Colored Pencil Winter Wonderland: Preclass

Before we start…a little housekeeping

I retain the copyright to the content you are learning in class. That means…

1. Do not sell or give away the concepts from my classes – you may not re-teach my instruction contained or created within these lessons.
2. Do not post a video tutorial or step by step photo tutorial of your own redraw of class content.
3. Do not repost any handouts you receive in class.

However…I love to see students making strides and taking this teaching and personalizing it with your own skills.

1. DO make your own designs and develop your own style! I love that!
2. DO gift your creations made with these techniques, of course!

At the bottom of each lesson you’ll see some ways to share your homework and ask questions, so that’ll be handy for you.

Colored Pencils

Prismacolors will be used for demos in class but there’s no magic to that selection – get together a number of blues from your own pencil collection – some darks, some midtones, and lights, and a couple greys and a black. See the photos of the colors for two brands below.

• Prismacolor: Blick – Amazon – Hex Chart
• Polychromos – Blick – Amazon – Hex Chart
• Pencil Sharpeners:
  • Electric Quietsharp Blick – Amazon
  • Long point AFMAT Amazon
  • Chubby superfine point Blick – Amazon
• Pencil Extenders
  • Generals Pencil Extender Blick – Amazon
  • E and M Peanpole Pencil Extender  Blick
• The drawers where I store my pencils
• Electric Eraser, Mont Marte (not the one in the video above – that one is 4x the price, and this one is great)

Blending supplies

• Blending solution – Gamsol recommended Blick – Amazon
• Isopropyl Alcohol (get at the drugstore) 99% is best but lower % will do
• A few old brushes (I got mine in the drugstore – don’t need to be fancy)
• Pipettes
• Cotton balls (small or large)
• You can certainly use blending stumps – but they’re not used in any of the lessons.
• Containers for blending solution (my little jars)
• Tea Strainer, sandpaper, or nail files (here’s the metal one you can wash)

Snow supplies

• Ph Martins Bleed Proof White Blick – Amazon  
• Dusting Brush – big one at Blick – or get a mini on Amazon
• Paintbrush – demos use a Silver Brush Round 4 – Blick – Amazon
  • but if you have another small brush, just use that. Just wash it right away after using! 🙂

Papers plus

Techniques will work differently on different papers – you can use whatever you have, but I do recommend trying out Stonehenge if you haven’t before. Demos are in a sketchbook but a pad might suit you better.

• Stonehenge sketchbooks (7×7 in class demos)
• Stonehenge Drawing Paper pad, 9 x 12 Blick – Amazon
• Artist tape 3/4″ or 1/2″ – white tape helps you be able to see your colors against white instead of blue or green; and this tape wipes off so excess pigment can be cleared away.
• Masking paper – you can use stickynotes, or get a roll of masking paper; I use Eclipse Tape by Judikins. Make sure you can tear a rough edge from whatever you use.