Drawing Colored Pencil

Still life with Pumpkin and American Flag: Step-by-Step

Materials and Colors

Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils (not verithin, other brands that are either wax based or oil based are OK).

Drawing paper like Strathmore brand with slight or no texture at all

Turpenoid or Mineral spirits / Gamsol with a small brush

2H graphite pencil (hard)

Pencil sharpener (general’s or other German brand)

Kneaded eraser.

Photo

This is the picture for this demo. On the right side you see a black-and-white version of it. The grayscale picture illustrates the right tones (values) to shade in color. Most of the time students’ drawings lack contrast and a nice range of tones (values) because we get destructed by color.

Tone means shading from white (light) to black (dark) in successive gradations.

STEP 1: Develop a line drawing

Pick a rather small smooth piece of paper. (Colored pencil drawing is a very time-consuming process). I recommend 5×7″.

Spend enough time to make the best outline possible. Work in very light strokes with your graphite pencil. (You can also copy and enlarge my outline drawing via Photoshop or Xerox).

Tap the outlines with your kneaded eraser to clean up the page and to make the outlines as thin as possible.

Draw the pumpkin first and then add stripes in the background.

STEP 2: Separate between lights and darks (underpainting)

Take “Tuscan red” and start drawing from the shadows. That means that you shade all the darks in the picture in one color only. Work on the pumpkin first and then shade the background with various pencil pressure. Notice, even white stripes have color in the shadows (purplish-red). Use various pencil pressure and sharp point of your pencil to create variations in tones. After the under painting is complete, stand back and look at it from the distance to see if you have enough contrast in your drawing. Ideally, the underpainting should look as close as possible to your grayscale picture.

Your highlights (purest lights) must stay free of any color!

STEP 3: Lay cool darks

Let’s color. Take “indigo blue” and shade blue stripes in the background. Apply the same color under the pumpkin.

STEP 4: Lay warm reds

Take “Poppy red” and shade the stripes in the background. Bring the same color into the shadowy part of the pumpkin.

Keep your pencil sharp not to lose clarity while shading. The harder you press on your pencil, the darker and richer your color would be.

STEP 5: Add color variety (apply middle tones)

Apply “Carmine red” into the rest of the red stripes. It’s a cooler version of red that gives a nice contrast to warm “Poppy red.”

When you draw always overlap colors slightly. It creates nice fluidity of color as opposed to making broken “strips” of colors.

Take “Orange” and shade the pumpkin, leaving its lightest area free of any color. Throw the same color around the object onto the flag. It creates not only unity in color but also adds variety to your still life.

STEP 6: Blend, layer the lights

Apply “Canary yellow” and “Yellow ochre” into the light side of the pumpkin. (Other yellows may be substituted for these colors). Leave the purest highlight free of any color. Shade around it with your lightest yellow. Crosshatch colors.

Shade the “tale” of the pumpkin with “Peacock blue.” You can add the same color mixed with “lilac” into the stars and white stripes of the flag with a light touch.

Take your small brush and paint carefully with turpenoid/gamsol over your drawing. Let it dry completely. Be careful not to drag your darkest colors into the light! Turpentoid dissolves wax in pencils and gives this “painterly” look to your drawing.

STEP 7: Increase color saturation