How I create a solid, black background in color pencil- Tutorial
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
- For my first tutorial, I have attempted to demonstrate how I achieve smooth coverage for solid backgrounds using colour pencil and odourless solvent. While I have used black as my example, the technique is the same for any area of block colour.
I have used prismacolor pencils on Fabriano academia paper
Making tutorials is hard! My appologies if I have missed anything, or explained anything poorly. please feel free to ask for clarification in the comments :)
Good tutorial. I especially like the demonstration on why and how you use the dotting motion with the solvent. Showing what it looked like when dry really proved your point. Thank you.
The "breaking Prismas" problem is a serious, maddening - and expensive - one. Luckily, it can be easily solved... Prismas won't break while being sharpened IF you use a helical blade sharpener. It's not the core that's the problem, it's the wood they now use - handheld sharpeners are just too rough on the pencils and can't handle the tough wood. It must be a HELICAL blade sharpener - manual, battery, or electric doesn't matter (although the latter two or a combo), is really nice and FAST. Sharpen some graphite pencils every now and then to keep the blade clean and lubricated or your pencils will start breaking again. That's it! I've used one for several months now and have only had one pencil break when I had forgotten to clean the blade as I stated. Prismas are wonderful pencils and work great alone or in conjunction with the Polychromous.
It's a little bit of a sticky point of conversation with artists, but I really do enjoy using the prismacolor pencils, and I haven't had too many issues with breakage. I use a little handheld faber-castell sharpener that only costs $3 and i can replace them regularly when they are no longer razor sharp. I also buy mine open stock from a brick and mortar shop, so I can check that the pencil I am getting is centered in the barrel and not pre-cracked. That having been said, for the price the quality of the wood casing shouldn't be an issue; and you would think that with the sheer number of complaints that the company would do something to address the problem!!!
I keep reading that people solve this issue by popping their pencils into the microwave for a bit. It melts the cores together again. Unbreaks them, essentially. I can't vouch as I don't have any.
Looks like Gooball is just trying to help , the prisma wood the company uses may not be a choice.
I know this tutorial was made 7 yrs ago and i don't know if you read comments any more but there is a better way of making a complete dark background that will save you 9+ hours. The best way is to "paint" your "soon to be" dark areas with a light amount of paint thinner before you put any dark pigment on the paper then press hard with one pass of your color pencil of choice and as you are putting down pigment the solvent will melt your color pencil wax evenly so that you only have to make one pass. easy peasy
why not acrylic paint? spending 8+ hrs just to fill in a background does not sound like fun to me... !
yeah, Of course you could do that! Just mask off the areas you want to stay white and presto!! Nothing wrong with creating a mixed media piece. I just happen to like that gloss and texture that this process gives. :)
pesto12601 People like to use pencil. It has nothing to do with time. Many pencil artists could suggest they have better control of colour and blending.
+velcroman11 that is very true. I don't mind spending the time because I like the depth, sheen and consistency that pure pencil gives to the final piece... but I can see why many would like to find other ways! It isn't the most exciting part of the drawing that's for sure!
Ive found if I can use something else - something faster! - in the first few layers, then if desired, I can go over the top of that with a couple of layers of a black colored pencil for that rich look. (Also works for other colors.) I've used a dedicated water brush filled with India Ink, a Derwent Inktense pencil plus water, a Sakura Pigma Micron Brush pen, and acrylic paint. You don't want the acrylic paint thick or shiny, so use the cheaper craft (matte) version. You want to cover up all the white and get it as opaque as possible before using the colored pencil. I've done backgrounds with just colored pencil before and I'm a very patient person, but knew I needed to find a different way or I probably wouldn't want to do another solid background for YEARS, LOL.
i like the idea of the black india ink ... I might try that out in my sketchbook this weekend :)
Thank you so much Cassandra! For years I've been pulling my hair out over how to create colored pencil backgrounds what don't involve white flecks, streaks, hand cramps, or half a pencil being used up in one sitting. I love your accent too
What a patient you have...and thanks for the tip how to use the solvent.
But for me i think it’s smarter to do the background in watercolor... because with color pencils it is very time consuming.
Can also use matte black acrylic paint. Cheap, fast, and solid color. Once you let it dry, you can then color with pencils on it and add details, effects(like fog and such), etc. 😊
youd probably like the prismacolor art stix, its the lead from the prismacolor premeire pencils in block forms (look kinda like pastels) so its easier/faster to cover large areas :)
I was actually checking those out at the art shop the other day, I think I could have some nice messy fun with those :) another thing on the wishlist!!
I enjoyed that more than I thought I would and would now consider a solid black background!!
myottaname I suppose it's not the most exciting sounding subject is it!! But it makes for a great background and I find it very satisfying to do
When should I use the Cool Grey?
I can't tell where you used it. What an awesome video! I've been coloring for 3 yrs, and black backgrounds elude me. Excellent process that makes sense. Thank you. I'll subscribe & look fwd to more helpful lessons.
Hi, just subscribed and am enjoying your videos.
Put a piece of sponge inside of your solvent container, that way nothing spills if you knock it over.
Andrea Motta ooooohh I like that idea. I am very good at knocking things over, so I will have to give that a try! Thank you :)
Thank you for sharing!!! I learned so much and you were so engaging to listen to
So, use black, indigo blue and Tuscan red??? 🙏 ty
Thanks!! You opened me many doors for different styles of drawings!! :)
oh wow, this is my favorite comment! I hope you create many wonderful things :)
Can I use black acrylic? Or black watercolor?
Is it impossible to fill in large stuff with JUST colored pencil?
Tyler Raymundo Hailee Raymundo not impossible at all. but you need a LOT of patience!
I've learnt heaps already from you Cassandra I wish you lived near the Sunshine Coast I need a teacher
Linda Kruger I don't know how I missed this, but I actually do live on the Sunshine Coast!! Unfortunately I'm not really set up for teaching at this point but I would be super happy to answer any questions you have :)
Just curious... how much bleed through does this process cause? I know if you use thin paper it is unavoidable, but how does the paper you used stand up?
I find it holds up very well. Watercolour papers can really handle a fair bit of this kind of treatment, however I have found that Stonehenge paper can sometimes be stained by the oms
@@CassandraHanley Thank you so much! I love the end result and thought I would ask before I ruin my sketch pad. 😊
All that just to get a black background??? 5 hours??? I'm doomed.
Many others will lay down watercolour paint or pan pastels… but if you want that silky pure colour pencil texture the you gotta put in the time, I like listening to podcasts as I grind away
You're not doomed if you're open to mixed media :) I've found that gouache gives the darkest and most matte black surface of all mediums I've tested. (There's a video on my channel where you can see all the others). Soft pastel gives a wonderful surface too, but you have to use fixative afterwards so I don't like the hassle.
Doing 1-2 layers of watercolor or pastel, and then 1-2 layers of pencil ensures that the background surface finish looks indistinguishable from the main subject.
I was looking for alternatives not just because of the hours of effort required, but because these solvents all pencil artists are using so liberally are highly toxic, and should never be used in areas that aren't thoroughly ventilated.
This is a really great video, thank you 🙏 glad I watched this before starting my next piece as I reckon I’d have wasted a lot of time. Stabbing motion looks best 👍🏼
You just stepped up my knowledge quite a bit darling this technique looks amazing and I will try it at once ❤️❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏 thank you so much
may want to look into powdered blender for colored pencils.
vanes kaz unfortunately it is not quite yet available in Australia yet (although it will be soon) i will definitely be trying it when I can though
Thank you SO much! This was just the information I was looking for.
You should Leave the background at 5:22 let the eye imagine do the rest.... My seeing .
Have you thought about using frisket film to protect your drawing?
Fabriano paper is my choice for colouring with colour pencils ....... best for me so far
amazing
does this method work for different colors as well?
Yes. You can make some nice soft gradients of colour as well
@@CassandraHanleyohk thank youuuu!!
Cassandra I want to thank you for the good work you do for all of us. Please on and on .
so I've used these colors on Fabriano Artistico hotpress 120 lb paper and blended with Mona Lisa OMS.......the color isn't consistent even though I layerer black, indigo, red then black (did this twice, with blending between each full layer) and I still see blotches of color so some blue sections, some red......it's not really black. is that normal? maybe the paper?
I have found that colour variation can be normal in the first few layers, and it is that slight variation of colour that can make the final product more dynamic than a flat black background. If you have a good saturation of colour as a base I would add another layer, except this time add more black on your top layer ( not pressing harder, just spending more time gently adding colour) at this point your brush needs to be very dry, only the slightest amount of OMS will do the trick ( any more will just just brush all your hard work away) This is definitely takes patience, be gentle with your paper and you will get there.
WOW, the stabbing, semi-damp brush makes all the difference. Thanks for this most informative video. Cheers from New Mexico USA!
What liquid are u using ?! Can u tell the name ?!
What paper weight did you use for this drawing ? Because I'm afraid that if I use a 120g/m2 (55lbs) the paper would crinkle !Thanks
I used the fabriano accademia 200gsm (135lb) paper in this particular example. (which I am no longer using since I got an iffy batch)
paper weight really does make a difference to how far you can push a piece of paper around, the thinners wont necessarily warp the paper like water would, but thinner papers just don't stand up to the same amount of working that you need to do to achieve some really solid coverage.
I have used the canson mi-tients 160gsm (108lb) pastel paper sheets with some pretty nice results, but that is about as thin as I would want to go personally
Very interesting. Thank you for sharing.
Hey can i know what is the liquid that u used? What about water or are there any other requests for it ?
+nisali siriwardene it I like to use odourless mineral spirits to blend. It's the same stuff used to thin oil paint :) I am using art spectrum brand, but it is manufactured by many companies, they all pretty much work the same.
Water won't break down the binders in the pencil the same way. You need some kind of solvent to do the trick, and I find the odourless mineral spirits do the job most effectively
Thanks so much...great tutorial!!
this was my first video that i watched by you :-)
Thank you so much for this tutorial!!!!
what if i already pressed too hard and the paper flattened out and left lines?(
.... that’s tricky..... if you have already pressed to hard, you may be in trouble. My first move would be to gently apply more layers of pencil gently to see if you can even out the effect. You would be surprised at what can be achieved if you just keep going sometimes.
If that doesn’t work then there’s not much you can do. If I had just started the background and the piece wasn’t too far in, I would probably just start again.. but if you are heavily invested and really want to finish the piece.. I can only recommend a product from brush and pencil called texture fixative... it will add another layer of tooth to your paper and allow you to add more layers and try again.
I did this many, many, Many times as a beginner, it is something I think all colour pencil artists have done at some point, so don’t feel bad... no matter what happens you will learn something from this piece
I found this very useful! Thanks! I was just wondering, whenever I make a solid black background using only a black color pencil I get a very shiny result, I'd like it to be more matte, will this work?
Janet Moyano the layered colours give a more dynamic black, but it still has the reflective gloss of colour pencils. The thinners do make the pencils more matte though. If you use some thinners on a very (very VERY!!) dry brush over your last layers, you will be able to knock some of that gloss down to a more matte finish... or you could mount your finished drawing to a board and use a matte spray varnish on your piece.
Thank you! I'll try that out :)
Prismacolor premier are horrible pencils, I got the 150 and they break so very much that some of them I cannot even use because are getting very short too quickly. I would not recomend the prisma to anybody ever they cost too much and have no value! >.
Loredana Modesti I have some and they don't break easily if you sharpen them right
Loredana Modesti ... The "breaking Prismas" problem is a serious, maddening - and expensive - one. Luckily, it can be easily solved... Prismas won't break while being sharpened IF you use a helical blade sharpener. It's not the core that's the problem, it's the wood they now use - handheld sharpeners are just too rough on the pencils and can't handle the tough wood. It must be a HELICAL blade sharpener - manual, battery, or electric doesn't matter (although the latter two or a combo), is really nice and FAST. Sharpen some graphite pencils every now and then to keep the blade clean and lubricated or your pencils will start breaking again. That's it! I've used one for several months now and have only had one pencil break when I had forgotten to clean the blade as I stated. Prismas are wonderful pencils and work great alone or in conjunction with the Polychromous. Hope that info will allow you to get reacquainted with your Prismas.
I ruined the number of comments, sorry
Ah shucks, someone had to do it 😆
Thank you so much 😊
Your video is really fabulous and it's so helpful, but i couldn't able to identify the solvent which you have used here so i requesting you that kindly let me know the name of the solvent here!!
Thank you
+siva ranjith I'm using art spectrum brand "odourless mineral spirit". Brand doesn't matter very much with this stuff, they all behave pretty much the same. just look in the oil painting section of an art store and you should find a similar product :)
Dear Cassandra Hanley mam I'm thanking you lot for your immediate reply,really happy for your humble character more than your talent,really thanks for your tutorial,have a Blessed days
+siva ranjith thank you for your kind words. That means a lot! Blessed day to you too :)
Thank you
Great 👍
THANKS.
Thanks!
THANKS.
Just buy black art paper
That technique makes a lot of sense to me, happy you got to share this with all us!!! thank you. :)
can i use baby oil?
+Mr.Nobody x I wouldn't recommend it. Baby oil will work to break down the pencils, but it doesn't dry off like the mineral spirits do, leaving your paper greasy, stained and at risk of breaking down. :(
Cassandra Hanley but can i blend on a sketchpad paper or i have to use water color paper?
+Mr.Nobody x depends on your sketch pad. I've had good ones and horrible ones!! My favourites have thicker paper with a little bit of texture to the surface, but every artist finds their own preferences . Fabriano do make a sketchbook out of the same paper I used in this video.. link for example www.dickblick.com/products/fabriano-accademia-sketchbook/. Ultimately though good paper will give you a better result. In fact, I would rather have good paper than good pencils... so if you enjoy the process of creating art with colour pencils, I definitely recommend splurging in some higher quality papers.
Cassandra Hanley thanks, lately i noticed that my drawings are kinda dull so i thought that adding background will make it look better,im not a fond of watercolor and i didn't really know that you could blend color pencils like that. Thank you so much for this :)
+Mr.Nobody x it is time consuming, but it really can be worth the effort! Just keep a very light touch and try to be patient and you can get a very nice result :)