Menu

The Evolution of the Coloured Pencil: From Crayon Box to Art Medium

Remember the hard, waxy coloured pencil of your childhood? The one that hardly laid down any colour however hard you pressed?

Those humble art supplies have undergone a remarkable transformation, emerging as a sophisticated art tool that can produce breathtaking works of art.

In fact, many artists now prefer coloured pencils over traditional mediums like oil paints and watercolours for their precision, control, and versatility.

Advances in the materials and composition of the pencil core have played a significant role in this shift.

Modern coloured pencils boast light-fast pigments, durable leads, and large colour ranges, making them an attractive choice for professional artists.

Techniques, such as layering and blending, have also expanded their creative possibilities.

The Anatomy of a Coloured Pencil

At the heart of this creative tool is a mixture of ingredients, including wax or oil, clay, and binders.

These components determine the pencil's softness or hardness, affecting how it interacts with the paper.

For example, Prismacolor Premier pencils are soft and creamy, perfect for bold, expressive strokes and blending colours.

In contrast, Derwent Artists pencils are harder and more precise, ideal for detailed work like creating intricate patterns or botanical art.

The Creative Potential of Coloured Pencils

Coloured pencils offer a unique blend of drawing and painting, allowing artists to achieve stunning results with precision and control.

To get started, all you need is a piece of paper and some pencils.

As you explore the medium, additional tools like blending stumps and erasers can also become useful in achieving your desired effect.

What Sets Coloured Pencils Apart

When it comes to artistic mediums, coloured pencils are often mentioned alongside oil paints, watercolours, and pastels.

While each medium has its unique strengths and weaknesses, coloured pencils offer a distinct set of benefits that make them a favourite for many.

One of the key advantages of coloured pencils is their versatility.

Imagine creating a delicate, layered portrait of a child, with soft flesh tones and intricate details.

Or a vibrant landscape, with bold strokes and expressive colours.

Coloured pencils can achieve both effects with ease, making them an excellent choice for artists who enjoy experimenting with different styles.

Comparison to Other Mediums

Compared to Oil Paints

Unlike oil paints, which require solvents or mediums to thin them out, coloured pencils are a dry medium.

This means you can work quickly and make changes without worrying about messy clean-ups. However, they are capable of producing art, that is indistinguishable from an oil painting at first glance. 

How Coloured Pencils Compare to Watercolours

Watercolours, on the other hand, are a more fluid medium that demand a certain level of skill and technique to master.

While they can create breathtaking, transparent washes, they can also be unpredictable and difficult to control.

Imagine trying to paint a precise, detailed insect with watercolours – it's a challenging task, even for experienced artists. Coloured pencils, by contrast, offer more precision and control, making them ideal for detailed work.

If you love the watercolour effect, then water soluble pencils may be your ideal choice. 

Coloured Pencils vs. Pastels: What's the Difference?

Pastels are another medium often compared to coloured pencils.

While they share some similarities, pastels are generally softer and more delicate than coloured pencils.

They're also more prone to smudging and blending, which can make them more difficult to work with.

For instance, if you're trying to create a detailed, high-contrast portrait with pastels, you may struggle to maintain sharp edges and defined shapes.

Coloured pencils, with their firmer leads and more precise application, are often a better choice for this type of work.

Or how about combining them in the same piece of artwork?

Professional Considerations and Best Practices

Lightfastness

For professional coloured pencil artists, prioritizing lightfastness is crucial to prevent their vibrant hues from gradually shifting to dull, washed-out tones.

Who wants to spend hours perfecting a delicate sunset scene, only to have it fade to a pale imitation of its former self after a few years?

To avoid this, artists must carefully select high-quality pencils that have been tested for lightfastness.

Barn Owl in coloured pencil on drafting filmBarn Owl worked in coloured pencil

Pencils have a rating, based on the expected lifespan in museum conditions. All well and good, if you hang your work in the Louvre.

But what if your masterpiece is catching rays in sun-drenched spots most of the year? It's going to fade faster than a pop-star's 15 minutes of fame! Play safe and pick artist-quality pencils every time.

Fixative spray

"Is it safe to use fixative spray on coloured pencil artwork?"

This is a common question that many artists ponder. We've diligently explored various options to assess their effectiveness and potential challenges.

While fixative sprays undoubtedly help prevent smudging, it's important to understand that, like most things, they come with their own set of considerations.

Through our extensive experiences, we've gained valuable insights into this topic. We're pleased to share this knowledge with you, on a dedicated page all about fixatives so you can make informed decisions.

Coloured pencil solvent

A solvent can help to blend colours and create smooth, beautiful effects in your artwork.

While some artists swear by solvents, others prefer to keep their art solvent-free. The choice is yours to make, but before you decide, you may wish to check our page on coloured pencil solvents for more details.

You might just fall in love with the possibilities they offer. But even if they don't become a staple in your artistic arsenal, experimenting with them can be an enriching experience.

Ready to give coloured pencils a try?

Whether you see coloured pencils as a fusion of drawing and painting, or a unique medium in their own right, one thing is certain – they offer a world of creative possibilities waiting to be explored.

You might like these

You might like these

 

Would you like our occasional newsletter?