By Nicole Tinkham

29 Prismacolor Pencil Tips & Techniques

You asked and we listened. One of the art supplies you were dying to learn more near was Prismacolor colored pencils. Groovy choice! Prismacolor brings an array of quality art supplies including markers, pastels, charcoal, graphite, and of course colored pencils. As far as colored pencils become, you can learn almost ALL of your many options here. But we're going to accept that previous weblog mail a step further and bring to you lot exactly what you need to know about using them right here in this post. Here are the elevation tips and techniques for using Prismacolor Colored Pencils.

BLENDING

1.Layering: Lightly layer colors to create new colors.

two.Blender pencil: This is a clear colored pencil specifically for blending purposes. This colorless blender is used to fuse colors together. Hint: If you don't have a colorless blender, you tin can use a colored pencil in a light shade.

3.Glaze effect: Y'all can also alloy a colorless pencil with a colored pencil to create a sheer glaze.

4.Launder effect: Using mineral spirits volition give you a softer blend and wash outcome.

5.Wide coverage: Using a bristle brush, y'all tin can drag the color out to cover a large area.

six.Smudge the color: Using a cloth, rub into the color and smudge to desired area.

7.Pushing the colour around: Tortillions tin can exist used to button colors around. A tortillion is basically tightly wound paper used for blending.

TEXTURE

viii.Crude background texture: Using sand paper under the paper volition create a bumpy texture.

9.Create patterns: Employ a textured rubbing plate nether the paper to create textured patterns. This is similar to the sand paper concept mentioned above.

10.  Impressed lines: Press a stylus into the paper to create grooves and color over them with a colored pencil.

eleven.Using a textured paper: If y'all're working on a paper with a tooth, remember that pressing downward hard with the pencil could flatten the raised texture.

OTHER TOOLS & TIPS

12.Masking off areas: Using a removable tape will keep straight edges make clean and not damage the paper.

thirteen.  How to use the last little chip of pencil: A pencil extender is an accessory Prismacolor offers to get the nigh out of every stub.

14.  Easy solvent: This is a pretty cool tip. Manus sanitizer can be used every bit a solvent for Prismacolor pencils.

fifteen.Watercolor pencil: Watercolor pencils work like MAGIC. Y'all'll seriously be amazed. We accept a whole weblog mail dedicated to them here.

16.Creating black without a black pencil: Using several deep colors can create a more intense black than the color black itself.

17.  Light to night vs. dark to light: At that place'due south no right or wrong way to become about doing this. Do whatever feels comfy for yous.

18.  Wax build up: If you see a white pic build up on your drawing don't freak out. This happens (commonly when color is applied heavily) when the wax from the pencil rises to the surface. Simply wipe away with a cloth.

nineteen.Experiment with different surfaces: Prismacolor pencils tin can exist used on diverse types of newspaper, wood, newspaper mache, and more.

twenty.Exist gentle: When Prismacolor pencils drop or get banged together, the inside core could break. No skilful!

21.  Use on canvas:  Try them out on a gessoed canvass or illustration board for a different look.

22.DIY Prismacolor paint: Rub Prismacolor Art Stix on a sanding block to get a powder-like version of the paint. Stir in odorless mineral spirits and use as paint!

23.  Add details to an oil painting: Colored pencils can be used to add details like eyes or highlights in hair to an oil painting.

24.Filling in the tooth of the paper: The rougher the surface of the paper, the sharper you want your pencil. This volition help you lot fill in all the nooks and cranny's.

FIXATIVES

25.Terminal fixative: This one seals out the air. This prevents the wax build-up that you may accept experience. At this point you cannot rework anything. The cartoon is final.

26.Workable fixative: Allows you to add more layers by blanket the surface with a "molar".

ERASING & SHARPENING

27.  Erasing: Prismacolor pencils aren't easily erasable merely an electric eraser is the best way to go.

28.Lifting color: You lot know that putty used to hang artwork on the walls? Information technology can also exist used to lift color from a Prismacolor pencil drawing. Get it here.

29.Sharpening: Prismacolor pencils have a soft and frail core. Be extremely careful when sharpening. Don't violently wiggle the pencil effectually in the sharpener.

Thank you to our fans, here are a few more Prismacolor tips!

30. If you mess up, you can take a really sharp white colored pencil and sort of "erase it" -Jonathan

31. Use articulate Scotch tape or art tape to peel upwardly a few layers at a time without ruining the paper. Y'all can get virtually of it off that fashion and it will give you a good base to start off with again. -Jonathan

32. "When using a solvent in tight places, look for very small Qtips in Nail & Cosmetic stores. They are invaluable! For even tinier Qtips, ask your dentist for the piddling ones they use on your teeth. They are slap-up!" -Suzanne

33. "If the core is broken you can put them in the oven on 200 degrees for 2 to 5 minutes and then take out and absurd to room temp. I put them in the frig to absurd faster. I likewise heard you could put in microwave just I accept never done information technology that way." -Virginia Estep

34. "I put my Prismas on a heating pad to mend if they intermission and in summertime the machine dashboard works well. I've tried the microwave and the wood casing cracked, and so don't recommend that method!" – Ukknight

35. "Use ear cleaning buds to blend" – lewisimpson

36. "Don't let your puppy get hold of your pencils!" –Trish Councell

37." Using a heated surface volition allow rich colours. A local artist uses a custom board, I've been experimenting with putting a heating pad under my art board." -Greg

38. "I started sharpening my pencils on a nail file and spun it as I did to keep it even. This keeps the points from breaking as much. I besides utilise rubbing alcohol to dissolve the wax so I tin add more colour on height." –britcomeauxbooks

49. "After applying color to my artwork I will get back over all my abrupt borders with a black gel pen. It actually makes the color pop!" –Davey Barnett

50. "To elaborate on Non using a microwave: Some of the colors actually catch fire due to cloth used. I believe the gold pigment on the casing is also a burn down hazard. Microwaves just utilise far too much rut all at once. You lot want to bind the cores together, not nuke them to oblivion. For more fifty-fifty coverage color in a circular motility every bit opposed to side to side or upwards and down. I've found it particularly helping while blending.Stump starting to become too small for the extender? Mucilage it to the end of a new pencil and keep sharpening and coloring." – Lindsay Graves

51. "A prismacolor artist from Illinois named Dooley created great effects by dry brushing gesso with them. He started by using gesso to create bright highlights. He besides used oil pastels in large areas, such every bit backgrounds on large drawings." –Sara Frenz

52. "You can left layers of color by using a curved exact bract. Gently scrape the excess color of very gently and brush them abroad." –Chandell Coombs
53. "Use prisma colors pencils and water colors paint together. The wax in the leads is resistant to the watercolors and hands whipes away with damp clothe or q-tps. Makes information technology easier to create big backgrounds. Or base of operations colors for large areas that you can ten add more olor and texture with your prisma color leads." –Chandell Coombs

54. "I utilize a powdered stick deodorant (Secret sheer dry) either before laying down color or after the color has been laid down to alloy smoothly using a Q-tip. The color moves so hands and blends very nicely. Yous tin even lay on more than color if you desire!" -Peggy H.

55. "Rub with aloe vera impregnated tissues wound around a cotton wool bud to achieve the shine subsequently the final layer of Prismacolor pencil. Colour can drain a lilliputian so best to 'shine' one color at a fourth dimension and best to use the resealable pocket pack of tissues, equally effect of aloevera disappears in a big box of opened tissues." -Penny

56. "The best pencil sharpener I've discovered yet for prismacolor pencils is the kiss make eye/lip pencil sharpener. It seems to sharpen away less woods and core. Also, not only does the colorless blender pencil alloy colors together nicely, it covers the tiny white spots that evidence through the pencil, and brightens the pigment tremendously!" -Tabby

57. "I wouldn't recommend this for fine art, but for more casual stuff it's very cool: you tin blend & smooth heavy layers of color using a plastic eraser. I have a Staedtler Mars round plastic eraser in a hold – information technology moves the color around quite a fleck without lifting off much of it, isn't real good for tight places or exacting work, but for sketchy stuff or large areas it'south nice!"
"Also – I've microwaved PrismaColors to 'repair' broken inner lead & it seems to work Just – be conscientious – I start run information technology for v – 6 seconds & still sometimes the paint blisters a bit. Just information technology's better than shredding away 3/4s of a brand new pencil trying to become a tip. (I love ya, PrismaColor except for that!!)" -Nancy

58. "Chartpack Markers carries a colorless blender that works wonders." – Jason Jamaal

59. "White colour pencils tin make your colors look darker and blend colors together." – Kayla

Nosotros don't want this to be the concluding list of tips and techniques for working with Prismacolor pencils. How about we make a goal correct here, right now to get this list to l. We want valuable tips from REAL artists like you that are reading this web log. We can't do information technology without YOU! Comment below with any experiences you've learned from when using colored pencils in your art. Have you ever experimented with a unique paper? Have yous found a play a trick on to fixing broken pencils? Are you lot an skilful at storing and organizing supplies? Let u.s. know in the comments below or over on our Facebook folio.