Tag Archives: traditional art

Colored Pencils, Not just for Children!

Colored pencils are my favorite medium for creating artwork. These pencils, which consist of a pigmented core encased in wood or plastic, offer an extensive range of hues and effects at an affordable price. Whether you are a seasoned artist or just starting out, colored pencils are a convenient and effective medium to add to your artistic arsenal. In fact, their versatility and accessibility make them a popular choice among artists of all levels.

To create a piece of artwork with colored pencils, you will need a set of pencils in a variety of colors, as well as a good quality paper that is smooth and suited for colored pencils. There are many types of colored pencils on the market, ranging from low-cost options to more expensive, professional-grade pencils. It is up to you to decide which type is right for your needs and budget. You may also want to invest in a pencil sharpener and eraser to keep your pencils in good condition and correct any mistakes.

Colored pencils create a wide range of artwork, from detailed, realistic drawings to random scribbles and expressive pieces. To create a specific effect, you can layer different colors on top of each other, blend colors together using a blending tool or your finger, or vary the pressure and angle of your strokes. With practice and experimentation, you will find that colored pencils are a versatile and enjoyable medium, which create a wide range of artwork. Let’s get to work!

The 3 types of pencils used for colouring

  • Wax-based colored pencils: These are the most common type of colored pencils. They contain a core of pigmented wax. Wax-based pencils, known for their creamy, smooth texture, make them easy to blend and layer. They are resistant to water, so they are for techniques like wet blending or creating a watercolor effect.
  • Oil-based colored pencils: These pencils have a core made of pigmented oil in a wooden or plastic casing. They have a harder, waxy texture than wax-based pencils, which makes them more difficult to blend but more resistant to fading over time. Oil-based pencils used for their vibrant, long lasting colors and detailed, precise work.
  • Water-soluble colored pencils: As the name suggests, these pencils can be dissolved with water, creating a watercolor effect. They have a core of pigmented binder. Water-soluble pencils are great for creating a loose, fluid look and are easy to blend. They are also easy to erase, making them a good choice for correcting mistakes or refining details.

Creating with coloured pencils

lets explore seven great colored pencil techniques that i use in many of my artworks. These techniques will help take colored pencil artwork to the next level. Let’s get started!

  • Blending: Use a blending tool or your finger to smooth out the transitions between different colors, creating a more cohesive and realistic look. You can also invest in soulvents to create new and fun effects.
  • Burnishing: Use a lot of pressure to fill in an area with a solid layer of color.
  • Gradation: Create a smooth transition between two or more colors by gradually blending them together.
  • Hatching and cross-hatching: Use fine, closely spaced lines to create shading and texture.
  • Layering: Build up different layers of color to create more depth and dimension in your drawings.
  • Scumbling: Use a light touch to create a textured, hazy effect by lightly dragging the colored pencil over the paper.
  • Stippling: Create a dotted texture by repeatedly dabbing the pencil onto the paper.

Brands of pencils most used by artists

Highlighted are the pencils that I use most frequently, but I’m always up for trying out new ones when I spot them at my local store. Got any recommendations for me to check out? what are you favorties?

  1. Bruynzeel: This Dutch company offers colored pencils with high-quality pigments and a wide range of colors.
  2. Caran d’Ache: This Swiss Company offers colored pencils with high-quality pigments and a wide range of colors.
  3. Crayola:These well-known colored pencils are popular with students and artists alike for their vibrant colors and affordability.
  4. Derwent: This British company is known for its high-quality pigments and a wide range of colored pencils.
  5. Faber-Castell: These high-quality colored pencils are made with premium pigments and have a soft, creamy texture.
  6. Holbein: This Japanese company offers colored pencils with high-quality pigments and a wide range of colors.
  7. Pentalic: These colored pencils are known for their high-quality pigments and a wide range of colors.
  8. Polychromos: These professional colored pencils are known for their high-quality pigments and a wide range of colors.
  9. Prismacolor: These professional colored pencils are known for their wide range of colors and high-quality pigments.
  10. Staedtler: This German company offers colored pencils with high-quality pigments and a wide range of colors.

Let’s Create!

Roxanne Fox beautifully brought to life by the use of colored pencils

With a wide range of brands to choose from, each offering their own unique pigments and features, colored pencils offer endless possibilities for creativity and artistic expression. So go ahead and let your creativity shine!
Check out some of my coloured pencil artwork Here
Need to buy som epencils for yourself? Check out your local art store or browse online

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Graphite Pencils and sketching

Graphite pencils are a popular medium for drawing, sketching, and writing. They are made from a mixture of clay and graphite, a form of carbon, and encased in a wooden casing. Graphite pencils are graded on a scale from 9H to 9B, with 9H being the hardest/ lightest in color, and 9B is the softest/darkest in color. H pencils are good for fine, detailed work, while B pencils are good for softer, broader strokes.

To use a graphite pencil, you can start with a piece of paper by applying pressure to the pencil to deposit the graphite onto the paper. Create lighter or darker lines by applying more or less pressure, or by using a harder or softer pencil. Create a wide range of tones and shades by blending or layering different pencil strokes on top of each other.

Remember when working with graphite pencils, the graphite will smudge easily. To avoid smudging your drawing, hold the pencil differently keep the tip pointed, or use a paper blending tool to blend pencil strokes. You can also invest in a good-quality eraser to remove any unwanted marks or lines. Paper also plays a huge role.

Why Do Pencil sketches?

Drawing with pencils can be a very enjoyable and relaxing activity for many people. Why I enjoy pencil art.

  1. Pencils are easy to use and widely available: Pencils are an accessible medium that can be used by people of all skill levels. They are also widely available and relatively inexpensive. The ability to start drawing with pencils without having to invest much is a huge bonus.
  2. Pencils allow for a wide range of effects: With pencils, you can create a wide range of lines, tones, and textures. You can use different hardness and softness of pencils, blend and layer different strokes, and experiment with different shading techniques to create the effects.
  3. Pencils are versatile: Use pencils on a variety of surfaces, including paper, cardboard, and even some fabrics. This allows you to be creative, and explore different mediums.
  4. Therapeutic: Many people find that drawing is a calming, meditative activity. It allows them to focus on the present moment to forget about their worries.

Pencils can be a fun, rewarding hobby that allows you to express creativity and relax your mind.

What tools do you need?

There are varieties of graphite drawing tools used to create different effects s. Some common graphite tools include:

  1. Paper: Different types of paper give different effects and textures. Be sure to pick one for the correct medium and intentions.
  2. Pencil sets: These sets contain a range of pencils in different hardness and softness, allowing for a variety of options when drawing.
  3. Blending tools: These tools, such as blending stumps and tortillons, are used to blend and soften pencil strokes to create smooth, gradated tones.
  4. Erasers: These are used to remove or lighten pencil marks. There are various types of erasers, including kneaded erasers, which can be molded into different shapes to erase specific areas.
  5. Sharpeners/Knives: These are used to keep the tips of your pencils sharp, which is important for creating fine, detailed lines.
  6. Fixatives: These are sprays that can be used to set your pencil drawings to prevent them from smudging or smearing.
  7. Pencil extenders: These are hollow tubes that fit over the end of a pencil and allow you to use the pencil even when it becomes too short to hold comfortably.

Inexpensive tools

Not only are most of the tools inexpensive but you can make some of them. For example, the blending stumps. Make your blending stump for pencils by following these steps:

  1. Gather materials: You will need a piece of fine-grit sandpaper, a small piece of paper or cardboard, and a pencil.
  2. Sand the pencil: Use the sandpaper to sand down the tip of the pencil until it is blunt and rounded. Be sure to sand evenly, and create a smooth, consistent point.
  3. Roll the paper: Take the piece of paper or cardboard and roll it into a tight cone shape, with a pointy end about the same size as the tip of the pencil.
  4. Attach the paper to the pencil: Use a small amount of glue to attach the pointy end of the paper cone to the tip of the pencil. Allow the glue to dry completely.
  5. Trim the paper: Once the glue has dried, use a sharp blade or scissors to trim off any excess paper, creating a smooth, rounded end.

Your homemade blending stump is now ready to use! Use for blending and smoothing out pencil strokes. Create gradated tones and soften hard edges. Clean the blending stump regularly; remove any excess graphite or other debris

How to get started

Quick life sketches, figure drawing, and scribbling shapes and shades with pencils involve capturing the essence of a subject in a limited amount of time, often using just a few strokes.

Quickly capture the essence of a scene or subject in a loose, spontaneous manner. These sketches are often done quickly, to capture the overall impression of the subject rather than the fine details. Quick life sketches are a good way to practice observation and develop drawing skills.

Figure drawing is the art of sketching the human form, and it can be done with a variety of media, including pencils. When creating figures with pencils, start by lightly sketching the basic shapes of the body. The head, torso, limbs, and hands. Gradually build up the details and values. Pay attention to the proportions of the body and the way that light falls on the forms.

Both are challenging, but they are also rewarding and develop skills as an artist. With practice and observation, improve your ability to capture the essence of your subjects in a limited amount of time.

Make a goal

Here is an example of a goal for learning to draw :

“I will practice drawing for at least 30 minutes per week, and I will strive to improve my skills by experimenting with different techniques and materials. I will also try to draw a variety of subjects, including still life, landscapes, and portraits, to challenge myself and expand my abilities. By the end of the month, I will have completed at least three drawings that I am proud of and that demonstrate my progress.”

This goal is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, which are characteristics of a good goal. It also includes a plan for practicing and improving, as well as a deadline for measuring your progress. By setting this goal for yourself, stay motivated and focused on improving your pencil art.

Drawing from nature

Nature is a great way to improve as an artist. Develop your ability to observe and capture the world around you. Some reasons why you might want to draw from nature when sketching include:

  1. Develop your observation skills: When you draw from nature, pay close attention to the subject noting the details and proportions of the forms. This will help you develop your ability to see and understand the world in a more focused and attentive way.
  2. Allows you to practice working from life: Drawing from life, rather than from photographs or other reference materials, can be more challenging, but it is also more rewarding. Capture the unique qualities and characteristics of the subject in front of you.
  3. Relaxing and meditative: Many people find that drawing from nature is a calming and meditative activity that allows them to connect with the world around them. It can be a great way to relax and de-stress.
  4. Inspire creativity: Nature is full of a wide range of subjects, from plants, animals, landscapes, and still life. creating from nature helps create inspiration and ideas for your art.

Drawing from nature can be a valuable and rewarding activity that helps you to connect with the world around you.

Use a Sketchbook

There are several reasons why you might want to have a sketchbook for pencil work:

  1. Portable: A sketchbook is easy to take anywhere, and draw anytime. This can be especially useful to practice drawing on the go or if you want to capture ideas and observations quickly.
  2. Experiment: Sketchbooks are a great place to experiment with different techniques and ideas without the pressure of creating a finished piece. Try out different pencils, shading techniques, compositions, and more without the stress of making mistakes.
  3. Record of your progress: Keeping a sketchbook allows you to track progress over time and see how your skills have improved. It’s a great source of motivation and inspiration to look back on old pictures. See how far you’ve come.
  4. Source of inspiration: A sketchbook is a great place to store ideas, inspiration, and reference materials. Use it as a place to collect images and ideas that you can refer to later when working on more finished pieces.

Sketchbooks are a valuable tool for any artist. They are especially useful for pencil work. It allows you to practice, experiment, record your progress, and it can be a source of inspiration for future work.

Basic Shading

Here are five rules to follow when shading with pencils:

  1. Use a range of values: To create the illusion of three-dimensionality in your drawings, it’s important to use a range of values, or shades of lightness and darkness. Achieve this by using different hardness or softness of pencils, layering, and blending different strokes.
  2. Pay attention to the direction of the light source: The direction of the light source will affect the way that light falls on the subject of your drawing. Reflect on this in your shading. Pay attention to the direction of the light and the way it creates highlights and shadows on the subject.
  3. Use hatching and cross-hatching to create value: Hatching is the technique of creating parallel lines close together to create a hatched effect, and cross-hatching is the technique of using intersecting lines to create a cross-hatched effect.
  4. Blend and layer your strokes: Use a blending tool, such as a blending stump or your finger, to smooth out and blend pencil strokes. Used to create gradated tones and soften hard edges. Layer different pencil strokes on top of each other to create deeper, more complex values.
  5. Practice, practice, practice: Shading with pencils is a skill that takes time and practice to develop. Don’t get discouraged if your drawings don’t look perfect at first – keep practicing! You’ll get better over time.

Shading with different strokes

Several pencil strokes are used to shade:

  1. Hatching: Parallel lines close together to create a hatched effect. The closer together the lines are, the darker the area will appear. Use any direction, using different line widths and hardness to create different effects.
  2. Cross-hatching: Intersecting lines create a cross-hatched effect. As with hatching, the closer together the lines are, the darker the area will appear. Cross-hatching can also be done in any direction and with different line widths and hardness
  3. Stippling: Small, repeating dots to create a textured effect. The closer together the dots are, the darker the area will appear. Stippling is time-consuming, but it is used to create a wide range of tones and textures.
  4. Circles: Repeating circles create a textured effect. As with stippling, the closer together the circles are, the darker the area will appear. Circles create a wide range of tones and textures.
  5. Blending: A blending stump or your finger is used to smooth out and blend pencil strokes together. Creating smooth, gradated tones and softening hard edges.

By combining different strokes, you can create a wide range of values and textures.

Soft and heavy pressure for edges

Use hard and soft edges to create a variety of effects.

Hard edges are created when you use a sharp pencil tip or when you apply pressure to create a crisp, defined line. Hard edges are useful for creating precise, detailed lines and for outlining the shapes and forms in your drawings.

Soft edges, are created using a blunt pencil tip or when you apply less pressure to create a softer, less defined line. Used to create a sense of movement, softness, and blending. Create soft edges by blending pencil strokes together with a blending tool or your finger.

By using a combination of hard and soft edges in your art, you can create a sense of depth. Use hard edges to outline the forms in your drawing and soft edges to blend and shade the areas between the forms. Experimenting with different edge qualities creates images that are more realistic.

What should I draw?

A common occurrence when looking for an idea is not knowing what to draw. We have plenty of things we should focus on for improvement, try one of these.

  1. Observation and perspective: Being able to accurately observe and represent the world around you is key. Perspective is the way that objects appear to get smaller/closer together as they recede into the distance.
  2. Proportions and anatomy: Knowing how to accurately draw the proportions and anatomy of the human figure and other subjects is important for creating realism
  3. Light and shadow: Understanding how light falls on a subject and how to depict it on a flat surface is essential for creating the illusion of depth and form.
  4. Line quality and mark-making: Being able to control or manipulate different types of lines and marks is important for creating a wide range of effects.
  5. Composition: The way that you arrange the elements can have a big impact on their overall effectiveness. Learning how to create a strong composition is important for creating successful artwork.

By focusing on these key areas, you will develop your skills much more quickly

Conclusion

Anyone can start drawing and creating beautiful works of art with pencils. All you need are some good pencils, a few minutes, and paper. These simple tips will help you get started or continue with your pencil journey!
Anything else you want to add? Let me know in the comments

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Anime

The Anime world is full of wondrous things and beautiful creations. This gallery is mainly filled with pretty girls and intriguing creatures.

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Anthropomorphic Characters

Creatures with human characteristics –

Anthropomorphic characters are fictional creatures or animals. These characters often retain their animal or creature-like appearance, but they stand upright, walk on two legs, and have hands and feet similar to humans. They also wear clothes, use tools, and display human-like behaviors, such as expressing love, anger, and humor. They blur the line between human and animal, creating a unique and imaginative world where anything is possible. They inspire creativity, empathy, and a deeper understanding of the world around us.

New & Featured Art

All at Random~!

 

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I’ll be at Vancoufur!

Ok guys I will be at Vancoufur 2015. Hoping to get an artist Alley table were you can get a some quick commissions or some merchandise. Since this is a furry con most of the artwork will be themed as such, though commissions of all kinds will be available. Though if you arent interested in that type of crowd I doubt you would go lol.
(thats like hating anime and going to Anime  north! just why?)

 

so you’ll find me there in a sparkling black and gold dress.

come by and visit!

Pics to be posted!

 

 

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Crit Night – 3rd round – Here we go

critnight2

 

Hello and thank you for particularizing in crit night!

 

Crit night is a small event held here on www.sammacha.com’s art blog. Its a event where artist help artists by submitting both an image for critique and a critique for a randomly assigned artist. This allows for everyone to receive input from someone different. It also provide and opportunity for each artist to look at a style they may not be familiar with and offer some advice or opinions while learning themselves as well.

 

This time around we had a few less participants (5) due to the holiday’s but there is no lack of helpful tips from each of our artists.

If you are an artist or know and artist that may be interested please pass on the link with all the info
https://www.sammacha.com/art/category/crit-night/

 

so lets get on with it shall we?

 

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First Crit Night!

critnight2

Hello, and welcome to the first crit night on Sammacha.com.

As usual the first run is always full of a few bumps but I feel that it went alright. If anyone has any feedback on what can be improved I would be happy to hear it.

I must thank most everyone for submitting their artwork and their critique on time. (Yes since this is the first crit night I have made an exception to the rules)

I hope everyone will be able to benefit from tonight and many more to come, so, on to the artwork.

Everyone was assigned one image to critique and it was optional to critique any other piece you felt like. To read the critique you received just click on your picture. Feel free to leave comments or send me an e-mail and I will forward it to the owner of the picture or the critic.

I look forward to having another crit night in the near future, new participants welcome. Click here for more information on Crit Night

Click here to see the Schedule

crit

 

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Chinese War Horse Daiyu #2

Happy New Year 2014 – Year of the Horse

Chinese War Horse Daiyu #2

Chinese war horse – Daiyu (Black Jade)

My Chinese War Horse Daiyu (Black Jade) is a perfect drawing to celebrate the year of the horse!
It is a re-work of this picture, but done with pencil crayons.
I’ve also created 2 videos of myself working on this picture showing the inking of the line work and the actual pencil coloring process.

The inking video can  be seen here : http://youtu.be/d_e3pWIdBdc

Chinese War Horse Daiyu – Inked line art

I find inking is a hard process as you only really get one shot at each line, and you need to do it fairly quickly or it doesn’t look good. Almost every line is drawn with 1 solid stroke and then later  with a much smaller pen tip, the line weight and extra shape/detail is added. You also need to make sure you know where its going to end up, its not like you can just erase it….

The colouring video can be found here: http://youtu.be/sCFt5inUn7k
It looks really different before the blending stage occurs

Pencil crayon before blending, it looks quite different then the completed version. Still looks nice but not as well as the fully blended piece

I really enjoy using pencil crayons. You can get a nice solid color onto the paper and they blend quite well. The overall effect is similar to a copic marker or even paint. However I do find that pencil crayon is not as forgiving as paint at all… once its on the paper it’s staying there.
Some people like to use layer of workable fixatif, however I have never used it.
I may in the future but for now I think the method I have going works well for me.

Overall this drawing is a large improvement upon the original and was great practice fro my pencil crayon work!

Chinese war horse – Daiyu (Black Jade)

-Samantha Lim

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The Blue Pansy butterfly – Pencil Art

The Blue Pansy Butterfly

 

Just testing out my pencils and paper, it was a good learning exp, plus Butterflies are not easy to draw! Damn mirror image XD
Good to work with such a rich colour on paper again 🙂

 

 

So basically I wanted a somewhat simple butterfly that had some stunning colors. There are some very interesting ones out there but I chose this one for the vibrant blue, purple and orange. It creates a great contrast and will be perfect for testing out the blending of the color son the paper.

The blue pansy butterfly is a very pretty one 🙂

The Reference photo

 

 

To do a mirror image on paper, well its really quite a pain. I started by sketching out one side then scribbling reference lines all over it to try and get the correct proportions and angles on both sides.

The Draft

When I was happy with that I moved onto a new pencil line art fixing up the details of the pattern within the wings. I ended up doing just one side to get a feel for where the colors went and how the pattern should look. (you can see them in the gallery below) In the end it came out a bit different then the ref but I think I like it.

Here was the complete butterfly line work that I came up with.

Pattern correction

I was actually pretty happy with this piece, I got most of the shapes worked out.

I continued to do a quick graphite version, as I needed to test out the paper with both colors and graphite. ( I have never used this type of paper before). Actually it was not quick, it was pretty time consuming, what a pain to color a mirrored image even with the line work lol.

It went well but it was quite different then what I am used to. This paper holds the graphite very well and the blending doesn’t work the same for me.

The entire process can be seen below if you are interested. the entire… project, took a few days to complete over a course of I maybe 2 or 3 weeks as I didn’t work on it everyday. more of an on and off project in between, that thing called life.

enjoy

🙂

-Samantha Lim

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