What's Wrong With Colored Pencils ?

[bob]

What's Wrong with Coloured Pencils? - EmptyEasel.com

By Karen Middleton in Misc > Art Opinion As a tried-and-true coloured pencil artist, I was often discouraged by teachers during my high school art studies, frowned upon at college and turned away from galleries I’ve approached (though I might add, with encouraging feedback). You may wonder why I...

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[bob]

Colored Pencils just might be the Rodney Dangerfield of the art world ?

" I Don't Get No Respect "

 

[Schuee]

Inuse them and don’t think that’s wrong. I presume some,people look down on them.

 

[E.J.H.]

Nothing wrong with them. And certainly nowadays where you can get high quality artist grade pencils, they are moving away from the kid´s toy reputation I think. As for marketing rep, there will always be irrational differences in how people value different mediums. Why is an oil painting on average way more expensive than a watercolor one...

 

[laika]

I enjoy using my (few) FC Polychromos pencils... uh-oh, make that Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils in my sketchbooks, and I've certainly seen others do beautiful things with colored pencils. I can't speak to archival concerns if that's an issue for dealers. "Wax bloom" seems to be a concern in discussions of colored pencils.

 

[Artyczar]

I love them.

 

[E.J.H.]

I love them.

I start to warm up to them. Gave my daughter a 36 color polychromos set some time ago. She is rather much into digital now, and I got her permission to play with them.
The only minus for me personally is how time consuming all that meticulous layering can be. Not good for a lazy bum like me

 

[JSparrow]

The only minus for me personally is how time consuming all that meticulous layering can be.

This is my "minus" too. Especially when I am too obsessive about getting every mark right. But I will say I can get more detail with them than I can with paint. I do like that. As for marketability, I have seen some artist selling prints from them. so there is that.

My favorite pencils are Caran D'ache Pablos and Caran D'ache Luminance as well. (I collected the different brands for the colors I wanted.)

 

[laika]

So what is the deal with white colored pencils, while we're on the subject? They seem pretty useless. Maybe good for black paper...

 

[JSparrow]

I didn't find much of any color works well on black paper. I'm afraid my two tablets of them will never be used.

The white pencils might help a little in pulling down intensity of color if you wish it. And for me, I just don't like to leave paper to be the white in a work, which is a hurtle for me with watercolor that I am trying to get comfortable with. (It's just a brain thing with me that has to be overcome.) Also different brands of white pencils behave differently. I tested them all but I can't remember the details. I've only done a few pencil pieces and then we moved again and it took us a while to settle. Somewhere among my things is a test sheet where I wrote the results. If I find it, I'll share it. Also the white pencils can be used to burnish an area of color. Again it will push back some of the intensity of color but it will smooth out your surface. You can also buy a pencil of just the wax for burnishing.

 

[JSparrow]

Shall we see if I am capable of uploading an image here? My first piece in which I decided to add a background and got myself into trouble. It took me a long time just to get this much of a background. By the time I got there the tooth of the paper was too worn down to take any more even with some of that fluid you can add to bring back some tooth. But this is an example of white pencil over everything to burnish it and try to bring some unity to it. ~ I apologize right now, ahead of pushing the button, if this doesn't show up or if it comes up wonky..

 

[laika]

Oh, That's nice! What size is this?
You should start your own thread, so more people can appreciate your work!

 

[E.J.H.]

Yeah, I agree. It's a species of night heron isn't it?

 

[JSparrow]

Oh, sorry, I forgot it's appropriate to add details.

It's 11x14 before matting, inside the matt size is 8.5x11, paper is Strathmore mixed media, probably 90 lb. The pencils are a mix of premier pencils, Prisma Color, Caran D'ache Pablo and Luminance, probably I had the Derwent Lightfast by then too. I own Poly Chromos too but may not have had them that early on so can't say for sure that this piece includes them.

E.J.H This heron is a "Little Green Heron". I have him on my short list to paint again in oils. Love this little bird. He's an incredibly smart hunter. Has been filmed picking up discarded human food, possibly chips? dropping it in the water to draw fish and then spearing them.

Thank you, Laika.

 

[Terri]

Oh, sorry, I forgot it's appropriate to add details.

It's 11x14 before matting, inside the matt size is 8.5x11, paper is Strathmore mixed media, probably 90 lb. The pencils are a mix of premier pencils, Prisma Color, Caran D'ache Pablo and Luminance, probably I had the Derwent Lightfast by then too. I own Poly Chromos too but may not have had them that early on so can't say for sure that this piece includes them.

E.J.H This heron is a "Little Green Heron". I have him on my short list to paint again in oils. Love this little bird. He's an incredibly smart hunter. Has been filmed picking up discarded human food, possibly chips? dropping it in the water to draw fish and then spearing them.

Thank you, Laika.

I love this, J! Excellent use of the white pencil, and just a wonderful drawing of this little green heron.

More, please.

 

[hobbyartist87]

Oh, sorry, I forgot it's appropriate to add details.

It's 11x14 before matting, inside the matt size is 8.5x11, paper is Strathmore mixed media, probably 90 lb. The pencils are a mix of premier pencils, Prisma Color, Caran D'ache Pablo and Luminance, probably I had the Derwent Lightfast by then too. I own Poly Chromos too but may not have had them that early on so can't say for sure that this piece includes them.

E.J.H This heron is a "Little Green Heron". I have him on my short list to paint again in oils. Love this little bird. He's an incredibly smart hunter. Has been filmed picking up discarded human food, possibly chips? dropping it in the water to draw fish and then spearing them.

Thank you, Laika.

Lovely work Jacqueline. I think using Strathmore mixed media paper may have been part of the problem. It doesn't allow you to use many layers (I was able to get only about 4 layers before pencils started skidding on the paper).

 

[JSparrow]

Lovely work Jacqueline. I think using Strathmore mixed media paper may have been part of the problem. It doesn't allow you to use many layers (I was able to get only about 4 layers before pencils started skidding on the paper).

Yes, I'm still learning about paper. I mostly only know that I favor hotpress over cold just because I don't like bumpy surfaces for the detail I like to achieve, but only just learned that the mixed media paper is neither. It's quite possible the fact that I'm still somewhat "uninformed" is showing. LOL

 

[ZenDruid]

Great picture of the heron. I like how you've created a kind of bokeh effect in the background, an out-of-focus effect that happens in photography.

 

[laika]

Also the white pencils can be used to burnish an area of color.

OK, that's good info. I tried burnishing with white last night, and you are right about that. Maybe my white pencil is old and hardened or something, but I can't tell that it imparts any white pigment, but burnishing it does well.

 

[Artyczar]

Excellent work!