042 Colored Pencil Question and Answer Show

Topic:  Question and Answer Show

This week John and Lisa answer some of the questions you submitted to us!  If you’d like to submit a question that may be potentially featured here on the show, just write to us at podcast@sharpenedartist.com  or complete the online form at http://sharpenedartist.com/qanda

Want to use your voice to record a message to us? Just click the side widget, at http://sharpenedartist.com/podcast to the right labeled "Send Voicemail", to send an audio file to us!  You can simply use your mic from the computer!

Some of the questions this week are:

• What kinds of things do you see newer artists struggle with at the beginning?

• How do I know when to Burnish?  It seems like I’m burnishing too early and when I’m done, I still see the paper showing through.

• How much color theory do I need to understand to start in colored pencil?

Links mentioned in the show:

Lisa's longer Patreon videos

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As always, thanks for listening! Tune in next week for more from John and Lisa. In the meantime, be sure to visit www.sharpenedartist.com for additional updates and information. You can also join our Facebook group, Colored Pencil Podcast, or contact us by email at podcast@sharpenedartist.com.

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Stay sharp!

009 Using Solvents and Layering

Topic:  Blending with Solvents and Layering

John and Lisa discuss some of their experiences with using solvents and blending techniques.  

There are many different solvents that can be used with colored pencils.  It is good to know what is available and what tends to work with certain pencils.  As you test and experiment you will develop a preference to certain solvents and method for applying them.  

Is there a way to figure out what colors I’m going to use to layer?

How many layers will your paper hold?  

How do you go about creating the hue that you’re wanting to represent?  Are you choosing one pencil to represent that hue or many?

A lot of it will depend on your surface.  A smooth surface will not take many layers and one with a lot of tooth can take 10 or more layers - depending on how much pressure is used.

Some of the solvents used with colored pencils:

Paint thinner

OMS - Gamsol / Mona Lisa odorless paint thinner

Alcohol blender - usually comes in a marker line.  Markers do not last long.  A single “blender” marker may not allow you to finish an entire piece before running out.  Plus they are expensive for how little you get.

Baby Oil - or any other kind of oil.  Unless your surface is treated then this would not be an archival application because oils can cause untreated paper to start deteriorating more quickly than normal.

Water - some pencils blend with water nicely but some do not.  Oil based pencils like Polychromos are water resistant.  

Links mentioned in the show:

Lisa’s video on burnishing and using solvents

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oGAsNuChiU