How to Color Glowing Pumpkins without Florescent Markers or Colored Pencils
WHAT’S THE SECRET TO BRIGHT GLOWING PUMPKINS?
You’ve colored Jack o’ Lanterns before. Coloring the eyes, nose, and mouth holes yellow doesn’t work.
You want the light inside to glow like a candle in the dark.
Instead it just looks… flat and yellow.
It’s easy to assume you need neon gel pens or special day-glow paint to make Halloween projects glow.
There are lots of crafty bright glitter-glues and glow-in-the-dark puffy paints.
Sure, they glow but it’s not a realistic glow.
Why is it so hard to color a real glowing pumpkin?
“Pumpkin Stack”. Copic Marker + Prismacolor Colored Pencil on Strathmore 300 Smooth Bristol. 6” x 6” by the author, Amy Shulke.
WATCH: GLOWING PUMPKINS WITHOUT BRIGHT COLORS
(project supply list at end of this article)
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TIPS FOR COLORING REALISTIC GLOW
1. Stop assuming there’s a “magic” craft product which can substitute for good coloring
Artists have been creating warm glows for centuries without the use of puffy paint. This effect is easier than you think and it doesn’t require a master’s degree in advanced realistic painting to do it.
You can create warm inner glows with the markers and pencils you already have in your collection. In the video, I’ll show you how I do it.
2. It’s not about the glow
People tend to focus on the yellow eyes, nose, and mouth… desperately searching for a brighter, bolder yellow art supply which will finally create the glow you’re looking for.
Actually, your yellow is probably fine.
It’s the colors all around your yellow that are killing the glow. In the video, we’ll discuss why the orange and surrounding colors are responsible for killing your yellow glow.
COLOR WONK
ARTISTIC MARKER + PENCIL
Color Wonk is a next-level coloring school full of projects including Pumpkin Stack.
My intermediate and advanced online workshops are based upon fine art techniques, distilled into fun and friendly lessons for colorists and shy artists.
We’re not coloring with ye olde blending combinations— we’re thinking, growing, and learning.
Join today for instant access to Pumpkin Stack and dozens of similar classes.
TECHNIQUES USED IN “PUMPKIN STACK”
The following techniques can be spotted in the GLOWING PUMPKINS video:
I underpaint with two violet markers. Yes, there’s lots of purple under the black hat AND under the orange. Watch the video to see how I do it.
I also underpaint areas of the hat and pumpkins with yellow. Underpaint isn’t always for shade!
No black markers were used on the hat. If you look closely, the inside rim of the brim was done with a black colored pencil but that’s the only black. If you want a dimensional hat, you can’t color it black because then how do you shade something that’s already black?
Most of the details are added with a dark purple colored pencil. Why doesn’t it look like purple? Ahhh, that’s a secret we cover in the Pumpkin Stack class at Color Wonk!
COLORS USED IN “PUMPKIN STACK”
List contains affiliate links to Amazon, Dick Blick, and other trusted retailers. List also located at bottom of this page.
WE TEST ORANGE INK
MAKE ORANGE BEAUTIFUL
UNDERPAINT ARCHIVE
SUPPLY LIST FOR “PUMPKIN STACK”
