Pastels

Colored Pencils

Composition of Colored PencilsA colored pencil or pencil crayon is an art medium constructed of a narrow, pigmented core encased in a wooden cylindrical case.

Unlike graphite and charcoal pencils, colored pencils cores are wax- or oil-based and contain varying proportions of pigments, additives, and binding agents.

How Colored Pencils are Made

History of Colored PencilsThe history of the colored pencil is not entirely clear. The use of wax-based mediums in crayons is well-documented, however, and can be traced back to the Greek Golden Age, and was later documented by Roman scholar, Pliny the Elder.

Wax-based materials have appealed to artists for centuries due to their resistance to decay, the vividness and brilliance of their colors, and their unique rendering qualities.

Although colored pencils had been used for checking and marking for decades prior, it was not until the early 20th century that artist-quality colored pencils were produced.

Manufacturers that began producing artist-grade colored pencils included Faber-Castell in 1908 and Caran dAche in 1924, followed by Berol Prismacolor in 1938.

History of Colored PencilsRising popularity of colored pencils as an art medium sparked the beginning of the Colored Pencil Society of America (CPSA). According to its website, [CPSA] was founded in 1990 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to artists over 18 years of age working with colored pencil.

The CPSA not only promotes colored pencil art as fine art, but also strives to set lightfastness standards for colored pencil manufacturers.

Types of Colored PencilsArtist Grade Vs. Student/Scholar GradeColored pencils are graded by a few factors:Wax to Pigment RatioLightfastness (the response to UVA)Number of Colors available

Artist Grade Colored Pencils: High Pigments ratio compared to wax makes the lead soft and rich in color. They last longer in terms of fading because of UVA.

Student/Scholar: Though they are close to the same recipe as the artist grade pencils there tends to be more wax and they lightfast rated (making them susceptible to fading over time)

Types of Colored Pencils

Verithins: Colored pencils that have a higher wax ratio and a thinner core. Used for precise details and mark making.

Watercolor Colored Pencils: Water Soluble colored pencils that can still fully render values but can then be washed over with water to produce a watercolor effect.

Colored Pencils TECHNIQUESLayeringGradatingBurnishingCirculism Sgraffito (Incising Line)Vertical LineHatching + Cross HatchingScumblingStipplingScribblingWatercolor Pencil

Layering

Gradating

Burnishing

CirculismThe picture below shows what circulism will look like when applied to a drawing.

Sgraffito (Incised Line)

Vertical/Diagonal Line

Hatching/Cross Hatching

Scumbling

In drawing, scumbling is sometimes used to describe a random, scribbled texture, with figure-eight and concave shapes used to create a spiky texture, rather than the common circular scribble ON TOP OF SOLID COLOR

Stippling

Scribbling

Incising

Watercolor