Tags
Brunzeel Aquarelle, Canson, colored pencil, Crayola, illustration, iris, nature, pencil work, Prismacolor pencils, Spring
Spring scene (Iris) in colored pencil
The story behind the sketch:
Spring is so colorful it just begs for a medium that will express some of that. This scene was at a friend’s home, & was chosen & sketched spontaneously.
My experience in doing this sketch:
Colored pencil is fun–that’s the best word I can think of to describe working with it. It may not produce the most realistic or sophisticated results—although some artists have achieved such through careful use of layering & blending techniques. It’s great for outdoor sketching because it’s clean, portable, & lets you work in color without paint. This sketch was relaxing to do, & it evokes a nice memory of a beautiful place when I look at it.
The technical stuff
Substrate: Canson “Sketch”, a smooth paper with just enough tooth for pencil work. Prismacolor pencils were the main ones used, but Crayola, and other “kid’s” colored pencils were used too. A Brunzeel Aquarelle was used and a General’s colored pencil too. (Unless I’m doing a work of fine art that will be exposed to light over a long term, I don’t worry too much about using expensive pencils. The ones designed for artists are definitely more pigment-dense & softer, but sometimes one of the kid’s brands will have just the color I”m looking for.)
About Sketching 