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The 5 Basic Colored Pencil Strokes

By Carrie Lewis in Art Tutorials > Drawing Tips
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Today Ill be demonstrating five basic pencil strokes which are the foundation of all colored pencil work no matter what technique or style you choose
to draw in. Master these and no subject will be beyond your ability to render.
Lines

The most basic stroke is the line. Its also one of the most versatile.

You can achieve a variety of effects by changing the sharpness of the pencil, the way you hold the pencil, and the pressure you apply. Using the side of
the pencil with light pressure results in a wider line with softer edges. A sharper pencil and heavier pressure creates a darker, sharper edged line.

The amount of space between the lines also affects the result. The more white space, the lighter the color, especially when viewed from a distance.

Combining lines of two or more colors creates mixed color.

Use lines to create several layers of color quickly over large areas. Lines work well at any stage, but are especially useful for under painting or base
colors.

Most of the lines in this illustration were drawn freehand. Use a straight-edge and more precise placement for a more precise look, as shown in the
middle right and lower right corner.

Only your imagination can limit the variety of lines.

Crosshatching

When you draw lines that overlap in two or more different directions, you are crosshatching.

As with the basic line, the space between individual lines affects the appearance of the finished work. Crosshatching with lots of space between the
lines creates an open, fairly light value. Lines drawn closer together or with heavier pressure produces a darker value and/or a more saturated color
layer (less white space).

Use a blunt pencil for lines with softer edges and sharpened pencils for finer, harder-edged lines. Vary line quality and/or color from one layer to the
next for a virtually endless range of colors, values, and patterns.

Crosshatching is a great way to fill in large areas of color quickly.

Circular strokes

This is an excellent stroke for areas where you need to fill in color quickly, but you dont want a linear pattern to show.

Vary your stroke with a sharp pencil, a blunt pencil or the edge of a pencil. Use small circular strokes with very little white space for more even color.
Create mottled color by layering different colors with the same type of stroke.

In this illustration, the sample on the left contains small strokes placed close together to fill in more space. The blue circle was drawn with medium
sized strokes and the red circle with more open strokes. Medium pressure was used on all three. I also kept the pencils sharp and worked in the same
pattern with each circle.
For an even color area, use smaller circles and apply the color several times over the area, working in different directions to fill in as much white space
as possible.

This stroke is ideal for foliage on trees and bushes, and for curly hair of any length. Layer circular and parallel line strokes in a crosshatching pattern to
create skies and other areas when you dont want a pattern to develop.

Directional strokes

The primary difference between this stroke and a basic line is movement. Directional strokes follow a direction and pattern that simulates whatever
youre painting.

Use directional strokes when painting animal hair. Change the length and direction of the stroke depending on the length of the hair and the location on
the body. For the flowing mane of a horse or for a womans long hair, begin the stroke close to the skin and stroke in the direction the hair is growing
or moving.

To draw grass, work from the ground up. Use a directional stroke to simulate the groves and ridges in the bark on a tree.

In both cases, a background or base color speeds the process, but you can tackle the entire area with a directional stroke. Block in basic colors and
values, then add highlights and accents by following the direction of growth.

Tapping

This method involves little or no stroking. Instead, hold the pencil vertically and tap the paper. Its an accent stroke that can be combined with shading
or any of the other strokes to create the look of texture. Use a sharp pencil to make tiny, distinct marks. A blunt pencil will make larger, less defined
marks.

Apply the marks evenly for a more uniform appearance (top row below) or apply them in overlapping layers to create variations in color density and
value (bottom row below).
To create the sample above, I used heavy pressure each time I tapped. It was heavy enough that the tip of the blue pencil broke. Since breaking a
lead may damage the paper or leave unwanted marks, use softer pencils whenever possible. That reduces the amount of pressure necessary to leave
marks.

I use this tapping stroke to add leaf accents to trees, lights and darks to stony or rocky areas, and wherever else I need bits of bright highlights or deep
value accents. These accents are near the end of the painting process and are usually the darkest or lightest colors.

The best drawings usually combine most or all of these strokes to simulate a variety of textures. As you look at your subject matter, imagine which
stroke would work best to depict the texture that you see, and then experiment (on scratch paper first, if necessary) to see if youre correct.

Good luck!

Canvas Prints & Framed Art

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How to Draw Realistic Wood Grain Details with Colored Pencils

Today I'm going to share a tutorial on drawing wood grain, as well as explain how to render a few familiar features of weathered wooden boards. Ill
be using Prismacolor thick lead pencils and heavyweight white drawing paper.

Ready? Then let's get started!

1. Always find a good resource

Different woods present different grain patterns, density, and colors.. . . read more
More related articles

Let Your Pencils Do More of the Work, With These 3 Advanced Pencil Strokes

How to Get the Most Out of Your Colored Pencil Values

How to Draw Realistic Hair in Colored Pencil

Creating a Limited Palette Colored Pencil Portrait on Colored Paper (Part 2)

How to Add Rich, Vibrant Color on Top of Your Colored Pencil Underpainting

How to Draw Realistic Rough Stones and Cement Objects in Colored Pencil
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