencils.
You can set up at the kitchen table or even on a TV tray in the living room. You can work on a small piece while sitting in a waiting room or you’re in the stands watching the kids at soccer practice.
No Time? No Problem!
If you lead a hectic life, your creative time may be limited. If it takes you 20 minutes to set up and put away your work, there may not be much time for actual painting. With colored pencil, there’s no wasted time. Pull out your drawing pad, grab a pencil and start creating!
There’s no drying time, no clean up and no fuss. Work for a few minutes or hours and you’re instantly ready to put your few things away and get on to your next task
Learn All About Colored Pencils With Kristy Ann Kutch
If you’ve never tried colored pencil, Kristy Ann Kutch has made it easy with this clear and delightfully illustrated introduction to colored pencil art techniques.
The New Colored Pencil includes three sections. The first part is traditional colored pencil, techniques, textures and color theory. She discusses the different brands of pencils and includes information about their individual characteristics. She goes on to recommend paper and boards that are suitable for pencil art and includes an appendix with a comprehensive color chart for the major manufacturers.
The second section includes a discussion of watercolor pencils and the types of paper that are appropriate. It also covers different techniques and demonstrates the best uses with text and photos. She uses full, step-by-step demonstrations, so the student can follow along as the drawing progressing from beginning to completed piece.
Part three puts it all together. Ms. Kutch blends traditional pencil with watercolor pencils in landscapes, seascapes and still life paintings. She continues with her systematic demonstrations while giving the reader the opportunity to either follow along with her subject or strike out on a new path.
This book is for a knowledgeable beginner as well as for an advanced student. It’s easy to understand and filled with lots of personal tips as well as information about the various brands of papers, boards and pencils available. It’s a great addition to your library of art technique books and one you’ll refer to again and again.
