Springtime Blues...

[Diddley]

This one was a gift for my grandmother... it is in colored pencil, 8 X 10" on Mi-Tientes paper. I love Blue Jays, they are frequent visitors at my birdfeeder.

[Misted-Dream]

This is wonderful work here! I love that more neutral, blue-gray background you chose--it really helps pop out the blue jay and blossoms.

[wildlifeart89]

Lovely work, the colors you've used are beautiful!
Paige

[smudged-blue]

I love the blues in the bird in particular, the whole piece looks wonderful. I'm sure your grandmother will treasure this always.
I also enjoy using colored pencils, however I have a soft touch (which I want to improve on) would you mind sharing techniques you used to achieved this beautiful, colorful piece?

[Diddley]

Thanks everyone for your encouragement

Smudged-blue wrote:

I also enjoy using colored pencils, however I have a soft touch (which I want to improve on) would you mind sharing techniques you used to achieved this beautiful, colorful piece?

Hi Smudged-blue For my colored pencil work, I start out soft, laying down layer after layer of color. I build up colors until they start to get smooth & waxy. When they are the shades & colors I want, and I have quite a heavy layer built up, I blend the whole thing with a colorless blender (prismacolor... all my pencils are prismacolors). I use the colorless blender with quite a bit of pressure, until not a speck of the paper is showing through the layers. The colors are then rich & vibrant. To prevent the picture from developing "wax bloom" -a whitish haze that can dull the colors, it is the wax from the pencils, I first polish the painting with clean paper towels (making sure not to pull any dark colors into the light areas, and do not pull the color onto the background paper... polish carefully!) Then I spray the whole thing with several layers of Prismacolors workable fixative (matte) so that it seals it & prevents any bloom from returning. I've had good luck with this method, and some of the drawings I've done years ago still look bright & rich.
I hope this helps

[nickib]

What a beautiful gift!!!!! Your Grandmom is very lucky!!! Nicki

[Jayde]

Lovely work Diddley

[smudged-blue]

Diddley thank you so much for your reply, this technique certainly works for you. I guess I've gotta practise at keep on layering, I worry that everything will become the same value with the more layers applied (sounds silly I know), I have the colorless blender but it feels so scratchy, I wonder if thats because I don't have enough layers down to begin with. Is colored pencil your preferred medium? I look forward to see more of your work.

[FaeLynn]

Very nice!

[Lisa M]

Striking!

[Diddley]

Thanks all!

Smudged-blue wrote:

Diddley thank you so much for your reply, this technique certainly works for you. I guess I've gotta practise at keep on layering, I worry that everything will become the same value with the more layers applied (sounds silly I know), I have the colorless blender but it feels so scratchy, I wonder if thats because I don't have enough layers down to begin with. Is colored pencil your preferred medium? I look forward to see more of your work.

I find that more layers help me really punch up the lights & darks (more values rather than less)... don't be afraid to go really dark & really light! The colorless blender definitely works better over more layers... I don't use it until I've I've almost got the paper covered in smooth color... the blender just helps smooth everything out & work it down into every divot on the paper. I actually don't do much with colored pencil anymore (I did a lot for awhile though)... I mostly work in acrylic now. I enjoy the pencils though, & do one now & again for a change. I like acrylic because I don't need to frame it, and I can just dust it off with a cloth... less care than pencils, and less time to make large pictures. Good luck experimenting with bolder color & blenders!

[Five]

Very nice. I love the flowers - Apple Blossoms?

[ArtbyPeggy]

Beautiful Vibrant colors! I'm sure your Grandmother treasures this!!

Peggy

[RADAR]

sometime times leaving a pic simple makes it pop out! you have accomplished this and more .

Beautiful colors BTW!

[evartpat]

Wonderful work! Love those feathers!