There are all kinds of colors, and there's always something to suit a personal style. Matching the coloring tool to the style you prefer is essential for creating quality projects you will love and love to display. The right pencils will deliver vibrant colors; proper pens will keep their form without staining and bleeding. If you are a newcomer to the world of color, the following article holds some tips from the pros. Consider these pointers to skip the learning curve and get right into the fun of color.
1Soft Core Colored Pencils
Color pencils allow for precision control but can also be used to achieve rich blends and smooth gradients. For best results, choose those with softer centers as they produce the best colors. The softer the center, the easier it will spread across the minute textures of the paper. These colors won’t fade when left in sunlight after months of display, and softer pencils leads are much more resilient to breaking if you drop them on the hard floor.
2Gel Pens
If you like the deeper brilliance of color pens, you can take advantage of the terrific blending and qualities of gel pens. These can be bought in large packs, and all the constituents blend perfectly. Furthermore, these pen sets won’t cost much, either. You also get to select from glow-in-the-dark, glitter, fluorescent, and metallic inks.
3Crayons
They don’t just smell great; those chubby coloring tools were your first introduction to the world of drawing. Today, they are better than ever. All the terrific spreadable and bendable qualities of the wax crayon are now available in twistable designs. Just like a regular mechanical pencil but given a twist, a soft and malleable center emerges for the application. You get a fine tip and never have to worry about gripping a tiny worn-down crayon nub of your favorite color.
4Watercolor Pencils
Once you have dominated the simpler tools, take your coloring prowess to new heights with watercolor pencils. The special dynamics of the watercolor pencil will require your skills in painting and moisture management as well as your fluidity with a pencil. Use too much water, and you will end up with a soggy mess; use too little, and you will end up with just another pencil coloring. But when perfected, the colors can be applied precisely and then mixed beautifully. Use thick papers that absorb water well.
5Markers
The application of pressure and developing a smooth interaction with the paper is an acquired skill. If you have carpal tunnel syndrome or arthritis, you may want to skip out the more challenging tools and use markers. Markers provide a consistent output and can be applied to produce color-rich productions without getting into the details of shading, cross-hatching, and such.
Some details can be challenging, though, and markers bleed right through papers, meaning you will only get to color on one side of the coloring book. You may even want to add a page separator or a thick card to avoid bleeding through multiple papers. But there are coloring books designed especially for the marker-loving artist and feature marker-friendly paper and design.
6Eyeshadow
You may have seen some stunning works of art produced by using eyeliner or eyeshadows. This technique has great versatility but can be a very costly way of making beautiful art. Consider instead the various bright, rich, and vibrant colors that can be achieved with chalks and pastels. These are best applied using sponges or even those little brushes from your makeup kit. When working with very large productions, pastels are perfect for creating large uniform color sections.
7Stumps And Tortillons
As your skills in coloring reach master's level, you will no longer be happy to smudge with your thumb, and you will need a tool of greater efficacy. The stump and tortillon are great for producing intricate blending and shading work. The best thing is that they can be cleaned and used to create a perfectly unique blend every time; just rub them across a sandpaper block.
There, you have a world of artistic opportunity for those with a knack for applying color. It is easy to think of coloring as crayons and pencils, but this is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Scratch a little deeper, and your adventures in coloring will go as far as your imagination can take you.