Colour Pencil and Colour Mixing

Every artist needs the freedom to be able to mix colour properly, lay colour pencil onto paper in the correct way and have a toolbox of techniques to get the desired effects.

During this unit you will discover how to draw with coloured pencil.

The unit covers colour theory, tone, form and space, the colourist approach and adding texture to your drawings.

In the final two weeks of the course you will use layering, partial layering and juxtaposing to create a realistic drawing ‘Tropical Bouquet’

Course Format

This course is the fifth in a series of six course units (available here for purchase on Reed.co.uk) which together form the Complete Drawing Course.

The course unit contains five weeks of study notes plus a two week final project (presented as a series of pdf eBooks).

It is recommended that you study between 2 and 4 hours per week to complete the course in 7 weeks.

This is a self-teach course (with Instructor support as an optional upgrade)

You will have 3 months access to the course materials in the members area.

Need Personal Instructor Support?

Detailed instructor support and feedback via email for every weekly exercise and project in the course is available as a membership upgrade from £80 per month.

A discount for Reed.co.uk buyers is available.

Please contact the course provider to upgrade your membership when you purchase the course.

Syllabus

Week One: Colour Pencil Techniques

• Getting to know your colour pencils; the advantages and disadvantages.
• Introduction to the traditional colour wheel
• Learn to read the traditional colour wheel
• Learn how to use light, medium or heavy pressure along with either a sharp or dull tip to create textured and non-textured areas of tone
• Learn to draw six basic pencil strokes
• Learn a basic layering technique to combine 2 colours to subtly adjust an existing colour or create a whole new colour

Week Two: Colour Theory

• Using your new skills, you will produce a colour swatch using hues of the colour wheel
• Learn six popular colour schemes
• Optional Exercise: Draw an abstract picture using one of six colour schemes

Week Three: Tone, Form and Space

• Learn two techniques to create finely textured tonal areas with a single layer
• Learn how to use colour and value to create the illusion of form and space
• Use your new colour pencil techniques to draw realistic subjects.

Week Four: The Colourist Approach

• Understanding what it means to take a colourist approach to your drawings
• Learn how to use the properties of colour, ie: hue, chroma, value and temperature along with the unique qualities of colour pencil to create complex colour passages that this medium is so well known for
• Learn how to layer and juxtapose colours to adjust or refine colour
• Learn 3 erasing and colour lifting techniques
• Optional: Realistic drawing of a yellow flower

Week Five: Choose an Image for the Final Project

• Explore 2 different methods of adding texture to your drawings
• How to make a colour isolating tool
• Draw a jar of pickles

Week Six to Seven: Final Project

• Match your colours – Do your best to mix and match your colours similar to the reference photo provided in your notes
• In the final two weeks of the course you will use layering, partial layering and juxtaposing to create a realistic looking drawing of a strawberry (which when completed looks almost good enough to eat!).
• Use colour lifting techniques to create highlights or reflected light areas

This course is ideal for:

Adult Beginner Artists

Students preparing for entry into formal creative and design based studies

Home Schoolers  (Children 12+ with adult supervision)

Experienced artists with ‘skill gaps’ in the area of colour pencil and colour mixing.

It is recommended that you have previously studied our ‘Outline Drawing’ and ‘Shading and Form’ courses which are available here on Reed.co.uk.