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Applying Pencils to Paper

The way you apply pencil to paper as well as the colors you choose all depends on the look you are going for, everyone will develop their own style and color palette over time. You can use any artist grade pencil brand you like. For the first time user, this kind of exercise could help you get to know the feel of your pencils and future exercises will help you get to know your colors.

To experience the effects you get when you use a sharp versus a dull or blunt pencil, draw several one half inch squares evenly spaced with a ruler and a graphite pencil on some good quality white paper.

• Keep a note book handy for making notes
• Use a darker color so you can see the effects clearly
• Fill in one square by holding your pencil the way you do when you write. Then in another square try holding the pencil at more of an angle while coloring, this way you could get more coverage more quickly, but do work whichever way is more comfortable and natural for you, or whichever way you get better results
• Then, try holding the pencil further and further away from the point and grip loosely while coloring. You will notice you have less control, but you will be able to produce a lighter touch the higher up you go
• Also try coloring in a circular motion versus a back and forth stroke or linear motion to see the type of coverage you prefer
• While working with either sharp or dull pencil points, turn or roll your pencil periodically while coloring to keep the application even and to prevent the tip from forming a flat edge
• Do not push down too hard when your pencil point is very sharp, notice the results you get when you use a lighter touch with a very sharp pencil
• Don't worry about how many layers you use right now or how perfectly you can color in your squares, but it is a good idea however to get into the habit of working neatly
• Once you are done, you can save these to practice methods of erasing

Practice filling in some squares with various points, a very sharp colored pencil, a less sharp one and a dull (or blunt point).

>> One way to do it with a series of squares is to use a very sharp pencil in the first square, once the point dulls, don't attempt to finish the square, do not sharpen the pencil but move to the second square and start coloring, once it dulls even more, move to the third square to color it in with the dull point and so on.
>> Then, sharpen your pencil and begin again in the first square and so on until the squares are colored in using the various points. You will notice, the first square will have fewer 'white specks' and more of the paper is covered than the other squares. The more your point dulls, the less color you get down on the paper and you have a more blotchy look.

Try applying the colored pencils with various degrees of pressure as well. Your goal is to get a neat even layer or wash of color. Try a square with a very dull point, then go over the same square with a very sharp point, notice how the sharper point will fill in some of the paper that the duller point missed.

You will see how often you need to sharpen your pencil to keep a good point. The sharper your point, the softer and more even your result will be, you can sometimes better control the consistency or density of color build up when your point is sharper.

Pick a square you have already filled, use another color - an even darker color, with a sharp point and color over it, you will notice the mixing of colors and can see through the top layer to the layer below.

You can increase the value or depth of color by increasing the pressure you use. The tighter you hold the pencil the more pressure you can apply and the more dense the application will be.

Practice working slowly versus working quickly, see if there is a difference in control over the overall look. Try another square with circular motion covered by strokes with up and down motions, or try coloring with vertical strokes covered by diagonal strokes. You may notice that even if you apply a medium to heavy pressure for your first layer, you will likely not be able to cover all the wholes or specks of white in the paper, to achieve that you would need to make repeated layers with a sharp point and a lighter touch.

coloredpencilpoints.com by Liesl Huddleston, 2007 - 2009