Beginner's - ArtTrader Magazine

Art TRADER
m a g a z i n e
Many of the techniques I talk about next are not mutually
exclusive—you don’t need to stick to only one technique, but
rather can do several overlapping techniques. The overlapping of
techniques can produce some of the best work!
Colored Pencil Technique
An easy way to use watercolor pencils is to simply use them
like regular pencils. They give you a very rich color and have
a different texture than regular colored pencils, allowing you to
create different effects.
If you are going to use them as normal pencils, I suggest you seal
them with a spray workable fixative or laminate so that they don’t
come in contact with water and ruin your design. DO NOT seal
them with a wet/brush-on varnish! The colors will mix together and
your image won’t be the way you want it.
Honestly though, if you are only going to use them as colored
pencils, you should really just be using colored pencils (oil-based
colored pencils give a similar look and feel). This allows you to
avoid “accidents” such as water drips or using the wrong sealer.
Painting Technique (i.e. Wet Brush)
My favorite way to use watercolor pencils is to first draw in a
design as if I’m using colored pencils, then use a wet brush and
water to “paint” that design into the paper. I find that I can get
more precise designs this way than having to use watercolors or
pencils alone. I can also work on my designs in places that normal
watercolors would have difficulty going (like the bus station!)
There is a ratio between the amount of color you add to your page
and how brilliant the effect becomes. I recommend adding your
color in layers instead of all at once, as you’ll get more subtle
undertones and an overall more consistent color. You can also
mix the colors you use for even more complex color combinations.
I almost always use at least two or three colors for each color area
I am working on.
As soon as you apply the water to the pencilling, you’ll find that the
drawing explodes in brilliant color! This is great if color is what you
want—but be careful! If you are going for a muted tone, you’ll want
to be cautious of how much pencil you apply; the colors could
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Using the Pencil in Other
Ways
You can use the watercolor
pencil to achieve many effects.
One technique is to take a small
blade and scrape pieces of the
paint off of it in small chunks.
Sprinkle these chunks into wet
paper (I sometimes sprinkle
them into a freshly made piece of
wet handmade paper) and they
will bleed and create interesting
patterns. This quickly uses
up your pencils, however! If
you want to conserve, you can
take the pieces from the pencil
shavings.
A second way you can use the
pencil is by grabbing the paint
from it directly with a wet brush.
So in this case, your pencil
becomes nothing but a mini well
of paint for you to use. This
is good to use for touching up
pieces, but not for large-scale
applications!
Not just a Wet Brush!
You can also use other brushlike
materials to create effects.
A wet or semi-wet sponge on a
colored surface will produce a
neat design! You can also use a
sponge or Q-tip to remove some
of the color when the paint is still
wet on the page.
You can use solvent instead of
water to create a very different
type of effect—solvent makes
your watercolor pencils very
transparent when compared
with water. I’ve managed to get
almost alcohol-ink like effects
with them!
For those of you who like rubber
stamping—watercolor pencils are
a fantastic way to add color to
your designs. Because of the