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Coloured pencil drawing simple still life.

How to build up coloured pencil layers to create tones and textures.


For this project you will need:


  • Smooth cartridge paper. (I worked on an A3 pad)

  • Coloured pencils. I used Faber Castell Watercolour pencils (although I added no water to them)

  • A rubber.

  • Pencil sharpener.


This project should take between 45 minutes and 2 hours.





I first practised drawing the basic shape from some different angles. It didn’t seem like any were easier than any other.


I did lightly (VERY lightly) sketch the basic form with a graphite pencil, then rubbed most of it away.

I used the coloured pencils to sketch in the basic form using a pale version of each colour. I could also have begun my sketch with a very light yellow pencil as this would have been covered by the subsequent layers.
















Once my colours where as close as I could get, I worked over some darker

muted tones (ochre on the yellow, greys on the yellow and purple) to give a sense of form and shadow.


You can see all the colours that I used to build up to the final layer.












I then added a shadow underneath that the object cast, so it didn’t look like it was floating on the page.



Download tutorial:


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