Color Pencil Drawing

You may already know how to do some or all of the Steps 1 through 5. Review the steps you need to. If you know them all you can go straight to Step 6.

Step 1 - Selecting the Source Image:

For this assignment you can either look at a color pencil drawing that someone else has created, or look at a color photo as your source image to create your own rendition. Here is a folder with color pencil drawings that will give you a good idea of the type of work I'm looking for. You can use an image from this folder, a photo you or a family member took, or do an image search on Bing for a source image. If you choose an image other than one in the folder, make sure to get my approval, as I don't want you to pick something that is too difficult, or not challenging enough for your ability level.

Step 2 - The Width to Height Ratio:

When you want to draw an image so that it is either larger or smaller than the source image (the image you are drawing from) you will need to scale the image up or down. This video explains the importance of the width to height ratio so as to not distort images when resizing them. It also explains how to cut only one side of the 12" X 18" paper you will be using.

Step 3 - Gridding the Source Image:

In order to get proper placement & proportion of complex images, many artists and students will use a grid.

You can apply a grid to the source image digitally in a program called Photopea. This grid is different from the face drawing grid as it doesn't have the additional sections (lines) in the center. If you haven't already done so, download the grid in this section and place it in the art folder I shared with you. Then watch the YouTube video or Google Drive video to show you how to apply the grid to the image you've chosen to draw. You will then export the gridded version as a jpg to either print or view on your screen when drawing to the larger drawing paper.

MORE ON GRIDDING: If you would like to learn how to create your own digital grid on a drawing then you can watch this video. If you want to get a printout and fold the paper into four equal sections both horizontally and vertically. You can watch this video to show you how.

GRID

Step 4 - Large Papers Dimensions:

In order to make sure you don't distort your image while drawing it, some math is required to calculate what to cut your larger paper's size to so that its width to height ratio matches that of the source image. You can do this in one of two ways.

1) You can use Photopea to do the math for you. You can watch the YouTube video or the Google Drive video.

OR

2) You can calculate it manually using the width to height ratio w/h = W/H. The width is to the height on the small paper (source image) as the WIDTH is to the HEIGHT on the large paper (blank paper). Advanced artists should learn this as you may not always have a computer to where you can use Photopea.

Step 5 - Gridding, & Drawing the Outline on the Large Paper:

Use a ruler to divide your drawing paper into four sections wide by four sections high. If you have difficulty with measurements or reading a ruler or with the math, make sure to get help from the teacher or someone who knows how to do this such as a classmate or family member.

GRIDDING THE LARGE PAPER

Step 6 - Color Pencil Shading:

You could probably take what you've learned about shading in past assignments, combine them with what you've learned in color theory & painting, and pretty much figure out how to do a decent color pencil drawing. However, there may be a few tips and tricks you're not aware of. Watch this YouTube video from Kirsty Partgidge Art as well as other videos you may find on your own to learn as much as you can.

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