Hand-crafted beads, jewelry and art
How to draw or sketch - Part Three - Color
This is the thrd part of my drawing tutorial which focuses on incorporating color into your drawing.
MATERIALS
- “Conte” Crayons and Nupastels: These are very similar to pastels, only a little more dense. Techniques used in this class can also be done with regular pastels and charcoal.
- Vine Charcoal: Brittle charcoal used early in the drawing process. It is blended with the first layers of “Conte” to create a ground and used to create a rough outline.
- Chamois: This is used to “push” the pigment into the paper. It is most useful early in the drawing process. Wash with soap and water and let air dry.
- BFK Rives: Printmaking paper works very well with this technique. Cold press water color paper is a good alternative. Some charcoal papers work too, but watercolor paper seems to be best as it “holds” on the pastels where even papers designed for pastel don’t “hold” the pigment.
- Stump: This is used to “push” or blend small areas of pigment into the paper.
- Sandpaper: Clean the stump with 320 or 220 grit sandpaper.
- Kneaded eraser: Think of this as your white color. It will be used to lift pigment, rather than erasing.
- Fixative: When the drawing is finished it is important to use a good fixative. Lascaux fix is the best, but its also expensive and difficult to find. Other good brands are Rowney and Winsor Newton. Make sure the one you choose is “workable.”
- Easel: Its easier to see your progress when you use an easel.
COLOR WHEEL
- The three primary colors are Red, Yellow and Blue.
- The primary colors cannot be made with other colors.
- The three secondary colors are Green, Violet and Orange.
- Complimentary colors are those opposite on the color wheel.
- Each primary color has a compliment that is a secondary color.
- When mixed in equal parts, complimentary colors make brown.
MAKE COLOR WHEELS
- Using Figure 1 as a reference draw two color wheels using the Conte crayons.
- Make one using only the pigments that you have and don’t blend.
- Make the other by using only the primary colors you have only and blend the secondary colors.
- Blend colors using the stump and “clean” up using the kneaded eraser.
COMPLIMENTARY COLORS
Complimentary colors are those that are opposite on the color wheel.
They are usually colors that make each other “pop.”
Mix each of the complimentary sets to see the resultant color.
See Figure 2.
“SCRIBBLE” COMPOSITION
- The idea of this exercise is to try out as many different techniques as possible.
- Make a ground using one color and vine charcoal.
- “Scribble” a line with the vine charcoal, making spaces of various shapes and sizes.
- Fill the shapes with additional colors and create shading with the eraser. See Figure 3.
- Experiment: Make sharp and soft lines with the eraser; see the difference between blending with the chamois, the eraser and the stump; make fine and course lines with the pastels; experiment with the saturation of colors; etc.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Page 1
