Yellow Ochre...



One thing I've learned from using Prismacolor pencils is that the colour, Yellow Ochre, is probably going to be one of your best friends... next to the colourless blender. It's hue can be used to create a wide variety of colours when applied correctly. You can find this colour in just about everything you look at, from people, to rust, to animals, nature, and even textures such as metals, wood and cloth.

In this work I've created, Yellow Ochre is found in every item. It smoothes gradation, giving sleek texture. It helps highlight and dull certain points of each object, showing the stong light source.

For information about Prismacolor pencils, you can visit their website by clicking here.

Sketches...

Sketching is probably one of the more important tools when creating a work of art. To some, things come naturally. To others, it takes some concentration and planning. Sketching not only loosens and warms you up for drawing, but it also helps blueprint what your works will include.

For sketching, it is best to start with as little detail as possible. Mainly what sketching helps you with isn't the detail but the shape as well as proportion and perspective. How you perceive your object, how close it is to you, the scale of the object and the composition of it are all things your sketch should include. You shouldn't be concentrated on details, light sources, texture, nor background and foregrounds. Countour line drawings are the best kind of sketches, mostly due to their lack of detail and the like.

Without lifting your pencil from your paper, draw a rose with one line.

Once you get the form you desire, you can draw and redraw your shape as often as you like until you are satisfied and are looking to add detail.

Adding shading can bring dimension to any object.

For simple tips and tricks to help improove your sketching, please feel free to click here!

Darks Can Always Be Darker...

Personally, when drawing, I prefer to start out with something light like an HB graphite pencil to get a general idea of the shape of the object I'm adding shading to.

Using an apple as an example, I'd very lightly draw just the outline, as well as a line background, to show that my apple is placed on a surface and not floating in midair.



Once you get the shape desired, it is now time to add a third-dimensional perspective with shading. For this you can us a darker pencil, such as a 4B or 6B. When looking at your apple, or your object, make note of where the light source is shining from. This is very crutical to animating your objects to life.

After practicing a few times, your apple should start to look more and more like the one above. If you please, colour can be added for a more realistic appeal.

Click here to see the Top 10 Mistakes Beginners Make.