Colored Pencils

What's in a Colored Pencil?

• Pigment [organic & inorganic] gives color
• Binders - Holds material together
• Clays - opacifiers [builds opaquiness ]
• Waxes - adds smoothness to the application

Characteristics of Colored Pencils

• they are transparent
• they contain color [duh!]
• they are forgiving

Wax Bloom occurs when heavy pressure or many layers build up. It looks like fogging or fading, but can be removed by rubbing w/ a soft cloth

Mixing Colors

Dimensions of Color

• Hue - the color's name
• Value - the lightness or darkness of a color
• Intensity - purity of color [brightness/dullness]

To change hue, superimpose [layer] 1 color over another
or
2 or more pencil hues are placed side by side

Value Change

• change pencil pressure
• overlay w/ white or black
• overlay w/ a lighter or darker color

adding black deadens a color
& kills intensity...


use carefully

Intensity Change

• overlay w/ a neutral grey
• overlay w/ a black pencil
• overlay w/ a complementary color
• finally.....

thoroughly combine a pencil's color w/ the 2 colors adjoining [next to] it on the color wheel

Burnish
a technique done by applying white w/ heavy pressure over an area. The original pigment is compressed & will be slightly lightened

speaking of the color wheel

primary Colors

• cannot be mixed
• red
• blue
• yellow

secondary Colors

• created by mixing  primary colors
• green
• orange
• violet

Complementary Colors

• colors across from each on the wheel
• red & green
• blue & orange
• yellow & violet
• use these combos to darken a color