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How to Use Coloured Pencils Made Simple

You already know coloured pencil guides exist. Here’s the one that turns “I hope this works” into confident, consistent results.

Pencil Topics is your step‑by‑step guide to learning, improving, and enjoying coloured pencil art, without overwhelm or guesswork.

Whether you’re brand new or picking the pencils back up, you’ll get practical lessons, plain‑English explanations, and bite‑size exercises that build real skills: pressure control, layering, blending, burnishing, and more.

We also help you choose what to buy (without overspending), pick papers that work best, fix mistakes, and take a drawing from reference to finished piece.


Why choose Pencil Topics?

  • Clear, structured paths instead of random tips that leave gaps
  • Short, focused exercises that compound into visible progress
  • Plain‑English teaching that tells you exactly what to do and why
  • Purchase guidance so you only buy what you’ll actually use
  • Tutorials that take you from blank page to finished artwork



learn coloured pencils in a 3 step process

We write from a UK perspective, so you will see colour instead of color pencils, but everything is useful wherever you are.

How it works:

1) Pick the hub that fits your next step.

2) Follow the short lessons and bite‑size exercises.

3) Apply your skills in guided tutorials and finish pieces you’re proud of.


Getting Started Hub

Five coloured pencils - essential art supplies for aspiring artists getting started

How to use coloured pencils, simplified. Find the essential supplies, set up your space, and complete your first confidence‑boosting exercises, so you make clean, controlled marks from day one.

Let's Get Started!


Foundation Skills Hub

A standard colour wheel used to explain colour mixing and selection for coloured pencil artists.

Build a rock‑solid base: core drawing principles, understanding light and shadow (value), the basics of colour for coloured pencils, and composition that “looks right” before you draw.

Build Your Foundations



Core Techniques Hub

Yellow coloured pencil layering over a blue base to demonstrate creating a green colour through optical mixing.

Make your pencils sing. Master essential coloured pencil techniques—layering, blending, and burnishing, to create beautiful depth and texture in your drawings.

Master the Techniques



Simple Tutorials Hub

Coloured pencil drawing of a bowl filled with various types of fruit.

Turn skills into finished art. Follow along with beginner‑friendly projects that produce lovely results and grow your confidence with every stroke.

Start a Tutorial



Advanced Tutorials

Detailed close-up of realistic fur texture in a wild cat coloured pencil drawing from an advanced tutorial

Ready to push past “pretty good” into polished, professional finishes? Build on your core techniques to:

Create lifelike textures: fur, feathers, bark, and stone with believable depth.

Render shine and transparency: convincing metal, glass, and water

Master dramatic surfaces: striking whites on toned and black paper

Extend your toolkit: watercolour pencil underpaintings and pastel pencil accents

Paint atmosphere: layered landscapes with distance, mood, and light

We recommended you learn the foundations of layering, blending, and burnishing skills from the Core Techniques Hub before tackling these. 


Explore More Ways to Enhance Your Art

Beyond our structured Learning Hubs, you’ll find even more support for your artistic journey:

Tips & Articles:

 Need specific advice, want to explore techniques like using black paper, or looking for still life composition insights? Browse our growing library of practical articles.

Browse for more specific articles

Resources:

 Compare UK art suppliers, check a glossary of art terms, and see detailed paper and pencil performance tests so you can buy with confidence.

Explore the Resources

Is Pencil Topics right for you?

  • You want a clear path from first marks to finished pieces
  • You prefer step‑by‑step lessons with short exercises you can actually complete.
  • You’d like guidance on supplies and paper so you don’t overspend.

If that’s you, start in the Getting Started Hub — then move through Foundations and Core Techniques to grow, one skill at a time.

Quick answers for smart comparisons

Question: Do I need expensive supplies?

Answer: No. We show you what to buy now and what can wait, so you only purchase what you’ll actually use.

Question: Will I learn how to fix mistakes?

Answer: Yes. You’ll learn clean‑up, correction, and how to prevent common problems.

Question: Can I take a piece from reference to finish?

Answer: Yes. Follow our more advanced tutorials to plan, layer, blend, and burnish to a polished result.

Wherever you are in your learning, Pencil Topics gives you the shortest, clearest path to coloured pencil results you can see, and enjoy, right away.


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