1.

WATERCOLOR

WATERCOLOR WASHES

THERE’S MORE THAN ONE WAY TO APPROACH

LAYING A WATERCOLOR WASH — YOU CAN EITHER
DO IT ON A WET SURFACE OR A DRY ONE.

1. DRY WASH
A DRY WASH IS SIMPLY A FLAT WASH DONE ON DRY WATERCOLOR PAPER. USE A
LARGE FLAT OR ROUND BRUSH AND AN ANGLED SURFACE LIKE A DRAFTING TABLE
OR EASEL. ON YOUR PALETTE, MIX A GENEROUS AMOUNT OF WATER WITH YOUR
CHOSEN PIGMENT. AT THE TOP OF YOUR PAPER, LAY DOWN YOUR BRUSH AND
CREATE WIDE, SWEEPING HORIZONTAL STROKES. WHEN THE PAINT BEGINS TO
LIGHTEN, LIFT YOUR BRUSH.
YOU SHOULD SEE A SMALL
BEAD OF COLLECTED PAINT
SITTING AT THE EDGE OF
YOUR LAST STROKE. MAKING
SURE YOUR BRUSH IS
SUFFICIENTLY WET AND
LOADED WITH PAINT AGAIN,
BEGIN MAKING MORE SWEEPING STROKES STARTING AT THAT BEAD. CONTINUE
THIS UNTIL YOU GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAPER.

THERE MIGHT BE SOME PAINT POOLING AROUND THE EDGES OF YOUR TAPE. THESE
SMALL POOLS WILL DRY AND CREATE A DARKER LINE AT THE EDGE OF YOUR
PAINTING, SO YOU NEED TO REMOVE THEM. SIMPLY CLEAN YOUR BRUSH AND WIPE
IT DRY ON YOUR RAG. THEN TOUCH THE POOLED PAINT WITH THE BRUSH. YOUR
BRUSH SHOULD ABSORB THE EXCESS PAINT EASILY. IF YOUR FLAT WASH LOOKS A
BIT STREAKY OR UNEVEN, FEEL FREE TO WET YOUR BRUSH AND GO OVER IT AGAIN,
STARTING AT THE TOP AND WORKING YOUR WAY TO THE BOTTOM. THIS SHOULD
SMOOTH OUT SOME OF THE UNEVEN PATCHES.

2. WET WASH
A WET SURFACE WATERCOLOR WASH
IS ABOUT THE SAME AS A DRY WASH,
WITH ONE MAIN DIFFERENCE: FIRST
YOU’LL DIP YOUR BRUSH IN WATER
AND BRUSH IT OVER THE WHOLE
SURFACE. BE GENEROUS WITH THE
WATER HERE — YOU WANT THE
PAPER GLISTENING WITH MOISTURE.

ONCE YOU’VE WET THE AREA, DIP THE BRUSH IN PAINT AND APPLY LINES OF COLOR
WITHIN THE WET AREA, JUST LIKE YOU WOULD WITH A DRY WASH. THE PAINT WILL
BLEND TOGETHER INTO ONE LUMINOUS WASH OF COLOR. THE FINAL EFFECT WILL
APPEAR A BIT SOFTER AND MORE ETHEREAL THAN A DRY FLAT WASH.
WET-IN-WET WATERCOLOR PAINTING
THIS TECHNIQUE IS ONE OF THE EASIEST AND MOST FUN TO CREATE. YOU CAN LET LOOSE,
PLAY AROUND WITH COLORS, AND CREATE SOMETHING WHOLLY UNIQUE AND
UNEXPECTED EVERY TIME.

FIRST, YOU NEED TO WET YOUR PAPER WITH

CLEAN WATER. YOUR PAPER SHOULD BE
SHINY, BUT NOT SO WET THAT WATER CAN
RUN OFF THE PAPER. LOAD UP YOUR BRUSH
WITH A COLOR AND TOUCH IT TO THE WET
PAPER. THE COLOR WILL BLOOM OUT AND
BEGIN TO SPREAD. ADD MORE OF THE SAME
COLOR TO YOUR PAINTING OR START
INCORPORATING NEW COLORS.

UNDERPAINTING
AN UNDERPAINTING IS ESSENTIALLY A
MONOCHROME WASH THAT’S USED FOR THE
FIRST LAYER OF THE PAINTING. YOU’LL ADD
LAYERS OF TRANSPARENT WASHES OVER THE
UNDERPAINTING, WHICH GIVES REALISTIC
AND LUMINOUS EFFECTS.

GRADIENT WASH
THE GOAL WITH A GRADIENT
WASH IS TO SLOWLY FADE THE
COLOR OUT UNTIL IT IS
ENTIRELY TRANSPARENT. YOU
START WITH FULL COLOR ON
ONE END AND DILUTE IT UNTIL
THE PAINT IS NEARLY OR FULLY
GONE.

JUST LIKE THE FLAT WASH,

YOU WANT TO USE BROAD
HORIZONTAL BRUSHSTROKES AND MOVE DOWN THE PAPER. START AT THE TOP OF YOUR
PAPER WITH A FULLY LOADED BRUSH AND APPLY A FEW BRUSHSTROKES. THEN, WORKING
QUICKLY, DIP YOUR BRUSH INTO YOUR CLEANING JAR OF WATER. YOU DON’T NEED TO GET
IT FULLY CLEAN OF PAINT, BUT MAKE SURE IT IS DILUTED. DIP YOUR BRUSH INTO YOUR
CLEAN JAR OF WATER AND BRUSH ALONG YOUR LAST STROKE, MAKING SURE TO OVERLAP
SLIGHTLY. THE MORE CONCENTRATED PAINT ON THE PAGE SHOULD GRAVITATE TOWARD
THE NEW WATERY BRUSH STROKES. AGAIN, CLEAN YOUR BRUSH OFF A BIT MORE AND WET
YOUR PAINTBRUSH WITH CLEAN WATER. CREATE MORE OVERLAPPING HORIZONTAL
STROKES UNTIL YOU REACH THE BOTTOM OF THE PAPER. BY THE TIME YOU REACH THE
 BOTTOM, YOUR PAINTBRUSH SHOULD BE COMPLETELY CLEAN OF PAINT AND ONLY BE
APPLYING WATER.

IF THE GRADIENT ISN’T GRADUAL ENOUGH, YOU CAN GO BACK AND ADD A BIT MORE
PIGMENT TO THE TOP OF THE PAPER AND WORK DOWN IN THE SAME METHOD. AS LONG
AS THE PAINT DOESN’T DRY, YOU CAN CONTINUE TO REWORK IT AND SMOOTH OUT THE
TRANSITION UNTIL YOU ARE SATISFIED.

VARIEGATED WASH
A VARIEGATED WASH IS VERY SIMILAR TO A
GRADIENT WASH. HOWEVER, INSTEAD OF
DILUTING YOUR COLOR INTO COMPLETE
TRANSPARENCY, A VARIEGATED WASH AIMS
TO BLEND TWO COLORS SMOOTHLY FROM
ONE INTO THE OTHER.

LAYERING
ONCE A COLOR OF PAINT HAS DRIED, YOU CAN ADD
LAYERS OF WATERCOLOR TO CREATE DIMENSION,
TEXTURE AND COLOR VARIATION. JUST KNOW
THAT THE PAPER HAS TO BE COMPLETELY DRY IN
BETWEEN WASHES SO THAT THE COLORS DON’T
BLEND TOGETHER AND GET MUDDY. TO MAKE THE
LINES OF YOUR SECOND COLOR LESS SEVERE, YOU
CAN WET THE BRUSH WITH WATER AND BRUSH
GENTLY TO FEATHER THE LINE.

1. ACRYLIC PAINTS
ACRYLIC HAS PROPERTIES OF
BOTH WATERCOLOUR AND
OIL PAINTS. LIKE
WATERCOLOUR PAINT, IT’S A
WATER-SOLUBLE MEDIUM.
HOWEVER, UNLIKE
WATERCOLOUR, IT BECOMES
WATER-RESISTANT WHEN
DRY. THE FINAL RESULT OF ACRYLIC PAINT ON CANVAS CAN DIFFER GREATLY, DEPENDING
ON A VARIETY OF VARIABLES; SUCH AS, HOW DILUTED THE PAINT IS WITH WATER, IF IT’S
MIXED WITH OTHER MEDIUMS (I.E. ACRYLIC GELS, PASTES, MEDIUMS, SAND), THE TOOLS
USED BY THE ARTIST, AND HOW IT’S APPLIED TO THE CANVAS. THE GREAT THING ABOUT
ACRYLIC PAINT IS THAT, UNLIKE WATERCOLOUR, IT DOES NOT REQUIRE A SPECIALIST
CANVAS. ACRYLIC PAINT CAN BE USED ON MOST SURFACES AND IS COMMONLY USED ON
PAPER AND FABRICS AS WELL AS CANVAS.

DRY BRUSH
THIS IS QUITE SELF-EXPLANATORY – SIMPLY APPLY PAINT ONTO YOUR CANVAS WITH A DRY
BRUSH. THIS TECHNIQUE IS GREAT IF YOU WANTED A HIGHLY PIGMENTED STROKE OF
COLOUR WITH ROUGH, SCRATCHY UNREFINED EDGES.

WASHING
WASHING MAKES YOUR ACRYLIC COLOURS MORE TRANSLUCENT. THIS TECHNIQUE
EMULATES WATERCOLOUR, BUT IT SETS PERMANENTLY. JUST ADD A LITTLE WATER TO
YOUR ACRYLIC PAINTS AND EXPERIMENT WITH SOME EFFECTS.

STIPPLING
STIPPLING IS BASED ON A
TECHNIQUE INITIALLY USED
FOR PRINTING IN THE EARLY
1500S BY GULIO
CAMPAGNOLA. APPLY THE
HEAD OF YOUR BRUSH TO
YOUR SURFACE WITH A
REPETITIVE DABBING
MOTION TO CREATE THIS
EFFECT. YOU CAN USE
STIPPLING TO SEPARATE COLOUR THROUGH INDIVIDUAL STROKES OF PIGMENT. STIPPLING
IS SIMILAR TO POINTILLISM, WHICH TENDS TO BE MORE PRECISE.

POURING
THIS FANTASTIC TECHNIQUE IS SIMPLE TO
EXECUTE AND ALLOWS YOU TO CREATE SOME
STUNNING WORKS OF ABSTRACT ART. CHOOSE
THE COLOURS YOU’D LIKE TO USE AND
INDIVIDUALLY MIX THEM WITH A POURING
MEDIUM. AFTER THIS STEP YOU HAVE TWO
OPTIONS:

1. YOU CAN POUR YOUR COLOURS INDIVIDUALLY ONTO THE CANVAS

2. YOU CAN POUR ALL THE COLOURS INTO A CONTAINER, THEN PUT THE CANVAS ON TOP,
RIGHT SIDE FACING DOWN, FLIP IT SO THAT THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CANVAS IS
UPWARDS AND THE CONTAINER OF PAINT IS ON TOP, FACING DOWN. SLOWLY RELEASE
THE CONTAINER AND MOVE THE PAINT AROUND THE CANVAS.

SPLATTERING
THIS TECHNIQUE IS ABOUT COLOUR,
EXPRESSION AND EMBRACING THE
CHAOTIC NATURE OF LIFE. THE
TECHNIQUE IS ACHIEVED BY WETTING
YOUR BRUSH IN WATER, BEFORE DIPPING
IT INTO AN ACRYLIC PIGMENT OF YOUR CHOICE BEFORE FLICKING/SPLATTER YOUR SOAKED
BRUSH ONTO THE CANVAS.

DABBING
THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED BY USING A STIFF BRISTLE BRUSH OR PAPER TOWEL. PAINT IS
APPLIED WITH LIGHT AND FAST PRESSURE. DABBING ADDS MOVEMENT TO YOUR PAINTING
AND IS OFTEN USED TO ILLUSTRATE BUSHES OR GREENERY.

PALETTE KNIFE
THIS TECHNIQUE CAN BE USED IN BOTH
ACRYLIC AND OIL MEDIUMS. IT IS ACHIEVED BY
LOADING A PALETTE KNIFE WITH PAINT AND
APPLYING IT ON TO THE CANVAS WITH THE
PALETTE KNIFE. THIS WILL CREATE GREAT
TEXTURE.

DETAILING
DETAILING IS ACCOMPLISHED BY USING A FINE BRUSH, MODERATELY WETTING IT SO IT
MAINTAINS A POINTY FORM. THE BRUSH IS THEN USED IN A SIMILAR WAY AS A PEN OR
PENCIL. YOU CAN USE THIS TECHNIQUE TO ADD INTRICATE DETAIL TO YOUR PAINTINGS.

UNDERPAINTING
UNDERPAINTING – ALSO REFERRED TO AS “DEAD COLOURING” – IS USED TO CREATE A
FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTIST TO LAYER COLOUR ON. IT IS HIGHLY USEFUL FOR BUILDING
CONTRAST AND TONAL VALUES. UNDERPAINTING CAN BE UTILISED TO CREATE TONAL
DOMINANCE WITHIN THE PAINTING THROUGH UNITING.

3. OIL PAINTS
OIL PAINT IS A SLOWER DRYING ARTISTIC MEDIUM
AND IS MADE FROM VARIOUS PIGMENTS MIXED
WITH OIL, SUCH AS LINSEED. OIL PAINTING
BECAME A POPULAR ARTISTIC MEDIUM DUE TO ITS
SLOW-DRYING PROPERTIES AS ARTISTS COULD
EASILY CHANGE THEIR PAINTINGS BY ADDING
MORE LAYERS TO THE CANVAS.

GLAZING
A GLAZE IN OIL PAINT IS THE APPLICATION OF A VERY THIN, TRANSPARENT AND OILY LAYER
THAT USUALLY CONTAINS ONLY A SINGLE PIGMENT. THIS IS SPREAD OVER DRIED AREAS OF
THE PAINTING TO CREATE SUBTLE SHIFTS IN HUE. ARTISTS CAN CREATE WARM OR COOL
AREAS, ENHANCE DETAIL, DEEPEN SHADOWS AND COLOUR CONTRASTS.
 GLAZING CREATES AN INCREDIBLY
UNIQUE EFFECT IN OIL PAINTING. WHEN
LIGHT HITS LAYERS OF PIGMENTED OIL
THAT SIT SEPARATELY FROM ONE
ANOTHER, IT REFLECTS OFF OF THE FIRST
OPAQUE LAYER IT HITS. THEN IT
REFRACTS THROUGH CONSECUTIVE
TRANSLUCENT LAYERS OF COLOUR.

THIS MEANS THAT THE COLOUR ON THE CANVAS IS MIXED OPTICALLY RATHER THAN
PHYSICALLY. DUE TO THE MULTIPLE LAYERS OF HARDENED OIL, THE APPEARANCE OF THE
PAINTING HAS INCREDIBLE DEPTH AND AN INTENSITY OF COLOUR THAT A PAINTER
COULDN’T ACHIEVE FROM MIXING COLOUR ON A PALETTE AND APPLYING IT IN ONE
OPAQUE, SLIGHTLY MATTED LAYER.

ALLA PRIMA (WET-ON-WET)

IN CONTRAST TO THE GLAZING
TECHNIQUE, ALLA PRIMA, ITALIAN FOR
‘ALL AT ONCE’, IS AN INCREDIBLY
SPONTANEOUS, QUICK AND DIRECT
METHOD OF OIL PAINTING.

THE AIM OF THIS METHOD IS TO FINISH

THE WHOLE PAINTING BEFORE THE PAINT
STARTS TO DRY. AS OIL PAINT TAKES
AROUND TWO DAYS TO DRY, A PAINTING THAT USES THIS TECHNIQUE THROUGHOUT WILL
BE COMPLETED INCREDIBLY QUICKLY. THIS TECHNIQUE THEREFORE LENDS ITSELF TO MORE
GESTURAL AND DYNAMIC BRUSHWORK, WHICH CAN EVOKE A FEELING OF MOVEMENT,
WHICH IS A SIGNATURE OF IMPRESSIONISTS.

BLENDING
THE BEAUTY OF OIL IS THAT IT STAYS
WET FOR DAYS AT A TIME. THIS
MEANS THAT YOU CAN TAKE TIME TO
BLEND COLOURS INTO SEAMLESS
GRADIENTS AND CREATE INCREDIBLY
SUBTLE HUE AND TONAL
TRANSITIONS.

OIL PAINT IS USUALLY APPLIED TO A

SURFACE WITH A RELATIVELY STIFF BRUSH, USUALLY MADE FROM HOG HAIR OR A
SYNTHETIC ALTERNATIVE, HOWEVER THIS DOES DEPEND UPON THE CONSISTENCY OF THE
PAINT. WHEN BLENDING, HOWEVER, USE A SOFT BRUSH. A BRUSH MADE FROM GOAT,
SABLE, OR A SYNTHETIC ALTERNATIVE WORKS INCREDIBLY WELL FOR THIS.
SCUMBLING
SCUMBLING IS THE TECHNIQUE OF
LAYERING ON AN OPAQUE LIGHTER
FILM OF UNTHINNED PAINT TO A DRY
AREA OF THE PAINTING. BECAUSE THE
PAINT WILL COME STRAIGHT FROM
THE TUBE, IT WILL BE QUITE THICK ON
APPLICATION. THE RESULTING EFFECT
IS BROKEN BRUSHSTROKES. USE A
STIFF BRUSH WITH THIS TECHNIQUE, AS IT WILL PULL SOME OF THE PAINT FROM THE
SURFACE, REVEALING THE LAYER BELOW.

FROM THIS TECHNIQUE, YOU CAN ACHIEVE A SOFT OR LIGHT APPEARANCE IN YOUR
PAINTINGS. USE IT TO SOFTEN THE EDGES OF LANDMARKS IN THE DISTANCE, OR TO MAKE
CLOUDS APPEAR FLUFFY.

IMPASTO
WHAT YOU NEED TO PAINT IMPASTO: A MEDIUM TO THICKEN PAINT, PALETTE KNIFE, STIFF
BRUSH. CREATE AN IMPASTO PAINTING BY APPLYING PAINT TO A SURFACE IN THICK LAYERS.
USING THIS TECHNIQUE, A PAINTER CAN ACHIEVE INCREDIBLE TEXTURE IN THEIR WORK. A
PAINTER MAY USE A PALETTE KNIFE OR STIFF BRUSH TO APPLY THE PAINT AND THE BRUSH
OR PALETTE KNIFE STROKES ARE USUALLY LEFT VISIBLE.

MANY ARTISTS APPLY THEIR IMPASTO BRUSH STROKES IN SWIFT SWEEPS, OFTEN MIXING
COLOURS ON THE CANVAS. THE OVERALL EFFECT IS ONE OF EXPRESSIVENESS AND
MOVEMENT THROUGH THE USE OF
COLOUR AND TEXTURE.

OIL PAINT NATURALLY HAS A THICK AND

STIFF CONSISTENCY, SO THE ADDITION OF
A MEDIUM ISN’T NECESSARY. DUE TO THE
LONG OPEN WORKING TIMES OF OIL
PAINT, ESPECIALLY IN THICK
APPLICATIONS, IMPASTO PAINTERS WILL
ADD A MEDIUM TO SPEED UP DRYING
TIME AND GIVE THE PAINT MORE BODY.

UNDERPAINTING
MONOCHROMATIC UNDERPAINTINGS CAN BE USED TO ESTABLISH VALUES BEFORE COLOR
IS APPLIED. THE TECHNIQUE IS ALSO USED TO DRAW OUT THE STRUCTURE OF THE PAINTING
AND THE COMPOSITION CAN BE DETERMINED AT THIS STAGE TOO. IT’S ALMOST
EXCLUSIVELY USED AS A FIRST STEP IN THE PAINTING PROCESS, OCCASIONALLY A TONED
GROUND WILL BE PAINTED BEFORE THE
UNDERPAINTING.

THIS TECHNIQUE IS COMMONLY USED IN THE

INDIRECT PAINTING METHOD WHEREBY
COLORED GLAZES ARE APPLIED ON TOP OF AN OPAQUE LAYER OF TINTS AND SHADED
AREAS.

COMMONLY, EARTH PIGMENT IS USED THINNED WITH SOLVENT FOR THIS FORMER STAGE
IN THE PAINTING PROCESS. THIS IS BECAUSE EARTH PIGMENTS DRY FASTER THAN ANY
OTHER PIGMENT, OFTEN DRYING OVERNIGHT IF APPLIED THINLY ENOUGH.

BECAUSE EARTH PIGMENTS ARE DARK, IF PAINTED ON A LIGHT GROUND, YOU COULD RUB
AWAY THE COLOR TO SHOW THE LIGHTER AREAS OF YOUR PAINTING. SOME ARTISTS WILL
CHOOSE TO USE TITANIUM WHITE FOR THEIR HIGHLIGHTS.

UNDERPAINTINGS CAN BE USED TO CREATE WARM OR COOL UNDERTONES IN A PAINTING,

OR ADD SOME VIBRANCY, DEPENDING ON WHICH COLOR IS CHOSEN.

DRY BRUSH
THIS TECHNIQUE GIVES A DISTINCTIVE LOOK THAT CAN CREATE TEXTURE AND MOVEMENT
IN YOUR WORK.

PAINT IS APPLIED WITH A BRUSH THAT IS RELATIVELY DRY, BUT STILL HOLDING PIGMENT.
THIS TECHNIQUE WORKS WITH PAINT THAT IS HIGHLY VISCOUS AND THICK, THE BRUSH IS
WIPED ON TISSUE PAPER BEFORE PAINT IS APPLIED TO THE CANVAS TO REMOVE OILY
RESIDUE.

A PAINTING COMPLETED IN MONOCHROME WITH STIFF HOG BRUSHES CAN GIVE THE
APPEARANCE OF CHARCOAL.

BLOCKING IN
ARTISTS USE THIS TECHNIQUE AS A WAY TO START AN OIL PAINTING. BY BLOCKING IN, YOU
COMPLETELY COVER YOUR CANVAS WITH PAINT SO THAT NO WHITE FROM YOUR GESSO
GROUND IS SHOWING.

TO DO THIS TECHNIQUE YOURSELF, STUDY THE COLORS IN YOUR REFERENCE. YOU NEED TO
DECIDE THE BASE COLORS OF DIFFERENT AREAS AND SHAPES IN YOUR PAINTING. FOR THE
MOST PART, THIS WILL BE A SINGLE TONE TO ESTABLISH LOOSE SHAPES OF YOUR SUBJECT.
YOU DON’T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT PAINTING ANY DETAILS AT THIS STAGE, THE IDEA IS TO
GET A ROUGH PICTURE, UPON WHICH YOU CAN LAYER THE HIGHLIGHTS, SHADES AND
DETAILS ONCE IT HAS DRIED.

IMPRIMATURA
ANOTHER TERM FOR IMPRIMATURA IS TONED GROUND. IT IS A STAIN OF COLOUR THAT IS
APPLIED TO A PREPARED SURFACE. THIS IS OFTEN THE FIRST STAGE OF THE PROCESS FOR
OIL PAINTERS, HOWEVER MANY ARTISTS LEAVE THIS STAGE OUT.

THERE ARE BENEFITS TO THIS TECHNIQUE. THE FIRST BEING THAT IT’S EASIER TO ESTABLISH
LIGHT AND DARK TONES WHEN WORKING FROM A MID-TONED CANVAS. ANOTHER BENEFIT
IS THAT DEPENDING ON YOUR PAINTING STYLE, NOT ALL YOUR PAINT LAYERS WILL BE
OPAQUE. THERE MAY BE TRANSPARENT AREAS OF YOUR PAINTING WHERE YOU CAN ALLOW
THE IMPRIMATURA TO SHINE THROUGH. YOU CAN ALSO USE AN IMPRIMATURA TO SEAL
YOUR UNDERDRAWING, MAKING IT EASIER TO TRACE OVER AT A LATER STAGE.

FOR IMPRIMATURA, JUST LIKE UNDERDRAWINGS, ARTISTS COMMONLY USE EARTH

PIGMENTS AS THEY DRY QUICKLY. HOWEVER, ANY TRANSPARENT PIGMENT THAT YOU CAN
ACHIEVE A MID-TONE FROM WOULD WORK. IF YOU WANT TO ESTABLISH LIGHT TONES AT
THIS EARLY STAGE OF THE PAINTING PROCESS, YOU COULD WIPE AWAY PAINT IN AREAS
WHERE YOU ANTICIPATE THAT THE LIGHT SOURCES WILL BE COMING FROM.

CHIAROSCURO
THIS IS THE METHOD OF CREATING HIGH LEVELS OF
CONTRAST IN YOUR PAINTING. IT IS ITALIAN FOR LIGHT-
DARK AND IS A COMPOSITIONAL TECHNIQUE. BOLD
CONTRASTS IN SHADED AND HIGHLIGHTED AREAS
CREATE DRAMA AND AFFECT THE COMPOSITION OF THE
PIECE.

SGRAFFITO
SGRAFFITO IS A TECHNIQUE WHERE DECORATION
IS APPLIED TO THE SURFACE OF WET PAINT BY
REMOVING AREAS OF THE PAINT FILM TO REVEAL
THE LAYER BELOW.

USE THE END OF A BRUSH HANDLE TO SCRATCH

AWAY AT THE SURFACE, TO ACHIEVE VERY FINE
DETAILS. THE TECHNIQUE WILL WORK
DIFFERENTLY IF YOU ARE WORKING ON A
TEXTURED SURFACE, SUCH AS A CANVAS WITH A
PROMINENT WEAVE. THIS IS BECAUSE SOME OF
THE PAINT WILL SETTLE IN THE WEAVE, WHICH
YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO REMOVE BY SCRAPING. THIS CAN GIVE MORE OF AN UNEVEN OR
GRAINY EFFECT.

SFUMATO
THE LITERAL TRANSLATION OF SFUMATO FROM
ITALIAN IS ‘SOFTENED’ OR ‘SOFT LIKE SMOKE’.
THE KEY TO THIS TECHNIQUE IS IN CREATING
GRADUAL COLOUR AND SHAPE TRANSITIONS.
OUTLINES APPEAR SOFT AND HAZY AND SHAPES
SEEM TO BLEND INTO ONE ANOTHER. THE
PURPOSE IS TO EMULATE HOW THE EYES
PERCEIVE SUBJECTS THAT ARE OUT OF FOCUS—THE ARTIST LEADS YOU TO FOCUS IN ON A
PARTICULAR AREA BY MAKING THE DETAILS SHARPER RATHER THAN BLURRED. THIS IS
SIMILAR TO THE BLENDING TECHNIQUE, BUT IT IS USED FOR STYLISTIC EFFECT.
2. COLORED PENCILS
COLORED PENCILS ARE A FUN AND VERSATILE MEDIA.
THEY’RE GREAT FOR CAPTURING FINE DETAIL AND GIVE THE
ARTIST A GREAT DEGREE OF CONTROL. SOMETIMES THEY
CAN BE PIGEONHOLED AS TIME-CONSUMING OR
REQUIRING LOTS OF PATIENCE, BUT IT ALL DEPENDS ON
YOUR APPROACH. WITH THE RIGHT TECHNIQUES, COLORED
PENCILS CAN WORK EASILY FOR ALMOST ANY AGE LEVEL
WITH STUNNING RESULTS.

BACK AND FORTH

THIS COLORING TECHNIQUE IS SO BASIC
YOU’VE UNDOUBTEDLY DONE IT BEFORE;
SIMPLY MOVE YOUR PENCIL BACK AND FORTH
IN ONE CONTINUOUS MOTION ON THE PAPER
UNTIL YOU COVER THE ENTIRE AREA.

BURNISHING
ONE OF THE MOST DEFINING
CHARACTERISTICS OF COLORED
PENCIL ART IS ITS SMOOTH, WAXY
FINISH. TO ACHIEVE THIS, TRY BURNISHING—APPLY THIN LAYERS OF COLOR WITH THE
BACK-AND-FORTH TECHNIQUE. CONTINUE THIS PROCESS UNTIL THE PAPER HAS A
NOTICEABLE SHEEN. YOU CAN ALSO USE A TORTILLION TO HELP IN THIS PROCESS.

SCRAPING
SCRAPING CAN ONLY HAPPEN FROM
BURNISHING. ONCE YOU’VE GOT A
LUSTROUS AREA, TAKE AN X-ACTO
KNIFE AND SCRAPE AWAY AT THE PARTS THAT YOU WANT TO REMOVE. THIS TECHNIQUE
WILL PROBABLY LOOK SCRATCHY, SO MAKE SURE YOU USE IT IN PLACES YOU WANT TO BE
HIGHLY TEXTURED—SUCH AS ANIMAL FUR.

DIRECTIONAL LINES
DRAW LIGHTLY IN ONE DIRECTION
IN SWIFT, EVEN STROKES. LAYER
COLORS TO ADD COMPLEXITY AND
DEPTH. THIS IS AN EXCELLENT TECHNIQUE FOR ANY OBJECT WITH A DISTINCT LINEAR
QUALITY, LIKE DRAPED FABRIC, GRASS, OR HAIR.

SCUMBLING
MOVE THE PENCIL IN CIRCULAR
MARKS, LAYERING COLOR AS YOU
GO. THIS TECHNIQUE IS VERY
VERSATILE, WORKING WELL TO CREATE DISTINCT TEXTURE OR SMOOTH, BLENDED AREAS.

HATCHING
 HATCHING IS AN APPROACH THAT YOU CAN USE IN ALL FACETS OF DRAWING. TO CREATE IT,
MAKE PARALLEL LINES ON YOUR PAPER. THEY CAN BE VERTICAL, HORIZONTAL, OR ANGLED,
JUST AS LONG AS THEY DON’T TOUCH. UNLIKE THE BACK AND FORTH METHOD, YOU WILL
PICK UP YOUR PENCIL TO CREATE EACH NEW LINE.

CROSSHATCHING
CROSSHATCHING IS THE COUSIN
TO HATCHING, BUT INSTEAD OF
PARALLEL LINES, YOU FORM
INTERSECTING LINES (HENCE THE NAME). THIS TECHNIQUE IS IDEAL FOR CREATING
SHADING AND TEXTURE. TO ENSURE THAT YOUR CROSSHATCHING WILL APPEAR CLEAN AND
PRECISE, MAKE SURE YOU’VE GOT A SHARP POINT ON YOUR PENCIL.

BABY OIL OR RUBBING ALCOHOL

RUBBING ALCOHOL OR BABY OIL
CAN ALTER THE APPEARANCE OF
YOUR COLORED PENCILS. WITH A
COTTON SWAB, SOAK IT IN EITHER
ONE OF THE MATERIALS AND RUB IT ON YOUR DRAWING. THE EFFECT WILL SMEAR AND
BLEND THE PIGMENT.

WATERCOLOR WASH
TAPE YOUR PAPER TO YOUR
WORK SURFACE TO PREVENT
CURLING. THEN, COVER BIG
AREAS WITH A LIGHT WATERCOLOR WASH. AFTER YOUR PAPER IS TOTALLY DRY, LAYER
COLORED PENCIL OVER THE BACKGROUND COLOR FOR AWESOME RESULTS IN LESS TIME.

3. OIL PASTELS
OIL PASTELS ARE MADE UP OF A PIGMENT THAT IS
HELD TOGETHER BY LINSEED OIL. OIL PASTELS
HAVE AN OILY CONSISTENCY THAT PRODUCES A
PAINTERLY EFFECT. THE NATURE OF OIL PASTELS
ALLOWS THE ARTIST TO WORK THEM IN A SIMILAR
WAY TO PAINTING. THUS, A FINISHED OIL PASTEL
DRAWING HAS MANY OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF
A FINISHED PAINTING. OIL PASTELS ARE A UNIQUE DRAWING/PAINTING MEDIUM FOR
CREATING COLOR ART. BECAUSE OF THEIR UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS, MANY ARTISTS
CHOOSE TO USE THEM OVER OTHER COLOR MEDIA. OIL PASTELS BEHAVE IN A SIMILAR
FASHION TO TRADITIONAL SOFT PASTELS, BUT THEY ALSO POSSESS CHARACTERISTICS THAT
ARE SIMILAR TO THAT OF CRAYONS.

HEAVY PRESSURE BLENDING

GENEROUSLY ADD OIL PASTEL IN ONE
DIRECTION ONTO YOUR PAPER. LAYER
ADDITIONAL COLORS ON TOP TO
CREATE A RICH, BLENDED LOOK. EXPERIMENT WITH BLACK OR WHITE PASTEL FOR
SHADOWING AND HIGHLIGHTING EFFECTS. HERE’S A QUICK LESSON THAT USES THIS
TECHNIQUE.

LIGHT PRESSURE BLENDING

LIGHTLY ADD OIL PASTELS ON PAPER
WITH LITTLE PRESSURE. LAYER MORE
COLORS TO ACHIEVE VARIOUS
VALUES OR EVEN DIFFERENT HUES.

COLOR MIXING
APPLY A RICH LAYER OF OIL PASTEL
THEN FOLLOW WITH ANOTHER
COLOR APPLIED ON TOP (CONSIDER
TRYING PRIMARIES FIRST). CONTINUE TO BLEND/LAYER ADDITIONAL COLORS TO ACHIEVE
YOUR DESIRED HUE. STUDENTS COULD PRACTICE THIS TECHNIQUE WHEN CREATING
NATURE DRAWINGS.

STIPPLING
USING SMALL, CHOPPY STROKES,
CREATE A STIPPLED EFFECT ON YOUR
PAPER. LAYER ADDITIONAL COLORS
FOR DEPTH WITHIN YOUR TECHNIQUE.

SCUMBLING
APPLY CONTROLLED, SCRIBBLED
MARKS OF OIL PASTEL. BUILD UP
WITH ADDITIONAL LAYERS OF
VARIOUS COLORS TO REACH DESIRED VALUE AND TEXTURE.

SGRAFFITO
OVERLAP TWO THICK LAYERS OF
DIFFERENT OIL PASTEL COLORS ON
PAPER. USING A PAPER CLIP OR
WOODEN STYLUS, SCRATCH OR SCRAPE AWAY LINE DESIGNS REVEALING THE COLOR
UNDERNEATH.

OIL
USING A COTTON SWAB SOAKED IN
BABY OIL, SMOOTH THE OIL PASTEL
TO CREATE BLENDED COLOR OR YOUR
PAPER. LET DRY OVERNIGHT.
REFERENCES

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