NCBG ICP Dura-Lar Student Examples

 

NCBG Intermediate Colored Pencil October, 2020

 

Value Side of Grafix Dura-Lar Matte paper.  I started this with black grape doing a value study.  You can use whatever color appeals to you for the dark - colors such as black, sepia, indigo, dark brown, etc.  I will add white in a few areas after the black grape value part is complete.  I work on top of a piece of white paper for adding the black grape and color and on top of black or colored paper for adding white. Remember this erases easily and the eraser or stik tak can be used to lift.  I used the Tombow Mono Zero eraser to remove the seeds in the middle part, you can also work around them the seeds if you so choose.  The bulk of the work on this piece will be done on the value side.

Color side of Grafix Dura-Lar Matte paper.  Using pale vermillion, spanish orange, and canary yellow I started adding color to the petals.  I used grass green and canary yellow to add green to the leaf parts. I used pale vermillion, spanish orange, and dark brown on the middle seed part.  I will demonstrate more color work in the next class.

NCBG BCP September, 2020

 

I demonstrated the background, adding more color.  So far I have added Copenhagen blue, Spanish orange, and red to parts of the background (I cannot remember which red I used, either scarlet lake or pomegranate).  I added some scarlet lake and spanish orange to the blueberries and the branch as well as more copenhagen to some areas.  Remember to use the eraser, the stik tak, and the stump as needed.  keep your edges neat and use a light touch.  Layer, layer, layer, lightly.  

Look at the pears on my art blog by clicking the link on this page at the top left, Kate's Art, to look at the background of the pears.  This piece was done with 6 colors, I used all 6 in various proportions over the background.  I did many light layers.  I used the eraser, stik tak, and stump all over this piece.  Many layers were built to the darks.

I worked more on the branches and the top leaf bud.

NCBG BCP September 2020

I started adding color to the dogwood.  I add the color lightly in layers.  I used yellow chartreuse, scarlet lake, spanish orange, and indigo as well as white to blend the color and also to lighten areas as needed.

I added copenhagen blue to the areas with local colors of blue, purple, brown, and black.  I added the layers very lightly using the stik tak and erasers to lighten and the stump to blend.  With this method I use erasers heavily to keep areas light and for cleaning edges and recapturing highlights (I use the pencil top erasers to lighten and the Tombow to clean edges and add highlights).  I paid attention to color and value, darkening areas with an additional layer or two at this point.  

I started adding pomegranate/crimson lake to the areas with the local colors of red/pink, orange, brown, and black.  I again used the erasers and stik tak to lighten and clean edges, etc.

I also added some more background with the blue (have the option to add other colors to get the grayish brown in the background if I choose).

 

I did more work with the pomegranate/crimson lake and copenhagen blue adding some details and adjusting color and value.  I have a few more areas to get to with the pomegranate/crimson lake.  I also need to add some warm red (scarlet lake/crimson).

 

NCBG BCP September 2020

 

This is the first step when working on a dark colored background.  Start with white, make a value study of the subject.  I will add color in the next class.  I did add some yellow chartreuse to some of the middle buds so that I could finish the white on a few bracts/petals.

GNSI-C Sunday, September 20

This is one of two ways I start these pieces when using a solvent as the under drawing.  For this process I apply the pencil lightly in layers and then dissolve and blend it and then finish with the colored pencil in layers.  

Step one, lightly shade the colored pencil layers.  This layer has a cool red (pomegranate) and a warm yellow (spanish orange).

A reminder that these are photos taken at different times of day, so the color and value are not 100% correct.

Step 2 add more layers, I added a warm red (scarlet lake) and more of the warm yellow and cool red.

I used the Rubbing Alcohol on half so that you can see what that looks like.

I finished with the Rubbing Alcohol.

Using the same colors I added more layers and used the Rubbing Alcohol a second time.

I started on the layers after the solvent adding color, value, and detail.

I started adding a background by adding layers and by painting on and splattering dissolved colored pencil.

This is still a work in process.  It will be completed after more color, value, detail, and refining on the mushroom and in the background.

This is one of two ways I start these pieces when using a solvent as the under drawing.  For this process I apply dissolved colored  pencil in layers and then finish with the colored pencil (non dissolved) in layers.

Step one, paint with dissolved colored pencil.  I dissolve the colored pencil in a small container (I use jar lids) with the solvent and tiny grated/sanded colored pencil pieces.  It looks like paint. This layer has a dissolved cool red (pomegranate) and a dissolved warm yellow (spanish orange).

A reminder that these are photos taken at different times of day, so the color and value are not 100% correct.

I added a dissolved warm red (scarlet lake).  This needs a layer or two more and then the process would continue with layers of undissolved colored pencil. And at some point I would add a background.

 

NCBG Beginning Colored Pencil September, 2020

 

The paper is Strathmore Toned Gray paper.  For the first I used white and true blue.  The white is for the light values and the true blue is for the dark values.  This is the first of several layers, so no need to get this dark and saturated.  I used the drawing stump to blend the pencil.  I used the stik tak to lighten areas that were too dark.

For the next pass we used Crimson Red, Indigo Blue, Canary Yellow, and Grass green.  I used the Canary Yellow and did a light layer over all of the blue areas and partly into the red areas. I then used Crimson Red and did a layer on the triangular shapes.  I added some Grass Green to the stalk and up into the head of the asparagus. I used indigo to start adding some darks.  I used the drawing stump to blend the layers. This is mostly at the beginning stage. In a few areas its starting to have more layers. 

SW CP class

The black and white values part of the process

SW CP class

I started adding color with spanish orange.  I put a light coat over all areas that are orange on the half I am demonstrating and in the eye, lightly.  I then used pale vermilion over the top of that and on the edge of the eye. 

Next I used sienna brown to add shadows and to darken some of the orange in areas as needed.  I added dark brown for deeper shadows and darker areas as well. 

I added a little chartreuse to the eye.  I then added a shadow with sienna brown under the lid, on the top part of the eye.  I darkened the top of that shadow with dark brown. 

I added more black to the areas around the eye.  I then used white to make the highlighted areas, to give that some form.  I used sienna, pale vermilion and white to work on the white area below the eye.  I gave it a fur texture too, basically "messing up" the edges.

I'm working on all transitions from the white to the orange.  I'm studying them and using white, pale vermilion and sometimes sienna brown to make the transitions.

For the black spots I am giving it a fur texture, "messing up" the edges with white and black and brown and orange as needed.

For the nose I added peach over the whole thing and then pale vermilion and then peach again.  Later I added more pale vermilion in the darker areas and some white for the highlight to give it some form.  I added some black texture around the nose area as needed.

Steadman's work

Steadman's very first colored pencil.  Nice work.

Steadman's second colored pencil.  Really nice work here!

SW CP Class

We added color in the background using spanish orange and peacock blue and a stump.  Now this bird needs some detailing, refining, and adjusting.  I spend weeks looking at it and making small adjustments.

I started with white and black on Strathmore Toned Blue mixed media paper.  I am working on shading the values.

SW CP Class

This is how it looked at the end of the last post.

I worked on the wing.  I started on the right side towards the middle.  I used black, white, and aquamarine plus some canary yellow at the end. I layered the colors paying attention to the values.  I added more white to the light parts as needed.  I had to reshape areas and change some shapes which is usual in something like this. After getting the layering far along I used a stump to blend and soften and hard edges, sometimes I used white to lighten, soften, or blend.  I worked across to the left and down on the feathers.  I added sand, light umber, sienna brown, and indigo blue to the white, black, canary yellow and aquamarine.  I worked on each feather shape layering the color and paying attention to the value.  If the original road map was too dark I lightened it with white and added the color.  Then I softened and blended with the stump (remember to clean it).  After I was done with that section I moved up on the feathers.  I am still working on the wing feathers.

SW CP class

This is the parakeet from the last blog post

I used aquamarine, light aqua, white, and sienna brown plus a little black/indigo blue on the chest area of the bird.  I covered the entire area with light aqua.  I then started shaping the feathers and areas.  I worked in the direction of the feathers using white to lighten and aquamarine to add medium values and black or indigo with aquamarine on top for the darker values.  I used the sienna brown, lightly, with light aqua over the top to make the gray brown area in the feathers.  I used white to blend, texture, and lighten areas as needed. 

I moved down the front of the body shading with light aqua over the entire area.  Then I added white in a textured pattern going in the direction of the feathers to the front and bottom.  I used aquamarine and a little indigo blue to the shadow under the wing.

Next I worked on the head adding light aqua and a little Copenhagen blue to the left side of the cheek.  I used white to lighten and blend the light aqua into the cheek area. make strokes in the direction of the feathers.

Then I worked on the stripes on the head around the eye.  I added feathery texture with white going in the direction of the feathers over the black and white stripes.  Using white and black I made and undulating pattern of light and dark on the stripe area under the eye. I lightened the white and dark in one horizontal stripe and then darkened the next stripe, and so on.  This is a subtle pattern so as not to make any hard horizontal lines. Above the eye on the head I lightened and darkened areas according to the values in the photo.

SW CP Class

This is how it looked in the last post.

I started adding the wings with black and white doing what I call making a "road map" in a confusing area.  After that I worked on the head.  I added yellow ocher to the eye and the beak.  I lightly added yellow ocher on the white are from below the eye to the beak and up around the beak and down the right side of the beak.   I also added sienna brown to the beak and on the head in the areas I put yellow ocher (do this lightly).  I then added canary yellow lightly from the yellow ocher up onto the head.  I added peach lightly as well.  I also added some of these colors to the cheek.  I used dark brown to make the shadow around the beak between the beak and the fluffy white.  I added shadows and highlights to the eye.  and the yellow around the eye using white, dark brown and sienna brown plus a little black.  I worked on the beak adding highlights and shadows as well as color.  I used white to add more white to the head working it into the areas shaded with color and making parts lighter that need to be.  Next class we will work on the back part of the head and into the wings and chest areas.

SW CP Class

This is how it looked for the last post.

I worked on more petals and on the background adding more color and using the stump and/or white to blend.  I need to finish the rest of the unfinished petals and then adjust the values and add needed details.

This is the parakeet on a blue green mat board.  The first step was to work in white adding the light values.  Then I used black to add the stripes, pupil, nostril, and black markings.  I added some copenhagen blue on the cheek and yellow ochre to the beak and around the eye.  I also added a spot of spanish orange to the beak.  I used aquamarine and copenhagen blue on the beak.

SW CP Class

This was posted in the last post.

I worked mostly on the leaves, refining them and adding details and values.  I worked on the two biggest leaves on the left side.  I used the same color - dark green, indigo, canary yellow, and white. I added true blue to the mix.  I used the stump the most for blending.  I used white to make corrections and adjust values.  Then I started adding a background.  I used indigo blue first to shape the value pattern of the background.  Then I used dark green over the top following the value pattern.  Then I used canary yellow evenly over the entire area.  Next I used the stump to blend it all together. I plan to make adjustments to the background if needed after the flower and leaves are further along. This was done during our class time.

I continued working outside of class.  I worked on some leaves and petals using the same colors and process as before. In the background you can see the layers and stages of the process.  There is indigo only on the bottom left side, then indigo with dark green on the bottom middle and bottom right side, and then a section with the yellow on top above that, and then the blended colors on the top half of the background.