Any tips on toning with colour? I just got my new polychromos pencils in the mail yesterday and am having a lot of trouble getting the lighter tones as they are such strong colours. Wendy uses Sepia in her beginner videos but I am finding it really difficult to get good colour on top while still holding onto the lighter areas… it’s such a strong and dark pencil! Graphite feels a lot easier. Do you have any thoughts on this please? 🙂 Thanks in advance.
Wendy starts people out with the dark sepia, but as you progress you can use other colours as your “grisaille” or shadow toning layer. Other shadow toning colours to try include earth green and burnt ochre for yellow subjects. Red violet for red subjects. It helps to hold the pencil further back and practice making light strokes/marks. You’re doing great! Any chance you can join us at the beginner workshop this Sunday?
@sam-mcwilliams , I’d love to come to the beginner workshop if the timezone works for me! I’m in Australia. Can you please point me in the direction of the details? Thanks heaps. And as for the paper, I have HEAPS of cold press stuff here because I’ve tried watercolour in the past… so I went online and bought hot press, but it’s still textured. I think I was meant to be more specific about smooth hot press. Oops. For now, I will use what I have rather than spending more money, and might just have to accept that my work will look a bit different to everyone else. 🙂
Any tips on toning with colour? I just got my new polychromos pencils in the mail yesterday and am having a lot of trouble getting the lighter tones as they are such strong colours. Wendy uses Sepia in her beginner videos but I am finding it really difficult to get good colour on top while still holding onto the lighter areas… it’s such a strong and dark pencil! Graphite feels a lot easier. Do you have any thoughts on this please? 🙂 Thanks in advance.
Also, her tone bars are so smooth, but mine are always rough, despite sharpening my pencils all the time. Could it be the paper?
Definitely helps to have the smooth hot press paper. Wendy likes the Stonehenge Aqua Legion Hot Press.
Wendy starts people out with the dark sepia, but as you progress you can use other colours as your “grisaille” or shadow toning layer. Other shadow toning colours to try include earth green and burnt ochre for yellow subjects. Red violet for red subjects. It helps to hold the pencil further back and practice making light strokes/marks. You’re doing great! Any chance you can join us at the beginner workshop this Sunday?
@sam-mcwilliams , I’d love to come to the beginner workshop if the timezone works for me! I’m in Australia. Can you please point me in the direction of the details? Thanks heaps. And as for the paper, I have HEAPS of cold press stuff here because I’ve tried watercolour in the past… so I went online and bought hot press, but it’s still textured. I think I was meant to be more specific about smooth hot press. Oops. For now, I will use what I have rather than spending more money, and might just have to accept that my work will look a bit different to everyone else. 🙂
@sam-mcwilliams I found the link to the course! I’ll see if it’s possible. 🙂 Thanks.