Colored Pencil: Are you Heavy-Handed and Burnishing? Improve Your Coloring by Mastering Pressure Control

Colored Pencil: Are you Heavy-Handed and Burnishing? Improve Your Coloring by Mastering Pressure Control

Do you always press hard with colored pencils?

And you just can’t lighten up? Or maybe you feel like you have to automatically burnish everything you color?

You’re not alone. Many colorers have issues controlling their pencil pressure, not just beginners…

Coloring Myths: Underpainting makes everything look realistic (Copic Markers, Colored Pencil)

Coloring Myths: Underpainting makes everything look realistic (Copic Markers, Colored Pencil)

I’m thrilled that underpainting is finally catching on.

But I do worry that people are overdoing the underpaint.

Underpaint shading is not a one-size-fits-all technique.

Today, let’s look at where underpaint shading works best and more importantly, when underpainted shade can damage your realistic coloring.

Coloring Myths: Is Realistic Coloring Just a Copy of a Photograph? (Copic Markers, Colored Pencil)

Coloring Myths: Is Realistic Coloring Just a Copy of a Photograph? (Copic Markers, Colored Pencil)

You want to try realistic coloring…

But honestly, the fear of trying to copy a photo reference is stopping you. All that detail? And trying to match the colors exactly?

It sounds stressful, not fun.

Today, let’s look at why you may be overestimating the difficulty of realism…

Blending with Colored Pencils: Are You Using Too Many Colors? (More Realism with Fewer Pencils)

Blending with Colored Pencils: Are You Using Too Many Colors? (More Realism with Fewer Pencils)

Are you frustrated with your colored pencil blends?

You’re not alone. You wanted to learn to color with realism and artistry. Instead, you’re getting artificial candy colors and strange blends which don’t turn out the way you expected.

Today, let’s look at the most common issue I see with current pencil instruction and why it doesn’t work well for realistic coloring