Prismacolor Premier
Why do I prefer Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils?
Students often ask which brand of pencils I prefer, and I always answer Prismacolor Premier wax based colored pencils. Prismacolor pencils are rich in pigment, great for layering and blending, and they are translucent and opaque at the same time. They are also cheaper than most brands, and are available in almost every art store, and come in a wide range of colors.
How to use Prismacolor Colored Pencils?
You have to understand the properties of the pencils that you are using in order to properly use them. Prismacolor are translucent and are wax based.
Translucent
Artists using acrylics, watercolor or oils, usually mix their colors on a palette.
Because colored pencils are translucent, colored pencil artists mix and blend colors directly on their surface. Various colors can be created by mixing translucent colored pencils. You have to understand that every single application of color will mix with whichver color you apply underneath. I like to tell my students that they have to treat pencils as if they work wet on wet.
Wax Based
I believe that the biggest problem students have with wax based pencils is building up the wax too soon. In order to avoid this and to take full advantage of these pencils, I recommend using the following tips and techniques.
Three Ps to remember
- First Key word is Patience. Colored pencil is not a medium you can do in a hurry. In order to build form and richness you need to apply several layers of color. Layering takes time.
- Second Key word Pressure. To build your form you must use a soft touch. I use an exercise with my students in which we use the sharpest pencil to paint over our hand. If the right amount of pressure is being used, they should only feel the pencil tickling their hand. If you use heavy pressure in the early stages of your painting you will build up the wax and it will resist further applications of pencil. Students also tend to use too much pressure when they try to go fast.
- Third Key word is Point. You need to use a sharp point at all times. Using a dull point puts pressure on your surface and builds up the wax.
Which pencils have more wax?
Lighter colors have more wax than darker colored pencils. White has the most wax. Because of this, I try not to use White until the end, unless it needs to be completely White. In that case, you have to put White at the beginning and not apply any other color. Once you apply another color, it will never be completely White again. Remember, colors are translucent and you are working wet on wet. If I need a lighter value I usually use cream or a light gray to lighten my color. I use Cream if my color needs to be warmer, and gray if it needs to be cooler.
How to fix it if you build up the wax too soon?
How to remove excess wax will depend on the surface that you are using. If you are using paper you can use a scrubber brush to remove wax from the surface. If you are using Pastelbord, I recommend using Gamsol. Checkout my previous blog on how to use Gamsol.
Burnishing
Once you have established form and covered your surface with a good amount of layers, you can begin the burnishing process. To learn about this topic go to the SDP blog and read my post about burnishing and varnishing.
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