Drawing with Colored Pencils

Many people have discovered colored pencils as more than just an art tool for our children. They can create amazing works of art that are apprecitaed by many art communities across the world. There are many reasons why you would want to work with colored pencils. Some of the reasons include:

- easy to work with

- virtually no clean up

- blend colors together easily

- ability to use different tools to create realistic works of art

Many people will assume colored pencil artwork is actually created with paints (at first glance). Colored pencils create artwork that looks just a realistic, if not more so. Here are a few tips to get you started with drawing or coloring with colored pencils.

- you can use the childrens standard or artist grade colored pencils. Artist quality colored pencils are going to be more expensive, so if you are unsure about this kind of investment, buy some regular ones first. A good brand is Crazy Art - they color dark and are great for shading. They cost about the same as Crayola brand and can be found at most large retail stores. You can also buy colored pencil singles at store like Michaels or JoAnn Fabrics to get the feel of artist-grade pencils before you commit yourself to a set.

- Depending on what you want to draw you will need certain paper and supplies. Michael's or JoAnn Fabrics carry everything you will need.

There are many techniques an aspiring artist can use when creating art with colored pencils. Check out some tutorials online if you are unsure where to begin.

The use of color is very important in color pencil drawing. You can experiment on your own or online with an interactive color wheel. Remember different brand colored pencils will give you different shades of color, this is why you may want to invest in a few different brands of pencils if you are not achieving the results you desire.

As you become more advanced in your drawing techniques, you will discover many techniques to achieve the results you are looking to create. The possibilities are endless!

If you are interested, Colored Pencil Magazine offers a free digital issue of their publication here. They offer both a print version and a digital version of their magazine at reasonable prices online, and are definitely worth checking out. They also have contests for aspiring artists to enter, so you can show off your artwork and possibly win some prizes!

You can also help support those children less fortunate with a donation to the Colored Pencil Project - which brings art supplies to those who cannot afford them. Remember how important art is, especially to children, and spare a few dollars if you can.

Whether young or old, colored pencils are a great way for anyone to express themselves creatively. Even if you are not an aspiring artist, colored pencil drawing is a great way to relieve stress and can be very relaxing. You can even try coloring in coloring books with colored pencils - you will be amazed at how fun it can actually be!