Drawing With Colored Pencils - A Beginner's Guide

If you've ever found yourself struggling to create realistic looking drawings with colored pencils, or maybe you're completely new to the media and looking for some tips to get started. This guide is all about how to get drawing with colored pencils as a beginner.
We'll talk about the materials you'll need along with the fundamental techniques and a process you can apply to just about any drawing.
For a more in depth look and a drawing to get you started, check out my brand new Skillshare class: skl.sh/3S2pISU
Using this link you can claim a FREE month of Skillshare membership that can be cancelled at any time. Plenty of time to complete the class!
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Materials List
As an Amazon associate I make a small commission on purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support :)
Amazon US
Faber-Castell Polychromos Pencils: amzn.to/2KVIoa4
Caran Dache Luminance Colored Pencils: amzn.to/2MtnOyi
Prismacolor Colored Pencils: amzn.to/3pP1Dkx
Strathmore Bristol Board Paper: amzn.to/2Ldu2BQ
Swordfish Ikon Pencil Sharpener: amzn.to/38e4wWd
Derwent Pencil Extender: amzn.to/36JknKX
Sakura White Gelly-Roll Pen: amzn.to/3b0Qp8k
Amazon UK
Faber-Castell Polychromos Pencils: amzn.to/3obkINo
Caran Dache Luminance Colored Pencils: amzn.to/2X4r6tZ
Prismacolor Colored Pencils: amzn.to/3hD8v1q
Seawhite Bristol Board Paper: amzn.to/2KQ2iU2
Swordfish Ikon Pencil Sharpener: amzn.to/3rP4jQV
Derwent Pencil Extender: amzn.to/3oVLrx6
Sakura White Gelly-Roll Pen: amzn.to/3ninXBv
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[@mirandapaschall]

I'm not an artist, I have always said that I cannot draw, but I have written a children's book series and I want to illustrate it myself. I am looking for instructional videos and yours was the first one I watched. It was a great and informative video. That apple looked real! Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

[@Jayne_Maya]

EXCELLENT video! I had never drawn with colour, only with grey leads.. I followed your guidance with a reference picture of an apple, and it’s turned out brilliant!
Friends are saying they thought it was a real apple.. great explanations and teaching! Thankyou!

[@Melanie-de5iq]

SAME! OMG! I wanna switch the game and start creating colorful drawings. It will make the drawings look more alive. But i'm a little nervous the color pencil will ruin it. It's ok tho, practice is PERFECT

[@wanderingstar5673]

Enjoyed the video. A lot of great colored pencil tips. Although I have the full 150 set of Prismacolor, I appreciate that you did the lesson with the 48 set. I wish more TH-cam art channels would use smaller sets so that viewers don’t have to make a huge financial commitment upfront before they have discovered if they like a certain medium or various options within that medium (i.e - Prismacolor versus Polychromos). Lindsay the Frugal Crafter did some videos using the Derwent Inktense 12 set. I found that so helpful. Enjoyed the projects she did, but not enough to purchase the larger set at this time. You’re terrific!

[@71degrees]

The swatches are key. Swatches on multiple [different colored] papers saves so much time as well.

[@roklickr]

Ty so much the way you explain and your voice is calming for me to learn

[@LP-cg1ec]

Excellent overview, thank you!

[@collsey1]

Thanks for a very easy to understand, informative video.
👍

[@davidtucker3889]

Thank you - an excellent video!

[@ryanwallace4204]

Thank you!! Very helpful thoughts

[@aniab4306]

Great helpful video !
Thanks a lot ❤

[@TinaMarie36]

Thank you!

[@lovefirst2725]

great videos thanks!

[@RachelHendersonColouring]

thank you, great video

[@humanityfighting4apulse378]

Love your channel, and just discovered you. Thanks!!

[@grahamekellermeier8280]

Great art your a gem.

[@Srujal_06]

its better watching such brilliant videos than going to an art class

[@MrsCoates-Reynolds]

Really useful video that will be really beneficial to my teaching this term. Thanks

[@Lizabethmoore-ow6mw]

Great video!!!

[@user-nf6zm7pr2s]

I love all your lessons on coloured pencils plus what paper to use i wish you lived near me,but then I’d be a pest

[@haleybrown2836]

I agree more than the brand of colored pencil you are using is the ground/paper you are using. Personally for learning and experimentation Bristol board is way too expensive. My personal favorite is 80 lb Blick sulphite drawing paper. 500 sheets used to cost around $13.00. At 3 cents a sheet it doesn't matter if something doesn't turn out.

[@Razan22]

Danke 👍

[@JUANS3F]

Very nice morning you have yourself...take care

[@keithbateman4532]

Very helpful video, one question please. You recommend Bristol boards but there seem to be different makes, are you referring to any particular one?

[@berdosof1355]

To observe the reference carefully it’s where I struggle a lot! At the same time I understand how important this process is and I see the improvement when I take time to observe… but it happens not every time 😅

[@71degrees]

Maybe this not much help, but remember to break everything down. Give it a shape reference. A head can start as a pineapple. Think of a hose first as a shoe lace, tree leaves first as a cloud.
For color, just guess...
Hopefully this helps

[@KaisDinoAdventures]

Fantastic video my friend! Absolutely enjoyed it!!! It's Monday, so have a great week! BIG LIKE 91
👍❤👍❤👍

[@majelthesurreal5723]

What do you think about using color pencils on canvas paper? I like the tooth and texture but lots of divots for the pencil to get stuck into.

[@antoniasattler6726]

Does it also depend on what the art work is of? As I have noticed animal drawings, people use faber castell? But other Prismacolor? And or Caradache?

[@tinaharnack3704]

As I am sketching and coloring in it occurred to me that I have never seen if anyone takes a page out of the book and uses it flat on their desk or keeps it in their book. Preferences?

[@JasmineElmeeraNugroho]

hello, can i use a printing paper for the artwork?

[@MelissaRippy]

Do your premium paid tutorials include step-by-step instructions or are they a "draw/paint along"? Do they include an outline sketch? Thank you!

[@GemmaChambersArt]

It's both 🙂 All of the videos are sorted into chapters. So I start off by including an in-depth tutorial for chapter 1, then there's a real time section after this with just the footage from chapter 1 without any sound. It then moves on to the chapter 2 tutorial and then the real time footage from there, and so on. So you can either follow the step-by-step instructions or you can draw along with me. All drawings do come with the outline sketch as well as all of the colours used and the reference photo

[@Anoek66]

Ive been using Prismacolor for years but sometimes i wonder if other pencils would be better. do you have experience with Derwent pencils?

[@ynaartsasyouliveandbreathe3533]

I'm in love with their white pencil from the Chromaflow line. Other than that, I've heard they're good pencils for the mid- range they're in. The Chromaflow line is definitely soft, but not as soft as Prismacolor. You may be disappointed and immediately want to revert to your tried-and -tested.

[@GemmaChambersArt]

I haven't used many Derwent pencils but I rate my Polychromos very highly. I do like my Prismacolor pencils but if I could only pick one... I really like the harder lead of oil based pencils.

[@wanderingstar5673]

The Derwent Chromaflow are wonderful especially since they came out with the 72 set unless lightfastness is required in your work. If you want lightfastness, the Derwent Lightfast Pencils are a dream to work with.

[@davidcompton-py2vu]

Sorry, Gemma. I'm not finding the skillshares in the comments as you indicated. Help.

[@bonstermonster7708]

Wait are black widow colored pencils good bc I just got those

[@yvetteayala3916]

What app do you use to put the grid on your reference photo on your iPad?

[@wardakashif9936]

I have used "Grid#" but I don't know if it's available for android....

[@glassofwater5140]

do u color it hardly? like u push the pencil on the paper

[@oodlez_uv_doodlez]

I wish you had a domestika tutorial :( 😞

[@AUDREY23]

Gemma do you use blenders?

[@GemmaChambersArt]

I never use blending pencils, and I'll occasionally use blending solvents but for the most part I just use lighter colours to blend everything together

[@solomonkok1539]

Video to draw clouds and grass please

[@71degrees]

Grass is small patches of hair. Work on grapes to get better at clouds 😏👍🏻have fun with it

[@fuzzydragons]

yep layer layer layer and more layering with coloured pencil lol

[@Melanie-de5iq]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! IM CURRENTLY DRAWING A CAR AND I ONLY HAVE COLOR PENCILS. THX LOVE YOUUUU ♥️

[@FernCurtis]

Just a quick note added to the point of layering. It builds better depth than when you use only 1-3 layers AND in doing so, you actually use less pigment, than when going in with 1-3 heavier layers. Which means that your pencils will last longer, which also means less sharpening. Which also adds to how long much longer they will last.

[@aishwaryay9345]

Brustro ✓. Prisma colours ❎

[@jf8220]

Talk less, demonstrate more.

[@Rogerdoger-bh8sj]

Lmao

[@brandonklevans7473]

Seriously. Why can we even see her face? We should see the paper and thats it

[@courtneymartin1993]

Watch another video, stop being rude.

[@jf8220]

Sorry. You are right.@@courtneymartin1993

[@Melanie-de5iq]

brandonklevans7473 She explains it really well though.

[@gennydavidsonsmith85]

Thank you!

[@spencercolgan]

Great video!