Colour Studies 1 | Portrait

Drawing a face in pencil or ink is one thing, but adding colour introduces a whole new set of things to think about. Which colours work together? How do I build up the skin tones without making everything look flat? And how many layers does it take before the colours start looking the way I imagined?

I've been putting this off for a while because the pencils I have are not so pigmented but I've decided to just use them and be patient with the layering process.

This drawing is basically a chance to practise rather than worry too much about getting everything right. I'm still figuring out how to use and blend coloured pencils, there's a lot to pay attention to, and that's exactly why I want to keep practising.

I'm also excited about the possibility of giving my sketchbook more variety. I love my pen drawings, but I don't want colour to feel like something I can only attempt when I'm ready to create a perfect finished piece.

So, this is me learning as I go, one coloured portrait at a time. I have a lot more experimenting to do, and I'm looking forward to seeing the progress.

If you draw portraits with coloured pencils, what's one thing that helped you improve your colouring?

Have a lovely day